Page 12 of Random Encounter

Five

Phillip

I recognized the sketch of Adrienne in the employee line-up because it was mine. From last night. I thought I’d tucked that away, buried it in my sketchbook to take home and pretend the stranger in the back of the classroom didn’t summon intense memories of my past.

Seeing Adrienne’s surprise and glee at being included already pushed away any hints of frustration, but didn’t erase the tug of guilt and grief.

I kept half an ear on Dustin’s presentation as he rolled through the rest of the news. It wasn’t that I was bored, but he’d done a dry run with me for timing—he always did—and I knew what he was going to say.

My focus was on Adrienne, though. As the meeting progressed, her shoulders relaxed, the smile tugging up the corner of her lips lingered longer each time, and she rarely took her attention off Dustin.

There was something there. Maybe not a long term attraction, it was too early to tell, but definitely a fascination that ran both ways and would probably become a deeper friendship. The longer I watched her, the easier it was to separate her from the memories she’d triggered. She had a lot of mannerisms in common with Jodie, but Adrienne was starkly and beautifully her own person.

And she had already proven she clicked with Dustin. Good. That would make it easier when I left. Judith was rarely wrong about team dynamics, and I was glad I’d let her make this decision. Regardless of what the disagreement in the back of my mind was whispering.

The meeting wrapped up and Adrienne, Luna, and I headed back to our offices, Luna breaking off when we reached the Art room.

“But seriously,” Adrienne said, resting a hand on the back of her chair instead of sitting. “How did Dustin pull off that sketch of me? You probably don’t know. I thought he was in a meeting.”

“I was.” Dustin joined us. “Besides, I’m more of a charcoal and oil pastels kind of guy. Phillip did it.”

I was grateful his answer glossed over other details. “I’ll finish it up for you today.” I told her. “So if you see me staring at you, don’t think anything of it.”

“You make it sound easy.” Pink dotted her cheeks and crept down her neck.

I bet her breasts flushed as well. I wouldn’t mind the chance for a little role reversal from last night, where I got to use her and Dustin as models. That thought would wait for more exploration later.

“My part is easy. Great view, appreciative subject…” I needed to dial it back. I was rarely in the mood for a serious Dude, inappropriate.

“Judith probably explained this to you, since it’s part of her on-boarding pitch, but a lot of the people here, including Phillip, came from Cord before it was Rinslet. The company culture was, as I understand it, different,” Dustin said.

Different. I was amused at his vagueness. Dustin had never had a problem with the casual sex between co-workers, but he also continuously seemed skeptical that in our early days, as young, dumb, full of cum gamers, we’d turned our job into one big after party of orgies.

Adrienne laughed through the blush. “Different? That’s one way to put it. God, the stories I’ve refused to listen to about just how many tabs can fill slots during a launch celebration.”

She knew Cole. Most of our new hires were referrals—who someone knew did matter here, mostly because it made it easier to gauge if they’d be a good fit in this environment. “Adrienne is Luna’s other boyfriend’s sister,” I explained.

“Wow.” Adrienne’s lips formed a perfect O. “That was almost more convoluted than sister-friend-wife-in-law.”

“Wait. You know The Wizard.” Dustin met Cole once, and was fascinated with him. Or maybe not with Cole so much as his history. He was a jack of all trades at Rinslet, Judith’s ex-husband, and one of the few people we knew who’d walked away from the gaming industry almost completely.

Adrienne raised her eyebrows. “It’s my understanding, from him, that no one called him The Wizard.”

“Only Judith.” It all seemed like so long ago, and at the same time, some of those memories were still fresh. I mentally cleared my throat to kick myself back on track. “Dustin’s point is, I’m sure”—to distract Adrienne from asking when I sketched her—“if I, or anyone, get to be too much…”

“I know. If I see something, say something. So far, I’m good,” Adrienne said.

I liked her. She was going to fit in great here. “Back to work. You’ve had all of a morning to be overwhelmed, but do you have any questions so far? About anything?”

“I’m sure I do. But right now, I don’t know what I don’t know. Um… Oh.” Her face lit up. “What are your five things?”

She meant the game she’d walked in on between me and Dustin. My mind blanked as I reached for an answer that didn’t sound as cold as the truth. “What?” Not my best comeback ever.

“Dustin said people should talk to me if they wanted to get to know me. Goes both ways, doesn’t it? Your five things you’d leave behind in a zombie apocalypse.”

“It’s just a game we play. Prompt changes every time.” Still not a great answer. Why did this one thing knock me off balance? Because the answer was I could leave it all behind, and she’d take that wrong.

“Let’s get lunch.” Dustin’s changing the subject was neither smooth nor subtle, but I was grateful for it.

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