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Not that I’d skirt the system that way, but I’d feel a little better about my upcoming hearing if I knew someone.
“As a matter of fact, yes,” Owen said.
“Sounds like fun.” I was making a mistake, accepting. But they were here on business, and had made no illusions about it. I doubted they had any false ideas about why I’d join them anywhere else, either.
The conversation drifted back to barely-there small talk. We finished lunch, and dove back into baking.
“The limited edition poster you have for X-10, in the café.” Owen shaped out bagels like a pro. “We called in every favor we could think of, and couldn’t get one of those. How’d you manage it?”
Kingston rolled his eyes. “He’s a fanboy. Don’t get him started, or he’ll never stop.”
“What did you think of how it ended?” My question was leading. A lot of thefanboyshad a problem with the way the X franchise had wrapped up. In the final game, the hero confessed his love to the man he’d been sent to execute in Game 1, but whom he saved instead.
If Owen fell into that category, maybe it would be enough to tell my libido to calm the heck down and stop drooling over him.
“Loved it.” Owen’s excitement shone in his gaze. It was the most emotion I’d seen from him. “That ninth game shook my faith, but 10...Wow. I should have seen it coming, and I didn’t. Brilliant. Appropriate. Possibly my favorite game ever.”
I’d pass the praise along to Anne, but why couldn’t he have been an ass about the whole thing? “It is pretty good.”
“And the poster?” Owen asked.
I shrugged. “I fucked one of the developers.”
Kingston looked impressed. “I hope he was worth a poster.”
“Sheis worth a lot more than that. But we make better friends than lovers.” Why had I gone out of my way to bring up what Anne and I used to have? To prove to them I was desirable, or to remind myself?
Neither of them looked fazed. Bonus points to them for not casting judgement, though a hint of jealousy might have been nice.
“So, is X’s relationship based on you two?” Owen’s question was light and playful.
Anne wasn’t involved in the writing, just the programming. “Well, she did pretend to execute me once, in order to save my life. Slid her cart racer into mine, to push me out of the way of a blue turtle shell. But we didn’t swear vengeance on the legions who did it.”
“No?” Kingston leaned against a nearby counter, palms rested on the butcher block top. “Because that’s some pretty serious shit.”
“Everyone gets a little power hungry when they’re playing a mushroom driving a cartoon car. He lost anyway, so I suppose fate stepped in on our behalf.”
Chase could be a sabotaging asshole in Mario Kart, but Anne loved him and he was Sadie’s brother, so we forgave him the competitive streak.
“So are you a Princess Peach kind of player? Toad?” Owen asked.
“Donkey Kong.”
Owen’s eyes grew wide. “You know how to control that slide?”
“Better than anyone, especially if they try to pass me in the corners.”
“Brutal.” Kingston sounded appreciative. “That’s sexy.”
I flushed at his sincerity. Not used to not having a comeback, I turned my attention back to making buttercream frosting.
The only way I had to measure time was by how much we got done. I was still surprised when Violet poked her head in.
“Store’s locked up,” she said. “Do you need anything”—she glanced at the men—“or do you want me to stick around at all?” Her implied meaningare you all right alone with two strange guyswas clear.
I gave her a reassuring smile. “I’ll be okay, thank you. Enjoy your night.”
She gave me one last wave, and was gone.
