“No,” I replied curtly.
“More roleplaying? Are we going on another date?”
“Perhaps another evening. I have something else in mind,” I said.
She put the book down, crossed her arms, and leaned back on the couch. Alison had a way of being a brat without even saying much.
“What game do you want to play?” she asked.
“Let’s gamble a little again,” I proposed.
“What can I win?”
“Your freedom.”
“Freedom? We both know you won’t let me go before the contract is over. You’ve already proven that I can’t win it,” she pointed out.
“This time, we’re not playing hide and seek,” I clarified.
“No?”
“I have a specific location in mind, and you need to reach it before I catch you,” I explained.
She rolled her eyes. “We’ve already played that before, and you didn’t keep your promise.”
I shook my head. “I caught you.”
“I reached the bedroom!”
“I caught you,” I argued, and Alison glared at me before lowering her arms and shrugging.
She stood up and gestured to herself. “Can I remain clothed?”
“Yes, the location is outside of this room.”
“Where?”
“The statue in the middle of the garden outside. If you reach it, then when we leave on Sunday, I will take you home,” I offered.
“And if you catch me, I’m getting... punished?” she inquired.
“If I catch you, I get another 24 hours,” I confirmed.
Alison stared at me in shock as I laid out the stakes, and she quickly shook her head.
“No!”
“I could have said another week,” I reminded her.
“Jared, when that contract expires, I’m out of here!”
“Not if I win the game tonight.”
“Why do we have to play these games? What are they supposed to teach me?” she asked.
“That I can win,” I explained.
“Have you not already won?”