Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 75983 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 380(@200wpm)___ 304(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75983 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 380(@200wpm)___ 304(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
“If you’re sure it’s no bother.” I’d be less stiff tomorrow if I went ahead and iced here and finished my stretching. Each component of my new routine was essential to keeping my surgically repaired knee in top condition.
“I’m sure.” Rudy scurried out of the studio, returning a few moments later as I was stretching my calves. He carried the flexible ice packs emblazoned with the logo for Isabella’s orthopedic practice that I used for my knee, along with a rectangular box with some sort of cartoon motif and two pillows under his arm.
“Here you go.” He passed me the ice packs before holding up the box. “And I brought something to distract you while you ice.”
“A board game?” I’d been intending to scroll aimlessly on my phone. Not the best use of my time, but an excuse to zone out nevertheless.
“You said you don’t have hobbies, but surely you’ve heard of Odyssey?” Undeterred by my skepticism, Rudy plopped down next to me on the floor.
“Vaguely.” I waved a hand before pulling a towel from my bag and unfolding the ice packs. “The nerdy game with some cards worth more than my rent?”
“That’s the one.” Rudy beamed at my limited knowledge. “Odyssey just released a new board game that’s a perfect introduction to the universe and its mechanics for new players, no rare cards or deck building required.”
“I’m not sure—”
“Come on.” Rudy interrupted me with a pleading look. Those brown eyes with flecks of gold were rather convincing even without the added lip pout. “What else are you going to do with the next half hour?”
“I suppose you can talk me through the rules.” I had already resolved to be nicer to him after our chat the other day, and his puppy-dog expression sealed my fate.
“Thank you for that enthusiastic yes.” Grabbing the pillows he’d brought, he gestured at my leg. “Let’s get you settled.”
“You brought the pillows for me?” I blinked, bemused enough to not protest as he shoved one between my back and the wall.
“I’ve seen you icing on the floor and in the hard, wooden chairs.”
He fussed over me in a way that few dared. Isabella, perhaps, but she was a trained physician. Likewise, my PT team offered scheduled clinical care versus spontaneous caretaking in the way Rudy was. He fluffed the second pillow before handing it to me to arrange under my knee. “There. You deserve to be comfortable.”
“Eh. I’ve iced in worse places.” I didn’t want to let my pleasure at being taken care of show, so I busied myself arranging the ice packs. Meanwhile, Rudy opened the box and set up a playing board between us.
“Now, let’s talk orcs.” He neatly lined up playing pieces along the edge of the colorful board.
“Let’s.” I wasn’t sure I could picture an orc, but Rudy sure was enthusiastic.
“You’re humoring me, but I’ll take it.”
Rudy proceeded to explain the game to me in excruciatingly confusing detail. I hadn’t felt so lost since my first summer intensive as a teen, when the sheer amount of new ballet and theater jargon had made me feel like I was playing catch-up for weeks.
“That’s a lot of rules.” I pursed my lips. I was going to be bad at this, very bad, and I hated being bad at anything.
“It’s simpler than it seems. You’ll see when we start playing.” Rudy clearly didn’t share my worries. He passed me a hand of seven cards. “What was your favorite game as a kid?”
“I can’t say as I had one.” I shrugged, trying to picture the playroom at my parents’ house, which was now a home theater. We hadn’t lacked for toys, but time had been a different story.
“That’s so sad.” Rudy played a card featuring an angry-looking frog and moved his piece forward two spaces on the board.
“Hardly.” I paused to figure out what I was supposed to do. I glanced down at the extra card that outlined what I could do on my turn. Drawing a card was an option, so I did that before continuing, “Besides dance, Isabella and I had a whole schedule of lessons when we were young: horses, soccer, violin, painting.”
“Doesn’t sound like much time for play.” Evidently, I’d missed a step because Rudy advanced my piece for me before taking his own turn. “You had a horse and still chose ballet? How’d ballet class end up winning out?”
“The studio is marginally less drafty than a barn and smells slightly better.” I chuckled. I’d always felt at home in this building in a way I couldn’t put into words, a sentimentality that made me shift against the floor. “In all seriousness, I started ballet because Isabella was doing beginner ballet in kindergarten, and I kept doing the movements along with the class in front of the window. Your mother invited me in, and then we both did the lessons until middle school when Isabella dropped ballet in favor of more horses and lacrosse, and I considered dropping as well.”