Page 12 of Jaeda

“What kind of hacker are you dealing with?”

“Someone that matches or exceeds my skills. I swear to God, if my shit is fucked up, I’m gonna?—”

I stopped as the monitors booted back up. Waiting on the screen was a message.

“I quit. You win.”

“Oh, hell no,” I mumbled, going into my software.

I hoped this mystery hacker didn’t think they were getting off that easily. Oh no. I had plans for them. Big plans.

Son of a bitch.

I knew I had fucked up.

When I got the notification that my firewall had been breached, I knew it was nobody but Jaeda. We’d been playing this game of cat and mouse for days now. I’d been successfully able to block her attempts at uncovering me until two days ago. A call from my mother thwarted my last attempt to conceal my identity. The few-second time frame was probably all she needed.

I couldn’t believe I’d finally seen her in person.

Her pictures didn’t do her justice. Of course, they were beautiful, but Jaeda Dillinger up close was a fucking masterpiece. She was shorter than me, and if I had to guess, I’d say she was about five feet six. Her long tresses were in loose curls all over her head. Those deep brown eyes, long lashes, andfull lips were probably my favorite of her features. The black-framed glasses that matched mine topped her whole look off.

Baby was slim-thick with a Coke bottle shape. The graphic tee, that she’d cut into a crop top, and leggings perfectly showed off her figure. I could see a sliver of a colorful tattoo going up her side. There were a few others on the insides of her wrist and arms. Nothing big, just a few dainty ones.

She was so damn beautiful that I just had to stare at her for a moment. She was so focused on the Lego kit that she didn’t even see me watching her. I felt like a creep, but I couldn’t will my feet to move until I had a valid reason to talk to her. I really did want that Toad set, and the fact that there was only one was the perfect excuse to say something to her. I’d gathered up my confidence, and it all fell the moment our hands touched. I felt like a kid trying to talk to his crush for the first time.

I’d called Titan as soon as I got in my car.

“What up, nigga,” he answered.

“I saw her.”

“Saw who?”

“Jaeda.”

“Jaeda who? Jaeda, Jaeda?”

“How many Jaedas do you know?”

“Shit, about four or five of them. Where did you see her?”

“The Joy Factory.”

He laughed. “Childish ass. Y’all would meet in a toy store. Did you talk to her?”

“Kinda.”

“What you mean kinda? Please tell me you asked for her number at least.”

I ran him the story of our brief interaction. He wasn’t surprised that Mr. Dillinger popped up on us and snatched her up out of there. I could tell she was fiercely protected, as Titan said, by the way her father was eyeing me. If I made onewrong move, he looked like he would have put a bullet in my ass. I regretted not asking for her number, and now, I probably wouldn’t get the chance. I guess I fumbled that ball.

“Man, I was so nervous, I could barely look at the girl. I didn’t even give her my damn name.”

He broke into laughter. “Q, man. I don’t know what else to tell you. You had her in your grasp and you fumbled the ball. I’m starting to think you ain’t as interested as you say you are. You know what? When I touch down, I’m taking you to meet the girl. You might have to wait a few days because I have to work Mia back into my good graces, but once we’re good, I got you. You’re going out sad, and I can’t stand to see it.”

“Fuck you, Titan.”

He laughed harder. “That’s what you need to be doing until you get your girl. Find something to fuck on. You don’t have a rolodex of Lego and anime loving nerds at your disposal? What about one of them furry hos we saw at Comicon last year? You like that weird, freaky shit, don’t you?”

---