Or were they?
He released her hand way too quickly. She could still feel his fingers entwined with hers. She was all the colder for the loss of his touch.
“Leaving?”
He nodded. “Gotta go help setup a seminar. I told a friend I’d help. We’ll meet in the bar tonight? Around 7:00?”
She nodded and he ran from the bar as quick as his muscular legs would carry him. She watched him until she couldn’t see him anymore. Then held her head in her hands for several seconds.
“Isn’t crosscountry500 a dream?” A voice intruded into her thoughts with singsong, bitchy undercurrents.
Sam lifted her head to find a woman had stopped by her table. Dark haired with glasses and a determined look on her face. “What?” She’d heard what had been said but she couldn’t help but think she was missing something.
More bitchy tonals. “crosscountry500? Joel? He’s a winner.”
That he was. In more ways than one. She checked out the other woman’s nametag. HarborLights89. She recognized the name. A new person or newbie to the group of gamers. Joel had been helping her get acclimated. He’d talked of chatting with her a few times. “Hey, you’re HarborLights89!” She smiled at the frowning other woman. “I’m Samatra300.” She held out her hand. “Nice to meet you. Put a face to the name.” Joel’s face had been the most important one to put with the name. Did he ever wonder why she’d never posted a picture? Now he knew. She’d have to ask him if he’d ever noticed.
For the second time today she was left hanging on a handshake. However, this woman didn’t give her any kind of salute like Baxter had. “My name is Madison. Madison Engel.” She had a nasal accent.
“Ah. I’m Samantha.” She tucked a loose strand hair behind her ear. Where was this going?
“Ahhh. Well, just to let you know, I have dibs on Joel. On crosscountry500. And you’d better back off. Beeyotch.”
Sam blinked at the completely serious woman in front of her. “You have dibs?” How did one get dibs? Especially on a human, not the last donut.
“Yes. Yes, I do. I’ve been staking out my claim from the beginning. And I’m not going to have some honey-come-lately jeopardize all that.” Madison looked insolently at Sam as though she could make her go away with a look.
“You’ve been online for months. I’ve been there years.” She’d not built up a friendship with Joel for this purpose nor did she think it would go anywhere. But Joel deserved something better than this woman. No way this troglodyte had dibs.
“Yeah, as Sam. One of the guys. You are so yesterday. I can beat you as a woman with one hand pulled behind my back.” She came up closer to Sam. “So back off. You don’t want to rumble with me, Miss Gamer Nerd.”
Sam stopped feeling so gracious. “Look. I’ll do what I want. So will Joel.” She pushed past the glaring woman. “He’s not some achievement to win.” That was how they opened new stuff like items or lands in some games, by earning achievements.
“Skank, do yourself a favor. Walk away.” And with that, Madison did walk away and out of the bar.
Great. She’d gotten the attention and ire of a Joel-groupie.
But Joel had picked Sam to ask out. As Madison had been at the convention longer and probably been hanging out near to Joel, Joel would have had ample opportunity to ask her out. That he’d asked out Sam had to be a sign of some sort too. His interest lay in Sam. Not that chick. Her stomach felt like someone had delivered a bunch of butterflies.
She hadn’t expected this. She’d anticipated his anger at her being a woman. His readiness to finally accept her as an online bud and a woman. She’d never thought about him being interested in her as a woman. As a woman.
Heat spread up her body.
She’d never thought of him that way before. Now, it was all she could focus on. She had a date with crosscountry500 tonight.
She walked to the bar. She had a date to get ready for, even if she had about six hours to do it. It might just take her that long. “Can I have my bill? I was sitting over there.”
“Your check? Oh, that guy you were with?” The waitress snapped her gum. “The one here for the convention? He paid it already.”
Sam hadn’t even seen him doing that. Somehow that made melty feelings come back about him. Nice and unexpected. “Oh.”
“You attending the convention? The gamer/sci-fi one?” The woman jabbed a finger behind her toward the hotel lobby.
“Yeah.” She was embracing her true self. She never would have admitted to gaming in public a few years ago. crosscountry500 and his attitude of “I’m Geek, Hear me Roar” probably had something to do with that. Being a geek had become more accepted with computers and gaming being more prevalent.
“You with that guy? The one who paid? That was mooning over you earlier?” The waitress picked up a tray of drinks. “Geeks in love.” She laughed as she moved away, leaving Sam standing at the bar.
Was she in love with Joel?
She’d never thought about any of this before. He was crosscountry500, her gaming and chat buddy. She was out to spend some time with him and enjoy herself. She wouldn’t concern herself with feelings. What they had could never translate into the real world.
Of course, the better, more important question than any of that was, was he in love with her?
Chapter Three
Joel checked himself in the hotel mirror. Hair was in place. His t-shirt was wrinkle free. His jeans were snug. A little too snug. He tugged at the waistband. Little too much Mountain Dew and Fritos.
The door opened to the room, and he heard grunting.
He went to the bathroom door and peered into the room.
Baxter had a huge bag of comic books and paraphernalia. “Man, you missed an insane sale. I’ve never seen so many comic books.”
Joel shook his head. Only his friend. “How many did you buy? Wait, I don’t even want to know. You’re going to have to play code monkey forever to pay that off.”
Baxter sighed. “Like I’m ever going to get out of that job.”
“Hey, if your software takes off…” Baxter had started his own software company a year or so ago. It was slow going but he’d made some inroads. “Course then you wouldn’t be able to see…”
“Don’t even say it.”
“You know you like seeing her.” Baxter liked a receptionist where they worked but he only hung around her, never telling her how he felt.
“She is pretty.” Baxter’s face drifted off into daydream land, probably where he slew the dragon and got the girl.
Speaking of girls. “I can’t do dinner tonight, bro.”
Baxter’s attention focused immediately back to him. “Why not? Got a hot date?” He smirked.
“Actually, yeah.” Joel never thought he’d be saying that. Especially about Samatra300. Now hot and her name seemed synonymous.
Baxter’s head cocked to the side. “What? You’re shitting me. A hot date? With who?” He flopped on his bed next to his purchases.
Joel didn’t answer. He just smiled.
“Samatra300? Oh wow. She’s as good looking as the gamer babes.” Xbox sometimes got good looking women to come and show off their games. It was a gimmick that worked. Samatra300 would make a hell of a gamer babe in his opinion.
“Yes. She is.” He couldn’t shake his smile.
“So you’re okay with her being a woman? I mean Samatra300 being a girl…woman. You know what I mean.”
He was more than okay with that as he had a date with her. “Yep.” He liked the woman that he’d found his best friend to be. After all, wasn’t she the same person he’d been talking to, just with boobs? She’d assured him that she was same person, just a different gender than he’d thought. He’d never expected to be so attracted to Samatra300. But they had so much in common already. He knew her already. There would be no guessing games. Not to mention, Samantha was smoking hot.
“You two talked about a lot of shit, man. She knows all your secrets. And I bet then some.”
Joel was about to reply that he knew all of hers but he hadn’t, had he? Hadn’t known a big one. Who knew what else she’d been hiding? Leave it to the code monkey to point out technicalities in his reasoning. “So?” Yeah, that was a good comeback.
“Just saying.” Baxter started picking at a green bag that held all his treasures. He changed the subject quickly, probably because of Joel’s irritated response. “So you’re abandoning me for dinner.”
“I’m sure someone you know will be going out. You can join them.”
Baxter pulled open the bag he’d been fiddling with and peered inside. “You’re wearing that?”
Joel didn’t even look down. “Yeah.”
“Ummmmm.” Baxter pulled out a comic and started rifling through it. “Did you iron that t-shirt?”
“No.” He’d hung it up when he’d gotten back in the room to prepare for this date. It looked wrinkle free if you asked him, though, apparently Baxter, in his own way, was asking him. “All I have are jeans and tees. Except for the costume for tomorrow night’s event.”
“Oh yeah, the costume mixer.” Baxter didn’t put down the comic, but crossed his legs up under him. “Who are you going as again?”
A fortuitous plan now that he’d met Samatra300. “Captain Mal.” Someone that Samantha liked a lot. Maybe she’d go as Inara, Mal’s love interest from Firefly? Not that Whedon would have ever had the two of them hooking up in Firefly but the characters had serious torches for each other.
Joel intended him and Samantha to hook up. He’d see to it. Unless some nagging problems got in the way. Like more secrets. Course after finding out your gaming buddy was a woman, what other secrets could there be?
“Samatra300 always thought Captain Mal was a great character. Guess we know why now.” Baxter smirked again.
“Yep.” Women weren’t the only ones who’d enjoyed Mal. But the female fans of the tight-pants-wearing captain were legend. Hopefully she would like Joel’s wearing of the costume just as much as she liked Mal on Firefly.
“Great.” Baxter went into comic book reading mode. He might not even make dinner now. Baxter often forgot to eat when distracted or working.
Joel pulled on his shoes. It was early. Should he go on down now? He didn’t want to seem too eager.
Yet he was.
He waited another minute. This made no sense. This was Samatra300, boobs or not. If he wanted to go down, he should go down. That was how he ended up not doing things. Time to make a decision and stick to it. “Screw this. See you later, Bax.”
Bax didn’t even answer him as he went out the door.
Joel sauntered down to the bar. Looked all around. He didn’t see what he looked for at first. Maybe he was too early.
Then, he spotted her.
She’d been early too.
He chuckled. She wore exactly what he did. A t-shirt and jeans. She pressed a small strand of hair behind her ear.
He walked up to her. “Samantha.” Her head turned at his voice. “You have a Star Wars shirt? I’m so impressed.” He ignored the tingling of his body to her nearness. The hardness of his erection from smelling her perfume, which was some type of musk. No frilly scents for her. Whatever it was, it suited her.
She turned his way before she shrugged. “Just about the cookies from the dark side of Star Wars. Where are we going to eat?”
“Lady’s choice.” He made his voice sound suave but inside his heart was pounding. Samatra300 was a woman, and he had a date with her. She was beautiful. If everything she’d told him was true, she matched his interests in every way. Except for being a little more a fan of Whedon than he was. She knew him inside and out. Gah, the things he’d revealed to her. That was probably why Baxter had been grilling him earlier. She knew too much about him.
Her smile was slow and captivating. “You sure about lady’s choice?”
He nodded. “Of course.” He slid into his seat and rubbed his hands together. “I’m all yours.” If only he was. Maybe if this went well, he could be.
Her eyes sparkled. “Don’t offer that up. You might not like what I do to you.” She made a funny face at him.
He’d like whatever she did and beg for more. “Oh, I think I’ll like it.” He grinned. “Now where are we eating?”
She cocked her head to the side. “The restaurant here at the hotel is going to be too crowded.”
“Oh yeah.” Everyone and their brother would be trying to get in a quick meal before panels started back up. Tons of panels that went long into the night.
“I heard there is a great Italian place within walking distance when I was talking to the front desk earlier today before we…were going out.” Light pink moved across her cheeks.
Italian. His favorite. Her favorite. “That would be great.”
She got up and tucked her badge into her purse. Her small purse. He’d never seen a woman with a smaller one. “Shall we head out now? Or wait?”
“How did you get that thing in there? It looked bigger than what you’re putting it in.” He pushed her chair under the table for her. “I’m hungry now. How about you?” He’d like to nibble on her. Maybe if he was lucky?
“Like the Tardis from Dr. Who, it’s bigger on the inside.” She laughed at her own joke. Dr. Who, a UK program, was the longest running science fiction show. The Tardis was the time machine disguised as a telephone box that Dr. Who traveled in. “I’m ravenous. I skipped lunch.”
No, he was ravenous. For her. He’d never lusted after a woman this much. His cock was tight. His body hummed with more electricity than the whole entire city grid. “So let’s go eat now.”
They wandered from the hotel.
*
Sam was entranced. By the movement of Joel’s ass as she followed it down the street. His jeans were so tight, she could see every muscle movement.
No man had anything on him. Not in wearing tight pants. Or in having a nice ass. She could look at him all day long.
She blew out a breath.
For someone who had never thought of crosscounty500 this way, she sure wasn’t having any trouble starting to.
A good or a bad thing?
She wasn’t sure.
“It’s a nice night to walk.” He slowed his gait so she could walk beside him. “Not too hot or too cold.”
Not that she wanted to. She’d been fine behind him, watching all the seductive moves that his ass had to offer. “It is.”
“Do you know the address of the restaurant?” He looked expectantly at her. “Or the name? So we can run it through a search engine if we have trouble finding it.”
“Yep, I know both. It’s Martins. And 3600 Marshall Street is the address.” She’d asked the front desk before she’d sat down to wait for him. Women were supposed to be fashionably late and make the guy wait. Something else she seemed to do wrong for her gender. She’d been so nervous she couldn’t pace her room any more.
He looked around a minute as if thinking, then struck out in a direction and motioned her to follow him. He’d mentioned once as a biker, he was good with directions and addresses. He seemed to know his way around a city even if he didn’t live there. Unlike her, who could get lost in her own home town and often did. She had no sense of direction.
She fell into step beside him, despite still wanting to check out his butt.
“So are you enjoying the convention?” His hand hesitated a moment before jumping to hers and enveloping it with his own.
They were holding hands.
He’d initiated holding hands with her. She wanted to scream that from the rooftops.
They were holding hands.
Like some lovesick puppies.
She shuddered. But not from the revulsion she’d normally be feeling at doing something so romantic. Instead, her heart felt like it jumped back and forth in her chest. It was like it vibrated like some cartoon characters who was in love. It felt like it would break free from her chest.
She liked the feel of his hand on hers.
>
Liked it a lot.
He was warm. Hot. Rough. His hands made hers look tiny. There were calluses. A scrape or two. Big knuckles.
And he’d asked her something.
Which she was now not answering.
The convention. Yes, it was a question about the convention. Those two words remained with her while the rest of the question had run away.
So much for being a suave sophisticated woman of the world. When holding hands with a guy made you speechless, sort of hard to carry that off.
Had to have been a question about how did she like the convention. Just a guess but it seemed right.
“I like it. It’s my first one.”
“I figured.” He loped along, taking his time walking. Those powerful legs could probably outpace her by miles. Wrapped around her, they’d hold her like a vice as he pounded against her mightily.
The temperature increased by a few thousand degrees. “Is it that obvious?” She was a convention virgin. A gaming convention newbie. There must be a sign for that.
“No. But…you wouldn’t have attended before because you were…you know.” He pushed the Walk button with his free hand.
Oh, yeah. She’d been keeping her gender a secret, so he’d realized she hadn’t been attending conventions. Duh. “Yeah. I love all the panels and the stuff for sale. Some of the costumes are incredible.” From Storm Troopers from Star Wars to homemade aliens, she’d seen it all walking around the halls. It wasn’t even the costume mixer yet. “Are you going to the costume mixer tomorrow night?”
Was it her imagination or did he look sheepish? The light came on for them to walk and they trundled across the street before he answered. “I am going. Are you? Will you be dressed up?”
“Yeah.” She laughed self consciously. Heat snaked up her face as she didn’t look at him. “I made a costume.”
“Really? Do tell?” He still hadn’t let go of her hand. They walked down the block. She could see Martin’s a few buildings down. He’d figured out their way without even looking it up on his phone.
She tucked her hair behind her ear with her other hand. “Yeah. I sewed it from a pattern that I found.”
Geek Love Page 3