by Jennie Marts
“You get the new one yet?”
“The London one?”
Adam nodded.
“Yeah. I’m already on level twenty-nine.”
“Nice work. The catacombs are cool, huh?”
Cody grinned. “Yeah. Wait, you play? Masters of Misfortune?”
“You could say that.” He sat back down in the recliner. “What’s your favorite part?”
“What do you mean?”
“Like what do you like about it? The game?”
“Um, everything. It’s cool. I like the missions and the puzzles. That one part where you had to find your way out of the maze in Peru was pretty cool.”
“Yeah, I liked that, too. But what is it about the actual game play that you like. And is there anything you don’t like?”
Cody sat on the edge of the bed. He twisted his mouth to the side as he thought about it. “Well, there’s one thing, but it’s probably kind of stupid.”
“I doubt it. You don’t strike me as stupid. What is it?”
“It’s Vic. You know, the main hero guy?”
“Yeah.”
“I just wish he was more…” He paused as if searching for the right word. “Likeable, I guess.”
“You don’t like Victor?”
“Of course I like him, he’s the main character. And he’s the hero of the game. But it’s just that sometimes he doesn’t act like a hero. I mean, all he cares about is making money and finding the treasure. There isn’t anything that’s…just good about him, you know? Like, Gemma is the nice one—she cares about the people in the game—and Theo is the funny one. He makes everyone laugh. But all Vic ever talks about is the treasure.”
Hmm. He’d never thought about it that way. “I see your point.”
“The best heroes are guys you can look up to. They’re always doing good stuff and acting heroic, like saving the town or something. But sometimes Vic just doesn’t do anything.” Cody shrugged. “Dumb, huh?”
“Not dumb at all. It’s actually very smart. Really insightful. And it’s something we’re going to change.”
“What do you mean ‘we’?”
Adam narrowed his eyes at Cody. “You know when I said I’d played the game before?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, I’ve actually played it a thousand times. Maybe a million, even. I’ve played every part of it because I helped create it. I’m one of the designers.”
“No way. You work for Fishbowl Productions?”
He chuckled. “In a way. It’s my company. Mine and my two buddies’. We started it after college. It’s called Fishbowl Productions after the goldfish we had in our first apartment. Brandon is allergic to dogs and cats, so a fish was the only pet we could have.”
Cody’s eyes widened in disbelief. “What? I can’t believe it. That’s so cool, dude.” His face fell and his expression changed to one of embarrassment. “Ah, crap. Sorry I just said all that stuff about Vic. I really do like your games. I play them all the time.”
Adam held up a hand. “No, it’s cool, really. I wanted to hear your honest opinion. That’s why I didn’t tell you I was one of the designers. And your ideas were really insightful. I totally intend to implement them in the next version.”
“Thanks, man.” The boy sat up taller on the bed. “There’s more things that I love about the games. Like the mechanics are really good, compared to a lot of other adventure games on the market. The climbing and the jumping and the fighting all feel totally realistic.”
Adam smiled. “That stuff is run by the physics engines. And those are what I design. I use real psychics to make it seem real, like when you’re falling, you’re actually accelerating at the correct rate, or when you throw a punch, the momentum is transferred in the right way.”
“Or like when you jump, you don’t fly ten feet in the air. Some games do that, and it just seems stupid.”
“Exactly. That’s all my work.”
“Wow. Is it hard?”
“Sometimes. And sometimes, it’s just time-consuming. It can take hours to create the simulation of throwing a simple rock. I have to make sure it falls in just the right arc or bounces a couple of times before it stops. But it’s also pretty fun.”
“That’s really neat.” A genuine smile covered his face, and Adam noticed his similarity to his mother. Not only was his smile the same, but Cody also had the same blond hair and sprinkling of freckles across his nose. He was just coming in to his height, and his body had that gangly, too-skinny look adolescents got.
It was good that he lived and worked on the ranch. It gave him a chance to get outside. That’s probably how the kid stayed so lean. It couldn’t be the fried chicken and gravy.
“So, do your friends play Misfortune, too?”
The boy’s face fell, his smile gone. “What friends?”
Uh-oh. Sounded like he needed to tread carefully. “It’s probably hard to hang out with buddies when the ranch is so far from town.”
“It’s practically impossible. Especially during the summer. During school, I have some friends I hang out with, but in the summer, no one wants to drive all the way up here. It sucks. I used to love the summer, but now I have to spend it working here so my mom doesn’t lose this place. The only kids I see are usually stuck-up rich kids who are only at the ranch for a few days.”
“I can see what you mean.” Obviously this kid needed a friend. Even though he, too, would only be around for a few days, at least he could listen now. He remembered the painful days of adolescence all too well.
He’d also caught the part about Cody’s mom needing his help so she didn’t lose this place. Was Skye in financial trouble? The ranch seemed to be in good shape, but he had no idea how much it cost to run a place like this.
“What about that girl who showed up today? The one having a birthday?”
Cody looked down at his boots. “Who, Haylee?”
“Is that her name? She was pretty cute.”
He shrugged. “I guess.”
“Isn’t she about your age?”
“Close. She just turned thirteen. And I’ll be thirteen this fall. We’re in the same grade.”
“Any chance she’s from around here?”
Cody shook his head. “Denver. It’s not too bad, only about an hour away. Better than the last kid that I thought was kind of cool. He was from Denmark.”
Adam chuckled. “That’s quite a difference.”
“But he still knew about Misfortune.”
“Do you play with him online, then?”
“Sometimes. But it’s kind of hard with the time difference. Mostly I play on my own.”
“Let me know if you ever want to buddy up. I’ll play on your team.”
“How? Don’t you already know how to do everything?”
“Most of it. But it’s good for me to go in from a player perspective. It helps me pick out bugs and come up with ideas on how to tweak the next version. Plus, I still think it’s fun.”
The boy narrowed his eyes at him. “Are you serious?”
“Of course. My gamer tag is AtomAdam3.14. You can add me to your list. Do you play on a gaming system or on a PC?”
“Both. Mostly on my PlayStation.”
“Okay. I’ll watch for you, then I’ll see if I can add some gold to your arsenal.”
“That would be pretty cool. I’ll get on tonight after supper and add you.” He glanced at the bedside clock, as if the mention of supper had just reminded him of how late it was. “Crap. I gotta go. I’m supposed to be setting up in the dining room. See ya.” He offered a small wave as he hurried from the room, pulling the door shut behind him.
Adam leaned back in the chair again and let out a sigh.
It appeared he’d just made a friend.
…
The smell of fried chicken filled the lodge as Adam made his way down to the dining hall. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had a home-cooked meal, and his mouth watered at the thought.
He’d been in such a hurry to l
eave for the airport, he’d missed lunch, and his stomach rumbled at the sight of the steaming bowls of potatoes, corn, and biscuits laid out on the tables.
“Hey, Adam,” Cody said as he passed in front of him with a platter of fried chicken. “I think you’re at the table on the right. Your name is on the little card in the middle.”
“Thanks,” he muttered to the boy’s back. Cody had already set the plate on a table and was heading back toward the kitchen.
Adam maneuvered his way through the chairs, weaving his way toward his table.
The honeymooners were already there, and he sat in one of the three empty chairs. He assumed the other two seats were for Brandon and Ryan.
He nodded at the couple. “Hi, I’m Adam. We rode in on the bus together.”
“Yeah, nice to meet you.” The guy stood slightly from his chair and held out a hand. “I’m Josh, and this is my wife, Brittany.” He grinned. “I can’t get used to saying that. We just got married yesterday.”
“Congratulations.” He picked up his napkin and folded it across his lap, then looked awkwardly around the room. He hated small talk.
“Thanks,” Josh said. “We’re pretty excited.”
His new wife didn’t look excited at all. She stared glumly into her glass of tea, as if the answers to life might be floating amongst the ice cubes.
But the guy had a goofy smile on his face. It was obvious he wanted to chat.
“We’re from Denver,” Josh continued. “Although we’ve been living in Fort Collins. We just graduated from Colorado State.”
“But Josh can’t find a job,” Brittany chimed in, her voice monotone as she continued to stare at her glass. “So we’ve moved into his parents’ basement. That’s also why we’re celebrating our honeymoon at a dude ranch less than an hour from our house instead of on a beach in Mexico.”
Adam might not be the most intuitive guy when it came to understanding women, but he sensed some obvious hostility coming off of this one.
Josh shrugged. “I keep trying to tell her that people come from all over the country to go to this place. Just because it’s in our home state doesn’t mean it’s not a great vacation spot.”
Adam had to agree with Brittany. He’d also prefer to be at the beach, soaking up the sun with a cold beer in his hand, but he didn’t say anything. It seemed like the poor guy already had his hands full with his sulky bride.
Time to change the subject. “What did you get your degree in?” he asked.
“Parks and Rec Administration. I love nature and like working with kids. My dad was pushing me to go into business, but I wanted to go into a field I would actually enjoy. Unfortunately, a lot of people have the same idea. The job market is pretty saturated. But I’ll find something. It’s just a matter of time. I think the perfect job is right around the corner.”
“Well, good luck.” He really meant it. The guy seemed earnest enough, and he obviously believed the perfect job was just around the corner. More power to him.
Skye slid into the seat next to him, and his heart rate increased. He wiped his suddenly damp palms on his napkin.
“Is it all right if I sit here?” she asked, smiling first at him and then at the honeymooners. “I figured your table would be a little light without your coworkers.”
Her smile was sending funny darts of heat along his spine. And he could smell her perfume, or her shampoo, or her skin. Something apple mixed with the scent of vanilla and some kind of flowers wafted around her, and his head swam with the intoxicating scent.
“Yeah, of course you can sit with us.”
“Thanks.” Skye offered him a grin, then turned to the other two at the table. “Hi there. You must be Josh and Brittany, right?”
Oh brother. He hated small talk enough the first time around—now he was going to have to hear it again.
“They’re from Denver, recent college grads, he can’t find a job, and she’s pissed ’cause they’re living in his parents’ basement and not at the beach.”
“Oh,” Skye said, looking from Adam to Josh.
Brittany’s gaze was still on her ice cubes, but she did offer an eye roll and an impressive sigh.
Oh shit. Did he just say that out loud?
Chapter Five
Adam grimaced. “Sorry. Remember earlier when I told you I can sometimes be an asshole.” He hazarded a glance at Josh. “Sorry, didn’t mean to sound like a jerk.”
The younger man shrugged and let out an awkward chuckle. “It’s cool. You pretty much summed things up.”
“It’s nice to meet you both,” Skye said, offering the couple an encouraging smile. “And if it helps, Brittany, I’d rather be at the beach right now, too.”
Oh man. A sudden image of Skye in a bikini—half naked and covered in tanning oil—filled his head, and he felt heat in places other than just his spine.
“Adam? Hello? Earth to Adam.”
He blinked, shaking his head as he realized that Skye had just asked him a question. And it hadn’t been about rubbing oil on her back. “Sorry. What?”
“I asked if you would mind passing the chicken.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “You okay?”
“Yeah. I’m okay.” He was an idiot, but he was okay. He picked up the platter of fried chicken and passed it around the table.
They settled into more small talk, which mostly consisted of Skye asking questions, Josh offering animated answers, Adam listening, and Brittany sulkily gnawing on the end of a chicken leg.
He liked to listen to Skye talk. She was smart and insightful. And funny. He found himself smiling at her silly jokes and nodding as she offered sage wisdom to the newlyweds, even though he wasn’t sure what he was agreeing with. He had no insight whatsoever when it came to relationships. Except what not to do.
Or what it felt like to get dumped. He could offer plenty of insight into that.
He didn’t have a hard time getting dates, when he had the time and inclination to want to date, which wasn’t all that often, since he seemed to work all the time. But women seemed to be interested in him, or at least interested in dating a guy that had money and drove a nice car. But they didn’t seem as interested once they realized his work came first—always.
Apparently, being a workaholic did not make him very good boyfriend material. At least, according to the last three women who had broken up with him.
But none of those three women made his stomach twist and his palms itch the way that Skye did. Hell, even just thinking about her made his pulse quicken.
And he’d never had the kind of deliciously dirty thoughts about them like he’d had about Skye as he watched her eat a piece of cherry cobbler. There was something about the way her lips closed around the fork and the way her tongue slid across her upper lip to catch a stray bit of red cherry juice that was driving him crazy.
What the hell was wrong with him? He’d never gotten turned on by watching a woman eat before.
But he’d watch Skye do just about anything—eat, drink, shower.
“You certainly have a mischievous look on your face, Mr. Clark,” Skye said, leaning toward him as she lowered her voice. “What are you thinking about?”
Heat rushed to his neck. Busted. “Um…well…you, I guess.”
The corners of her lips tugged up in a grin. “Me? What were you thinking that could put that kind of smile on your face?”
Oh shit. He scrambled for something plausible to say—he couldn’t very well tell her he’d been imagining her in the shower. “I was just thinking about how good you are with people.”
Her grin broadened. “Thank you.”
That hole to swallow him up could arrive any minute now. He needed to just make a graceful exit and go to his room.
He pushed back his chair, and it made a loud scrape on the hardware floor. “Thanks for dinner. It was delicious.”
And thanks for letting me watch you eat your dessert.
His move must have given the rest of the room permission to leave, because several
others pushed back their chairs, as well, and readied to leave.
Skye stood up next to him. “I think you’re signed up for lasso lessons at nine. I guess I’ll see you then.”
Lasso lessons? He was seriously going to kill Brandon. “That sounds great. Thanks again.” Out of habit, he held out his hand to shake hers, and then realized how awkward it seemed. But it was too late to pull it back.
She looked at his offered hand, then grinned up at him. “You are absolutely welcome.” She slipped her hand into his and gave it a firm squeeze.
Fireworks shot off in his stomach. Maybe offering to shake hadn’t been such a dumb idea—at least he got to touch her.
“Hey, nice boots,” she said, glancing down at his feet. “What happened to the snake skins?”
He shook his head. “I know. Those boots were stupid. I was a sucker for buying them. Thank goodness for Cody.”
“Cody?”
“Yeah. He set me straight earlier when he dropped those towels by my room. I actually had a lot of fun talking to him. He plays some of the games my company has created, and we had a good time discussing the merits and some of the failings of the game.”
“Failings? He told you what was wrong with it? I swear I did try to teach that boy some manners.”
He chuckled. “He has great manners. I asked him for his opinion, and I wanted an honest answer, so I didn’t tell him they were our games until after he’d told me his thoughts. Besides, he had some good insight. I’m actually going to take his advice.”
Her eyes widened. “Really?”
“Yeah. Really. He’s a smart kid.” He tipped up the toe of his boot. “And I owe him one for saving me with these boots. They’re a thousand times more comfortable than those idiotic ones I brought with me. Best two hundred bucks I’ve ever spent.”
“Two hundred bucks?” She raised an eyebrow at him. “You paid Cody two hundred dollars for those boots?”
“Yes. I offered two hundred, then he took off and showed up ten minutes later with a shoebox. Any chance you’re surprised because I got such a great deal?”
“You got a great something, all right. And he’s going to get a little something, too. We have a small gift shop here where we sell western knick-knacks, a few hats, moccasins, and some shirts and boots. We sell the ones you’re wearing for around a hundred dollars. My son evidently charged you an extra one hundred dollar delivery fee to carry those boots about five hundred yards.”
