AllFreeNovel
Share Us
That, and it's kinda hard to forget a name like Cosmic Kitty Defense. No, seriously. What was she on when she came up with that...?
I run a hand through my douche-bag hair. Wavy, blond, short enough to be masculine, yet long enough to scream generational wealth. "Ohh, I'd tell you, but where's the fun in that?"
Her eyes narrow.
You see? Poof.
Just like that, I'm pure mystery. How did I know she's an indie game dev? Surely, she doesn't shout her true identity down the digital ether for all to hear, linking reality with her online persona... Her assumptions will range far beyond the simple explanation, unwittingly painting me an enigma in her mind, an alluring challenge, someone she'd like to impress and gain attention fro—
She grabs her purse again, chipping a shard off the colossal statue that is my ego—toned, porcelain, and gloriously tall like David, obviously hand-crafted by Michelangelo himself.
I digress.
"Wait."
"For what, exactly?" Her brows tick when I remain silent. "That's what I thought. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you'd dangle something as important as DreamScape in front of my nose, only to get me back inside. Like I said—empty promises." She twists in her chair.
"Are you so sure?"
Stilling, her eyes meet mine. "About what?"
"That I couldn't land Cosmic Kitty Defense a feature?" God, does that name taste ludicrous on my tongue.
"... Yes."
Leaning back in my chair, I sigh, opening my menu nonchalantly. "Bummer. Well... if you're so sure."
"I am sure," she repeats.
I peek at her. She may sound confident, but her body language is anything but, as if there are sudden weights tied to her ankles.
"Because..."
"Oh, no need to explain yourself." I flip to the next page. "I understand."
"Because you would've said something by now."
"Or perhaps, I like to wine and dine before talking business."
"Business?" She doesn't hide her amusement, laughing genuinely for the first time all night, the sound a sweet chorus in my ears. "You—talking business? Now I've heard it all."
I resist the tug on the corners of my lips. The idea is ridiculous, but I'm going to have to play along if I stand any chance of pulling this off. So, I slip on a mask of seriousness, hoping it resonates in my tone. "A lot can change in five years."
She hesitates, searching my gaze. When her shoulders finally relax and she sets her purse back on the table, a part of me aches. That's what wins her attention—the idea that I've changed? Well, the notion couldn't be further from the truth, seeing as my bachelor lifestyle hangs in the balance of whether I can or cannot convince her of such a blatant lie.
"Fine. One meal, then you'll tell me why I'm here." She skims through her menu once again, suddenly unable to meet my stare. "But don't pull any of that Kingston-charm crap on me. Changed or not, I'm not your next conquest—or whatever it is you idiots say. So, get that thought out of your head."
"It wasn't there to begin with. I would never cross such a boundary," I say smoothly. The lies keep piling on and on...
FIVE
JULIANA
Never would I have thought a dessert menu could insult my social class.
Squinting, my eyes drag down the list. With each name, I'm wondering more and more whether I missed out on French tutoring lessons in my adolescence, while simultaneously accepting I couldn't possibly pronounce a single dish to our waiter. But it's worse than that. Because the parts that I can read are even worse—the prices.
Even though I should be accustomed to them by now, having already devoured our eighty-dollar lobster tail appetizer and my three-hundred-and-fifty-dollar Wagyu ribeye, my stomach drops all the same. Especially when I come across the only item I recognize.
