My best friend sits at the inside end of the table, against the wall, and I settle across from her. Grant to her left, and Locke at my right, with two empty chairs at the end of the table for the last guests of the night.
“Have you guys ever been here before?” Grant asks, while Liliana taps away at the tablet labeled with the café’s green logo.
I answer, “Not this one. There’s another board game café closer to Roxbury I’ve been to, but that one’s more of a bar.”
Up Down, Up Down is less of high-seated chairs and beers on brew and more of board games lining the walls. Boxes of differing colors and shapes surround the room, padding the noises of a family tossing their hands up at a card game, and some high schoolers arguing across a table of Monopoly.
“Grant and I discovered this place over the summer. They have so many games.” She turns the tablet towards Locke and I, and we both lean to get a better look. I’m hyperaware of how close he is. Lingers of his favorite earl grey tea becoming impossible to ignore. His navy blue button-down straining against his broad shoulders when he moves. The knowledge that he’s right there, inches away, so easy to touch if-
“Rosie?” Lil’s staring at me. Her forehead is wrinkled and my nerves stand on edge.
“Sorry, what was that?”
Her eyes thin. Like she knows. “I said, is there a specific game you wanted to play?”
“Oh. No, no. I don’t have anything in mind.”
“Not even Rummikub?”
One corner of her mouth raises, in the faintest turn of a smirk, and I know I slipped.
Rummikub is my favorite tabletop game. A tiled game, that relies heavily on math skills and strategic thinking with numbers. A game so perfectly tailored to me, it’s almost like it existsforme. I take every opportunity to play because I never lose.
And in the moments I’m too preoccupied with how closely Locke is sitting next to me, I forgot it existed.
Liliana leans back in her chair, tilts her head, and glances at the blonde-haired man to my right.
“How’s classes going for everyone?” I blurt out in an attempt to redirect her attention. Liliana loves school. This should be enough to make her think about something, anything, but how I’ve begun drifting towards Locke.
“Classes are whatever for me,” Grant adds in. My best friend doesn’t take her eye off the small space between me and Locke. I tell myself to move away and make the gap larger, but my body won’t listen. “Lily’s doing amazing though. Her professor has as an anthology project she wants to feature her short story in.”
Lil finally looks away. Breathing gets easier. She’s smiling at her boyfriend, eyes sparkling and too occupied to notice my hand rubbing my collarbone nervously.
Locke clears his throat. “Congratulations, Liliana.”
“Thank you. It’s not finalized yet, though. I don’t want to jinx it by saying too much. Let’s change the subject.”
She waves her hands around. I want to push just so I can shower her in praises, but Liliana’s always been most sensitive about her writing. I respect that.
Before I can shift the discussion to where the rest of our group is, my roommate says, “Tell them about what Dr. Adebayo said to you yesterday, Rosalie.”
My eyes widen. Nerves standing up.
“That’s not anything of interest.”
I awkwardly laugh and rub my neck. Locke turns to look at me, brows creased. “Of course it is. She’s important to you. It’s a big deal that she wants to connect you with other trading firms.”
The green logo hanging nearby starts to fade. The wooden back of my chair turns soft—identical to the plush cushions of our couch at home. The walls around us transform into that badly painted coat of off-white, and in my mind, it’s just Locke and I again. Sharing our closest thoughts and aspirations in the warmth of our home.
The same as last night, when I told him Dr. Adebayo stopped me after class and asked if she could put me in contact with some other trading firms. If it was anyone else, I might’ve taken offense. Being apart of Xion Group was all I’ve ever wanted.
Being in the same circle of connections as Dr. Adebayo is a close second, though. Locke recognizes that without me having to explain it.
My cheeks hurt from smiling so much. I could spend the entire night like this. Conversations with him were always interesting, but lately, they’ve become special. There’s an implied depth to them that makes every sentence more intimate than the last. Locke could explain Lego bricks to me, and somehow, he would make it feel special.
“Locke! Can you check your phone?”
Grant’s voice causes the board game café to rematerialize. The green logo is back, the sounds of other people invade my mind, and I’m acutely aware of how close Locke and I have leaned together.
