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Magic is one long game played with an audience of hundreds who haven’t read the rule book. It’s not the only game that Merritt loves to play, though. While the younger Horsemen prefer games of the electronic variety, he finds the ones with pieces that he can move and manipulate to be the most fulfilling.
So, when he brings home a used Scrabble board and dumps its contents onto their shared coffee table, he receives puzzled looks from both Henley and Jack. The youngest of the group leans down and plucks a square white tile from the pile. He flips it around and between his fingers with ease and speaks with a confused frown.
“Are we supposed to palm these things? Doesn’t seem like much of a challenge.”
Merritt spreads the clacking Scrabble pieces around on the wooden surface, creating a tapestry of letters beneath the lamp’s calming glow.
“Not everything is about magic and misdirection, Jack. Some games just involve good old-fashioned intellect.” He removes the wooden trays from the torn box and starts to distribute them around the rectangular surface. “So, who’s up for the challenge? I promise I’ll go easy on ya.”
Jack drops the game piece back onto the table and shrugs his leather jacket onto his shoulders.
“Sorry Merritt, Henley and I already have plans.”
“Maybe we can play tomorrow?” Henley smiles from her stance across the room and hooks a dangling earring in her left lobe. “You should come with us tonight. The band is lively and fun and there’ll be a full bar.”
Jack slides his arm around her shoulders and grins childishly. “And lots of beautiful women.”
Merritt shakes his head with a contented smile.
“I appreciate the invitation, kids, but my barhopping days are behind me.” Henley’s sad grin prompts him to continue. “Don’t worry about me, darlin’, I’ve always been a happy lone wolf.”
She gives up on Merritt, turning instead to the chair to their right. The fourth Horsemen sits cross-legged in the oversized cushioned seat with a large hardcovered book balanced on the armrest. He hunches over it, his head propped up by a cotton-covered arm and a clenched fist.
“What about you, Daniel? You could certainly use a good time after everything that’s happened this year.”
The younger man doesn’t lift his eyes from J.B. Bobo’s expertise. He answers with a shrug and a stern expression.
“Forced socialization isn’t my idea of a good time.”
Jack and Henley roll their eyes and exchange humorous smiles. Merritt grins with quiet amusement and gives the two youngest group members a quick nod.
“Don’t leave your drinks unsupervised and call us if you need a ride.”
“Yes, dad!” They answer in unison, eliciting a flinch and a groan from the oldest Horseman. The heavy entry door slams behind them and ushers in a welcome silence. This stretches for a moment, giving Merritt time to contemplate the letters in his pile and the man who is decidedly not as engrossed in his textbook as he lets on. This interests Merritt enough to take his attention away from his solo game, though he continues to pick through the letters absentmindedly. Once he identifies a relevant word, he slides it together on the board.
ANORAK
Daniel’s eyes briefly glance up before returning to his book. He gives a half smirk that wouldn’t be perceptible to anyone without Merritt’s abilities. It’s on purpose, Merritt knows. It’s the game that they’ve been playing for months now. Daniel makes his expressions brief enough for only Merritt to detect and Merritt knows to watch Daniel closely in order to catch these gifted clues.
He hasn’t confronted their meaning or motivation yet. Right now, he’s just playing the game because it’s fun and because Daniel seems to enjoy it just as much, which makes him happy enough.
He finds his next word and slides the tiles over with exaggerated movements and a pointed raise of his right eyebrow.
PARTAKE
Daniel’s chest rises noticeably, and he turns a page, letting his eyes read the board under the guise of this movement. Several minutes pass, during which he moves his attention between the book and the letters before he subtly leans forward and plucks a few tiles. They slide together to make a word that elicits a full chuckle from his older opponent.
CODGER
Daniel raises his eyebrows in a quiet ribbing invitation before seemingly returning to his book. He flips a single page and peeks over the top in anticipation of his opponent’s next move. Merritt can’t hide his own smile as he keeps a playful stare pinned on the younger man. Finally, he breaks the connection to scan the remaining letters.
The game, like the show, must always go on.
He slides some tiles around his second word to make another high-pointer and leans back in his chair, finger’s interlocked.
ATTITUDINIZE
Daniel sees the word that calls him out on his deception and barely conceals a smug smile. He looks to the side, fighting hard to maintain that serious demeanor, while Merritt carefully watches every little movement with spirited mischief. Finally, Daniel returns to the board for his retribution.
INSTIGATOR
He’s not wrong and Merritt doesn’t even bother to contain the amusement written all over his face. Daniel stows his book in the space between himself and the chair’s armrest and waits on the edge of his seat, head on his tightly closed fists, for Merritt’s next move. His hair falls over his forehead and provides a dark frame for that intense stare that Merritt has been trying to coax out all day. He holds it for a moment, closely studying the playful shine behind those black licorice eyes and curiously open posture, before deciding to make a bolder move.
TEASE
Daniel barely reacts to this play and Merritt knows at once that he’s not wrong. The showman’s lips quiver briefly, and his fists relax as he swallows. He rubs his darkening eyes and leans over the few remaining letters with weighty consideration. Merritt blinks and begins to regret taking their game to this level. Maybe Daniel isn’t there yet and that’s okay. Patience is one of his strengths and he could be happy playing their flirtatious game for the foreseeable future.
Then, Daniel makes his next move and all of Merritt’s regret melts away.
SEDUCER
Merritt simply catches the young man’s brightening eyes and shrugs, because it’s true. They sit there for a moment under a blanket of comforting silence, Daniel so close now that his knobby knees touch his end of the table. Merritt doesn’t have to look at the board to know that there are only a few letters left in the pile and nothing of substance. He breaks the silence with a question disguised as a fact.
“Guess that’s game, Danny.”
Daniel exhales and smiles wide. His eyes sparkle like they always do at a big reveal.
“No, not quite.”
The showman unfolds his arms and extends them over the table. Then he catches Merritt’s questioning eyes and wiggles his fingers with a near laugh. Three tiles tumble out of his sleeves and onto the surface in an order that makes Merritt shake his head at this man who never fails to keep him on his toes.
Now he wonders what else those talented hands can do.
“Well would you look at that.” His face hurts from smiling. “This game has magic after all.”
Merritt leaves the board as is for now, his sentimentality showing. He stands, circles the table, and offers a hand to his new companion. Daniel accepts the offering and follows his lead down the hallway, where Merritt closes a door behind them.
When Henley and Jack return home later that night, they stand in an empty living room over a coffee table filled with an assortment of colorful vocabulary.
“Guess they had a fun night too.” Jack remarks between snorty laughs.
Henley nods.
“It’s about time. I was worried they’d kill each other before they came to their senses.”
She throws a hand over her mouth and giggles at the three-letter word sitting off to the side of the board.
BED