August 21, 1994

**The Artist POV**

Ultimately, we end up playing Monopoly. Lani found the old board game lying underneath the bed, and since her foot was still a little sensitive today, we decided to spend the afternoon in. Unfortunately, it seems she's more competitive than I gave her credit for.

I pick up the dice and throw them. Seven...I move my game piece, the top hat around the game board and find myself on Community Chest. I pick up the card and read, "Go Directly to Jail. Do not pass Go. Do not collect $200. Yes!" I say with a grin as I move the top hat to the jail cell. Only I would cheer at going to jail...

You see, after two hours of playing I'm almost out of money. Lani owns the dark yellow and red properties, or as I call it, The Corner of Death, complete with hotels. Me, I've got the light purple properties, as well as Park Place and Boardwalk, also all with hotels on them. The other properties are split between us both, as neither of us wants to give up another set.

Problem is, with my matched sets so separated on the board, Lani hardly ever seems to land on them. Thus my happiness with finding myself in jail.

Lani rolls the dice and gets an 11. She moves her scotty dog around the board and finds herself on Pennsylvania Railroad, completely missing my hotels yet again and landing on a space she owns with a smirk. Dammit!

"Why don't you use your Get Out of Jail Free card?" she asks, grinning from ear to ear. You'd just love that now wouldn't you?

"Forget it, mama. I think I'm better off in jail," I reply with a chuckle. I throw the dice and end up with a 3 and a 5. "Guess I'm in here for another turn," I continue smirking.

"We'll see how far that gets you," she retorts in challenge. Whatever you say little mama...

She rolls the dice and gets an 8. "Guess who just got Free Parking?" she continues with a grin as she collects the rather large pot of money from the centre of the board. Seriously?!

I blow on the dice before rolling. "C'mon. Anything, but doubles." A 5 and a 6. Lucky me. "Guess I'm in here for another turn, Lani," I say with a smirk. Her luck has to end sometime...

She rolls snake eyes landing on Community Chest and picks up a card. "Take a walk on the Boardwalk. Shit!" she offers with a scowl. Yes! Finally!

She moves the scotty dog over to Boardwalk as I grin cheekily at her. I put my palm out. "That's $2000 big ones, mama. Pay up."

She looks at her pile of money and pulls off four paltry $500 bills from her enormous stack and hands them over with a grimace before picking up the dice again. She gets a 2 and a 3 and lands on the Income Tax space. "Rich people don't have to pay taxes," she gloats with a smirk. Says you...

"Oh really?" I toss back to her. "I don't think that's quite how it works."

With a sneer, she pulls out two $100 bills for passing Go before digging $75 out and tossing it into the middle of the board. "Whatever...I'll just get it back anyway..." I have a sinking suspicion I've always hated this game...

"I hope you get some doubles so you're out and I can make my money back," she offers as a challenge.

"Whatever you say, Lani." I debate my options at this point. I can roll and possibly get out without having to pay anything, or miss and have to pay $50. Or I can use my Get Out of Jail Free card. Opting to keep whatever money I can, I toss my Get Out of Jail Free card to the bottom of the Community Chest deck. "Guess who just saved themselves $50?"

"Yeah...good luck with that," Lani shoots back as she scoops up the dice, rolling a 4 and a 2. "Guess I'm visiting the jailbird," she continues, smirking.

"Takes one to know one," I retort, picking up the dice, hoping to avoid the dreaded Corner. To my chagrin, I end up rolling a 5, landing directly on St. James Place. Can't a guy catch a break?

Lani's face lights up at this. "That'll be $950," she says with a wink, palm up. I hand over two $500 bills. "And $50, your change," she says in a singsong voice, handing me back a rather wrinkly looking $50 bill.

"Seriously, mama? You couldn't even give me a crisp $50?" I offer, a bemused look on my face. Let's just get this game over with already...

After another hour, a second place win in a beauty contest and several mortgaged properties on my behalf later, Lani wins the game. She gloats about her victory. Looks like someone is a sore winner...

But then she starts doing a goofy victory dance and I realize that maybe losing isn't quite so bad...

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**Lani's POV**

**A couple hours later**

After my glorious victory with Monopoly, we decide to get the bonfire started so we can cook a light dinner of canned pasta, followed by smores. To be honest, I could take or leave the Alpha Ghetti...

Once we've had our fill of the lukewarm, rather slimy pasta, my e ipo gets a coat hanger ready and loads it up with marshmallows. Gee...my mouth is watering already...

"How do you like your marshmallows, Lani?" he asks, eyebrow raised.

"Just a little brown," I reply, only to see him set the whole stack ablaze with a crooked grin.

"They're just a little black...they're still good," he boasts, laughingly swinging them in my direction. Ewwwww....

Backing away with a chuckle, he turns as he tosses the pile into the fire, coat hanger and all. "Only kidding, mama." He offers and sets everything up again with a smile, this time cooking them up just right. "Get the graham crackers and chocolate ready, Lani before these get cold," he continues, pulling off a marshmallow and popping it into his mouth. "Mmmm...gooey."

I get everything ready and pull a couple marshmallows off the hanger, and make up a couple smores. One for me, and one for him...

I pass one of the gooey treats over to him before grabbing the last marshmallow off the hanger and popping it into my mouth. Damn...these are good...

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Just as dusk starts to set in, we start telling stories by the fire. He started things off by telling a silly tale about a ghost popping up and grabbing children away from a campground overnight until just one child remained to take on the ghost. It finished with a show down where all the missing children reappeared to chase the ghost away.

Still laughing, I place my hand on his shoulder to tell him, "I think I can do better. I have an old folk tale my father used to tell when I was a girl..."

"Okay, mama. Show me what you've got," he retorts, challenge lighting up his amber eyes. Well you asked for it,mister...

"Well, it starts with this guy Ati who was a planter in a neighbouring village a long time ago..."

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**Half an hour later**

I finish up my tale about Ati, a man who captures a woman from a group of light skinned people who were raiding his crops at night as the rest of her people escape into a pool of water. He makes her his wife and the two eventually have a son, who they name Ati've.

She then convinces him to come with her to visit her parents so they can meet their child, and the two head back to the pool her people originally came from. However, once she goes back into the pool, she leaves Ati alone with their son, both of whom are unable to join her without drowning.

Defeated, Ati eventually decides to seal off the pool, forever separating himself and his son from her and her people.

So I've been told, to this day if you come across any fair skinned Rarotongans who don't have any Caucasian ancestry, you will know they are the descendants of Ati've.

Supposedly the pool is also still there, but you'll have to ask the village elders where it can be found.

I finish the tale with a grin, realizing for the first time that he's been listening intently the whole time, caught up in the story. "You're right, mama...your story was better," he offers with a soft smile, golden eyes shining brighter than the glowing embers of our campfire.

And with that soft look, I find myself entranced and the whole tone of our interaction changes. My lips slowly make their way to his, connecting with a softness that quickly turns into a hunger hotter than our campfire.

He offers a quiet groan as my teeth graze his bottom lip, pleading for entry which he rapidly grants. My hands tangle with his black curls as I pull him closer, seeking a deeper connection. Mmmmmm....

Trying to take control of the situation, his tongue starts chasing mine back into my mouth as I feel him start to grin into the kiss. I don't think so...

My lips clamp themselves around his tongue, effectively providing a barrier as his hands make their way underneath my t-shirt to make contact with nipples that are already rock hard and eager for his touch.

Once his fingers make contact with my nipples and start gently tweaking them I finally release a moan, opening my lips to his invading tongue. Ooooooh..dammit!

Relishing his victory, he starts gently guiding the two of us back toward the cabin as his fingers continue their erotic wandering.

Not wanting to give in to temptation so easily, my hands make their way toward his growing hardness as he grinds himself against my thigh. I'm impressed with his size, and find myself eager to explore further as my efforts are rewarded with a ragged moan, his hips moving him further into my awaiting palms.

We finally make our way to the cabin door as he reaches behind me with his free hand, opening the door as we make our way inside, lips still connected as the door slams shut.

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