Page 88 of Off Her Game
25
Tori followed Leo, her gangly, twenty-something orientation director into what he called the “Early Weekly,” a first-thing Thursday morning meeting. Who the hell did Thursday meetings?
I’m an NJ Legacy designer.Unreal.
Okay, a designer on probation for doing something highly illegal before even starting. However, seemed like the whole probation thing remained top tier information only. Everyone they’d met on her orientation tour welcomed her.
“Most of the time we slowly integrate designers with our system, but since your game has to go from zero to launch at hyper speed, there’s no time to take it easy.” Leo led her out of the “game room,” a no-expense-spared playroom, which made her inner techie geek swoon. Although, moments later it swan dived into panic as the reality of the other side of her life took over.
Leo led her into a spacious, naturally lit room set up like a lecture hall with huge screens at the front but without the sloping floor. Many people chatted, some were already seated and some milled near the food. Nerves squeezed her stomach. She prayed they wouldn’t make her stand up front like the new show-and-tell toy. She was probably the news of the week, maybe even of the year. This meeting would be all about her.
She scanned the room for Noah, coming up with a big zilch. She didn’t need Noah’s validation. She wasn’t addicted to him, either. If both of those statements were true, then why did she feel jittery? She hadn’t been this nuts over a guy since high school.
Stop obsessing about him.He was the boss, the big cheese, the guy everyone here deferred to and probably didn’t even call by first name.
“Grab yourself a coffee or if you’re hungry…” Leo waved at the table of pastries and morning drinks at the back of the room. He pushed his wire frames up his nose and cleared his throat. “Heard the big press meeting went well.”
“Thanks but I’m not hungry.”
His eyes darted around and his voice lowered, “So, you know Quan Lee?”
She smiled at his conspiratorial whisper. She whispered back, “He’s my roommate.We do some gaming together. Well, did. I don’t think I’ll be allowed to continue since I work here.”
Out loud he said, “Crapsters! You’re really her, aren’t you? You’re the third of theDynasty?”
“It’s not a secret.” She shrugged.
He shot her a goofy grin. “I’m a huge fan. You guys are so totally cool. You were one of the first to form an alliance online and fight theZoneworldsas a group. I didn’t believe Quan when he said you designed games in addition to playing. He and I have been friends since Comic-Con San Diego six years ago. We bonded over an episode of getting piss-assed drunk and running the hotel hallways in capes and underwear.”
“I think I need to know more about that.”
He drew an imaginary X over his heart. “The code of Comic-Con brothers is no details, especially when it involves states of partial naked.”
“I’m texting Quan right now.” She pulled out her phone and shot Quan a text. Her phone dinged back almost immediately with a picture of a group of four in superhero underwear and towel capes. She compressed her lips against laughing and rotated her phone to show Leo.
Leo’s face turned dark scarlet. “There’s a picture?”
“It’ll be our secret.” A snort laugh escaped her.
“Everyone sit,” Jake ordered over the PA system.
“Later,” Leo murmured to her.
She moved down an aisle toward an empty set of chairs.
Noah slid into the room. He leaned against the wall near the door as if he needed a quick exit, or didn’t want to garner much attention. Her heart hammered against her ribs. God, he looked amazing in jeans and a T-shirt. His familiar gaze burned over her. She felt its continued scorch as she turned away from him. She imagined him scanning her shoulders down to her butt, outlined perfectly in her skinny jeans. She tripped over a chair leg, landing hip first onto her target chair’s seat. She caught herself on her neighbor’s arm and uttered an apology.
Smooth. Real smooth.
Her gaze shot to Noah as she pushed away from the cute guy whose chest she’d almost face-planted into. Maybe Noah hadn’t noticed her fall. Noah glowered at the guy she’d tripped into as if it’d been the guy’s fault she fell. Then his gaze locked with hers. So much for not him not seeing her klutzy moment. Anticipation quivered in her belly. She felt stripped bare in a way unsuitable for this public venue. The noises around her faded.
Pull out of the stare.She should care if others thought she was sleeping with the boss.
Leo plopped into the vacant chair on the far side of her, cutting off her staredown. He nodded toward Noah. “What you think of him?”
“He’s, uh…not what I expected.”
“The rumor is you two dated a bit? Maybe still dating?” Leo seemed to be holding his breath in anticipation of a juicy piece of gossip.
