Rolling for Love

by Kate Messick

  “Why is there no activity from the Poogse family up here?” Goliath asks. “We just killed one of their evil witch children. That was their tower. It’s like four miles outside of town. It’s suspicious.”

  “Maybe it’s a mystery we’re supposed to figure out,” Nozomi suggests.

  “So, is that option five?” Goliath asks.

  “OMG, stop!” I yell. “That’s it. We’re voting … on the only three options that makes sense. Hands up for rescuing kids.” I give it a minute. Two hands. “Hands up for being chatty at a distillery.” No hands go up. “Steal back supplies.” Another two hands go up. “Goliath, you’re the tiebreaker. What are we doing?”

  “All this talking is making me thirsty. Joe, another beer?” I offer and complain at the same time. Though it was fun to say “OMG” in my voice for Trixy. The table groaned but I enjoyed it.

  “No, I need to drive tonight so just some water would be great,” Joe answers.

  Our oldest daughter follows me into the kitchen and “helps” me get drinks. I encourage her and take my time. It’s our first time hosting the game at our house with the idea that both Lynda and I can relax more and not need a sitter. It had actually been Sandy’s idea, surprise, surprise. Though I think we live closer to her then Joe does, so it could still be for selfish reasons. So far so good … though at least three of us have been yelled at by Lynda for swearing in front of the kids.

  The girls have bounced back and forth between their TV shows, watching all the strangers, and prodding Lynda until she stops what she’s doing to hold one or the other on her lap. Sandy keeps her mouth shut at my girls’ antics, thankfully. It’s nice seeing the kids be so interested. Our oldest even whispered some questions to both of us about what was going on. It would be great if the girls got into gaming. When I walk back into the dining room, I have missed the beginning of a conversation.

  “I can’t believe you don’t want to save the child,” Lynda says, astonished, to Dillon.

  “Dillon wants to save the child,” he responds talking in third person. “But Strider is a smart man and in love with Nozomi, so he wants to save more than just the girl … he wants to save the town.”

  “Is Nozomi in love with Strider?” Lynda asks with a dramatic gasp.

  “Um, decided how to vote yet, Zack?” Sandy raises her voice, quickly turning our attention to Zack and off her.

  “No, he hasn’t,” I state. “We would know. He would be shouting it at us with musical accompaniment.”

  “Don’t change the subject,” Lynda pleads and asks again. “Is Nozomi in love with Strider?”

  “Well.” Sandy looks down through her notes and her sheet. “She could be.”

  I watch Dillon and Joe carefully as Sandy answers. Lynda told me that Sandy is dating Joe, not that I really care, but that has to be weird for Dillon. I wouldn’t like it anyway.

  “I could roll on it,” Sandy says. “Any ideas, Zack?”

  “No.” Zack sounds like a petulant child. He looks to be reading bonds and ideals again, his brain furiously weighing moral options. A D20 hitting the table grabs my attention and I watch it roll. It lands on 17. I really don’t care about this, but for some reason my wife is riveted. She talks about the “Dillon, Sandy, and Joe drama” often.

  “Nozomi is in love with Strider, but we haven’t played that out, so your characters don’t know”.

  Before anyone can comment, Zack takes a breath and begins to speak his thoughts out loud, oblivious to the female drama taking place in my kitchen. If only I were so lucky.

  Chapter Sixty-Seven

  Reality, Lynda and Steven’s house

  Unlike the real Estes Park, in Joe’s D&D world, the small spidery network of roads that leads to the many cottages and houses hidden by a dense forest, don’t exist. Instead, there are only three main roads, heavily controlled by the supernatural family in power.

  Lynda Byrd

  Combat is my least favorite part of D&D, especially with Joe’s rule about how fast we have to make decisions. I just don’t know Ruby well enough to really play her well. And I feel like everyone knows it.

  However, this time around, Dillon’s idea lets us plan a head as we go to get the trucks holding the brewery supplies. We have leveled up to five now, and Ruby has third-level spells, including call animals. The battle is nothing less than comical as I call a small army of birds and deer, with even a few moose and a bear into the well-organized camp of humans and demons. I get to use my druid powers to turn into a powerful brown bear myself and add to the confusion as my four team members sneak around and kill or incapacitate our enemies.

  “If I start singing one of the Disney Princess songs, can we get even more wild life?” I ask.

  “Only if you actually sing the right song,” Joe jokes.

  “With a smile and a song, life is just a bright sunny day, your cares fade away,” Sandy and I start singing from Disney’s Snow White at almost the same time.

  “I have no idea what that is.” Joe looks slightly horrified. “But I’m suddenly happy neither of you are bards.”

  Eventually we’re victorious, though a few Kaatse minions are able to escape with their lives. After much bickering, we’re able to come up with a combination of drivers and connecting trucks that we can get them all back to Estes.

  “With engines blaring,” Joe describes. “Six giant semi-trucks drive up the main highway and slowly come to a stop in the parking lot of the Stanley Hotel. Using actual buttons in the trucks and some prestidigitation magic, a light show of every light on the vehicles flashes as a shower of fireworks opens up above you, announcing your arrival.”

  “Does anyone notice my skills at holding two semi-trucks together?” Zack asks excitedly.

  As Joe rolls dice behind his screen, I feel another light tug on my pants as my four-year-old tries to get my attention. She has been trying off and on all evening. We even took a break at one point to find more toys to play with. She brought them under the table still, but had stayed quiet.

  “Oh yes,” Joe confirms. “Very quickly a stream of people come out of the hotel and gawk. Soon after that, a very handsome man wearing a brown striped suit, brown leather gloves, and a fedora with a green feather in it, strides up to you with the confidence of someone in charge.”

  “I move to the front of our party.” Dillon moves Striders miniature on the table out in front.

  “May I assume you speak for this display?” Joe uses a clipped voice to represent the man in the suit. “Upon closer inspection, you’re pretty sure this man is not human,” he says in his own voice.

  “Can I smell what he is?” I ask.

  “Roll,” Joe instructs.

  I’m very excited that I don’t have to ask what I need to roll to do that anymore.

  “She doesn’t smell anything,” Steven answers for me.

  “Please let me answer for myself,” I tell him.

  “Sorry.” Steven tries to hold my hand under the table but ends up poking our four-year-old who’s still trying to get my attention. I hear a wail and slide my chair away from the table. “Matilda, sweetie, are you ok?” I pick her up and coo, and shoot Steven a dirty look as Matilda holds one of her eyes dramatically and wails again.

  “And maybe we should end there for today,” Joe suggests. “It’s almost six and we usually end and five.”

  “I’m sorry,” I start, but Matilda’s wails get louder and I turn my attention to her. We start to go upstairs.

  “Here, give her to me,” Steven requests.

  I pause and wonder if I look as confused as his words make me. Steven never asks for the kids when they are crying. “I poked her in the eye, I’ll take care of it. Why don’t you finish your wine and see our guests out. I’ll take the kids upstairs.”

  I’m conflicted. Recently, Steven and I have been talking more, but I didn’t think he was listening when I asked him to take on more parenting. And as much as I want to let him, I also worry that he won’t take care of them like
I do. Or that they won’t need me anymore. They are my babies. I want them to need me, but I also need to let go.

  “Lynda, I was hoping to see your wine cellar.” I hear Sandy’s voice right next to me.

  “You can always check on them after our guests are gone; they are not going anywhere,” Steven mummers.

  I can tell he’s trying to say it nicely, but it comes across as very surly. I hand him Matilda, who’s now trying to make all of us go deaf, not because she’s hurt but because she wants attention. Steven starts to herd our cats, I mean children, out of the room.

  “We keep it in the partially finished basement,” I announce. I’m very proud of my wine collection.

  “Is it creepy?” Zack asks.

  “No, it’s not creepy.” I laugh a little and finish the last sip of wine in my glass.

  Steven taking care of the kids and Sandy asking to see something personal in my life? What is our little D&D group coming to?

  Chapter Sixty-Eight

  Reality, Bela Casa Construction, Home Development

  Emotions are as varied and fickle as the Colorado weather. Though often sunny, storms roll in and out in a heartbeat. Random hail and snow often happen out of season and when It’s not so dry that it’s on fire, small floods fill the streets and creeks.

  Sandy Yuhi

  “Well, don’t you have stars in your eyes,” Devon comments. “I’m not sure if I have seen you focus on one thing this entire week.”

  “I think I’m in love,” I say whimsically, ignoring the rushing of my heart when I say it. It was supposed to be sarcastic. Stupid heart.

  “In love, you?” Devon looks surprised and asks quietly, “It isn’t Amorino, is it?”

  “No, it’s not Amorino,” I deadpan.

  The door to our pod bounces opened.

  “Speak of the devil,” I say loudly.

  Amorino ignores me and pours himself a cup of coffee. This has been a rough week. Though most of the project is going very well, site six is definitely sinking. And as I predicted at Thanksgiving with my woefully unexcited mother, they are going to have to dig it up. I … am … going … to … get … to … see … the … basement!

  Not only that, but I’m a little high on life at the moment. Dances, job interviews, dates with two guys, demon Mafia, and maybe love? Am I falling in love? Dillon is stringing both me and Nozomi along, keeping our physical time together very innocent. Nothing more than kissing, even in our story exchange! Dillon described, in great detail, a beautiful magical fairy villa. Picturesque romance with Strider saying all the right things. And just as we kiss, we find a dead body. A who-done-it mystery now in the works. Sigh.

  Our date to the butterfly pavilion had been romantic and sweet. I’m pretty sure Dillon has never seen my butterfly pjs before, I wondered how he figured out that I would enjoy that. Joe and I had chilled Thursday evening. We had a lovely walk along the creek, ending with a smoldering make-out session in the sunset. After, Joe took us to The Rio, where I was surprised to find Dillon waiting with a table and margaritas already ordered. It felt a little too “natural”, considering that I’m dating both of them, but I’m not questioning it.

  Joe stayed in Boulder today, doing some crazy peak climb with one of his military buddies. Assuming he doesn’t die, he’s going to bring his friends to meet Dillon and me for drinks at Tetreazy. Blake and Betty as well. This is literally the most social I have ever been!

  “Sandy!” A cup comes down on my desk, sloshing some coffee, and I jump out of my chair. I can hear Devon laughing in the background, as Amorino, eyebrows raised, looks at me expectantly.

  “Um, I don’t know what you want from me,” I stammer, raising my hands in defeat. I had forgotten I was at work even.

  “Jesus, your thoughts were miles away.” Amorino shakes his head.

  “She’s in love,” Devon laughs behind me. I turn and glare at him.

  He seems to think about his statement and my reaction, and quickly adds, “She was being funny when she said it … I think.”

  “Thanks for that, Devon.”

  “Is it your driver?” Amorino asks blandly.

  “Sure is,” I respond and try to steer the conversation back to work. “What work-related thing was I not listening to?”

  “Oh, wow. Deflecting. You really are in love.” Amorino sits on my desk, a few inches from where he just spilled coffee.

  “I’m not deflecting,” I state. “Did we book the digger for site six?”

  “I have a drill coming. We’re going to drill down and get a camera in there to see what needs to be done, if anything can be done.”

  “Cool.” I’m not sure what else to say.

  “Get dinner with me after work?” Amorino suddenly asks, the adds sarcastically, “You can bring a chaperone.”

  “I have plans tonight,” Devon says.

  “Sorry, Amorino dearest,” I say. “Chaperone is busy.”

  “Call your driver,” Amorino says.

  “He’s not working tonight.” I stick out my tongue.

  “So, you are free then?” Amorino grins.

  “I’m doing more than just my driver,” I say heatedly. I hear the strangled laughter from Devon before I realize what just came out of my mouth. Heat flushes my cheeks and Amorino chuckles.

  “We need to chat, but it can wait,” he amends and reaches out a hand to caress the side of my face.

  I pull quickly back. I don’t want Amorino to touch me like that anymore. “What the fuck?” I spt. We made rules. I’m done with this part of my life. Amorino had been mostly good about respecting them, until now.

  “I just assumed you were in love with me,” he says, innocently batting his eyes.

  I narrow mine. Something feels off. Really off. What’s Amorino planning?

  Chapter Sixty-Nine

  Campaign, Stanley Hotel

  One of the most haunted hotels in the world, the Stanley Hotel has been used most famously as the film set for The Shining. Twisting corridors lead to dead ends, dusty ballrooms and creaky storage closets. The antique elevator is still in service and the employees have a strict dress code from the forties.

  Nozomi (Sandy’s character)

  I have the ability to travel through the spirit realm briefly. It’s new, but against my party’s wishes, I do give it a little try out. Why not? We’re at The Stanley Hotel, one of the most haunted hotels in the world. The ghostly forms on the other side give me a wave before I return to the point I entered from. The key to my ability … I can’t move my entry point by more than a few feet.

  The man in the brown striped suit is Raphael. He’s looking at me as I reappear with a strange degree of worry on his face. I feel the need to reassure him that I’m ok, but I don’t. I don’t even really know who he is. I shouldn't be feeling anything.

  We’re seated in one of the conference rooms in the hotel. Raphael’s fedora is on the table in front of him. Two small ivory horns stick out of his slicked back silver and white hair. In the light of the conference room I can see fine white lines of tattoos covering his neck and disappearing into his suit. Delicate fawn-brown leather gloves cover his hands. He’s incredibly handsome, otherworldly.

  “And you expect me to believe you rescued the supplies and brought them back to us out of the goodness of your heart?” Raphael asks, looking especially at me and Trixy.

  Ok, maybe I shouldn’t have tried out my new skill in the middle of our talks, but I get bored. “And we’re expected to just believe that your demon parentage named you Raphael to be ironic?” I ask sweetly.

  “Angel parentage, not demon,” Raphael corrects. “You know nothing at all. You bring me trucks, what about the drivers? Where are the human drivers if you claim to be all high and mighty? Why are they not the first thing on your mind?”

  “I didn’t even think of the drivers.” Ruby’s voice trembles and a tear falls from one of her eyes. I have to fight to not roll my own eyes at her display, genuine though it is. The claimed decedent of angle
s eats it up. He stands and even hugs our druid from behind to comfort her. Unexpected jealousy fills me and I have to blink a few times. What’s going on?

  “They’re fine,” he emphasis. “They were thrown from their vehicles and taken to the hospital. I just need to gauge who you are, as a group. Good or bad. There are too many bad in our town at the moment.”

  “Did we pass?” I ask sarcastically. I feel a foot kick my ankle and Strider shakes his head.

  Raphael releases Ruby, who’s blushing fiercely and stalks toward me. His stride is confident, his posture perfect. I wonder how far down those tattoos go.

  “How about you wonder some of that to yourself,” Steven grumbles as Lynda’s rich laugh fills the kitchen.

  “It’s a valid question,” I defend myself. “Especially as Joe described an instant connection between us.” My mind continues down the wrong path and I muse aloud, “I wonder if Goku’s pubic hair also goes golden when he turns Super Saiyan.”

  “I will never be able to unhear that or not think that every time I watch Dragon Ball Z now,” Zack says, horrified.

  “What’s Dragon Ball Z?” Lynda asks. “What is a Goku?”

  “Really?” Zack asks, his expression one of disbelief.

  “Back to my game,” Joe quickly cuts in. Zack can fill her in on his own. “You’re currently attempting to make a contact in the Giirdse family by insulting one of their sons. I suggest a ‘yo mama’ joke next.”

  Raphael towers over me by at least a foot and he catches some of my dark brown hair in his hand. I want to turn away but can’t. His eyes are locked with mine, so blue they are almost white, and I feel as if he can see deep into my soul. Strider’s slips his hand into mine on the table and gives me a squeeze, breaking me free of the angels hold. Raphael’s eyes focus on Strider’s briefly before he turns to Goliath.