Cassie rolls her eyes. “Sure, Big-dick. You, the billionaire, and your wife, the original Wheorgie, are normal. Keep telling yourself that.”
Cassie shoves through the other people and sticks out her hand. “Cassie Kelly. I’m the one who keeps all these fluffers in line. You need something, come to me.”
I can’t help but shake my head with a laugh. “Tone it down, guys. Maybe if you’d all give her a second to breathe, she’d get comfortable with all of you.”
With comical synchronization, the whole group takes a giant step back. It’s like a wall of water receding.
Naturally, Rocky’s eyes widen.
I put up both my hands in a shrug and then bring them together in a golf-style clap. “Great job. Excellent listening.”
Seven out of eight billionaires respond with a middle finger, and the missing billionaire probably only defected because he’s holding a beer in one hand and a tiny pretzel in the other.
It is Kline, though, so there’s a chance he never intended a reaction anyway.
Georgia is the first to break the silent ice, and when she does, it’s to say words I just know we’ll live to regret.
“Are you guys ready for game night?”
Raquel
“There’s a giant in my pants, and the room smells like feet.”
The instant those words leave Harrison’s mouth, a very unladylike snort escapes my nose, and the rest of the room goes up in a roar of laughter.
For the last hour or so, we’ve been playing a game called Hearing Things, and I can’t deny this game that tests your lip-reading skills has been a real riot of an experience.
With the noise-canceling headphones still in place, Harrison glances around the room briefly, taking in the laughter at his expense. He simply shrugs and shakes his head before bringing his eyes back to my lips to try to translate the sentence I’ve been reading from the card in my hands—Let’s bake glitter fairy cakes and eat them.
I have to bite my lip to fight a bout of giggles from spilling past my throat.
“Damn, that’s funny,” Cassie remarks casually, putting her glass of prosecco to her lips but waiting to take a swig. “I didn’t know this game had sentences about my bedroom.”
Georgia blushes and buries her hands in her hair to cover her ears, nearly shouting, “My God, why doesn’t this game come with headphones for all of us?”
“Blame the feet smell on your sons, honey. I swear those little sweatboxes don’t even notice their own BO,” Thatch remarks in his own defense, unaffected by the rest of the group.
“Who comes up with these sentences, anyway?” Winnie asks with a laugh.
“The deranged,” Emory says.
“I’d totally do it,” Cassie remarks, to which Georgia can’t help but snort.
“Case in point.”
“Guys, guys,” Lena chides. “I think we’re breaking Rocky’s concentration.”
“She doesn’t have to concentrate,” Thatch booms. “Harrison does. And he’s got fluffing headphones on, so what do we care?”
“It’s like herding cats, isn’t it?” Ruby says, and I turn to face her with a smirk.
“I think cats might be easier.”
This, of course, confuses Harrison. “I like my hats cheesier?” he asks.
I shake my head wildly and laugh. “No, no. That’s not the sentence. I was just having a side conversation.”
“I’m Bobo the clown, and I’m in prison for vacation?” Harrison questions again, cracking up the group some more.
Finally having enough, he rips the headphones from his ears and sighs. “Why do I get the feeling I’m being messed with? Are you even saying real words?”
“Yes. Just…not the same ones.” I bite my lip to fight my amusement. “Everyone kept talking to me. I was just answering.”
“Everyone else needs to shut their mouths while a team is taking their turn,” Harrison says through an annoyed sigh.
“This group? Keeping their mouths shut?” Cap scoffs. “Yeah, because that really sounds like us, Whore-i-son.”
“Sorry,” I mouth and reach out to pat Harrison’s leg. Instantly, his face melts into a smile.
“No worries, Rock. It’s all just for fun, yeah?”
I nod. He jerks his head toward his friends. “No way you can take anything seriously around these clowns.”
“At least we don’t take our vacations in prison, Bobo,” Thatch says with a wink.
“Come on,” Harrison says on a roar. “You guys were fucking with me! That turn doesn’t count!”
“None of this counts,” Georgia says with a laugh. “You know Thatch and Cassie are going to claim they won in the end no matter what anyway.”
“Don’t hate the player, Georgia girl,” Thatch warns. “Hate the game.”
“I hardly think we can blame Hasbro for your and Cassie’s behavior,” Kline says wisely. “We’d have a hell of a lawsuit on our hands.”
“What, are you a lawyer now, Big-dick?” Cassie challenges.
Kline rolls his eyes while Thatch high-fives his wife.
“Good one, honey.”
“Shut it, T-bag,” she snaps back strangely, even though he’s very obviously on her side.
I lean over to Harrison’s ear and whisper. “I don’t really understand all of your friends. Especially Thatch and Cassie. They confuse me.”