The Auction Win

Alecia Williams dropped her keys on the marble counter and let out a long breath. The week had been brutal. Three client pitches, two late-night revisions, and a board meeting where she had to defend every line of her strategy like it was her own skin. She needed a win. Something small and stupid and hers.

She opened her laptop and refreshed the auction page for the fifth time that evening. The vintage board game was still listed at two hundred and forty-seven dollars. No other bids. She clicked once, entered her maximum, and hit confirm. The screen flashed. Winner: Alecia Williams.

A small smile tugged at her mouth. At least something had gone right today.

The box arrived two days later. It was heavier than she expected, wrapped in plain brown paper with no return address. Inside sat a polished wooden board etched with interlocking circles that looked almost organic, like soft flesh pressed into the grain. A small stack of cards sat beside it, along with a velvet pouch. The only instruction was a single folded note written in looping script.

"Game of Holes. Mouth first. Speak true or place the token. The circle opens when you do."

Alecia read it twice, snorted, and set the note aside. Quirky. Probably some old party game someone had tried to make mysterious. She ran her fingers over the board. The surface felt warmer than wood should. She shook her head and closed the box.

That night she texted Ella and George.

"Game night at mine Friday. I won something ridiculous at auction. Bring wine."

Ella replied first with a string of excited emojis. George sent a single thumbs-up.

Friday arrived with the usual chaos of three busy women trying to coordinate. Alecia had cleared the dining table and set the board in the center. The circles caught the low light strangely, almost pulsing if she looked too long. She poured the first glasses of wine while the others arrived.

Ella swept in wearing a loose blouse and tight jeans, already laughing about a disastrous client meeting. George followed quieter, neat blouse buttoned to the collar, offering a small smile and a bottle of red.

"So what is this?" Ella asked, leaning over the board. "Looks expensive. And weird."

Alecia shrugged. "Game of Holes. Won it cheap. Instructions say mouth first, so I assume we start with questions."

George picked up one of the smooth glass tokens from the pouch. It was warm against her palm. "These feel strange."

"Everything about it feels strange," Alecia admitted. She drew the first card. "Question one. What is the last lie you told at work?"

Ella grinned. "I told my boss the mockups were done when they were still in my drafts folder. Your turn, George."

The game moved slowly at first. Each card asked something personal but light. Favorite fantasy. Most embarrassing crush. The tokens stayed in the pouch until someone hesitated. Then the rule clicked in without anyone saying it aloud. You either answered or placed the glass token between your lips and held it while the others continued.

Alecia answered every question cleanly. She prided herself on that. When the card asked about her last one-night stand she gave a crisp summary and moved on. Ella giggled through hers. George took longer, cheeks pink, but she spoke.

After the third round Ella reached for a token anyway, sliding the smooth glass between her lips for no reason except the dare in Alecia's raised eyebrow. The token rested there, catching the light, and Ella's lipstick left a faint pink smear on the surface when she finally removed it.

"Your mouth looks good like that," Alecia said without thinking, then laughed at her own words. "Ignore me. Wine talking."

Ella touched her lower lip. "Feels warm. Like I just had something hot."

George leaned closer. "Your lipstick didn't smudge at all. It's still perfect."

They played another round. Alecia drew a card that asked about control. She answered without pause. "I don't lose it. Ever."

Ella placed her token again, this time holding it longer. The glass caught the warmth of her mouth and stayed there while she listened to George's careful answer about a past relationship. When Ella finally took the token out, a thin strand of saliva connected it to her lip for a second before it broke.

Alecia felt a low heat in her own chest. Not arousal exactly. Just awareness. She rolled her shoulders and reached for her wine.

The board seemed to drink the light now. The circles looked deeper than they had an hour ago.

"One more round?" George asked quietly.

Alecia nodded. She drew the card, read it, and set it down. "Last question. What would you give up to feel completely empty?"

Silence stretched. Ella looked at the board. George's fingers tightened around her glass.

Alecia answered first, voice steady. "Nothing. I like my head where it is."

Ella placed a token between her lips without speaking. She held it there, eyes half-lidded, until Alecia finally cleared her throat.

"Okay. That's enough for tonight."

They packed the tokens away. The board stayed on the table. None of them suggested putting it back in the box.

"Next week?" Ella asked, already gathering her coat.

Alecia nodded. "Same time. I'll bring better wine."

George lingered at the door. "The board feels different when you touch it. Warmer."

"It's just wood," Alecia said. She didn't believe it even as she spoke.

After they left she stood alone in the loft, fingers resting on the edge of the board. The circles seemed to shift under her touch, soft and yielding. She pulled her hand back and turned off the lights.

In the dark the board glowed faintly, the etched lines pulsing once like a slow heartbeat before settling into stillness. Alecia didn't see it. She was already walking toward her bedroom, mind cataloging the week ahead, already planning how she would win whatever came next.

She didn't notice the faint warmth still lingering on her own lower lip where her lipstick had stayed perfectly in place the entire evening.