Chapter 10

“I’m sorry.”

Hannah’s arm brushed mine as she reached for the bowl. She glanced up at me, then tilted her head toward her mother and murmured, “This really isn’t the time to talk about it.”

“But—”

“Hey, Joe,” my aunt called out.

I turned toward her. “Yeah, you need something?”

“I got some subs from the corner store. Can you cut them up for me?”

“Each one into four?”

“That’ll be fine, thanks.”

As I sliced the sandwiches, Hannah was getting bowls from the cupboard to fill with chips. I caught her looking at me, but she quickly glanced away. Then she squinted up at me, so I stuck my tongue out. She stuck hers out in return and giggled.

Progress.

I was carrying a plate of five-inch sub sections to the far counter when Dave came in from the garage, grocery bags in hand. “I’m back, Mom, got the meat.” Susie followed him in.

“What did you get?” I asked.

“Two four-packs of ribeyes, a couple pounds of ground beef, and two packs of hot dogs.”

Aunt Janet raised an eyebrow. “Did you get the ‘all beef’?”

“Yes, Mom.”

Susie, stunning in a red dress that hugged her curves just right, held up her bag. “And I got the buns!”

My aunt smiled. “Okay, just set those down. I’ll put the meat in the fridge.” She gave Susie a hug while Dave placed his bags near my plate of subs.

I grinned. “Happy birthday, cuz!”

Dave shot a glance at Susie, then leaned in. “You gotta hear what happened last night.”

“Your birthday present?”

“Oh my God, yes. But not here—let’s go out back.”

On the deck, I asked, “So what did she give you that’s got you so worked up?”

“Debbie.”

“Huh?”

“Okay. There’s this freshman cheerleader that lives down the street from Susie. I’ve told her I think Debbie is hot, and—”

“Whoa...”

“So last night, her parents were out, I went over to the house, and guess who’s there?”

“Debbie?”

“Yup. She was Susie’s present.”

“Am I understanding you correctly?”

“A threesome.”

“Because you talked about this other girl?”

“I guess because she wanted to give me something unforgettable for my birthday.”

“And she was cool with it?”

“Dude, it was her idea. Susie riding me while Debbie sat on my face. Then they switched.”

“Oh. My. God.”

“They even made out to get me going. Not that I needed much help.”

I shook my head. “It’s just ... hard to wrap my head around.”

“I lost count of how many times I came.”

I chuckled, staring down at the red-stained wood. “I have a fantasy like that, where I’m taking one girl from behind while she’s going down on the other.”

Dave whistled. “Whoa! Joe going crazy here.”

I frowned. “But I don’t picture your sister doing the lezzie thing.”

“Unless you do it with someone else.”

I pointed a finger at him. “Listen, bud—I waited too damn long to get what I have with her. I’m not about to screw it up.”

Dave grabbed my hand. “And I still can’t picture you fucking my little sister. Your own cousin.”

I pulled away. “Well, deal with it. It’s what two people in love do. Be happy for her.”

“Yeah, I want her to be happy.”

“Good. Now, I need to scrub that mental image of you last night out of my head.”

He smirked. “You can’t tell anyone. Nobody. Just our little, private secret.”

“Sure. Not that anyone would believe me ... but then again, it is you two.”

He rolled his eyes. “Just shut up. And ... Shut. Up. Let’s go inside.”

Hannah looked my way from the couch, munching on a handful of chips. Our eyes met, but she didn’t say anything—just turned back to the pre-game show.

I sighed and made my way to the kitchen, where Susie was pouring herself a glass of pop. My eyes drifted down her figure, then back up.

She smirked. “Like what you see?”

I coughed. “Um, yeah ... hi! Pretty dressed up to see the game.”

She grinned, tugging the hem of her dress away from her thighs. “Just got back from church.”

“You wore that to church?” I raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t that a little distracting for, um ... the men?”

Susie put a hand on her hip. “I hope so. Besides, my parents were going to the country club afterward. I could’ve gone, but I wanted to come here instead. Dave was already at my place, so I didn’t bother changing.”

“Country club?” I raised my eyebrows. “Your parents are members?”

She nodded. “Yep. Maybe I didn’t tell you, but my dad’s a big shot down at the mill.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Assistant manager. Started up in Lackawanna, near Buffalo, before he got promoted and transferred here.”

“That’s cool. What’s it like going to a country club?”

She rolled her eyes. “Bunch of stuck-up assholes. The kids are the same—phonies who think their shit don’t stink.”

I snorted. “That’s fucked up.”

“Sure is. They look down their noses at him because he worked his way up from the floor to plant management, but Dad ignores them.”

“Oh, wow.”

She nodded again. “Yeah, he worked his ass off. Went in straight out of high school, then took engineering classes at SUNY at night.”

“I’m impressed. He should be proud.”

“He lets their attitudes bounce off, but I don’t put up with shit from the other kids.”

I smirked. “Like what?”

She chuckled. “Well, there’s this one cock-tease, Megan. She likes to shove her tits in all the men’s faces.”

I grinned. “Uh-huh.”

“Well, I see her dad checking me out, so I figure two can play that game. The look on her face when I told her how hard he came when I screamed out, ‘Yes, Daddy, yes!’”

My mouth fell open. “Oh my God, you didn’t!”

She smirked. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

I shook my head, laughing. “You are too much!”

Then I hesitated, looking away for a second before glancing back at her. “I ... um...”

Susie tilted her head. “Something else you wanna know?”

I hesitated. “Yeah, I mean ... I was just talking to Dave, and ... he told me about last night...”

Her expression darkened as she grabbed my elbow, dragging me into the foyer. “God damn it. Why doesn’t that kid keep his mouth shut?”

I held up my hands. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to make you mad!”

She ran a hand through her hair and exhaled. “Okay—fine. I’m not mad at you. What’s your question?”

I looked down before speaking. “He told me what you did, but ... um ... Hannah’s mad at me because she caught me looking at this waitress...”

Susie blinked, then smacked me in the chest. “What? Are you a fucking idiot?”

“No! I—”

She leaned in, her finger in my face. “Listen here. What I did last night was totally my idea. I wanted to. I wanted to make him happy. That is not even in the same ballpark as you sneaking peeks at another chick while sitting right next to your fucking girlfriend!”

“I didn’t mean—”

“You didn’t think!” she blurted out.

I let out a breath, rubbing my face. “Yeah, I know.”

She jabbed a thumb toward the living room. “Now go in there and treat that girl right.”

As I walked back into the kitchen, Hannah looked over from the couch. “Where have you been?” She patted the empty spot beside her. “Get over here, the game’s already started.”

“Let me grab some sub first.”

With her mom in the room, I had to be content with subtle touches—knees and elbows brushing—but it was enough. Just that little bit of contact sent a spark through me.

Philadelphia was in Pittsburgh, both teams undefeated at four wins apiece. Sidney Thornton was running hard, scoring in the second quarter to give the Steelers a seven-nothing lead. But the Eagles struck back, tying the game before halftime.

As the game went to break, I got up and wandered into the kitchen, checking for any leftover pieces of sub.

Aunt Janet looked up from the counter. “Don’t fill yourself up now—we’re firing up the grill soon.”

I frowned. “Just nervous. Between this and the Pirates game...”

She held out a bowl. “How about some Doritos?”

Meanwhile, the third quarter wasn’t looking good at all.

The Eagles tacked on a field goal to go up by three, then on the next drive, the Steelers started deep in their own territory. Bradshaw dropped back and his pass sailed right into the arms of an Eagles linebacker.

I shot up from the couch. “Son of a bitch!”

My Terrible Towel went flying at the TV as the Eagles returned the pick all the way to the two-yard line.

Two plays later, I sat, unmoving, as Philadelphia punched in another touchdown.

I turned to Dave. “My God, does Bradshaw suck today.”

He let out a disgusted breath. “I don’t think he even has a hundred yards passing yet.”

Down ten. The Steelers were spiraling, and my eyes kept flicking to the clock.

I couldn’t take it anymore.

“Hannah, do you have a transistor? A radio? Anything?”

She tore her gaze away from the screen, already looking frustrated. “Why?”

“I need to check how the Pirates are doing.”

She pushed out her upper lip with her tongue. “There’s a clock radio in my room—but don’t spend all day in there.”

I shot to my feet. “I’ll be back!”

The radio sat on her nightstand. I flopped onto her bed, twisting the dial until I found Milo Hamilton’s voice, calling the play-by-play.

Top of the fourth, Pirates leading one-zip over the Cubs.

They tacked on another in the bottom of the inning. Then Stargell homered in the fifth to make it 3-0.

I let out a breath. “Okay, okay...”

But in the sixth, Dave Kingman launched one deep for the Cubs.

“Damn it! C’mon, just ten more outs.”

I barely heard the door open.

“Having fun?”

I turned to see Hannah standing over me, hands on her hips.

Pulling her pillow to my nose, I grinned. “Well yeah—your pillow smells just like you!”

She narrowed her eyes. “I should feel lucky you still have it in your pants.”

I reached for my zipper. “I can fix that.”

She held out a hand, laughing. “No, no—not here! I came to see why you’re ignoring the rest of us.”

“I’m not ignoring anyone—I’m listening to the Pirates. It’s the last game of the season.”

She folded her arms. “I know what day it is. What’s the score?”

“Three-one, bottom of the sixth. Stargell homered.”

“Well, that sounds like they’ve got it.”

I waved my hands. “Yeah, but—they still haven’t clinched the division.”

She sighed. “Seriously? Okay, Spock—what are the odds?”

I sat up, muttering numbers. “Fifteen percent chance the Pirates lose today, times fifty-five percent chance the Expos win their game, then fifty-fifty if they win a tiebreaker tomorrow, so...” I flicked my fingers in the air, doing quick math. “About a four percent chance the Pirates don’t win the division.”

Hannah pointed to the door. “Then get your ass back to the living room!”

“But you don’t understand—this is really important!”

She shook her head. “Oh, really?”

“They haven’t made the playoffs in four years! This is—it’s just—you have to experience it live—that thrill, that moment!”

Hannah sat beside me, taking my hand in hers. “Look, I love you, and please—hear me out.”

I froze. She didn’t say that lightly.

She leaned in. “The Pirates didn’t make the playoffs in seventy-six, right?”

I shook my head. “Nope. Finished second.”

“And how did that feel?”

“It sucked—I listened all year, and they blew it at the end.”

“But did you enjoy the season? The games? The anticipation?”

“Well, yeah. That’s what being a fan is.”

“And the same in seventy-seven?”

I shrugged. “Yeah, but in August I got depressed and stopped keeping score of every game. But I still listened to all of them.”

“I won’t bother asking about last year,” she smirked, “but ... have you ever wondered why you didn’t have a girlfriend?”

I frowned. “I was shy. No car. And I—”

She wagged her finger. “And baseball always seemed to be your number one priority.”

“Well...”

She scooted closer. “You lived the highs and lows of every season, and life went on—even when they lost. Wait ‘til next year, right?”

“Right...”

“So even if—somehow—that fifteen percent bites them in the ass...”

“Four percent.”

Her hands went to her hips as she glared at me. “Joe?”

I exhaled. “I guess so...”

She stood, pointing to the door. “Then let’s get back to the living room before they think we’re having sex up here.”

“You mean we’re not?”

She smirked, shaking her head. “Nope.”

“Well, that’s just mean. You gonna make me go home and, you know?”

She snorted. “I thought you quit.”

I tilted my head. “Well ... not as often as I used to.”

She laughed. “You’re a sick puppy. Get out of my room!”

“One condition.”

She narrowed her eyes. “What’s that?”

“Kiss me.”

“Why?”

“So I know you still love me.”

She poked me in the chest, then leaned in for a soft peck on my lips. “I still love you.”

I grinned. “No—like you mean it.”

“If I did that, you’d have to explain the lump in your pants.”

When Hannah got to the living room, she announced, “I found him. Had to convince him that family was more important than the Pirates!”

Dave asked, “How are they doing?”

I replied, “Up three to one in the sixth, but she made me leave!”

Hannah took her place on the right side of the couch, again leaving me the spot between her and Susie.

I was struggling not to be aroused, pressing against a girl on either side.

It was late in the fourth quarter when finally, the Steelers gave me something else to think about. Bradshaw suddenly started hitting his receivers – first Stallworth, then Bleier, Stallworth again, and then a third time on a sensational over the shoulder grab for a thirty-seven yard TD catch.

Right down the field, but it was too little, too late, as there were only a couple of minutes left in the game. I closed my eyes to think of the Pirates.

Hannah whispered, “Calm down, it’ll be okay,” placing her hand on my knee, trying to stop the nervous shaking of my leg.

Just then my parents arrived. I rushed to the kitchen, hugged my mother, and whispered in her ear, “What’s the score?”

“Three-two Pirates, in the seventh.”

I cocked my head, wrung my hands, and slowly exhaled. “Almost there.”

Mom called out, “Hey Dave, happy birthday!” as she waved a small box in the air.

Dave jumped off the couch, Susie in tow, on his way to claim his present. As my mother handed him the box, he leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. “Thank you, Aunt Meredith. Oh, and this is my girlfriend, Susie Carruthers.”

Mom smiled warmly. “Pleased to meet you, Susie. Joe’s said good things about you—and that’s a nice Scottish name.”

She grinned. “Same here, and thank you, Mrs. Long. Although I can’t take credit for the name—I kind of inherited it.”

As soon as the game was officially over, the TV was off, and we all gathered around to sing, “Happy birthday to you...”

I grabbed a generous slice of cake with thick white icing and an equally large scoop of vanilla and strawberry ice cream from the bucket of Neapolitan, making sure to avoid any bits of chocolate.

As I carried my plate back to the couch, Aunt Janet called out, “Hey, Joe!”

I turned. “Yeah?”

“Thought you’d like to know—the Pirates won, five to three.”

I threw my right fist in the air and shouted with pure, unfiltered joy, “Yessss!!”

Except that I was then frantically grasping for my plate, sending the cake and ice cream tumbling to the floor.

I sighed, head dropping in defeat, then looked back up at Aunt Janet. “Can I get some more?”

“Once you clean up your mess.”

Thirty minutes later, the presents had been opened, everyone’s blood sugar was way too high, and Dad had reached his limit for time spent away from home.

He looked at me. “You’re going to grace us with your presence at home? Your mom and I are ready to go.”

“Yeah, sure, Dad. I’ll be right behind you.”

“Would have been less gas to take one car.”

I went back around to say my goodbyes to Dave and Susie, then made sure to give my aunt a kiss on the cheek before pulling Hannah into a tight hug. I whispered in her ear, “Playoffs, baby!”

She smiled as she stepped back. “See? I had faith.”

I chuckled and turned quickly toward my folks—just in time to catch a scowl on Mom’s face.

What’s that about?

Not long after I got home, the phone rang. It was Paul, calling from Pittsburgh.

“Hey, Petey—I got four tickets for the game on Friday. You in?”

Be there in person for a playoff game? It took half a second for me to answer.

“Hell yeah!”

Barely thirty minutes later, the phone rang again. This time, it was Hannah.

I frowned, curious why she’d be calling so soon. “Hey, what’s up?”

“Are your parents around?”

I glanced toward the living room, listening for footsteps on the stairs. Silence. “No, coast clear.”

“Well, mine aren’t going to be either. Mickey’s going to a conference in Miami all week, and Mom’s working the evening shift, so after-school hours are adult-free.”

“So ... are you inviting me over?”

“Uh—can I be any more obvious?”

“Anything planned?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?”

I grinned. “How about Wednesday? It’ll be Game Two of the playoffs against the Reds. I can pick you up from school, and we can all watch at your house.”

The clock crawled through Wednesday.

Class at ten-thirty and eleven-thirty, lunch, then another at one-thirty.

As soon as we were excused, I was out the door, down the stairs, and into the parking lot. Screw the two-thirty class.

It only took two turns over a couple hundred yards to pull in behind the buses, waiting to take the Pineland High students home.

I was pacing on the sidewalk next to my car when the doors finally opened and kids started spilling out. I kept my eyes peeled—then waved and jumped up and down like an idiot when I spotted Hannah, attracting stares from the other students.

Hannah broke into a jog, reaching me in no time. Both arms clutching her books, I leaned in for a quick kiss.

“Hey, beautiful. Ready for some baseball?”

As I opened the passenger door for her, she smiled. “My, aren’t we in a cheery mood today?”

Sliding into the driver’s seat, I grinned. “Why not? I’m with the girl I love, and we’re about to watch the Pirates kick some ass!”

“I know! I stayed up late last night to see the whole game. We were all screaming when Stargell crushed that homer in the eleventh.”

I carefully pulled around the buses and down the road. “That was huge taking the first game. Just two more—today and then Friday, back in Pittsburgh.”

Five minutes later, I pulled into her driveway, and we bounded into the kitchen.

Dave and Susie were already on the couch, and Aunt Janet was at the fridge. She turned and opened her arms wide, pulling me into a hug.

“Great game last night!” she said, beaming.

She reached into her purse, pulled out some cash, and handed it to me. “Okay, Joe. I start my shift at four. Here’s ten bucks—run over to D’Arc’s and get a couple pizzas.”

I hesitated, glancing at the clock. My pulse picked up.

“Aunt Janet ... the game starts in twenty minutes. I don’t think I can make it back in time.”

She frowned, then sighed, stuffing the money back in her purse. “Okay. I’ll call in the order and pick it up before work.”

I let out a breath of relief. “Thanks—I really appreciate it.”

Hannah grabbed my arm, yanking me toward the couch, when—thwap!

Aunt Janet smacked me upside the head.

“Ouch!” I winced, rubbing the spot.

“You deserved that!” she called over her shoulder, grinning.

Hannah giggled as she shoved me onto the couch, then dropped beside me.

First pitch was at three-fifteen. There was still no score going to the second when Aunt Janet returned with the pizzas.

“I got two—one with pepperoni, one with ham, onions, and green peppers. Leave some for Sarah.”

“Thanks, Mom,” Hannah said, heading to the kitchen for plates.

“I’ll see you guys later. I gotta hurry if I want to be on time at the Brethren Home.”

I shouted after her, “Don’t worry, we’ll try not to burn down the house!”

Hannah reappeared. “Joe, get your own pizza.”

“Yes, dear.”

Susie punched me in the arm. “You’re already whipped.”

The bottom of the second made me nervous. The first two Reds batters singled, putting runners on the corners with no outs.

Susie wrinkled her nose. “Does this pitcher always sweat so much?”

“Bibby? Yeah, all the time. He could be playing in a blizzard, and it’d still be dripping off his cap.”

Bibby struck out the next hitter, but then the Reds pitcher lifted a sacrifice fly to center.

One-nothing, Cincinnati.

By the fourth inning, I’d finished two slices. The first three Pirates singled, but Stargell got trapped off first base for an out. A ground ball finally tied the game.

The fifth saw a two-out double, giving Pittsburgh a two to one lead as Bibby was mowing through the Reds’ lineup.

I got up for another slice—only pepperoni left. At this point, I didn’t care. I needed something to chew on to calm my nerves.

Hannah grabbed my bouncing knee. “Stop it!”

“I can’t help it.”

I jumped up and started pacing.

It was the bottom of the ninth, still two to one, Bucs.

Tekulve struck out the first batter, but then the pinch-hitter doubled.

Collins laced another double down the right-field line, knotting the score at two apiece.

“Fuck!”

Dave looked over. “c’mon, dude, it’s only tied.”

Tekulve was lifted for Dave Roberts, and I shook my head. “Oh God. He sucks.”

After four straight balls, he was yanked, and Don Robinson took over.

My heart was pounding. A strikeout and a ground out ended the inning as the game moved to extras, just like the day before.

During the commercial I sat back down next to Hannah. “Joe, you look like you’re going to pass out.”

“I know, I just ... I just have to relax.” I reached for her hand, and She squeezed back.

Moreno led off with a single, Foli bunted him to second, and Parker drove him home with a ground ball single to center, just past the reach of the diving second baseman. I jumped to my feet screaming, “Yessss!” Three-two, Pirates.

Robinson stayed on, struck out Johnny Bench and got a couple lazy fly balls to the outfield. There was nooooooooooooo doubt about it.

“Oh my God, we’re one win from the World Series!”

Susie shook her head. “If you don’t have a heart attack by then.”

I was still bouncing off the walls when Dave said, “Hey, let’s celebrate!”

“How’s that?” I asked.

He pointed to the liquor cabinet along the wall. “Remember, I know where they keep the keys.”

“Are you sure? You guys just got grounded for coming home drunk.”

“Well, yeah, which is why we gotta be careful. We can’t take too much out of any bottle, or they’ll notice. Just a sip—no way we’re getting shit-faced. Maybe just a little buzzed.”

Hannah was already in front of the cabinet, running her fingers over the glass as she studied the labels. “Maybe we can each have a shot.”

I sighed. “Yeah, okay. Just as long as we don’t get caught.”

Dave went into the kitchen, reaching to the top shelf of the cupboard and retrieving a set of keys. As he unlocked the cabinet, he announced, “There are only two shot glasses, so we have to take turns.”

He pulled out two bottles, pouring some from each. He and Susie tapped their glasses together, then threw their heads back, emptying the contents down their throats.

Susie grimaced, coughing. “Whoa! My throat is still burning!”

Dave refilled the glasses, waving them toward us. “Your turn.”

Hannah and I stepped up and raised our glasses. She smiled, gave me a small nod, then closed her eyes and downed the liquor.

I was a split second behind her.

She squeezed her eyes shut, taking deep breaths. “Yeah, I can only do one of those.”

I wrapped my arm around her waist, pulling her closer. Then I leaned in, giving her a hard kiss. “Are you a horny drunk?”

“One shot. I am not drunk.”

“Yeah, that’s what you say now.”

Dave clapped his hands. “Hey, Joe, it’s not even six o’clock. You wanna play some Monopoly?”

I shrugged. “Yeah, okay, why not?”

After cleaning the shot glasses and returning them to their place, Dave stashed the keys back in their hiding spot. Then he grabbed a rectangular cardboard box from the top of the hutch and set it on the dining room table.

Suddenly, he bellowed up the stairs, “Hey, Sarah!”

A faint voice replied, “What?”

“You wanna play Monopoly?”

“Sure. I’m coming.”

Two minutes later, Sarah took a seat at the far left of the table, announcing, “I’ll be the bank.”

Dave shrugged. “Yeah, fine.”

Hannah settled on my right, while Dave and Susie took the seats across from us.

I glanced around, then asked, “So, what are the rules?”

They all turned to stare at me.

After a beat of silence, Hannah asked, “What do you mean, ’what are the rules’? Haven’t you played before?”

I shifted in my seat, suddenly aware of everyone’s eyes on me. “No? C’mon, I’m an only child. My parents don’t play board games. Yahtzee, Solitaire—sure. I just never played Monopoly.”

Hannah slowly shook her head. “Ah, this is the guy I’m stuck with.”

I grinned. “Give me credit, I’m a quick learner. I’ll just watch and pick it up.”

She threw both arms into the air. “I still have to show you where to stick it!”

I gasped, laughing as Dave and Susie erupted in raucous laughter.

Sarah, however, scowled. “God, that’s gross.”

Dave rolled his eyes. “Oh, whatever. Let’s get started.” He turned to me. “We need to decide who goes first. Everyone rolls the dice—highest number starts.”

I arched an eyebrow. “It’s a die. There’s only one.”

Dave pointed at me. “You’re going to die if you don’t stop being a smartass.”

Hannah snorted as Dave continued, “The goal is to become the wealthiest player by buying, renting, and selling properties. You collect rent when other players land on your spaces. The last player standing wins.”

I nodded. “Okay, sounds simple enough.”

Sarah rolled a one. Dave got a four. Susie, another one.

Hannah pointed at me as she rolled. “Five!”

I tossed the die. Six.

“Guess that means I’m going first!”

Sarah sighed. “You need money first.”

She counted out the starting cash, handing each of us fifteen hundred dollars in various denominations.

“If you land on a spot no one owns, you can buy it. If someone owns it, you pay rent.”

Hannah leaned closer, adding, “More rules, hotshot. If you buy up all the properties of the same color, you can start building houses and hotels. The more you build, the higher the rent. It’s a great way to make a lot of money ... or go bankrupt if you land there.”

I rubbed my hands together, ready to play.

“Alright. Let’s do this.”

Hannah tossed the game pieces onto the board, and as I was trying to make sense of them, she grabbed one and handed it to me. “Here, you can be the race car. Put it on that space in front of you to start off.”

I glanced around the table to make sure everyone was ready, then nodded and rolled the die. “Three.”

That landed me on Tennessee Avenue, worth three hundred dollars. I grinned and proclaimed, “I’ll buy it!” as I counted off the bills to hand to Sarah.

And with that, we were off—everyone tediously circling the board, collecting properties, and sometimes landing in jail.

An hour and a half in, I had managed to secure all the green properties and stacked them with hotels. I was sitting pretty while the others were starting to feel the squeeze.

Susie rolled and landed on Pennsylvania Avenue. I grinned, stretched my hand out, and chuckled.

“That’s eleven hundred dollars, please.”

She looked down at her stack of cash, flipping through the bills. “I only have seven hundred.”

“Well, well,” I said, leaning back. “Looks like you’re bankrupt.”

Dave sat up, a smirk creeping across his face. “Okay, I got an idea. You can sell some of your clothing.”

She smacked his arm. “What?”

Hannah leaned forward. “Yeah, what the hell are you talking about?”