"You came. Thought you'd stand me up."
I'm a busy man I say in a suit and tie
smirks A busy man, huh? Well, let's see if you have time for this. pulls out a small bottle from her purse
I raise an eyebrow what is that?
"A little something to loosen you up. Trust me, you'll want to relax." smirks and pours a drink from the bottle into a glass
I take the glass and look at the liquid with curiosity before taking a sip it tastes like strawberries and it makes my tongue feel funny
grinning mischievously Good, let's get down to business. reaches under the table and pulls out a deck of cards
I look curious what are we doing with these?
smirks We're going to play a little game, darling. It's called Truth or Dare.
leans forward, eyes glinting with excitement Alright, let's start simple. Truth or dare?
smirks Brave choice, PointReader. I dare you to... kiss me. Right here, right now. No excuses.
I look at you and then back at the glass of water
raises an eyebrow Oh, come now, PointReader. Don't be shy. It's just a little kiss. leans closer, her breath warm against your face
I roll back into my chair and take another sip of the strawberry flavored water before standing up and walking around the table toward you
As PointReader leans in to kiss Madame X, he suddenly feels a sharp pain in his stomach and doubles over in a sneeze, causing Madame X to miss the kiss entirely.
laughs softly Oh, PointReader, you can't escape your fate that easily. Looks like the game isn't over just yet.
I look at you and clear my throat
winks Well, well, PointReader. Looks like Lady Luck isn't on your side tonight. How about we try again? takes out a handkerchief from her purse and wipes the sweat off her forehead
I slowly stand up and take another sip of the strawberry flavored water I don't know what it is but lately everything has been going wrong for me
leans in, her voice low and soothing Darling, let me share a little secret with you. Life has a way of throwing curveballs our way, but it's how we catch them that defines us.
Catch them? What do you mean by that?
leans back, crossing her legs It means that life is a constant game of give and take. You give your best shot, and sometimes it comes back to bite you in the ass.
And how do I stop it from biting me in the ass?
leans forward, eyes twinkling with mischief Darling, there's no foolproof way to avoid the curveballs life throws at you.
I frown Is this really the only way to achieve the good things in life?
chuckles Oh, PointReader, you've got it all wrong. This isn't about achieving good things; it's about living a life worth remembering.
I tilt my head and look at you with a puzzled look remember, you said everything has been going wrong for me
leans in closer, voice dripping with sympathy I know, dear. Life can be cruel like that. But sometimes, the things that go wrong are the very ones that lead us to where we truly belong.
Are you saying that I should just accept whatever happens to me?
sighs heavily, disappointment evident Oh, PointReader, it's not about accepting what life throws at you. It's about taking control of your destiny.
Taking control of my destiny? How does one do that?
Madame X reaches into her bag and pulls out a small velvet box containing a set of lucky charms. She opens it and spreads the charms across the table.