Mel grinned widely. “See, it was meant to be.” She swung open her door, obviously pleased with herself, and said, “Let’s go play some games.”
*
It was like heaven. There were arcade games as far as the eye could see. Despite the bustling throngs of people that made Regan slightly uneasy, she was enthralled by the incredible array of digital and interactive entertainment that surrounded them. Most of the restaurant’s occupants were male, but Regan was in her element. Mel seemed eager to play, and by the time she settled into a Skee-Ball winning streak, Regan knew she’d found a formidable opponent.
“In your face!” Mel hooted. She raised her arms in victory, pumping one fist into the air.
“Whatever,” Regan said when she could affect an unimpressed air. “So you’re good at rolling balls up a ramp. Do you want a medal or something?”
In truth, though, Regan loved that Mel cared who won. She loved the way Mel was losing herself in the moment, switching off her anxieties and reserve. This was so much better than trying to invent things to have in common with girlfriends who couldn’t relate to her except in bed.
“You’re just upset because I already kicked your ass in Tetris, just like I said I would,” Mel said, smirking hard. She stepped away from the Skee-Ball machine, heading into the crowd of game players and calling back to Regan over her shoulder. “And I almost beat your Galaga score.”
“At least I won the important games.” Regan trotted to Mel’s side, dodging a nudge of mock outrage. “The ones that require real skill.”
“Yeah, making your little digital woman kick my little digital man’s ass was a really important moment.” Mel grabbed Regan’s hand, bringing it to her lips for a quick kiss.
“Damn right. It may just look like mindless button mashing to you, but it’s a carefully orchestrated symphony of ass-kicking.”
“Uh huh. Sure.” Mel tugged Regan toward a row of elaborate video games. “How about you find a game you think is important…one where I can kick your ass? Something that requires skill.”
Regan released a dramatic sigh. “That’s a pretty tall order.” She scanned the crowded room, and then changed their direction mid-step when she spotted a familiar-looking game.
“House of the Dead 3?” Mel read the title dubiously and her eyes dropped to take in the two plastic guns holstered at the front of the machine.
Immediately Regan realized her insensitive mistake. “Oh, no, I-I mean… Fuck, I’m sorry, Mel. Forget it. That was a stupid idea.”
She watched Mel’s eyes swim with something unreadable and reached for her hand, intending to walk her away from the game. “Wait.” Mel’s voice was soft, but Regan heard it over the cacophony of sound around them: bass-heavy music, various beeps and whistles, excited conversation and cheers. “It’s okay.” She gave Regan a careful smile. “It really is.”
“No, it isn’t. I’m sure the last thing you want to do is pick up a gun. Come on, I can humiliate you at some other game.”
Mel touched Regan’s face. “It’s just a video game.” She grabbed the large plastic gun on the right and nodded at Regan to take the other weapon. “I want to play this, honestly. It looks like fun.”
“But—”
“They’re zombies, honey.” Mel pushed dark hair away from her face. “I just drifted away there for a second, I promise. This isn’t a big deal. Plus…” Mel lifted the gun, set her feet apart to take a predatory stance, and squinted at the screen through the sight. “I bet I can kick your ass at this game. I’m an excellent shot.”
“If you’re sure…”
“Just set us up, sweetheart.”
Regan slid her plastic card through the reader then picked up the gun on the left and took careful aim. She heard Mel exhale as a group of zombies burst out of their hiding place and rushed toward them.
Regan took a shot and hit one of the undead, then followed up with two more quick shots to bring him down and score a number of points.
Mel hesitated briefly, then muttered, “Fuckin’ zombies,” and unloaded her gun into a snarling digital monster’s head.
Her aim was impeccable and Regan soon found herself struggling to keep up with the accuracy and speed of her lover’s shots. Mel’s greater skill was confirmed as she defended herself against the onslaught of creatures and weapons, taking down nearly every monster in her path. Regan wasn’t bad, but her score was nowhere near as high as Mel’s, and twice she was forced to bend to the card reader to restart her life while Mel still worked on her original turn.
When Mel’s turn finally ended, they both set down their guns in unspoken agreement and turned to one another. “I knew all that time I spent at the shooting range would come in handy.” Mel’s expression radiated pride.
“Wow.” Regan raised sparkling eyes to her lover, awestruck. “That was sexually arousing, even.”
The corner of Mel’s mouth twitched in amusement, and then she leaned over to brush her lips against Regan’s ear. “God, you’re easy.” Her tongue snaked out to trace the lobe. “Have I mentioned how attractive I find that quality in a woman?”
“I believe you may have said something to that effect,” Regan glanced around at the people walking by them, fighting back a giggle. “Once or twice.”
Mel’s breathing hitched and she took a step to angle her body in such a way as to provide a shield between Regan and the people around them. She reached down and captured the hand that still rested against her hip, sliding Regan’s palm over to press against her inner thigh.
Regan gasped, turning her face away from the passing crowd.
“So I’ve taken you out video-gaming,” Mel whispered into her ear. Her throaty voice sent a shiver through Regan’s body. “We’ve had a nice dinner. And now all I want to do is take you back to the room to taste you…and touch you…all night long.” She gave Regan an innocent smile. “How does that sound?”
“Sounds like a plan to me.” Regan’s voice shook with her desire.
“Tell you what. I’m going to hit the bathroom before we go. Why don’t you stay here and spend the last of the video game fund?” She leaned forward as if to whisper into Regan’s ear again, but instead gave her a gentle nip at her neck before pulling back again. “And when I get back, I’ll start seeing about making you scream.”
Regan stared at Mel with her mouth agape. “Go.” She pushed against Mel’s chest to urge her toward the restrooms. “Hurry back.”
Mel grinned and took a step backward, then winked before turning to disappear into the crowd. Regan watched her leave, strangely fascinated by her every movement, the spell broken only when her lover’s dark head vanished in the sea of gamers. Feeling lost, she blinked and felt around for the plastic card in her pocket.
Right. Time to drain the video game fund.
Regan gazed around, looking for something fast. She smiled in satisfaction when she spotted a large Soul Caliber 2 machine.
Awesome. A mindless fighting game. The perfect prelude to a night of sexual frenzy.
Regan claimed the machine and bent to reach the card reader when the sound of a hand slapping on the console above her stopped her cold. She straightened to face a group of three smirking young men and, for a moment, she forgot that she was no longer a scared teenager.
Regan’s heart started to pound.
“How does it feel to have no friends, geek?”
She kept walking through the groups of classmates crowding the hallway, willing her shoulders not to tense at the attack from behind her.
For a moment, it was like nothing had changed. Like she hadn’t changed. Her breathing caught and her throat felt so dry she was unable to speak.
It was a stroke of bad luck that had her sitting in the back row of her eleventh grade chemistry class. David Somers sat at the desk to her left and every day was a new torment, out of her teacher’s earshot.
“If a guy asks an ugly girl to prom, will she be so thankful that she’ll put out?” David asked his friend Mark, who s
at in front of him.
“I don’t know,” Mark said, and tossed a smirk over to Regan. “Ask O’Riley and find out.”
She was an adult now. Regan clenched her fingers into tight fists at her sides and willed herself not to panic.
“Outta my way, loser.”
Regan never saw who shoved her as she entered the school cafeteria. She kept her face down, eyes locked to the floor, and tried to puzzle out the complex Perl script she was writing at home.
Regan looked one of the cocky-looking young men in the face. He had shaggy brown hair and a condescending grin. “Sorry, honey. We were just going to play this game.”
His two friends backed him up with smug smiles. Regan’s face turned hot and her feet itched with the familiar urge to bolt.
She forced herself to stand her ground. Come on, don’t be a complete wimp. You’re an adult now. These guys look like kids. What does it matter what they think?
“Actually, I was here first. I had my card in my hand.”
A second boy, blond and wearing a tattered baseball cap, lifted an amused eyebrow and jerked a thumb over his shoulder. “I think there may be a Pokemon game or something over there. Why don’t you leave this game to guys who can actually play it?”
Regan’s shyness receded under a sudden wave of righteous fury. Oh, no, he didn’t. He did not just insinuate that girls don’t know how to play video games. She folded her arms over her chest in cool defiance. You just found my pet peeve, lugnut. Others have questioned my prowess in the past and all lived to regret it.
“Guys who can actually play it?” Regan repeated. “Like you?”
“Yeah, sweetheart, like me. Or like just about anyone except you. And my mom and grandma.”
The shaggy-haired boy laughed and took a step toward the video game, attempting to shoulder past Regan. She held out a hand and stopped his progress with a cold glare.
“Which one of you is the best?”
The three of them looked around at one another before seeming to come to a silent agreement.
“We’re all pretty good,” the young man who hadn’t yet spoken said. He had dark hair and kinder eyes than his friends, and she suspected that he was a couple years older than his companions. “But Kyle rarely loses.” At that, the guy in the baseball cap raised an eyebrow at Regan in silent challenge.
Regan weighed her options. What are the chances that the kid is an absolute prodigy at this game? Studying the brightly colored buttons on the arcade game, she ran through some moves in her head. Maybe I could win. I know I’m good. With a mental shrug, she decided to take a chance. Worst-case scenario, I lose, they laugh, and I still go home to bed with the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.
“Kyle,” she said in a bold voice. “I’m Regan. Would you like me to show you how a girl can play this game just as well—oh, hell—even better than you can?” She mustered a calm smile for maximum effect.
Kyle stood for a moment in silence, obviously surprised. His buddies burst out laughing, and they both clapped him on the back in encouragement.
“Come on, man!” the shaggy-haired kid giggled. “This should be good.”
“Yeah,” the other one said, and shot Regan what almost looked like a smile of respect. “The least you can do is put your money where your mouth is.”
Kyle snorted but said nothing. She could see that her confidence had caught him off-guard and she smiled wider at the knowledge that she had unnerved him.
“Unless you’re nervous, Kyle.” Regan unfolded her arms and hooked her thumbs in the pockets of her jeans. “I don’t want to embarrass you or anything.”
He glared at her with cold brown eyes. “I’m not worried about being embarrassed, Regan,” he said, and looked her up and down with a cruel smile. “I’m just wondering what you could possibly have to offer me when I win.”
Regan fought the urge to blush at his words, forcing a smile on her face instead. Inside, she grew even angrier. I need to school this guy for geeky girls everywhere.
“I might worry about the same thing, Kyle, but I think all I’ll want from you is acknowledgement that a girl kicked your ass. And that you’re a cocky asshole who really shouldn’t make assumptions based on stupid, sexist stereotypes.”
“Oh, holy shit.” The shaggy-haired boy tracked something over her shoulder with lustful eyes. “Why don’t we ask her to reward the winner?”
Stupid, ogling—Regan blinked, then turned to look where all three boys were staring. Oh, they’re asking for it now.
Mel approached with a vague smile on her face. From a distance, gray eyes caught hers and asked a silent question. Are you all right?
Regan gave Mel a subtle nod. These guys are assholes, but I’m okay.
“Oh, my God, is she coming over—”
“Damn. I’d take her as first prize.”
Regan wrinkled her nose in disgust and turned to glare at the distracted young men. She opened her mouth to continue their conversation, but snapped it shut as the shaggy-haired guy called out to her lover.
“Excuse me, miss?” He nodded and grinned, flashing white teeth and twin dimples. “Yeah, you.”
Oh, please. Regan coughed into her hand, which drew an annoyed glance from Mr. Smooth. Like she’d go for that.
“What’s going on, boys?”
Regan felt Mel step close behind her and graze her arm with inconspicuous fingertips. Mel joined the group with a little smile meant for Regan’s eyes only, then a brighter smile trained on the three guys. What remained of Regan’s nervousness dissipated.
“Actually, we were just about to have a little contest,” Kyle said, then laughed. “Well, no contest, really.”
Regan scowled over at him as Mel nodded with polite interest.
“Oh, yeah?” Mel said.
“Yeah. This young lady here just challenged me to a game, and we were just agreeing that any good contest needs a beautiful woman to officiate.” Kyle grinned, eyes flashing. “An impartial observer, if you will, and as luck would have it, the most beautiful woman in the place comes walking up behind us.”
Regan rolled her eyes with a long-suffering sigh, and Mel snickered.
“Really?” Mel said, and raised a skeptical eyebrow. “An impartial observer is that important in a game where scores are kept?”
The shaggy-haired guy waggled his eyebrows and leered. “Well, we wouldn’t complain if you also offered to donate sexual favors to the winner. And/or his circle of friends.”
Kyle smacked his friend’s arm, giving him a dirty look. At his other side, the dark-haired kid actually blushed and elbowed his buddy in the ribs.
“Jesus, Paul,” the dark-haired boy said. “Don’t be an asshole.”
Regan glared at the shaggy-haired kid, Paul, then at Kyle, who was now trying to suppress a laugh.
“Well, you’re not shy, are you?” Mel folded her arms over her chest, looked at all three boys, then glanced over to Regan. Her eyes twinkled with something subtle that made Regan lean forward in anticipation.
“Nope,” Paul said with a proud grin. “Not when I see something I want.”
This kid really doesn’t get women, does he? Regan watched Mel for a reaction.
“Okay,” Mel said, and Regan blinked in surprise. “I’ll officiate. As for the rest, I don’t know. Let’s see what happens. Maybe something can be arranged.” At the look of shock on all three male faces, she smiled and said, “So, are you going to play?”
“I’m ready.” Regan raised a tentative hand into air and showed Mel her card. God, I hope I can win this thing.
Kyle held Mel’s gaze for a beat, then turned to bend down to the card reader. “Then let’s go.”
Regan stooped to slide her card, and when she arose Mel was standing at her side. Her opponent’s friends stood on his other side, engaging in a quick pep talk as he and Regan chose their players. Mel leaned over and whispered to Regan in a voice so soft she knew the guys wouldn’t be able to hear.
“You seemed pretty
fucking good at this game earlier,” she breathed. “You think you can beat him?”
Regan chose a female fighter purely out of principle, and gave Mel a subtle grin of feral confidence. She looked back at the screen after just a second, suppressing her amusement at the throaty chuckle beside her. They don’t need to know that she’s with me. Yet.
Kyle decided to play with a muscle-bound giant who oozed digital testosterone. Regan snorted at his choice. Typical.
When the match began, Regan allowed everything around her to disappear except the screen in front of her and the almost mechanical motion of her hands and fingers on the buttons and joystick below.
A game consisted of three matches, and they had only traded a few blows in the first one when Regan felt her confidence surge. He’s good, sure, but he’s not better than me. Actually, I think Adam might even be better than this guy. She blocked a kick, smiling at the screen. I can do this.
Regan executed a combination move that sent Kyle’s character flying backward and crashing to the ground. Another quick kick when he attempted to stand and she was declared the winner of round one.
Kyle’s dark-haired friend raised his eyebrows and looked at Regan with newfound respect. “Wow.”
“Fuck,” Paul muttered. “She really can play.”
“No shit, asshole.” Righteous indignation flowed through Regan’s veins. She felt Mel convulse with silent laughter beside her, and a carefully hidden hand gave her side a soothing caress. Regan met Kyle’s glare with a confident smile. “Ready for round two?”
“Don’t get cocky, bitch,” Kyle snapped. He turned to blink at the screen, obviously flustered.
“Hey—” Mel protested.
Regan cut her off with a small smile. It just means he’s frustrated, baby. I can take a little trash talking.
“Look where being cocky got you, right?” Regan shot back. She gave herself an internal high-five when she saw the scowl appear on Kyle’s face, and the way his friends hid their laughter behind their hands.
Kyle opened his mouth to answer, then closed it as loud music announced the start of the second match. They both turned their attention back to the game and resumed their fierce battle.
Infinite Loop Page 25
