Page 52 of Playing For Keeps

“There’s paperwork! Offloading procedures…” Andrew sputtered, his face turning red.

“I’ll sign whatever I have to, relinquish whatever devices or files you need, but I’m leaving today, and I’m not coming back.” He didn’t wait for a response, just let the door shut behind him, walking toward the mailroom to get a paper box for his meager belongings.

Rachel gave him a thumbs up when she passed by his cubicle later that morning, and he stopped her briefly, smiling for real for the first time since his fight with Farren, thanking her for supporting him through it. His colleagues stared as he packed up his desk. Keith seemed slightly too happy about his potential departure, but Sebastian no longer cared.

He was out of there by noon. Badge turned in, admin privileges revoked, arms wrapped around a cardboard box holding the last almost-year of his life, and the sinking realization there was precious little to show for it. His ride home on the Metro was filled with quiet introspection, his mind jumping wildly between knowing this was the right thing to do and wondering if he would regret it.

Sebastian was filled with energy at the prospect of quitting—of closing down such a toxic and draining chapter of his life. But the adrenaline faded somewhere between Smithsonian and his stop at Potomac Avenue. When he got back to his apartment, he was shrouded in the feeling of what now?

Almost two weeks passed since he’d last seen Farren, and he grew despondent at the prospect of them leaving things the way they had. If he could just have the chance to apologize, at least…

Sebastian didn’t like the idea of showing up at game night; he didn’t want to make her feel uncomfortable or cause a scene in front of her friends.

Friends…

Corinne.

Corinne could help him. Possibly. Maybe. If he groveled enough.

He was sure Farren told her everything by now, and after Corinne’s warning to him at the Halloween party, he wasn’t in her good graces. This was his only shot, though, and he wasn’t ready to just let it go. All his years drudging up the corporate ladder forged a sort of stubbornness and tenacity. It was time to put it to work. He was ready to fight for what was important to him.

Sebastian did the only thing he could think of to reach out: social media.

Neither he nor Farren made a move to officially block each other on Facebook or Instagram. Corinne followed him after that game night when he’d joined in and surprised Farren.

Drafting up a message took longer and required more bolstering than quitting his job had, and after an hour, he still couldn’t find the right words so he just sent the ones he had.

I need your help.

I messed up big time with Farren, and she’s not taking any of my calls or responding to any of my messages.

This is a long shot, and you probably hate my guts,

but I really want the chance to apologize.

It wasn’t flowery, it wasn’t perfect. Sebastian could only hope Corinne would be a little receptive. She did make him sweat, though. About two hours after she read the message, he received a response.

Why should I?

She made a good point. There was only one good answer.

Because I love her. And I was an idiot.

The little icon showed her typing, then stopping, then typing again. Finally, after ages, her message popped up and injected Sebastian with hope.

What did you have in mind?

The ideas floated around his head, a dozen different scenarios discounted before they fully formed. This had to be meaningful. He wanted it to be singular to Farren. Sebastian’s mind floated back to when she first talked to him about game design and spaces where gaming was celebrated.

Do you know if she’s going to be at PAX Unplugged?

His eyes settled on the closet door and the wrapped box that lived there since the last time she was here, when everything changed.

I’ll make it happen. What’s the plan?

Operation Win Farren Back was officially a go.

December was right around the corner, and everywhere she looked was transformed. Inflatable Santas dotted the few lawns littered around the neighborhood. Others, like her, in apartments posted huge snowflakes or the like against windows. She even went as far as to put up her little Charlie Brown tree in her living room, its multicolored lights deceptively cheerful despite her dour mood.

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