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“God damn it, Alfred,” he shouted into the darkness. They had been interrupted again! He could still recall the look in Riley’s eyes as she leaned down toward him. The warmth of her breath. That smell – like flowers – that seemed to linger on her skin, even in-game.
Then he hesitated. No. I won’t let it end like this. Not again.
Acting quickly, Jason brought up his system UI, and he logged out.
Chapter 32 - Romantic
Jason sat in a driverless car, anxiously staring out of the window at the passing buildings and vehicles. He had logged out of the game and immediately left his apartment, calling a car with his Core as he jogged to the entrance of the Cerillion Entertainment building. It had only taken him a minute or two to find Riley’s address online – a product of her dad’s popularity.
However, as he sat there in the car, he had some time to relax – if only slightly. This also gave plenty of opportunity to start second-guessing himself. Was he really doing the right thing? Would it be weird that he was spontaneously showing up at Riley’s house? This was the real world. There were no do-overs here. There was no numbing chill urging him to act on what he wanted.
There was just Jason.
He didn’t have long to wring his hands. The car slid to a stop, and a small chime echoed through the cabin. The door beside him sprung open with a faint hiss of hydraulics, and he found himself looking at a picturesque Victorian home. The white siding of the house glimmered in the afternoon sunlight, creating a stark contrast with the lush green of the yard. A wide porch wrapped around the building, an odd addition for a house in the middle of a city. It was almost as though someone had transplanted a country home in the heart of an urban environment.
The car chimed again, reminding him that he needed to get out. It took him more strength than he cared to admit. Forcing himself to exit the vehicle, Jason took slow, ponderous steps toward the front door. He flinched as he heard the crunch of the car’s tires as it began to maneuver back down the driveway.
He was passing the point of no return, but he forced himself to keep going.
Jason walked up the steps to Riley’s front door, and his hand hesitated a few inches away from the doorbell. Even after their conversation in-game and their second almost-kiss, there was an irritating voice in the back of his mind that continued to whisper doubts. Was she really interested? Was he going to come across like some weird stalker? His eyes drifted to his forearm where Riley’s dagger had once been embedded in his flesh, recalling the angry glare in her eyes as they had fought inside the game. She had stabbed him, after all.
Jason shook his head. He wouldn’t back down – he couldn’t. Not again. He had already told her how he felt in-game. He had already come this far. Would he really wimp out and walk away now?
He closed his eyes and forced himself to push the button beside the door.
A long, painful moment later, he heard rapid footsteps approaching from inside, and his heartbeat raced in time with the steps. The door swung open, and he immediately opened his mouth to greet Riley, only to find him staring at an older woman, traces of gray in her hair. She wore a white apron and held a large kitchen knife in her hand.
Is this Riley’s mother? The doubting voice in the back of his head wasn’t so sure. It was loudly insisting that he was a moron, and he had the wrong house. This lady probably thought he was trying to break in and she was going to stab him to death right there on the doorstep. He just knew it.
“Ahh, I’m sorry for the wait,” the woman offered, and then followed his surprised gaze to the large knife in her hand. “Huh, this does look a little threatening,” she added with a chuckle. “I was cooking when I heard the bell. Anyway, can I help you?”
“Uh, my name is Jason Rhodes,” he offered awkwardly. “Is Riley home?”
The woman seemed to do a double take as he mentioned his name, her eyes inspecting him from head to foot. “Hmm, maybe. So, you’re Jason? I imagined you a bit taller.”
Jason just stared at her, unsure what to say to that. Although, his flustered mind belatedly realized that she had confirmed that he might have the right house after all.
“What exactly do you want with my daughter?” she continued, leaning forward slightly and a predatory light lingering in her eyes. He couldn’t help but notice that she was still holding a very large and very sharp knife. “I can’t just let every young man who stops by looking for Riley inside, after all. Especially one with a reputation like yours.”
How many guys stop by here? Jason wondered, struggling to keep up. His brain didn’t seem to be firing on all cylinders right now.
“Mom, stop it,” he heard a familiar voice say from inside. The door was pushed open wider, and Riley was there. She was wearing an old t-shirt and a pair of jeans, her hair tied behind her in a ponytail. She looked beautiful. “Why are you holding a knife?” she demanded of her mother
“Oh, at least let me have some fun,” her mom replied, the older woman’s smile widening slightly. “It’s not every day I get to tease one of your gentleman callers.”
Riley rolled her eyes. “Really? You’re worse than dad. Can you give us a second?”
Her mother sighed dramatically. “Fine. I’ll just be in the kitchen – cooking dinner!” She started to turn away and then hesitated, glancing back at Jason, and brandishing the blade again. A wicked smile lingered on her face. “Behave yourself, young man.”
He gulped hard. Riley’s mother could be a little scary. He could see where she got her violent streak.
The door clicked shut a second later, and Riley stepped outside. “I’m sorry about that,” she murmured, glancing at him furtively. “My mom can be a little… well, you saw it for yourself.”
“I-it’s not a problem,” Jason managed to sputter, finally regaining the power of speech.
The pair lapsed into an awkward silence. Now that Riley was only standing a few feet away, Jason was suddenly trying to remember why he was there. What should he say? Why the hell did he feel like he was going to be sick to his stomach? All he could think about was how they had almost kissed again. Only this time there had been the feeling of her weight pressing down on him. His heart had raced from a mixture of adrenaline and excitement.
“So, uh, about what happened in-game…” Riley began.
Jason didn’t wait for her to finish. Before he could talk himself out of it, he stepped forward and leaned toward her, pressing their lips together. He felt her freeze slightly, and then she kissed him back, her mouth moving against his.
It felt like a few minutes before they broke apart, but it could only have been seconds. Riley’s face hovered in front of him, only inches away. At some point, he had wrapped his arms around her. She felt warm and soft. Riley looked at him, her expression surprised.
“Wow,” she murmured.
“Wow,” Jason agreed, a small smile creeping across his face.
“Could we try that again?” she asked shyly. “Maybe this time I won’t feel quite so nervous.”
Jason was more than happy to oblige. He leaned forward and kissed her again. Her lips felt soft and inviting, and his hands wandered to her hips. It just felt right – electric. After years spent daydreaming about this moment, he couldn’t help but wonder if this was real. They broke apart again, and Jason looked into her brown eyes, his heart fluttering at the sight of her. Why the hell had he waited so long to tell her how he felt?
“How about that?” he offered.
Riley tilted her head in thought, her lips pursed to the side. “Hmm, that was okay,” she began. “Although, I’m thinking we might need a little more prac—”
He didn’t wait for her to finish and kissed her again. He could feel her lips curve into a small smile below his and she placed a hand behind his head, pulling him even closer. When
they pulled back again, they were both a little breathless, and Jason could feel his heart racing – although, this time for a different reason.
“Now this is the kind of training I could get behind,” Jason murmured.
That earned him a tinkling laugh from Riley, and he realized right then that he would never grow tired of that sound. “Well, then we better get to work,” she said with a small grin.
* * *
It took Jason and Riley a few minutes to come back to their senses, their newfound “training regime” occupying most of their thoughts. When they did finally break apart, they found themselves sitting on the swing on Riley’s front porch. Thankfully, her mother hadn’t shown up again with her knife. Riley had assured him that her mother was joking and wouldn’t bother them. But Jason still couldn’t shake the look in the older woman’s eyes and had been glancing furtively at a nearby window every few moments.
He leaned in and kissed Riley again. It was going to be hard to get tired of that.
She pushed him back slightly as they broke apart. “Okay, I think that’s enough for one day,” she said with a chuckle. “You’ve gotta take a girl on a date first.”
“Okay, let’s go,” Jason said, trying to stand up.
She held onto his arm, tugging him back down beside her. “Not right now, moron. You should put a little more thought into it than that. It’ll be our first date. It should be… special,” she said, looking a little awkward.
Jason cocked his head, trying to think of ideas. Special, huh? Where could I take her?
Then his eyes widened as he suddenly remembered his plans for the evening. “Um, so I might have an idea?” he offered tentatively.
“Oh, really?” she replied with a raised eyebrow. “That was quick.” She gestured at his face. “Plus, you have that silly look on your face that always makes Frank nervous.”
Jason shrugged. “My crazy plans always seem to work out though, right? You should learn to trust me,” he added in mock offense.
“Inside a video game, sure. But your track record out here hasn’t been awesome so far,” she retorted with a smile.
“Hey, I rushed over here!” he tried to defend himself. “I’d say that was a great plan.”
“And almost got stabbed by my mom…”
Jason grimaced. “Okay, so that could have ended badly.”
“Anyway, what was your idea? I think I’m prepared for the worst now,” Riley teased.
Jason ran a hand through his hair nervously. “So, this is kind of last minute, but there’s this party tonight…”
“You want to take me to a high school party?” Riley asked skeptically. “That doesn’t seem like your sort of scene, no offense.”
“Well, it’s not exactly that sort of party,” Jason amended. “It’s actually at the Cerillion Entertainment building. George, the CEO, said they host it every year to wine and dine investors and showcase new products. He mentioned that I should wear a suit, so it seems like a pretty upscale event. Although, I know it’s last minute. We could always do something else.”
Riley didn’t say anything for a second, chewing on her lip.
“You don’t have to if you don—"
She kissed him again, interrupting what he was about to say – and resetting his brain for a split second. When she pulled away, Riley looked him in the eye. “I’d love to.
“One question, though,” she continued. “What time is this party exactly?”
“Uh, I think George said it starts at seven,” Jason replied, suddenly feeling uncertain. He was just now realizing how reliant he was on George’s team to remind him about things like that. It was surprising how quickly he had become spoiled living at the headquarters building.
“At seven?” Riley echoed in shock. “That’s only a few hours!”
“Uh, well, it seems like a decent amount of time,” Jason offered tentatively.
“For you maybe,” she said, pointing a finger at him as she rose to her feet. “But it takes time for some of us to look presentable, and I still have to find something to wear.”
Jason rose and grabbed her arm as she moved to step inside, clearly already going through the list of things she needed to do to get ready in her head. He pulled her back toward him. “You always look beautiful. It won’t matter what you wear,” he said quietly but firmly.
Riley looked at him in surprise and then smiled slightly. “You should keep that up. I could get used to those sorts of compliments.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” he said.
Riley pushed him away. “But seriously, you need to get out of here,” she said with a laugh. “It’s going to take me a while to get ready.”
Jason sighed. “Fine. Fine. Do you want me to pick you up?”
Riley just smirked and shook her head. “No, it’s fine. I can meet you at the building since you’ll already be there.” Before Jason could react, she leaned forward and gave him another peck before fleeing back to her front door. She spared one final glance over her shoulder as she opened the door and stepped inside, her eyes glittering happily. “I’ll see you in a couple of hours.”
And then the door clicked shut behind her. Jason could only stand there staring at the wooden doorway for several long moments, his mind trying to catch up. He could still smell Riley, and the memory of her touch was still vivid. He reveled in that sensation for a moment. For the first time in days, a smile lingered on his lips. For once that irritating nagging voice had gone completely silent – perhaps resigning itself to the fact that things hadn’t blown up in his face.
Maybe the universe was finally giving him a well-deserved break. With a smile still on his face, Jason called a car to take him back to Cerillion Entertainment. He had a fun evening to look forward to, and he couldn’t wait to spend it with Riley.
Chapter 33 - Nervous
Jason glared at the counter in his apartment, tugging uncomfortably at his collar. His damn tie felt like it was strangling him, and he tried to loosen it without ruining the knot. He still hadn’t quite mastered the art of tying a Windsor knot, even after watching several videos online. Women certainly had it worse in terms of preparing for an upscale party, but at least they didn’t need to wear a cloth leash.
His gaze focused on the array of brightly-colored flower arrangements resting on the granite countertop, a frown creasing his forehead. Jason had managed to get in touch with George’s personal assistant about an hour ago. The woman had initially been curt; she was clearly overworked. However, after he had explained that the flowers were for Riley and that it was their first date, she had swung 180 degrees in the other direction – taking an almost frightening interest in helping him prepare for his date. Which explained why he had half a florist shop now filling his kitchen.
Although, this left him with a new problem. He had no idea which arrangement he should give to Riley.
Would she like roses? he wondered. Or daisies? Or hydrangeas? Why the hell are there so many types of flowers?
“What is this?” his aunt asked, coming up behind him and tossing her bag on the couch. He hadn’t heard her enter the apartment – lost in his thought. She eyed his suit and the flowers filling the counter. “Are we opening an upscale flower shop?”
She pressed her fingers to her lips in thought. “I feel like there’s a joke here. Something about undead and fertilizer… damn,” she murmured. “Maybe the Grave Keeper’s Garden?”
“Haha,” Jason replied dryly. “Actually, they’re for Riley. I’m supposed to meet her upstairs at seven. One of George’s assistants brought me a… uh… a few different arrangements. Apparently, they keep flowers on hand to decorate the conference rooms. Now I just need to pick one.”
Angie’s eyes widened in shock, looking at him again in a new light and taking a seat at the counter. “Wait. You and Riley are going on a date? So, you must have salvaged the situation somehow. When did this happen? I need details!”
Jason grimaced, glancing to the side and feeling his cheeks hea
t up a little. He proceeded to tell Angie the story, including his confrontation with Riley in-game and how he had rushed over to her house after they had gotten kicked from the game. Although, he left out a few details. Like how she had stabbed him. And how her mother had not-so-subtly threatened him. He could only imagine that his aunt would have a field day with those little tidbits of information. He would probably never hear the end of it.
“Well, damn,” Angie said as he finished his awkward, stumbling story. “If it had been raining or Riley was catching a last-minute flight, this might have been something out of a movie. Either way, it’s about time! This is fantastic!”
Jason rolled his eyes. “Except now I’m not sure which flowers to give her,” he said, gesturing at the arrangements. “I wanted to… well, to do something special for her,” he mumbled, not quite able to look at his aunt.
“That’s actually very sweet.” Angie’s brow furrowed in thought. “I get that flowers are the go-to date accessory, but they might not be a great choice if she’s meeting you here. Riley can’t exactly carry them around all night, and she has nowhere to put them. Normally, you would leave them at her house when you pick her up, but that won’t work here. We could maybe swing a corsage, but that’s kind of tacky and screams high school prom…” she trailed off in thought, staring at the flowers.
Well, shit, Jason thought. Those were all totally reasonable points – which he hadn’t given any thought. Why could he plan a military campaign, but he struggled to think about whether his date would have to carry flowers all night?
Then a light bulb seemed to go off in his aunt’s head, her eyes lighting up. “Wait, maybe you are on the right track. Didn’t you mention that Riley had a certain flower thing going on in the game? Something associated with her class?”
Awaken Online: Dominion Page 33
