Page 11 of The Player Next Door
Clare was both relieved the world was returning to its axis and a little disappointed he had given up so easily. “We’re two twenty-somethings stuck in an elevator; I think some hanky-panky can only be expected.” She winced the second the wordshanky-pankycame out of her mouth. She might as well wear a sign that saidProspective Mediocre Physics Tutor: No Sexual Interest Required.
But Logan’s eyes twinkled at her anyway. “You’re saying it’s the environment, not me? I’m hurt,” he teased.
“Stuck in an elevator is a time-honored trope, I probably would have been disappointed if you didn’t even try,” she said, matching his tone. Perhaps the universe had been trying to do her a solid by throwing a one-night stand into her lap. Weirder things had happened, although she couldn’t think of any at the moment.
“Well then, I’m glad I didn’t let you down,” he said. “Tell me, Clare, when you aren’t stuck in an elevator, what do you do?”
“I already told you, I’m a game designer.” She was disheartened he had forgotten that part of the conversation quite so quickly, but perhaps the universe wasn’t as much on her side as she thought.
“I’m not so stupid that I forgot what you said five minutes ago,” Logan replied. “I meant for fun. You walk your aunt’s dog, and you said something about . . . a quest? Is that the same game you work for?”
Clare honestly couldn’t believe he remembered that. “It is, yeah. Working for Quest Gaming is like, a dream come true for me. I’ve been playing Quest for Sulzuris since high school.”
“Is that like Dungeons and Dragons?”
“Yes, but full disclosure—us Sulzurian nerds get really annoyed with that comparison. Tabletop RPG is a whole genre, not just one game.”
“Understood. Are you, like, an elf?”
“In Sulzuris? I’m a human,” she said, with a touch of unease. She had a pretty good sense of humor about herself generally, but guys like Logan—hot guys who liked sports and shit—generally found gaming mock-worthy. Clare wished the fire department would hurry up and rescue them already. The longer this conversation went on, the better the chance he would hit a nerve and she would wreck this fun-banter thing they had going.
“I didn’t realize those games had regular humans in them,” he said genuinely.
“I mean, I’m notquitea regular human. I’m a tavern wench whose mother was a Mage, so I have magical powers, but they aren’t as strong as a full witch.”
He nodded, seemingly processing it. “And you fight what, dragons?”
“There is a dragon army, yes, but there’s a lot more to it.”
“Like?”
She tipped her head to the side. “Are you really interested? Or is this building to some sort of weird massive humiliation where you mock me for this?”
Logan turned, surprise written all over his handsome face. “I would never!” he said, and he looked so honestly put-out that she would suspect him of anything like that, she had no choice but to believe him. Maybe he really wasn’t like the guys she’d known in high school. “Has that really happened?”
“I mean, not on a grand scale or anything, but let’s be real—guys like you have one interest in women like me.” He lifted his eyebrows eloquently and she flushed. The universe was handing her a hot guy flirting with her on a platter the same week her boss had challenged her to find a one-night stand, and here she was, trying to talk him out of it by driving home just how big of a dork she could be. “Homework.”
“You lost me.”
“Guys who look like you want me to do their homework, and they think what I’m into is dorky.”
He furrowed his brow. “Well, good news, I haven’t had homework in a solid six years, so you’re safe there.”
“And playing a tabletop RPG?”
“Is something I am unfamiliar with, and I like learning new things.”
She narrowed her eyes at him, scanning for any hint of mockery. But either he was a better liar than she had ever encountered, or he was legitimately interested.
Clare took a deep breath and launched into an explanation of the game. “It’s the sort of thing that’s easiest to understand while you’re playing it, but it’s basically telling a story as a group. There’s a Game Master, who explains what’s happening and offers players choices. So, for example, if you’re in a party that’s walked into a tavern, the GM will ask if you want to order a drink or go sit by the fire. One of the players will answer, and if it’s a choice that has a couple of possible outcomes—like, say, you decide you want to attack an orcling with your sword—you roll dice to see how successful you are. There’s more to it, like how good your character is at things like swordfighting, or magic, or whatever, but that’s the gist. Our group has been on this really long campaign that is way too involved to explain right now, but long story short, my character just saved the world by kissing the villain and breaking the curse he was under.”
“I see, so you like saving villains with the power of love,” he said, but the glimmer in his eyes was friendly, not teasing.
“When they’re hot and it’s fictional, yes.”
Logan grinned at her and was about to say something when a loudbangstartled them both. “Fire Department. You okay in there?” a female voice called.
“Alive and well,” Logan yelled back. “Looks like our rescuers have finally arrived,” he said, standing and offering her a hand to pull her to her feet.