My heart flutters. There’s no turning back now.
MaximusGluteus: I can’t wait.
MaximusGluteus has signed off.
I rapidly pack my things up and head for the door, eager as ever for my first date with a Knight in shining armor.
* * *
The rest of my evening is spent entirely bewitched by the mystery man in the mask.
Not only is he physically beautiful, but Mystery Knight’s mind is just as amazing. He uses the infamous Map of Solaris to create an entirely new map, just for our virtual date, and from the first moment I log in, I’m entirely captivated. Everything from the tiny flowers on the perfectly manicured grounds to the individual stars in the sky is thoroughly thought out and gorgeously executed.
As I’m standing there, marveling at my new surroundings, Maximus approaches me in his same shirtless amazingness. He invites me to join him in a gazebo lined with ivy, jasmine, and glowing flowers from another world. We sit on a fluffy mound of purple silk pillows and share glasses of bubbling blue liquid and tiny snacks, overlooking the exact view he described in our chat earlier. Except it’s even more breathtaking in person.
And the whole time, Maximus stares at me like I’m a Goddess, some kind of angelic queen sent from above.
We start the evening chatting about generic things, like weather spells and fighting techniques, but soon the conversation takes us outside of Solaris. Our medieval jargon starts to slide, and before I know it, we’re talking about ancient history and traveling around the world. The real world. And even though we still address each other as Faylen and Maximus, it’s pretty clear we’re not playing a game anymore.
This is Jordan and, well, Maximus, whoever he really is. Which makes it all the more terrifying because I know there’s a real person behind his avatar, and I’m sure I’m falling for him.
But I somehow manage to keep myself convinced enough that this attraction between us isn’t real. It can’t be, not when it’s just our avatars staring into each other’s pixelated eyes. After all, there’s no way a hottie like Maximus would ever be attracted to a pudgy nerd like me.
Yet I can’t help but remember the way Maximus looked at me in person. That feeling I felt on the battlefield is precisely the same feeling I feel right now talking to him online. Except there’s an extra layer of fuzzy uncertainty involved that’s terrifyingly new and enticingly thrilling. It makes me feel as if I were to dive right into the unknown, I might just end up in the toned arms of a handsome stranger, one who feels less and less mysterious the more I get to know him.
And when Maximus takes Faylen’s porcelain face in his hands and says, “Take off your mask for me, Faylen. Let me see your beautiful blushing cheeks,” I do it.
With a swift movement of my slender Elven hand, the mask covering my full, naked, porcelain face dissolves. Maximus places his large hand on my cheek and runs a thumb over my lips.
“Gorgeous,” is all he says.
He makes me blush. “Your turn.” I tap the metal mask covering the majority of his face, though I can still see his handsome smirk and the playful look in his eyes when he speaks to me.
With a slight bow of his head, Maximus says, “As you wish, Faylen.” He removes his mask, revealing an angular face, messy dark black hair, and bright green eyes that twinkle in the light of multiple moons.
Be still my heart.
And then something happens I never expected from my first date.
Maximus leans in and kisses me.
Oh Lord, how I wish this wasn’t a game right now. I wish I could feel the way his lips feel on mine, run my hands through that beautiful head of hair, let his black stubble tickle my chin as I explore his mouth with mine.
An explosion of heat erupts from my core. I stare at the computer screen with a pounding heart, wondering where this sudden attraction came from. I’ve never felt this way before in my life, and I have no idea where it might take me, but I don’t want it to end.
Unfortunately, it’s just a game, and games have to end eventually.
Maximus pulls away from me and says, “You’re amazing, Faylen. Thank you for seeing me tonight.”
“Thank you for inviting me. I had a good time.”
He stands and offers his hand to me. I take it, and he pulls me to standing, holding me in his arms as we take one last look at the view together.
“I already can’t wait to see you again,” he says.
I look up at him. “And when will that be?”
“Thursday, on the quad, when we re-enact this night in person.” Maximus flashes me a devastatingly handsome smirk as I stand wordlessly before him. “Goodnight, Faylen,” he says with a wink. He plants a kiss on my forehead and pops out of existence, leaving behind a swirling mess of hormones.
Chapter Five
Jordan
For the next three days, I can barely focus on anything except the constant PINGing in my pocket. Maximus and I, er, Faylen, have been messaging each other non-stop since our virtual kiss. The more I learn about the Mystery Knight, the more I find we’re alike. He’s a real student at Tempt University, thank goodness (part of me was seriously worried this guy might be some otherworldly demon sent to tempt me to hell—but I realize now that was just my overactive imagination at play, which might be to blame for my lack of dating experience, but I digress). He loves the same foods as me, gets excited about ancient art (he’s more into ancient Egypt, and I’m more into the Gothic Middle Ages, but we both adore Greek idealism!), and he has the same worldly locations on his bucket list that I do!
But every time I get that flutter in my stomach that tells me this is the best thing that’s ever happened to me, it’s immediately squashed by the terror of knowing that Thursday will be the end. Thursday will be the day he sees the real me and realizes he’s only attracted to my avatar.
Still, it doesn’t stop my subconscious from conjuring steamy dreams involving the two of us. And my dreams are very vivid. Unfortunately, the moment I wake up, the logical part of my brain tells me to forget it all, because that’ll never happen.
After almost an entire week of this dizzying internal struggle, I decide to spill the beans to Helena.
She joins me in my apartment the night before I’m supposed to meet Mystery Knight, carrying a large bag of sugary junk food snacks. She always does this whenever boy talk is involved (such a middle schooler thing to do! But it’s the very over-the-top reaction I was secretly hoping to get from her).
When I tell Helena that I’m confident the whole thing will blow up in my face, she disagrees with me fervently. I try to argue, but I can barely get a word in! Which is somewhat surprising, considering all the Oreos she’s shoving in her mouth.
Through handfuls of crunchy chocolatey goodness, Helena reveals that even though she went to the pizza party hoping to get a glimpse of the handsome devil, Mystery Knight never took his helmet off.
“Why would he keep his helmet on even after LARPing?” I ask, grabbing the last Oreo for myself before Helena can suck it up like she did the rest of the box.
“Maybe he has something to hide. Like a bald spot.” She shrugs and takes a swig of Dr. Pepper. “Oh! Or maybe he knew I’d be doing reconnaissance for you and that I’d come running back to you with his secret identity.” She takes another sip of her fizzy drink. “He just couldn’t risk me ruining the romantic night he had planned for you.” She stares at me all excited, eagerly waiting for me to agree to her conspiracy theory.
“I don’t know,” I start, but Helena cuts me off.
“Ugh, just admit he’s super into you, girl!” I smile, hoping deep down it is true. Helena takes my hands in hers and looks into my eyes.
“Swear you’ll tell me every detail of what he looks like and what happens on the quad tomorrow night.”
And almost as if it were on cue, I receive another message from MaximusGluteus.
MaximusGluteus: I can’t wait to see you tomorrow, Jordan.
My heart stops at the message.<
br />
“Who was that? Was that him!” Helena asks, sitting up on her knees with a handful of Skittles halfway to her mouth.
But a tidal wave of nerves burst from my core, preventing me from saying anything. I re-read the message again, and my heart stops.
Jordan.
Mystery Knight just called me by my real name.
Chapter Six
Michael
With enough imagination, the student quad feels just like the secluded spot I created online for my very first date with Jordan. If you ignore the bumping music from a dorm nearby and the dumpster’s smell around the corner. I roll my eyes. This isn’t nearly good enough for Jordan. I want this night to be magical. I want to dazzle her right up to our kiss, and then sweep her off her feet. The only thing is, this isn’t anything close to romantic. For the first time since I hatched my genius plan, I’m starting to have doubts.
But the moment Jordan steps foot onto the quad in her beautifully hand-made red dress, all thoughts not about her vanish. The moon shines bright, catching on the silvery glint of Jordan’s otherworldly grey eyes and transporting us to the very same moonlit gazebo from our game-date the other night. She smiles when she sees me from across the lawn, and the sight ignites a roaring fire in my chest. Our online date was even more fun than I expected it to be, and every conversation we’ve had since then has made me more and more eager for this moment with Jordan. Now that it’s here, I don’t want it to end.
I watch, entirely bewitched by how her hips sway as she slowly makes her way toward me. She comes to a stop three feet from me and looks up with a shy smile. “Hello, Gluteus Maximus,” Jordan smirks.
I clear my throat and stand a bit taller. “Actually, it’s Maximus Gluteus.” I flash her my best grin. Though we’ve clearly seen each other in person before, it feels entirely different now that we have what feels like a lifetime worth of conversations between us. She’s both familiar and brand new. It’s exhilarating.
Jordan smiles at me, hesitant to make any movements. Her eyes are curious and calculating. She’s waiting for me to take the lead, to show her if I’m serious about replaying our online date or not. But this whole thing was my idea in the first place, and I know how much her LARPing club traditions mean to her. Hence why I’m doing things her way. Which means going all in.
It’s a good thing I took notes during our first date.
I extend my hand, and she takes it, letting me lead her to a blanketed area on the grass that I laid out in preparation for this moment. From the small cooler I brought, I pull out two root beers and crack them open, handing one to Jordan. She eyes it suspiciously at first, so I whisper, “It was the closest thing I had to Elven champagne.”
Jordan lets out a giggle and takes the root beer, her delicate fingers brushing mine. “Thank you, Maximus.” The glint in her eye tells me she’s hiding more excitement than she’s letting on. That alone gives me the encouraging boost I need.
From there, we re-enact our first date almost exactly. I say “almost” because Jordan is visibly nervous in the most adorable way. She’s hesitant, she’s soft-spoken, and she even stutters a few times. And when I try to get physically close to her, she shies away slightly. It’s as if I’m wooing a real-life Elven princess, someone unaccustomed to the ways of human dating. It’s a whole new side to Jordan, entirely unlike her decisive, bossy, sassy personality I’ve become so accustomed to, that has me even more smitten with her than before. We continue through our date like this, with her being as sweet as ever, and me enjoying every moment until we reach the part I’ve been so eagerly waiting for.
The part where I get to kiss Jordan Smith.
Our conversation stills, and the sounds of nature around us grow increasingly louder as we look into each other’s eyes. Jordan clears her throat, probably her way of telling me that it’s my turn to speak. But before I can say the line I’ve rehearsed more times than I’d like to admit, my eagerness and excitement become too much to handle. In a moment of pure adrenaline, I lean forward and gingerly plant my lips on Jordan’s.
She gives a soft gasp and purses her lips, sitting still as a gargoyle, unmoving against my mouth. I pull back to look at her, wondering what the hell is wrong with me.
“I’m so sorry. I should have asked you first—”
“No, I’m sorry, Maximus. I misled you.” I crinkle my brows together in confusion. Jordan looks away when she speaks again, her voice wavering slightly as if she’s on the verge of tears. “You don’t want to see the real me. I’m nothing like the Elven princess you’re attracted to.” Jordan’s shoulders slump forward in defeat.
I can’t help but smile, because she has no idea how wrong she is. “You’re right,” I say, goading her. She snaps her head up and stares wide-eyed, palpably worried. “I’m way more attracted to Jordan Smith than I am to Faylen Shelara.”
Jordan gives a little gasp, barely audible. “But…” she starts, shaking her head as if it’ll help her make sense of my words.
“Through text alone, you had me falling for you, Jordan. And I’ve always thought you were cute.”
“Always?” She eyes me curiously, leaning forward ever so slightly as she tries to get a better look inside my helmet.
“I’ve had my eyes on you since our first class together,” I say, smiling at the shocked expression taking over her face. “But you’re always first to leave, and there’s no hope getting your attention when your nose is in a book, which is all the time.” A slight smile tugs at the corner of Jordan’s lips as she stares at me, bewildered and intrigued. “But when I found out you’re into LARPing, I finally realized the only way to get close to you would be to join the club.” She looks taken aback, and I smile sheepishly.
Jordan takes a moment to let that sink in before she crosses her arms and purses her lips. “Why is it that you know all about me, but I don’t know anything about you?”
My mouth twists into a smile. There’s the sassy Jordan I know. “It isn’t fair, is it?” I take my helmet off and shake my hair out. “Ahh, that’s better. I’m Michael.” When our eyes meet again, she’s staring, mouth agape. And if it weren’t for the cloak of the night, I’d swear a blush is spreading on her dimpled cheeks.
“I…” Jordan searches for what to say next, but nothing comes out.
“What’s wrong?” I ask.
“I recognize you,” she says. “You’re in my major. I always thought you were cute, but,” she averts her gaze, “I never allowed myself to really look. Guys like you are off-limits for girls like me.”
I straighten my spine, a knee-jerk reaction to her self-deprecating words. “Girls like you? What the hell are you saying? I want you, Jordan.” She bites her lower lip. I reach my hand out to touch hers, and this time she doesn’t shy away. “Please take your mask off and let me see your beautiful face. Forget the characters, forget the LARPing. You be Jordan, and I’ll be Michael.”
She looks at our hands for a long moment. Then, Jordan takes a deep breath and removes her mask.
Chapter Seven
Jordan
A thick layer of goosebumps breaks out all over my body, although I’m wearing a heavy costume and wig. But they have nothing to do with the temperature and everything to do with the fact that I just did the very thing I’ve been dreading for the last week straight.
Though it was only the mask I removed, I feel entirely naked as I sit here in front of Michael, waiting for him to say something, anything. I still can’t believe he was the Mystery Knight all along. When he took his helmet off, my heart stopped. Mostly from the pure beauty of his angular, manly features, but also because I actually recognized him!
He’s in my Art History classes, that’s for sure, but once I got my first look at him weeks ago, I labeled him as “out of my league” and stopped my overactive imagination from going any further. But holy smokes, there’s no way I can stop my mind from taking things all the way with him now that we’re sitting here in the moonlight, and he’s looking at me as if I�
�m an actual Elven queen, an alien goddess sent to tempt him from the heavens.
See, there goes the imagination again. But I’m definitely not imagining the glint in his eyes and the fact that Michael is speechless. He’s not playing the part of my mystery date anymore. Could this attraction between us be real?
“Are you going to say anything?” I ask, tension and fear altering my voice slightly.
“You’re beautiful, Jordan.” Michael flashes me a devastatingly handsome smile. Even though I’m sitting, I swear my knees go weak.
Yup, that’s a real attraction, alright.
I let out a relieved sigh. I shouldn’t care so much what someone else thinks of me, but knowing that Michael doesn’t think I’m some kind of ogre releases all the fear and doubt that’s been plaguing my hopeful imagination this whole time. Now that we’re here and I can see the dare-I-say attraction in his eyes, I feel like Faylen and Jordan mixed together. Now that there is an actual possibility that we could be together, bubbling excitement builds within me, and I realize how badly I’ve wanted to be with Michael this whole time.
“Aren’t you going to say anything?” Michael teases.
I let out a nervous laugh. “I was so afraid that once you saw the real me, you’d lose all interest and head for the next Faylen-looking type of girl.”
“Jordan, Jordan, Jordan…” Michael shakes his head, making a little tsk sound. “Faylen is boring.” I guffaw, somewhat offended for Faylen’s sake. Michael chuckles. “Don’t get me wrong, she makes a powerful illusionist, that’s for sure. But Faylen is straight as a stick, too uptight, and white as a ghost. Plus, she’s already been all over the world. I want someone I can travel with, talk about history with. Someone that can tell me all about the historical significance of painted glass at La Sagrada Familia.” He gives me a knowing smile and my heart throbs. He really does know me.
Tempt University: Year One: A College Romance Collection Page 21