Page 4 of Level Me Up

“Yeah. Basically, I can tell if a guy is worth the time in thirty seconds or less. It’s all about eye contact. If a guy can’t keep up the eye contact for at least ten seconds, he’s weak. If he can, then I’m intrigued.”

I place my hand on my chest and ask, "So it's like a Jedi mind trick?”

“Ah, you're learning well, young padawan, but I can only perform those on the weak-minded. I’m getting tired of that kind of guy—and cutie over there is definitely that type. I’m looking for something a bit more challenging,” she says turning her back to the guy.

If dating was on my radar, I could learn a lot from Ruby when it comes to men. Somehow, she always gets her way in the dating world.

In an instant, something in the air shifts and the crowd gets much louder. It’s excitement, I realize, as a group of people file in and take their seats at the table. There are four guys and one girl now seated at the table. Interesting. I'd always assumed gaming was a guy thing. I can’t really make out any features of the gamers, as we are still ridiculously far away, but I think Ruby is going to get her wish for some eye candy.

After more waiting, we are finally close enough to make out the gamer’s facial features. By this point, we have missed the panel I wanted to attend, and Ruby has already promised she would make it up to me. She really doesn't need to, but I'll pour it on thick just to get back at her for the comments about me needing to get laid.

"Dang, the eye candy was a good prediction. Most of those guys are hot! I mean, some of them are totally nerdy, but it really works for them. Even the gamer girl has that nerdy-chic thing working in her favor," Ruby whispers in my ear.

As I start from the end to make my own assessments I reply, "Are you saying a person has to be nerdy to be a gamer?" But as I start to form my next words, I change course, "Yeah, ok, that one is totally nerdy but hot." Ruby chuckles as I continue to scan the table.

The girl is indeed nerdy-chic. She is wearing those big, round, old-school clear plastic glasses. She has long, black locks of hair that have a slight wave around her shoulders. Even though she is sitting, she looks like she is tall and lean. She is gorgeous. I'm sure she is a male gamer's dream girl.

"Yeah, I'm sure she is probably some female gamer's dream girl too," Ruby replies deadly serious, as she stares at the gamer girl too. Apparently, I said that last part out loud.

After one last look at the gamer girl, I move on. That's when I see him. There, right in the middle of the group is this guy with brown, perfectly tousled hair. His face is more angular than rounded, with well-defined cheekbones and jaw line. His nose fits on his face perfectly. I can’t tell his eye color from this distance, though. I catch myself licking my own lips as I study his. His smile is downright alluring. He has an athletic build, but he isn't beefy or overly muscular. He is wearing a gray jacket with a hood over a black v-neck shirt. Exuding confidence, he doesn't look arrogant at all. He just seems like a guy you want to know. He looks…perfect.

Ok, perfect is a little much. We aren’t in some Disney movie. People are not perfect in the “real world.”

But wow. He is probably the hottest guy I have ever seen in real life. As in, you can’t really count celebrities as part of the “real world” populace. Mostly because you can’t always prove they are real people. But this guy. Oh, my. I think my mouth is watering. I have never been so attracted to someone before.

“Wow,” is the only thing that manages to escape my mouth.

“Ah, yeah. I was wondering when you were going to see him” Ruby laughs. “He is something else, isn’t he? His name is Dex Roberts, and he’s the team captain.”

“If this is what most video gamers look like, then I’m buying a game system when we get back home, and I’m learning how to play because I could get behind this,” I declare.

“More like, ‘let one of them get behind you,’ right?" she quips, and then adds, "Maybe all their hotness is just a fluke. Or maybe none of them are any good. You know? Someone just thought that if they assembled a team of hotties, it wouldn’t matter. Actually, I’m sure of it. That’s what is going on here: a ploy to take all my money.”

“Give it to them, Ruby. Give them all our money if that means we can stare at them longer.”

Someone taps me on my shoulder then, and as I turn around, I find a mousy, black-haired boy standing there looking at me expectantly. He isn’t more than thirteen.

“Yeah?” I question.

“Actually, that team is the number one team to beat in the MLG. They are more than just looks; they are really good. They win almost every tournament they play, and that guy in the middle—DosDex, he currently has the best positive K/D in like…the history ofCoB. They are nothing to make fun of,” he informs us.

Uh, what? Ok, first of all, who is this kid? And what is MLG, DosDex, and a positive K/D? Fortunately, I know whatCoBmeans, but only recently.

Thankfully, before I can say anything, Ruby replies, “Oh, thanks, kid. You seem to know a lot about them. Thanks for the intel. Now we won’t embarrass ourselves in front of the hotties.” The kid scoffs at that and turns around to whom I expect are his parents, who look bored out of their minds.

“Ok, well now we know they really are something to write home about. I’m really excited to get up there and get this T-shirt signed!” she tells me.

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