by Scott Kujawa
Alex's smile grew as she watched the woman push through her hesitance and settled into place. “So tell me a little about yourself and why you choose to work as an intern here. I know, I know, you're thinking I already know all of this and that my sister filled me in, but I want to hear the answer to my questions from you and not from my sister.”
“I see. Well, it's because of you I had the interest in trying to get an internship here.”
“Me? Why do you say that?”
“Because you're you, and you might not know it, but you're famous among some of us who have an interest in being video game designers.”
Alex felt her mouth drop open, and her eyes bugged open some as she processed that bit of information. Was she famous? That couldn't be true. Could it? And what about Melody? Was her sister just as famous?
Christie's laughter brought Alex back to the conversation between the two even as Alex felt her cheeks redden more from the way her thoughts had distracted her and how what she was hearing had done the same.
“You can't be serious -”
“I am, and just so you know, Melody is just as famous. The two of you are known at the sisters that created such a successful company from an idea that both of you had back when you were in high school. So many women find that incredible.”
“Oh,” was all Alex could say before she gave her head a shake, trying to change the subject. “Well, I suppose I should give you a test to see if you know your stuff. I'm sure you didn't choose us so you could be an office gopher.” Alex grinned before her grin turned into a warm smile as she stood and took Christie's hand. With that done, Alex moved to the other side of her desk and pulled a second chair into place before her laptop.
“Dazzle me,” she said once the two were sitting together before the screen and next to each other. “I'm stuck on coming up with an idea. I wanted to create a story that involves the feral elves, but so far nothing is coming to me. I suppose it should include some tale about their wilderness deities and how those elves are part of nature but…” She held her hands out in an “I'm stuck” gesture as she looked at Christie.
Alex watched Christie bit her lower lip, finding that action cute and adorable. She might also find the woman that way due to the glasses that Christie was wearing; the frames added to the cute and adorableness that the woman seemed to have in spades.
“Tell me what you're thinking,” Alex said with a curious and welcoming tone. “I want to hear what you have to say and what you might think about what I'm stuck on.”
Christie kept her silence for a bit longer, giving some thought about what she had been told and if the co-owner of the company was being truthful or would Alex get upset about what Christie might have to say if the intern said something that Alex disagreed with.
Her words – when they came – were soft and light at first. “What if there was someone or something that was causing the outer portions of forest to be on fire. I mean, there could be enemies that summoned fire or fire creatures. The players of the game could come to that part of the world and try to figure out what is happening. Why are the summoners using fire? Or why are those creatures trying to burn the forest? What are the feral elves doing about that? If they even have figured out that much. I don't know. It's just a quick brain storm of an idea since you asked me for my input.”
Alex was silent as she listened to the quick words that came as Christie's mind worked on the problem that Alex had thrown at the intern. The two looked back and forth at each other until Alex smiled and laughed, causing Christie to release the breath she held since she was sure that the woman sitting with her hated the idea.
“I like it,” Alex said and gave Christie another smile. “And I have an idea. I'm putting you in charge of this idea and giving you any resources you need to create it and expand on it. That doesn't mean I won't oversee what you come up with, but you're the head of the project.”
“Me?” Christie squeaked in surprise before she blurted out, “But… I'm… just an intern. I can't be the one in charge of a project like that!”
Laughing some more, Alex placed her hand on Christie's and smiled. “I know that you met with Bess, and she was sure you have what it takes to work here. Also, Melody doesn't hire slackers, and she believes in you. So here's your chance to prove to yourself that you can accomplish the project I've given you. I believe you can come up with some good ideas based on the feral elves and what you've said to be so far. Don't disappoint me, all right?”
“Oh. All right, Miss Alexandria. I can do this.” Christie didn't sound like she was sure she could do what she said as she finished that sentence but seeing Alex's smile at her and the feel of the blonde's hand on top of hers made her decide that she didn't want to let Alex and Melody down.
Alex took a minute to think about where there was a laptop and a space that Christie could use, and once she made her choice, Alex looked at the younger woman. Alex continued, “I'll have a desk brought into my office, and you can work in here, which will give you a chance to ask me questions and receive any answers you might have.”
“Here?” Christie squeaked again, giving a surprised stare towards Alex before Christie swallowed due to her nervousness. “Okay…” That last bit made her sound like she wasn't sure on how she felt about that idea and that was the truth, she felt a bunch of mixed emotions about working in the same room with one of the women she looked up to as an idol. “I… I'd love to work in here with you, Miss Alexandria.”
It was a few hours later when Alex noticed Melody wandering out in the main area where most of the designers have set up their stations. Alex's open doorway looked out into that area the same way that Melody's open door did the same, letting the two of them notice if anyone needed anything or if someone wanted to talk with them since both sisters had an open door policy mostly. Alex thought her sister was looking for someone though from how Melody was looking around.
Tilting her head a little to the side once Melody looked her way, Alex also gave her sister a quizzical look and a small shrug of her shoulders to signal to her sister that Alex wasn't sure what Melody was trying to figure out.
A mouthed, “Intern?” came from her sister, causing Alex to grin and point to a part of her office where Christie was hard at work. Then Alex let out a small laugh at the expression of surprise that filled Melody's face. That expression filled Melody's face since Alex allowed no one to work in her office with her and letting the intern do something so out of character for the blonde co-owner.
“What. Are. You. Doing?” Melody mouthed next, making her sister laughed some more and this time that sound snapped Christie out of what she was doing and making the intern look at Alex and then out of the open doorway. A light blush filled Christie's cheeks when she realized that the two were having a silent conversation about her.
“Miss Melody wasn't sure where I was, and she was checking up on me. Am I right?”
Alex's grin and laughter came again as she nodded. “Yea, but that's who she is. You'll figure that out yourself if you're here long enough. My sister is like a mama bear that is protecting her cubs. Most of the time it's me she tries to mother, but you're near the top of her list now.”
“I heard that, Alexandria!”
“And I wanted you too, Mellie!”
A low giggle from Christie could also be heard by everyone as the two sisters yelled back and forth at each other, which caused a few others in the other room to stand and peek into Alex's office. The sound of their voices filled with surprise as they gossiped about the woman that was sharing Alex's office soon spread the message to those that missed the exchange.
“Now look what you did, Melody! You stirred up the nest and got everyone involved. All of you,” Alex said as she stood and came around to the front of her desk, letting her look at her workers with ease, “get back to work! There's nothing out of the ordinary happening here, and you all have projects to start or complete!”
Alex laughed some more, and she knew everyone knew she w
asn't angry with any of them, and she was only teasing them while giving them a hard time. “As for you, Melody! Get back into your office and stop mothering!”
Chapter Ten
Over the next few days, Alex left Christie alone to work, giving the intern the chance that Alex said she could have to create the story that Alex had handed over to Christie once the two of them talked about during that first meeting. Alex had her projects to take care of, even if sometimes she caught herself staring at the woman that was now sharing her office with her and those gazes caused Alex to blush at times or quickly look away if she noticed Christie looking back at her. It wouldn't do to be one of the owners and to be caught staring at the intern who worked for her.
“Miss Alexandria?”
Alex made a small noise as she heard her name being called, but she didn't look up from staring at the screen. That was until her name was called again and this time it was followed by Christie's amused laughter. That sound drew Alex away from the editing she was doing to one of her ideas.
“Christie?” Alex asked while she wondered why the woman was laughing the way she was. “Wait, you called me.”
“Right, I did. I wanted to show you,” Christie said as she tried to control her laughter, “what I came up with so far.”
“Oh. If you're ready to…”
“I am.”
Alex smiled as she rolled her chair from behind her desk and across the space, putting herself next to Christie and within range to look at the lap top screen while sitting next to Christie. “Then dazzle me!” Alex said with interest and teasing.
Giving Alex a smile of her own, Christie laughed and nodded. “All right! Be prepared to be dazzled then!”
“Show me!” was all Alex said in reply, but she gave Christie a warm smile while more of Alex's laughter came from her.
As that part of the world came up on the screen, Alex felt her eyes widen, and her mouth dropped open with the same surprise that had caused her eyes to react the way they had. That part of the feral forest flickered with not the usual red, yellow, orange, or the usual colored flames that fire burned and instead the flames were a mixture of purple and green.
“You see?” Alex heard Christie ask as the woman looked over at Alex. Seeing the expression that was on Alex's face, Christie swallowed a few times since she was nervous now. “Let me explain!” she added.
“See, it's an illusion. The flames are hiding what is happening, which is a group of different types of evil fey creatures has set up a home. They were exiled from the fey court for. I don't have that figured out yet. But they are living there, and they made the illusion as a way to mask their presence. They are also using the illusionary fire as a way to mask the rest of what they are doing, which is twisting the local animals into new forms. They want to use those new creations as guardians for the settlement but also as a means to attack anyone that comes close to the land they have settled on.”
Christie trailed off as she continued to talk while looking at Alex, who was still not reacting beyond staring at what was on the screen and listening to Christie's explanation.
“Say something, Miss Alexandria,” Christie said after the silence seemed to stretch out to uncomfortable levels.
“I love it!”
“Really?”
“Yes, it's something different, and I gave you the go ahead to create something yourself and what you've come up with is a good idea that gives you a chance to expand further.”
“You want me to…”
“Keep working on the idea! Yes.” Alex smiled, showing her interest in what Christie had come up with. “So that idea is yours, and you have to finish it, test it on the server before it goes live, and fix anything that the players might find. I guess this is your intern project for now.”
“Oh. Okay! Cool! I'll make Miss Melody and you proud!”
“You already have, Christie.”
Seeing the blush that crept into Christie's cheeks, Alex reached across the space between them and wrapped her arms around the woman in a friendly hug. “It seems Melody knew what she was doing when she brought you on as an intern like she always does when she finds someone she is sure will fit in with our group.”
“Oh. Thank you!”
“You are welcome, Christie. Now tell me, is there anything more you want to show me about the idea you've come up?”
“I… mapped an underground dungeon to go with the fey settlement.”
Laughing a full laugh now that caused a few heads in the other room to look up, Alex smiled more. “Of course you did. Well, go on then, show me!”
Sitting near Christie, Alex could feel the intern's excitement and nervousness about what she was creating and how much she wanted the approval of the co-owner that had given Christie a space in Alex's office instead of out in the main area where everyone else had a station set up.
Alex's eyes were glued to the screen as she watched what Christie was showing her. The interns' character, which was a short cat-like creature, was moving around tunnels that were underground and delved out of the soil and stone that made up the floor of the forest. Tree roots moved with a reaching as they slithered through across the tops of the tunnels or the sides and floors. Those living roots were the first defense that the fey had created to guard the tunnels, which is what Christie was showing and explaining to Alex.
The sights of bones, stones, weapons, and armor, and other items made up some of the sights and horrors that would show those that entered these tunnels they were not safe. Others had entered the tunnels before and the remains of their bodies and supplies made up the graphic details of what Christie created and was still working on. Even the lights that sometimes showed off the horrors of what had happened to those that came down here added to the atmosphere of terror because the lights themselves flickered with a dark reddish color, adding more to the brown and green colors that Christie used to color the tunnels themselves.
The tunnels under the settlement were also a maze, which would cause the players to find their way through them.
“I love all this,” Alex said while she gave other feedback on what she was being shown. She also added ideas of her own that she tossed out to Christie, giving the woman some ideas she might not have thought of, giving the own idea a few more touches that Christie might want to add.
When Christie stopped talking, Alex saw she had turned to look at Alex and the intern had a slight blush on her cheeks because of the praise.
“You like it? You're not just saying how much you like it as a way to make me feel good?”
Alex smiled and shook her head. “No. I mean, yes. Wait, let me start over!”
Now Christie laughed as she felt a grin spread across her lips.
“You're as bad as my sister. But I like what you've created so far, and I'm not telling you that to stroke your ego or to lie to you to make you feel good about what you've created.” Alex looked back at Christ and smiled still. “I don't give praise I don't feel isn't warranted. So trust me when I say I like it and I think you've created something that will be added to the game once you added it to the test server and let testers play through it. I also expect you to show it off to the others in the main room during one of the morning meetings.”
“Me?” Christie squeaked out. “I don't know if that's a good idea…”
“You created it; you have to explain it and show it off. Besides, that's part of why you are an intern here, right? Part of being here is learning how to speak in front of others. We all can't hide behind our computer screens, you know?”
“Oh, gods.”
Alex grinned and laid her hand on top of Christie's hand that rested on the computer mouse that Christie was using to help design the idea she was creating. The contact caused Alex to feel warmth spread through her, and she took a moment to breath, surprised at how contact felt.
“You will be fine, and I'll be in the room, giving you the courage and understanding you might need to speak to everyone. I'll tell you what,” Alex
paused, thinking about what she was about to say and how much what she was about to say was out of character for her. “Let me take you out to dinner for the next few days, and we can work on getting over the fear you seem to have about speaking in front of a group.”
“Dinner?” Christie asked, her expression going wide at what she was hearing.
Alex nodded with another smile. “Yes, and I think we'll also both have another experience because I think I'll take you to another place I have in mind. There's this small club where they have open mic nights and the two us will get on up the stage.”
“No way! I can't do that!” Came Christie's loud answer, causing others in the other room to look away from their screens and at the two women that were sitting so close together in Alex's office. Soon after those gazes started, Alex heard the snickers and words that seem to spread among the employees.
“Now you've done it,” Alex said with another grin. “Everyone will know within moments I asked you to do something and now we have an audience again. So yes, you will get up on the stage since I've decided that will be your punishment for getting the attention of the others. Even my sister is standing in her doorway and watching.”
“Oh,” Christie said, the flush filling her cheeks turning them red and creeping down her neck.
Alex only smiled still. “See, you need that experience since you're embarrassed already.” She leaned closer to Christie, almost putting her mouth near the woman's ear. “I'll tell you a secret, okay? I embarrass just as easily.”
“No way. Do you? I can't believe that's true!”
“Trust me, it is. Melody and my friends do their hardest to make me react like you are.”
“Fine, I'll agree to the dinner and the open mic even if the thought of getting up on the stage terrifies me. But you better make sure you're up there with me!”
Alexandria grinned at Christie before she nodded to agree that she would be there, it was her idea after all that the two of them make a fool of themselves up on the stage.