Level Me Up (Gamer Boy #1)

by Lauren Helms

  She leans over and places a hand on my arm. “I understand. He hasn’t always been the best communicator when it comes to you. But until he tells you otherwise, just take what he is telling you at face value. Ok?”

  I place my hand over hers and squeeze, “Thank you, Gia.”

  “Now push play. I love this episode, because it’s when Rory breaks poor Dean’s heart.” She says haughtily and snuggles back into the couch.

  “What? You are a terrible person sometimes!” I say, horrified. She just cackles with evil glee and turns up the volume.

  ***

  The next day, my bummed-out mood is still hovering over me like a rain cloud. I’m a mix of emotion right now as I drive Dex to the airport. The rest of the team grabbed an Uber but Dex asked me if I wouldn’t mind taking him. I think he just wants a private make-out session in the car before he has to go. That, or he just knows I need some last minute Dex time.

  While I haven’t come out and told him that I’m nervous and antsy about him traveling, I think he can tell I’m on edge.

  “When does your flight land?” I ask.

  “Around nine. I’ll text you when we land so you don’t have to worry,” he squeezes my hand that he is already holding.

  I smile my thanks as I signal the car into the airport parking lot.

  “I know you don’t like that I’m gonna be out of town this weekend, but it’ll be fine, babe. Promise.” He tells me.

  I sigh, “I know, I’m just antsy. I’ll miss you.” I’m really not trying to sound whiney. I really hate feeling this way, but I do.

  As I pull into the drop-off lane, I ask, “Will we be able to talk at all while you’re gone?” I worry my bottom lip between my teeth.

  The car comes to a stop and I put it in park as he unbuckles his seatbelt. “Probably not a lot over the phone, but we can text.” He leans over to me and places his hand on the back of my head, pulling me to him.

  “Kiss me and smile for me, babe. ‘Cause I’m leaving on a jet plane,” he smiles a sexy, crooked grin.

  “God, how old are you? Like fifty?” I laugh.

  “Ever since you made me watch Armaggedon, I’ve been itching to use that line. Ben is a stud in that movie.” He barely finishes his sentence before pressing his lips into mine.

  The kiss turns heated fast but doesn’t last nearly as long as I want. He draws away and smiles.

  “I’ve gotta get going.” He leans back in and kisses my forehead, “I’ll see you in a few days.” He climbs out of the car as I pop the trunk. He makes fast work of grabbing his suitcase and then shuts the trunk. He walks back to the car and leans in the passenger side window looking way too sexy and cool. “Here’s looking at you, kid.” He winks.

  I can’t help but laugh. “I don’t think that’s how the line is actually used in the movie.”

  “Maybe not, but it sounded good. Later, Morgan,” he knocks a fist on the top of the car and heads into the airport.

  The smile fades on my face and a sigh escapes my lips. “You can do this, Morgan. Put your big girl panties on. He’s only gone for a few days.” Now, if only this pep talk will work.

  Chapter Twenty-one

  Morgan

  I’ve been unproductive at work all morning. After several IM’s back and forth with Ruby, she pulls me out of my cube and drags me down the street to our favorite lunchtime spot. Dex has only been gone twelve hours, and I’m all mopey and pathetic. I’m deep in my thoughts before I realize the server just walked off with our order.

  “Did you order for me?” I ask snapping out of my fog.

  In a stuffy, snooty voice she replies, “Well, yes, I did my darling,” and turns her attention to her phone in her hand, “and I ordered it extra spicy, just the way you hate it.”

  I smile, “Funny. I guess I deserve that, how long was your one-sided conversation?”

  Ruby brushes it off as she places her phone in her purse and chatters away about the latest drama about the office alcoholic and a giant stuffed pizza.

  “Honestly, I’m not surprised you’re acting like sad little Bambi with Dex out of town,” she says casually.

  I scrunch up my nose at that. “What? I’m not Bambi, I’m just in a mood. With Dex out of town and my dad selling the house, it’s all just bad timing. Plus, I’m really bored at work.”

  “I get it,” she shrugs. “You need to blow off some steam and your Lover Boy isn’t here to fulfill your wants and desires.”

  “Wha-? Uh…I…no…” I stutter.

  “Ooh, and you guys can always sext,” she offers. Like it’s no big deal that we are sitting in a crowded, nearly shoulder-to-shoulder restaurant when she says it so casually, and almost too loud considering the turn our conversation has taken.

  “Shhhh. Be quiet, Ruby.”

  “What? Sexting can be fun. Though, I can see you being a bit shy about it.”

  I blush a tad with the thought. She is right. I probably wouldn't be able to pull it off. “We haven’t been having sex for long. I don’t think we are ready for sexting,” I whisper to her.

  “Amazing sex. You said it’s been amazing, and you are totally ready for sexting. Plus, it doesn’t take much to get a guy going, the hard part is on him.” She bursts out laughing immediately realizing what she said. I hold in my giggle as best I can. However, the elderly ladies sitting on our right are giving us disapproving looks.

  She regains control quickly once she notices the dirty looks and in a lower, more appropriate voice, “I mean, it’s just usually harder for the girl to get into it, so he has to put in more work.”

  “I understand what you meant, Rube. And thank you for your concern, but I’m sure we will be just fine,” I say half-heartedly.

  “If you say so. But let me know if you need any tips on getting started.” She replies, back in her normal voice.

  One of the ladies next to us lets out a snooty huff and shakes her head looking right at Ruby. I cover my mouth to hold in my laugh. Ruby, however, looks right at her and in a matter-of-fact way says, “What? You gotta start off strong, or it just fizzles out, and then you’re stuck doing the work all on your own!”

  I drop enough money on the table to cover our bill and tip, reach out for Ruby’s arm, pull her up and drag her out of the restaurant. Then, I start laughing.

  ***

  The night seems to be the worst. When I’m lying in bed, or vegging out on the couch, it isn’t enough to keep my mind off the fact that I have no idea what Dex is doing right now.

  I know he is busy with the tournament, but I haven’t actually talked to him since I dropped him off at the airport yesterday. While the drop-off itself hadn’t been horrible, it was the part before we got to the car. He was waiting for me when I got home from work, and right when I saw him sitting on my bed flipping through a magazine, I just kinda fell onto him and buried my face in the crook of his neck. We laid there for almost an hour before his phone buzzed with his alarm. We spent the next twenty minutes kissing before his second alarm sounded and we had to be off, heading for the airport.

  I don’t know what the hell is wrong with me. For some reason, I have been reduced to a pile of mush with him out of town. He texted as promised when they landed. But it was hours later when I was awoken from a restless sleep by another text telling me he’d call me tomorrow. He said that he would call, I understood, it was late, and he probably just didn’t want to wake me up.

  But now, I’ve texted him a few times today, and gotten no reply. Try as I might, I can't help but feel forgotten—which is a horrible feeling to have hanging around. The last thing I want to do is to take away from his focus of the tournament. That’s why I really don’t want to bother him. So, I’ll just continue to sit here on the couch and watch a movie with Gia and Ruby and try not to think about what the heck he is doing that has kept him from calling me.

  “You know your phone isn’t going to ring if you just keep longingly staring at it,” I hear Gia scoff from the chair beside me.

  I
look up at her and offer a disgruntled smile. “I know,” I sigh.

  “I thought some hot, bad-ass superheroes would keep your mind off Dex,” she offers.

  “I mean, look at the way Thor wields his hammer. Chris Hemsworth is so freaking hot.” Ruby gushes without taking her eyes off the screen. Thor is my favorite hero, and he is totally hot, that's for sure, but not hot enough to keep my mind elsewhere.

  “I know. He’s my favorite. I’m trying, but I miss Dex.” I’m surprised at the amount of whine in my voice as I say this.

  “Link said that they are back at the hotel for the night. You should call him.” Ruby suggests.

  “What? You’ve talked to Link? When?” And why the hell hasn’t my boyfriend called me, or at least texted me?

  “He texted me about an hour ago. They won the tournament and are now hanging out back at the hotel with other…I don’t know, gamer people probably.” She replies, still watching Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor on screen.

  But I just stare down at my phone, willing it to ring now, because I don’t know whether or not to be mad or depressed.

  “He’s probably just overwhelmed with celebrations. I’m sure if you stop thinking about it, he’ll call you when he gets back to his room,” Gia croons.

  “Oh!” Ruby jumps in her seat at the other end of the couch, “I know! Sext him! That will get his attention.” She is now facing me, The Avengers forgotten.

  “No.” I snort and stifle an eye roll.

  “Why not? All it takes is a sexy selfie and an ‘I’m thinking about you’ message, and he’ll be all yours.”

  I bit my lip. Am I actually contemplating this? I glance questioningly at Gia.

  “Hey, don’t look at me. If you really want to talk to him, you should try it. What’s it gonna hurt?” she shrugs.

  “I guess you’re right,” I mumble.

  Ruby claps with excitement, “Just go send him a picture of your boobs, no nipples, though. Make sure you get your mouth in the shot too and bite your lip. Then tell him you’re thinking about him. That should be all it takes.”

  I stand up from the couch; the blanket I was wrapped in falls from my lap. “Ok. I’m gonna do it. But I’m not coming back out here because it is kinda embarrassing that you guys know what I’m about to go do. So, good night.”

  Gia just smiles and shakes her head and turns back to the TV and with a giggle, Ruby adds, “Oh, you will have a good night, my love!”

  As I close the door to my room, I feel my blood pressure spike with nerves. I’ve never taken a provocative photo of myself, and now, not only am I gonna take one, I’m going to send it to someone. I swear under my breath, am I really going to do this? Ugh. Yes. I am. Because obviously, I need…I want to get Dex’s attention. He is my boyfriend, and I trust him. I know he will be the only one seeing this picture.

  With one last deep breath, I whip my shirt off and crawl on the bed. I unhook my bra and toss it on the floor. I angle the phone to capture exactly what Ruby suggested. I’m careful not to get my full face in the photo. Partly because I want to hide my face from any prying eyes, but mostly because I don’t think I’ve mastered my sexy, come-hither eyes yet.

  Before I can talk myself out of it, I type, “I’m thinking of you,” and hit the send button. And wait.

  And wait.

  I stare at the message on my phone waiting to see the delivery message to change to read. Nearly thirty minutes pass before the change and those three little dots telling me a reply is being typed show up. My blood rushes with both excitement and nervousness that he didn’t like the picture.

  Dex: God you’re sexy. I can’t wait to get my hands on you.

  And that was it.

  Really? Do I need to spell it out for him? I. WANT. TO. SEXT. WITH. YOU. DUMMY.

  Me: Oh yeah, why don’t you call me and tell me what you’d do to me right now if you were here.

  Nothing.

  I’m such a loser for sitting there for another thirty minutes, topless no less, staring at the damn phone waiting for a reply. Letting out a sigh of disappointment, I lay my phone on my nightstand, releasing it for the first time since Friday night, and get my PJ’s on.

  It's not until the lights are off, and the quietness of my room starts to feel suffocating, that the feeling of defeat takes hold. I’m not the kind of girl who becomes clingy, but two days away from him, and I can’t handle it. I thought I was stronger than this. How am I going to survive this relationship if he’s going to be nearly MIA every time he travels? I wipe a tear from my cheek and force my eyes closed.

  I’ll let the embarrassment of the failed sexting attempt bother me tomorrow. Tonight, I’ll nurse this feeling of uncertainty until I fall asleep.

  Chapter Twenty-two

  Dex

  We just settled in for a two-hour flight back home. One of the reasons I love my job is because of the travel. I love flying. When I was a little boy, I wanted to be a pilot. That dream career was short-lived, though, once I got my hands on a video game controller. Still, I love being in the air, and I always look forward to our next tournament.

  For the first time, however, I find myself wondering if I could get Morgan to travel with us. The past few days I haven’t had a lot of time to dwell on the fact that I’ve missed her so much. Now that I know I’ll be home soon, I can’t wait to kiss her. Hell, last night when my head finally hit the pillow all I could see when I closed my eyes was her, laying naked in my bed, primed and ready for me. That text she sent me of her last night was the culprit. I was surprised she sent such a risqué photo to me, but don’t get me wrong, I like it when she surprises me.

  Now that we’ve been having sex, it seems like my awareness of her body has kicked into high gear. I honestly don’t know how I survived the first few weeks of our relationship without sex. She's just so damn hot, and sex with Morgan is the best I've ever had.

  I was already on the fast track to falling in love with this woman, but damn, when we had sex the first time, it was as if the earth shifted. With Morgan, sex felt like something so much more than just sex. It felt like we connected on a different level, it was more making love instead of just sex. And I liked it. A lot.

  "Dude, did you hear me?" Link says from my left.

  "Ah. I'm sorry, no," I say, pushing thoughts of a naked Morgan from my mind. Link often travels with us to our tournaments. He live-streams the tournaments on Twitch and then posts highlights on his YouTube. He makes good money doing it, but he is also an honorary member of the team.

  "I swear; I always have to repeat myself with you. You never listen to me anymore," Link says in a high, overly dramatic voice.

  "Where are your balls, man?" Simon adds shaking his head. "You know he's thinking about Morgan."

  I laugh in agreement, "Her face is a lot prettier to think about than your ugly mug. What were you saying?"

  "I'm offended. I think I have a pretty face."

  Simon rolls his eyes and goes back to reading his book.

  "So, how are things with the beautiful Morgan?" Links asks.

  "Good. Things are good," I reply.

  "I think she’s pretty cool. I like her. It's fun to ruffle her feathers, and she's such a good sport about it. I hope it works out," Link says genuinely.

  "Me too, but I'm pretty sure you only want it to work out so you can keep hitting on Ruby. Don't think for one second we don't notice whatever it is going on between the two of you," I say with a smirk.

  "You two go round and round, and it’s actually quite entertaining," Simon adds, still focused mostly on his book. I don't know how he can read and participate in our conversation.

  "It's only a matter of time before she becomes susceptible to my charm," he says with pure cockiness. He becomes thoughtful for a moment before adding, "I like Ruby. She is challenging, sure, but I legitimately like being around her. Yeah, I'm attracted to her, but I don't think she's ever gonna take me seriously, and I'm ok with that. "

  This time, Simon looks up fr
om his book, places his hand on his heart and with an exaggerated gasp, "Holy turn of events, Batman, did Link just admit that he wants to be friends with a…with a girl?"

  I start cracking up mostly due to Simon’s comment but also because I’m a little in shock of what Link just admitted. He is a total player and has never been just friends with a girl before. Girls never stick around long, and there seems to be a never-ending line of them waiting to take the last one's place.

  The lopsided grin of Link’s face is confirmation enough but in a quiet whisper, "Yeah. But let's keep that between us, though, ladies."

  After that, Simon puts his book away and we start discussing the tournament, which is what Link was trying to talk to me about while I was thinking about my girl. It's never too early to talk about what we can do to make sure we beat the teams we compete against. Knowing the team’s strengths and weaknesses matter. The rest of the team is a few rows up on the plane, and I'm sure they are doing the same. We will have a good meeting tomorrow to celebrate our win and talk strategy for the tournament coming up next month.

  ***

  We arrive in Chicago well after 10:00 p.m. It’s a Sunday night, so I know Morgan will probably be in bed. I missed her like crazy, so I’ve decided to surprise her with an overnight. Thirty minutes after hailing a cab, I'm typing in the code at the front of her apartment, which she gave me a couple of weeks ago. It's not the same as giving me a key, but I think it's too soon for that.

  As I exit the elevator and make my way to Morgan’s door, I contemplate texting her, but I know Gia is a night owl, she’ll be able to let me in. I knock, and a minute later, Gia, opens the door.

  She gives an uneasy smile. "She went to bed about thirty minutes ago. I take it she doesn't know you're coming?"

  "Nope, I wanted to surprise her. I figured you'd still be awake," I say. She closes the door behind me.