Free Greta's Game by K.C. Silkwood Page A

cozy,” she said. “Now
that the crowd is gone, we can really get to know each other.”
Greta looked at the girl across from her. “You’re Jennifer, right?
And if I remember correctly, you’re a yoga instructor.”
    “That’s right! Good memory,” Jennifer said.
She was tall and tan with brown hair and a fit, toned body. “And
this is my little sister, Jan.” The girl beside Jennifer smiled and
gave a finger wave. She had the same brown hair as her sister, but
was shorter and slimmer with a body like a gymnast.
    “Jan and Jennifer. That’s cute,” Greta said
with a smile. “And what do you do, my dear? You look as fresh and
young as a teenager!”
    “I just turned 21, actually,” Jan said. “I’m
still in college, but I graduate next year.”
    “How lovely.” Greta turned to the two women
on the other loveseat. “Now you with the red hair…it’s Lacy,
correct? And I believe you’re a school teacher?”
    Lacy nodded. Her long, curly hair fell
halfway down her back, and she had bright green eyes and a small,
upturned nose. “Yes, I am. High school math.”
    “And you’re Rosa,” Greta said, shifting her
gaze to the Latin beauty next to Lacy. “But I’m sorry, I can’t
remember what you do.”
    “Basically whatever I want,” the girl said
with a laugh. Her black hair was longer than Greta’s and she wore
plenty of mascara to highlight her big brown eyes. “My husband
prefers that I stay home. He owns an insurance company and makes
plenty of money on his own.”
    “That’s wonderful,” Greta said. “And you
girls have all known each other for a while now?”
    All four women nodded. Jennifer, Lacy, and
Rosa were in their 30s and had lived on Chestnut Street for years.
Lacy and Rosa knew Jan because she spent so much time visiting her
big sister. Although none of the girls were close friends, they had
always been cordial to each other and socialized from time to
time—except for Jennifer and Rosa, who had been feuding ever since
Rosa flirted with Jennifer’s husband at a dinner party after too
many margaritas. That was over a year ago, and the bad blood still
hadn’t cooled down yet.
    Greta smiled and clasped her knees. “Well,
then. Now that we have such a small group, would you ladies be
interested in playing a game?”
    The girls looked at each other. “Like poker
or something?” Jan asked.
    Greta laughed. “No, I was thinking of
something a little more…provocative.”
    “Like strip poker?” Jennifer asked.
“Aren’t we too old for that? Besides, it’s just us girls.”
    “No, I had something else in mind. It’s a
game to help me get to know you all better. A game that truly
reveals a person’s inner psyche. Are you familiar with the game
called Would You Rather? ”
    Jennifer and Jan nodded. Lacy looked
uncertain, and Rosa shook her head no.
    “Let me explain it then. It’s a conversation
game, designed to stimulate discussion and debate. A person is
asked to choose between two bad options, such as Would you
rather eat a raw egg or lick the bottom of someone’s shoe? Another one might be, Would you rather shave your head bald or
get a tattoo on your face? See how it works? The choice a
person makes—and their explanation for that choice—reveals a lot
about them.”
    Most of the girls laughed, but Rosa merely
frowned. “Sounds silly to me.”
    “It’s actually very thought provoking. And my version of the game reveals even more about a person’s
psychological makeup.”
    “What’s different about your version?” Lacy
asked.
    Greta leaned back and crossed her slim legs.
“I believe that actions speak much louder than words. Saying you’ll do something is far different than actually doing it. So in
my version, the players must perform the action they choose.”
    The women gasped and groaned. “Like, you
really make people shave their heads or eat raw eggs? Gross!” Jan
said, shivering.
    “Most of the choices in my game aren’t
radical or permanent. There