Absolutely Not

'decide already!' he whispered in her ear, being the sort who would whisper.

'oohkay...i'll buy it.' she counted out four of her remaining 4.2 hundred dollars and picked up the deed to boardwalk.

'hah.' he concentrated, firmly, and rolled the dice with his eyes closed. eight. she watched as he removed eight pieces of clothing and strip monopoly continued into the night.

her turn. three. mmm. earring, stocking, garter. ('you wear garters?' he had asked her, the first time he'd seen them, 'only on monopoly nights.' she had smirked.) she landed on illinois. hotels. 'twelve hundred forty-six dollars please, miss renier.' he intoned. she paused. looked at her remaining green twenty. looked at him. 'you win.'

'good morning, sun.' they yawned together, curly black heads close. sweetly she brushed her hair out of her purple eyes, glanced at him and smiled. 'i think. i am going to the park today.'

'okay. i don't have to be at the bakery til 2. want company?' she considered. she didn't really. 'i guess.'

they fed ducks, he went to work. she didn't watch him go, just stood on a bridge with her skirt sailing on the wind, and then she sighed.

next wednesday. monopoly night.

'eva.' he whispered. she looked luminously at the board, concentrated, rolled. four.

'eva.' one, two three, four. mediterranean. 'cheapest place in the game. i don't like cheap.'

'eva renier.'

'james.' she fastened him with her eyes. he rolled. three. pennsylvania avenue. 'what.'

he caught her eyes as she said that, impatiently.

'i think-'

her turn. seven. community chest.

his turn. four.

'i think i love you.'

she grabbed the dice. eleven. free parking. 'i thought we didn't believe in that.'

his turn. three. 'i know.'

hers. twelve. new york avenue. 'so what am i supposed to do?'

his. eight.

hers. seven. boardwalk. 'i guess we're back were we started.' she said quietly as she left the kitchen.