by Tina Gerow
Fantasy Quest
By
Tina Gerow
ISBN: 978-1-927111-68-0
Published By
Books We Love Ltd.
(Electronic Book Publishers)
192 LakesideGreens Drive
Chestermere, Alberta, T1X 1C2
Canada
http://bookswelove.net
Copyright 2011 Tina Gerow
Cover art by Michelle Lee 2011
All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
Dedication
To all my friends in the Online World of EverQuest II. I know I no longer play, but as you will be able to tell from this story, that world made quite an impression on me. So even though the character of Astiria has retired, I still remember all the hours of great online play I spent as her.
To my Sister, Amy, and my Brother in Law, Doug, thank you both for being wonderful family as well as fun online gamers. It just seemed right you were included in this story.
To my two guys: Jon, aka Lerik and Darian, aka Oopec, thank you for putting up with living with a writer who loses herself in her made up worlds, who loses track of time and isn’t the best housekeeper or even cook. I love you both, and you guys rock!
Special thanks to my critique group, the Butterscotch Martini Girls (www.butterscotchmartinigirls.com), who not only keep me sane, but are the best set of friends and fellow writers anyone could have. I definitely can’t forget my word count buddy and our honorary new Butterscotch Martini Girl, Cheyenne McCray, who helped me ease into this new life as a full time author with her constant encouragement, and great sense of humor.
A huge thanks to my readers who keep me excited about writing with your great excitement and feedback on every book I write. I hope you love this one as much as you have the previous ones. And I promise, there are many more coming!
Chapter One
“Can I buy you a drink, and we can discuss the rest of our lives?”
Astiria Petrey huffed out a heavy sigh and snapped her book shut before glaring up at the newest intruder.
He leered down at her. Ken-doll bronzed skin and plastic-looking muscles bulged out from under his ridiculous shirt decorated with small chili peppers. A tiny blue Speedo peeked out from under the shirt before giving way to unnaturally bulky thigh muscles.
“Not. Interested.” She enunciated each word carefully and searched his flat, vacant eyes for any sign of understanding. Or even humanity.
“That’s only because you haven’t met me yet.” He flashed a too white smile, which threatened to blind her even through her sunglasses before he sat on the edge of her beach chair and snatched the book from her grasp. “Stone Maiden?” He glanced at the back cover before looking up again. “Gargoyles, angels and cowboys?”
Her temper sparked. She loved to read paranormal romances, and this one allowed her to combine two of her favorite things—reading and gargoyles. All her coworkers and friends teased her incessantly about the collection of both gargoyles and romance novels littered across her desk at work and her entire house. She definitely didn’t need more grief while on vacation, and not from this bad caricature of an action hero.
“What kind of thing is this for a beautiful woman to read, when she should be more interested in what’s right in front of her face? Me.” He smiled and flexed a bicep that looked like it might explode off his arm at any moment.
She grabbed her book back, brushing down the edges where he’d bent them, and then pushed to her feet to glare at him. Anyone who didn’t take care of books lost even more respect in her eyes—not that he had any to begin with after his poor behavior. “As I already said—not interested. And even if I were illiterate and couldn’t read, I would still have much better things to do with my time than waste it talking to someone who obviously eats steroid Pop Tarts for breakfast.”
He stood and reached for her, confusion swimming in his gaze. He must not be used to hearing the word ‘no’ very often. “Don’t be like that, sweetheart.”
She sidestepped his hands and anger flowed hot and heady. “If you don’t turn and walk away right this second, I swear I’ll tell every woman on the beach that fully hard, you aren’t much bigger than a Vienna sausage.” She held up her hand, pinkie finger extended, hopefully illustrating for him in case he didn’t get the reference.
His eyes widened as understanding dawned. He opened his mouth, but before he could speak, the manager of the resort neatly intervened.
“Mario, why don’t you leave Miss Petrey to her reading? I’m sure there are others on the beach who would love to see you.” The manager’s blue eyes twinkled behind the lenses of the Harry Potter glasses perched on the end of his nose. “I do apologize, Miss Petrey.”
“Well, at least you keep saving me from them. I’m beginning to think there are a never ending stream of vacuous pretty boys frequenting your private beach.”
He chuckled. “This is the Caribbean, Miss Petrey, and the Fantasy Quest resort. They all come here to meet beautiful women sitting on beach chairs, sipping drinks and hoping to meet a man to make their vacation—more memorable. You are one of the few who come alone, who wish to remain so.”
She bristled at his comment, slightly mollified he’d referred to her as beautiful, even though she knew being nice was part of his job description. Someone with plain brown hair, plain brown eyes and a body that wouldn’t be caught dead in a bikini, didn’t exactly fire men’s passions. Hadn’t that been exactly what her ex-husband had told her when he left her for a younger, more attractive woman? And all after Astiria had worked and slaved to put the bastard through medical school.
She stifled a sigh and squared her shoulders. No, men weren’t interested in a woman with brains and personality unless they looked like a super model, so she wasn’t interested in them. Besides, her sister and brother in law had bought this trip for her birthday and practically forced her onto the plane. Amy and Doug had come here on their honeymoon and had raved about it ever since. A free vacation was hard to pass up, no matter where it was.
She just hadn’t counted on such persistence from the local herd of men. “All I want to do is relax, walk barefoot on the beach, have a few drinks and read my book.” She didn’t realize she’d said it aloud until the manager answered.
“Miss Petrey, again, I truly apologize. Why don’t you go inside, relax and order some room service? There will be a beautiful view of the coming storm from your room since it faces the ocean.”
“Coming storm? But it’s sunny and…” She trailed off as the sky darkened as if triggered by his words. “Wow, storms come up fast here.” Grabbing her towel, she shook it off to remove any excess sand.
“Your profile mentioned a certain fondness for computer games, Miss Petrey.” He gestured toward the resort. “We have several, which are free to our guests. It might help you pass the time while we ride out the moods of Mother Nature.”
A hotel manager suggesting computer games while at a beautiful resort in the Caribbean? Something about the entire situation, including the manager, struck her as very odd, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. You’re on vacation at somewhere called Fantasy Quest! Of course they are going to take your preferences into account.
You need more drinks and much more relaxation.
She laughed at herself. “Thank you. I’ll have to check that out. But after the storm. I don’t want to fry the computer in my room if the building takes a lightning hit.”
&nbs
p; He smiled, his blue eyes still twinkling. "We are fully insulated from any such happening. Feel free to play. After all, if it weren’t storming, most likely, you would be staying here on the beach.”
She started at his strange wording, and the shiver of unease that slid down her spine, but shrugged it off. “Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind.”
~~~
The door to her room closed behind her with a click she ordinarily wouldn’t have noticed. Nerves? She paused, but then forced a laugh as she shook off her unease and dropped her towel. She deposited Stone Maiden onto the overstuffed leather loveseat recliner by the bed, giving the book a silent promise to return. Before she could kick off her sandals, a brisk knock sounded against the door behind her.
“Room Service!”
She shook her head again. In the two days she’d been here, room service had been unnaturally quick even though she’d never ordered. She might find it irritating if they didn’t have an uncanny knack of knowing exactly what she wanted.
Hand on the doorknob, she paused.
If I could order anything I wanted, it would be chicken Marsala with veggies on the side, parrot bay and diet coke for the drink, and tiramisu for dessert.
“Get that one right,” she muttered under her breath in challenge before pulling open the door.
“Good evening, Miss Petrey.” The waiter pushed his cart inside and unloaded several silver domed plates onto the table next to the balcony door.
“Good evening. What’s on the menu tonight?” She crossed her arms over her chest and allowed a smug smile to crease her lips.
He lifted the first domed lid and the scent of garlic and Marsala wine wafted out to tease her senses. No freaking way!
“Chicken Marsala with a side of steamed vegetables.” He pulled a bottle of ParrotBay out from under the linen-covered cart. “Here’s a nice bottle of rum and the mini-fridge is fully stocked with soda.” He nodded toward the mini fridge before setting the rum and a full bucket of ice onto her table. “And of course, dessert.”
“Let me guess. Tiramisu?”
“Yes, ma’am.” He smiled. “Can I get you anything else?”
“How do you do that?” She stared at him in open awe.
He shrugged. “This is the Fantasy Quest resort, Miss Petrey. We pride ourselves on giving you your fantasy.”
Her stomach rumbled as if to remind her that delicious food was waiting just for her, and here she stood contemplating how it had come to be. She pressed a tip into the waiter’s hand and thanked him as he left.
It had to be her sister’s doing. Amy had probably provided them a detailed list of her preferences. Astiria shrugged and headed back toward her food. As much as she loved to cook her own food and experiment with new recipes, she could get used to all her meals being provided for her.
The open drapes showed her the darkening sky and the oncoming storm the manager had predicted. Rain fell in the distance, dappling the clouds and the far horizon with streaks.
She clicked on the small lamp next to the bed to chase back the deepening gloom and pulled a purple stuffed gargoyle from her suitcase. She hugged it tightly before setting it on the other side of the table, just behind the tiramisu.
Over the years, men hadn’t always been reliable, but her trusty stuffed gargoyle always had been. That’s why he always got to accompany her on vacations and they didn’t. Besides, he never needed his own plane ticket and definitely didn’t hog the covers.
“So what do you make of this place, Max?” She made herself a rum and diet with extra ice and sat down to enjoy her meal. Garlic and spices broke over her tongue, carrying with it a truly irresistible aroma. “Mmmm.” She laughed at herself when the sound came out almost orgasmic. “Don’t look at me like that, Max. A girl’s gotta have vices, right?” Max’s perpetual evil grin made her smile.
When she savored the last bite of chicken, she pushed her plate away and decided to save the tiramisu for later in the evening. “Well, Max. It’s dark and gloomy outside and I’m not in the mood to watch television, and I’m too keyed up to read. Why don’t we check out the computer games the manager and even Amy raved about? Although why my sister would even think about computer games on her honeymoon is totally beyond me.”
Astiria tucked Max under one arm and grabbed her drink before heading to the far side of the room where the wireless keyboard and mouse sat on a honey-toned desk. The 42” flat wall-mounted TV doubled as a computer monitor, which allowed her to sit on the loveseat recliner where she’d dumped her towel and book earlier.
After moving her things to the bed, she balanced the keyboard on her lap and the mouse next to her on the second seat, since it rolled easily over the butter-smooth leather. The tiny end table gave her a perfect place for her drink and, of course, for Max, who overlooked the proceedings with his usual evil glee.
She pressed the power button on the top of the keyboard and the monitor flared to life. A gold embossed border surrounded the Fantasy Quest logo that emblazoned everything she’d seen so far at the resort. Background music flowed through the surround sound speakers making her think of every action adventure movie she’d ever seen.
“Welcome to Fantasy Quest Resort, Miss Petrey. Would you like to try our online role-playing game, Fantasy Quest?” The computer monitor’s voice sounded suspiciously like the manager’s, but being a project manager in technologies, she knew voice scripts were easily made. It just seemed like a lot of effort to make one with each guest’s name on it.
She shrugged. “I must be really predictable. How did this thing know I didn’t want to check email?” She reached for her mouse to click ‘Yes.’ A self-proclaimed computer geek, she played several online games regularly. She wondered briefly how this one would stack up against her familiar favorites.
A video clip flowed over the screen to the blare of processional trumpets. Several different characters—wizards, mages, warriors and what appeared to be a paladin fought a group of fire-breathing dragons and flying griffins. However, these weren’t digitized people, these were actual actors playing out the parts on screen for her enjoyment. The video clip disappeared, replaced by a 3D paper doll woman.
“Please choose features for your character, Astiria.”
She started at the use of her name, but then if the hotel’s systems could call her by her last name, it was a small leap to have it interface with this hotel-hosted game to use her first. But the paper doll woman made her do a double take. Again, this was no digitized construct, but an actual woman who had been photographed and inserted.
“Wow, maybe they need a technologies project manager here, Max. Can you imagine living here year round and getting to play games for a living? Especially with this technology!” She glanced over at the grinning gargoyle. He’d never answered her, thank God, but she did always leave him conversational room—just so she’d know when she’d finally lost her mind.
“It looks much more advanced than what I’m used to working with. Hell, I’d even take a pay cut if they’d be willing to train me. Especially if I get a beach view year round.” She paused to take a swig of rum and diet soda. “But the Ken doll men on the beach have to go. The only men I’m interested in are ones I create in my imagination.” She chuckled at her own joke and returned her attention to the game.
Used to this sort of preliminary game set up, she breezed through defining her physical options. She chose a high elf with delicate pointed ears and long red hair that rioted around her in sexy waves.
Much better than my own boring brown hair!
With quick clicks of her mouse, she chose sea green eyes, a tall athletic frame, still curvy enough to catch a man’s attention, but not so much it would get in the way in a good sword fight. For her profession, she chose an assassin with healing abilities, and clicked on the default options for clothing, knowing it didn’t matter. She would have to buy armor within the game--the starter clothes were just to keep her character from being naked..
“That was quick,”
she told Max as she clicked on ‘Save.’
“Please choose features for your consort, Astiria.”
She choked on a mouthful of her rum. “Consort?” She glanced over at Max, but he only continued to smile, seemingly enjoying her reaction. “What kind of game is this?” She chuckled. “Pretty scary when the only place I’ll be getting lucky is online with a ‘consort’ I built from scratch.”
“Please choose features for your consort, Astiria,” the computer repeated.
“Don’t rush me,” she grumbled as she studied the options. “If I’m going to build a consort, he’s going to be so good, I’ll be wishing he’d come to life.”
As if in response, thunder boomed and a bright flash of lightening blazed across the sky. Astiria jumped and rum sloshed onto her shirt. The lights in her room flickered, but as the manager had said, the computer seemed unaffected. She set her glass on the end table and looked around the room.
“You’d think if they could insulate the computer hardware that they could do the same for all their electronics.” She shrugged and brushed a stray ice cube off her shirt. She worked with computers, but had no idea if overhead lights could be protected in the same way as computer hardware.
“Do you require help choosing features for your consort, Astiria?”
She jumped. She hadn’t expected the computer to be so persistent. “All right. Keep your shirt on.” She glanced down at the keyboard on her lap. “So to speak.”
She clicked through the options choosing a human warrior with a muscular build, eyes the color of melted dark chocolate, with hair to match. The hair was shoulder length, and could be pulled back with a leather thong as needed. When she finished, she looked up at the screen and caught her breath.
The man staring down at her seemed very real. There was even a real man’s hunger in his gaze she hadn’t seen in a long time. One that spoke of passion and possession. One that said he’d already seen her naked and planned to do so many more times. Goosebumps marched over her body in a quick flowing procession, causing her to shiver. Heat pooled low in her stomach and her nipples suddenly tightened with need.