Page 133 of End Game

Micah slowly lowers the drink he’s about to take a sip of. “That’s eleven people.”

“Thank you, Micah,” Dex deadpans. “I was struggling with the math.”

Micah rolls his eyes. “I was thinking about the logistics.”

“Hopefully, before Christmas,” Cami adds.

I reach for my phone, ready to look at calendars.

Dex immediately points at me. “No.”

I pause. “What?”

“Do not make a spreadsheet of our schedules.”

“I was going to look at my calendar.”

“That’s how it starts,” Dex declares.

Cami slides her phone across the table toward me before I can respond. “Alexis sent three dates that work for them.”

I scan through the shared calendar and suggest a date.

Griffin checks his phone. “Yep, I’m off.”

Micah nods. “I’m good.”

Dex reaches for his phone, stares at it for several seconds, then looks at Micah.

“You’re good, too,” Micah answers for him with a smile.

There are moments when I wonder how he survived before Micah.

“Perfect.” Cami picks her phone back up and starts typing.

I glance at the clock again. “We now have four minutes.”

Cami doesn’t look up from her phone. “Until what?”

“Campaign time.”

“I know I’m fucking with you.”

“I realize that.”

Dex smiles. “Look at you recognizing sarcasm.”

“I recognize your sarcasm. It’s rarely subtle.”

“That feels like a compliment.”

By the time we actually start, we are six minutes late, and I choose not to comment on it.

I wait until everyone settles before opening my notebook.

The shift happens almost immediately.

They can spend twenty minutes arguing about dinner dates and freelance rates, but the second I lower my voice and start describing the gates of Varellon, their attention moves with me.