Aye again! From now on, I'm going to try and post twice a week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays, because I need a schedule to keep everything on track. My recent power outage inspired this story.
A sudden, loud bang disturbed their cozy evening, causing the lamps to flicker and then go out completely. The whole neighborhood was swallowed by the darkness within seconds. Gillian flinched involuntarily. The only source of light came from the candles, casting a soft glow around the room. She clutched onto Cal's hand tightly, her eyes darting around nervously.
"I hate this," she whispered, shuddering as a gust of wind rattled the windows.
"Don't tell me you're afraid of the dark, love?"
Gillian leaned her head against his shoulder, feeling comforted by his presence.
"It's just...it reminds me of my childhood. There were days when my dad used to lock me in the closet as a punishment."
Cal's heart ached for her, and he gently brushed a hand through her hair. "I'm sorry, Gill. I didn't know."
"It's okay. I'm being silly."
He shook his head. "No, you're not. But I can help you. How about we play something? Like Monopoly?"
Gillian's face brightened slightly. "Really? You have Monopoly?"
"Oi!", he exclaimed with histrionic hurt. "For your information, darlin', 'm an extremely competitive player. We had game nights when Emily was little."
They set up the board on the coffee table, using their phones as makeshift flashlights to see the pieces. As they played, Cal couldn't help but notice how beautiful Gillian looked. Her hair fell around her face in soft waves, her eyes sparkling with laughter. His concentration got lost somewhere in the circles of hell in the process.
"Ha! Park Place with a hotel! That'll be $1,500, please," she smirked.
He groaned and handed over the money. "I can't believe you're beating me now."
"Well, you should have bought Boardwalk when you had the chance."
Cal rolled his eyes. "I'm letting you win."
"Sure, sure," Gillian said teasingly.
Soon enough, he became bankrupt, pretending to be upset but secretly admiring her skills.
"You cheated! I demand a rematch."
"Or maybe you can't handle the financial part, and it's good you have me to save you from miserably destroying the company's fund?"
"Bollocks. 'm handlin' everything alright," he mumbled, leaning in to kiss her.
The sweet muffled chuckle against his mouth would never stop being his favorite sound.