"No," I laughed. "Trent is not into video games. Now that I think about it, he hates video games."
"Good," Owen said. "Let's play."
Chapter Seven
Owen
It was hard to keep my mind on the game. Quinn bit her lip every time she tried a new sequence on the controller. It was adorable. No, that was not the right word for it. Seeing her strawberry lips bitten brighter was too delicious. Then, they parted in a breathless little victory laugh every time the move worked. It made it impossible to keep my eyes on the screen.
"So, let me guess, you were just running around Dark Flag kicking butt and taking names when your phone rang," Quinn said.
"What?" I blinked and looked back at our avatars. We were on the crest above the Black Fields and my clan was starting to gather.
"When someone called and offered to sponsor your playing," she said. "Were you just sitting around in your boxer briefs playing at noon on a Tuesday?"
"Stop talking about my underwear," I said. "I play fully dressed. What have I told you about gamer stereotypes?"
"That's not a gamer stereotype, it’s a guy thing. I know you all take your pants off the first chance you get." She nudged me with her elbow and laughed.
I could not tell her it was her pants I wanted to take off. "Are you asking me how I got my job?"
"Yes. Did someone just notice you were the rock star of online games and track you down?"
"No. It takes a little more than that," I said. "I know it’s hard to believe, but this is a real profession. I started off as a Beta Tester for a gaming company. Before that, I got all kinds of experience writing code. It’s taken years to get where I am."
"When did you learn to write code?"
"In high school. My part time job was to write the code for games other people were creating. It’s why I started to play video games so much," I said.
Quinn flipped back her wavy chestnut hair. "What's Beta testing?"
"It’s when a game is nearly finished. The creators need people to actually play it. Players uncover all the inconsistencies and bugs. Then, the creators go back and fix it all before wide release," I said.
"Is that why you know so much about Dark Flag?" Quinn bit her lip again as she tried a new spell.
"No," I said, forcing my eyes to stay on the screen. "I'm just really good."
Quinn paused her avatar, whose heaving breasts and skintight suit were not helping me at all. "So you didn't do any Beta testing on Dark Flag, you just picked it up and became the all-conquering Light Slayer?"
"Yes. And before you ask, I had the sponsorships beforehand."
"Wow. So you really are that good," she said.
I reactivated her avatar and kept playing. "You'll figure it out too. I mean, you've only been playing for a few days and you can keep up with me. I'm thinking you could be a good protégé."
Q
uinn bounced forward on the leather sofa. "God, how great would that be? I really want something I can just throw my whole self into, you know? That's what's so hard about the nursing program. Everywhere all around me, classmates are doing exactly what they always wanted to do. And every day, I'm wondering why I don't feel the same way too."
"But you feel that way playing Dark Flag?"
"Yeah, I know. It’s corny and I'm sure it just seems like a convenient escape."
"No," I said, squeezing her knee. "As long as you want to really learn about all of it and not just play for fun."
"Show me," Quinn said.
I gripped my controller. It had been days, no, years since I saw Quinn look so inspired. She had been dutiful, responsible, and practical. But none of those things lit her from within like she was now. The fact that doing what I loved had the same effect on her was too good to be true. My blood was pumping.