Seer by Robin Roseau Page B

years, and if I’d given it to her, I had no doubt she’d have worn it. It would have embarrassed Elsa far more than Gabby.
    “The booby prizes are a little mean,” Mike said. “You’ve just had a horrible night of cards, and then she heaps embarrassment on us afterwards.”
    “You have to learn to laugh at yourself,” I observed. I paused. “Do people want me to stop buying booby prizes?”
    “No!” said several voices.
    Elsa was looking at me thoughtfully. “When you first began inviting me, before Gabby and I were even together, I did not understand. I heard you say ‘booby prizes’ and I thought you meant…” she waved her hands at her chest. She earned a little laughter. “And the second month, I lost, and I thought it was deeply humiliating to have to wear those rabbit ears.” She gestured again. I’d bought pink bunny ears, and at the time I’d thought they were the tamest thing I could have made her wear. “I almost didn’t come back.”
    “Oh Elsa,” I started to say, but she held up her hand, and continued to speak in her measured English.
    “I talked to my sister back home,” she said. “I told her about it. She asked, ‘Did she pick on you because you are German?’ And I told her you made someone else wear that mustache, and that you were treating me like anyone else. My sister suggested making friends in a foreign country can be difficult, and that your prizes help us laugh at each other.” She paused and cocked her head. “You might say, the prizes help break the ice. You should not stop.” Then she looked at Dolores. “But it is good to let new players understand we are not picking on them if they lose. We all take our turn. I think perhaps people look forward with a little fear and a little excitement to see your booby prizes, Sidney.”
    “I still think you should pick the prizes before we start,” said Dean.
    “Oh?” I asked. “Would you have enjoyed the book I gave Patty, or the pashmina that Elsa won a few months ago?”
    “Oh,” he replied. “Well, the booby prizes then.”
    “The shirt you wore wouldn’t be as funny on one of the women,” I said. “And it’s a lot funnier to make Patty wear a fake mustache than to make you wear one.”
    “Oh,” he said again. “Damn it. Well, at least you should let us pick when you win.”
    “Oh please. I always pick the one that I’ll find most embarrassing,” I said. “I may have made Elsa wear bunny ears, but if you’ll recall, the last time I lost, I wore not only a pair of pink rabbit ears, but a tail as well.”
    “You looked cute,” Gabby said. She turned to Dolores. “She even twitched her nose at us and then went to the refrigerator and grabbed the carrots. She was still eating a carrot when we left.” Then she turned back to me. “But I believe Elsa and I will do a little shopping, and when you lose, you will wear the booby prize we have picked.” She smiled sweetly at me. She glanced at Elsa, and I wondered if they had already been shopping, and if there wasn’t a little potential gift waiting for me in their car, in case I played poorly tonight.
    We all had bad nights, after all. I won my share, but I lost my share, too.
    “All right,” I said. “That’s fair. Are you also going to buy prizes for when I win?”
    “No,” Patty said. “I am. And in case you’re wondering, yes, I have Gabby’s phone number and know how to dial it.”
    That answered that question. I inclined my head to her.
    “Well, if I lose,” Dolores said, “I will strive to be gracious while I wear whatever prize I have won.” She turned to me. “Are there other special rules?”
    “No, I don’t think so,” I said. “Do you normally play nulla?”
    She nodded.
    “Oh, not this conversation again,” Gabby said.
    “I was just curious,” I said.
    “We live in a democracy,” Elsa said. “Perhaps we should have a new vote.” Gabby glared at her. Elsa was pushing her buttons. I didn’t think Elsa cared either