AllFreeNovel
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I flash a smile. “Great.” We exchange titles, and my thumb brushes her hand, reminding me how soft it is and how perfectly it fit in mine during that photoshoot.
We lock eyes for a second. Then, her face breaks into a smile. “You’re going to regret doing this deal with me, Colton Green.”
I choke out a raw chuckle. While I’m confident about the property deal, she might just be onto something.
Two hours later, she’s bankrupt—as anticipated—and we’ve since opened a second bottle of champagne. I knew that trade was the right move. I always win at Monopoly by investing in the lesser-valued properties. They’re easier to stack and build on.
“I’ll get my revenge,” she says with a growl, pretending to be mad as she takes a drink.
I lean back against the comfortable leather chair. “Told you.”
“It’s not fair, though. I never play.”
“Me neither. In fact, this is the first time I’ve ever played in this room, and I’ve been here five years.”
She tilts her head in surprise. “Really? What a waste of a room.”
I shrug. “I don’t have the time these days, or anyone to play with.” Not that I ever cared. But if I could play Monopoly with Jane every day, I would.
“So, is the goal to own all the editions?” she asks, her gaze trailing around the room.
“Yeah, I guess. Except for the cheater’s edition,” I tack on quickly, and a laugh bubbles out of her. “There’s a lot of them, though. And more are released every year, so I’m not sure it’s even possible.”
“Yeah. It sounds like a lifetime chase. Why do you like the game so much?”
I take a drink of my champagne. “My dream was to become a real estate mogul and make it big,” I say, a smile pulling at my lips. “It’s true. But my technical skills got me into algorithm and app building. So, life decided otherwise. I still have the chance to invest in properties, so I guess I didn’t completely fail.”
She huffs out a laugh. “Yeah, definitely not.” Pausing, she runs her finger along the rim of her glass. “Monopoly was the only game I played as a kid. I hated it when someone wanted to play board games because I didn’t own any, and I was afraid to look dumb for not knowing the rules. But I played Monopoly once, and I quickly discovered everyone had it at home. So I always asked to play it.”
My heart tightens. “Monopoly was the only game we had when I was younger. The box was half chewed by a dog, and tokens were missing, but I loved it.”
“Really? I’d have thought you would have had loads of shiny new games.”
“I wasn’t a rich kid,” I admit, leaning back. “Far from it.”
“Didn’t you use your inheritance from your mom to build your company?” she asks, her face twisting in puzzlement.
“I did. But it wasn’t much. We weren’t wealthy by any stretch.”
A silence lingers between us. I can tell she wants to ask more questions, but I’m not ready to answer them. Yet I’m still very interested in cracking the Jane mystery. “There’s a saying in the Monopoly world,” I say. “The board you choose says a lot about you. So, why New York?” I cock my head to the side.
She giggles. “Whoa. I didn’t know Monopoly was so psychological. But I guess the saying is right. New York is my dream. I want to do theatre someday, maybe even Broadway.”
“Why not go to New York then? Why come to LA?”
She shifts in her seat, and I hate myself for making her uncomfortable. This evening has been anything but for me. It was the best night I’ve had in a long time.
“I’m sorry. You don’t have to share if you don’t want to.”
She takes another sip of her bubbling drink. “No, it’s fine.” She clears her throat. “When I left Arizona, I had no plan. I was running away with pennies to my name, so I hopped on the first bus out of town and ended up here. Acting wasn’t even on my mind at that point. I just wanted out. But then, I scored a part in a play, and that’s when I knew it was the end goal.”
I wish I could give her everything she wants. “You’ll make it. I’m sure you will. Just look at how you managed that interview by the pool. And the backstory you invented for yourself in Oregon. You’re clearly a natural at this.”
“Thanks,” she murmurs, her smile warming my heart. “I’m hopeful now. With the money I’ll make from this job, I’ll finally be able to move away and try my luck on the East Coast.”
My heart sinks. Tonight felt so natural, I forgot that Jane is just another member of my staff here. Once again, it hits me how lonely I am in this world. Everyone around me is only here because I’m paying them to be.
18
