End Game: A Gamer Romance

by Swallow, Lisa

“Always told you that.” I reach for another cracker and load it with a generous amount of white goop.

  “You want another?” Spencer asks us and holds up an empty bottle.

  “Sure,” replies Aaron, and I nod.

  Aaron pulls out the chair beside me and lowers his large frame into my personal space. Suddenly my stomach doesn’t want onion dip. Or any of the meat cooking on the barbecue, and this is serious because I bought expensive steak.

  He nods at my hair. “I didn’t know you were a ginger under your blue wig. That explains a lot about your personality.”

  “Auburn,” I reply through gritted teeth.

  “Own it. Red hair’s awesome.”

  I stare at the cracker in my hand I’ve overloaded with dip, rather than look at him. I really have to eat this.

  “Nobody came in costume apart from Tyler, I’m disappointed,” he says and helps himself to a cracker too.

  “You didn’t.”

  “That armour’s heavy. You should show yours off more—you looked bloody amazing.” He gestures at my clothes. “Although the dress looks cute on you too. I’m getting an inclination you like unicorns?”

  Please take your eyes away from where I want your hands. “Thanks.” The dip slides from the cracker onto my dress and I mutter as I rub the mess off with a nearby napkin. “This is why I didn’t wear the costume, I’d ruin it.”

  “And you said I could see you without your costume on, remember?” His eyes glint at the memory of our first conversation, one with the meaning closing the gap between acquaintance and can-we-get-closely-acquainted-please.

  I place the beer on the table. “How are you enjoying Perth?”

  “Yeah. Good.” He focuses on dipping his cracker. “Have you ever been to Sydney?”

  “Nope.”

  “Melbourne?” I shake my head. “Anywhere but Perth?”

  “Not really.”

  “So you haven’t travelled?”

  I shrug. “Money. Never have much. Tyler’s grandparents have a house down south, plus we’ve camped a few places, but no holidays. Bali’s cheap but I don’t know… The others have been, but I’m not a fan. I’d like to travel Europe one day.”

  “Then save.”

  “Not at the moment, I’ll wait until some of the gang are ready to go. We half-discuss it sometimes.”

  Aaron’s distant look riles me. Either my conversation is boring him, or he’s ticked me off his ‘make polite conversation’ list. He scratches his cheek. “You work in a store, I hear. Must be hard to save.”

  “It’s okay. I mostly like working there. What do you do for work?”

  “Do you have any plans to do something different? I can’t imagine you working in a shop forever.”

  I blink at his side-stepping my question. “One day.”

  “One day? People who say ‘one day’ never do anything.”

  “That’s a bit judgmental. What’s wrong with wanting to work in a shop?”

  “Apparently, not enough money,” he says and swigs his beer.

  “And you have plenty, I suppose?”

  “Enough.”

  “Well, you’re older and have had time to save, or travel, or whatever. I have time. I will.”

  “You will. One day,” he says with a smile.

  “So, what do you do?” I repeat.

  “I’m DPS mostly but occasionally I heal.”

  “Are you determined not to tell us anything about yourself?”

  Aaron rests back in his chair. His long fingers push at the edge of the label on his bottle and for a moment I’m convinced he’s chosen to ignore me again. Sure, this guy is hot, but second-guessing what he’s thinking hurts my head.

  “Why? What do you want to know?” he asks.

  “Nothing. Anything.” I huff and drink my own beer. “People chat about themselves when they meet, that’s all.”

  “Then really talk to me. Doesn’t matter whether you talk to me when I’m a game character or face to face. Who I am goes beyond where I work and I live. You’ve met me many times before, just not in person.”

  “I guess…”

  I want to push, to ask what he has to hide, but hell he could be saying this to make himself seem more interesting,

  Mysterious.

  Attractive.

  Gah.

  “We have. We already know more about each other than if we’d met and made small talk. For instance, I already knew you’re funny, feisty, and hate arrogance.” He cocks a brow. “I know you’re an awesome healer and a team player, and that you’re a smart girl.”

  I stare at my hands. “Right.”

  “Now I’ve met you, I know you love liquorice and unicorns, that you lack confidence outside of the game. I’ve discovered Evie is as interesting as Sinestre.”

  I look up and wait for his next words, but all he does is drink slowly from his bottle and watch me in return.

  “Do I care what you do? Where you went to school? Live? Economic status? No, I don’t,” he continues.

  “You.” I interrupt and point at him. “I know you’re serious. Too serious. Obsessive about the game. Happy to cultivate a mysteriousness that may or may not disguise a boring life—“

  “—or criminal record.”

  “Or that. Who knows?”

  “Do you care?”

  “Not really. Won’t see you again after tomorrow; we’ll be Sin and Thor again.”

  Again, the slow drinking, leaving tension between the words. “Too true.”

  A freshly opened bottle appears on the table between us as Spencer reappears and sets one down. “There you go, mate.”

  “Great, thanks.” Aaron drains his bottle and picks up the next.

  Spencer’s eyes fix on Aaron’s leg tattoo. “That’s some tattoo, man.”

  Aaron gives a tight smile. “Thanks.”

  “I mean, awesome,” replies Tyler in haste, picking up the same vibe I do.

  Aaron has to expect a tattoo that size to draw attention. Since I’ve sat here, I’ve noticed the scarred skin beneath the tattoo. There’s definitely a story behind this he doesn’t want to share.

  “Where’re the rest of the guild?” asks Aaron.

  Spencer inclines his head. “Inside. Cole brought his laptop and Tyler’s trying to fix his game add-ons for him.”

  “Oh? Does he know the best to use for his Assassin? I found a great new mod set last week. Want me to show you where to download them? Should really help with his rotation.” Aaron stands. “I should’ve brought my laptop, I didn’t think.”

  “Mmm. Maybe because this is a social gathering?” I say and raise a brow. “Like human to human.”

  Aaron grins. “True. Let me organise this first and I’ll come back and be human again.”

  The serious players use the opportunity to talk game and inspect each other’s gaming set-ups at every barbecue; I shouldn’t be surprised. But this time I’m perturbed that my conversation with Aaron stopped abruptly, and that his polite interest remains just that. Polite.

  Makes a welcome change to our usual attitude to each other, I guess.

  12

  Erin will be in the same boat as me if the evening’s switched to gaming talk already. The multi-coloured fairy lights strung across the roof above her head shine as the evening darkens, and I slump into a chair next to her. She looks up from her phone screen.

  “Oh. Thought you were getting cosy with your hot guild friend.”

  “Just chatting. He’s joined the others for some tech talk now.”

  Erin nods, a strand of dark hair falling across her face, back to rapid typing on her phone.

  I swig from my beer and look around. The smell of burnt meat drifts around, and from the steaks and sausages on the plastic platter in front of us. People lean across, plating the food and squirting sauce as they continue conversations. I wasn’t aware how busy the party’s become, but the voices now overtake the music.

  “Did you have fun today?” I ask, taking Erin’s phone and p
lacing it on the table.

  “Was…different. I’d like to go again.”

  “You still have your cat ears in.” I stroke one. “Fluffy…”

  “Your Elf ears look weird. Take them off.”

  Why haven’t I? Because I don’t want to leave Sinestre behind just yet? Or because the glue pulls at my ears when I remove them and I could end up walking around with bright red skin all evening?

  “Nope.”

  She takes hold of a sausage and wraps it in bread, the great Australian delicacy found with or without onions and ketchup. “What’s he like? Aaron.”

  “Why do you keep giving me the third degree? You talk to him if you want to know.”

  “He’s not very approachable. Not unfriendly but a bit… I don’t know. When a guy is aloof like him, you need a smile from the guy to relax enough to chat.”

  “Are you saying you’re intimidated by him?”

  “Kind of. But you know him already, I guess. From chatting online.”

  “Yeah, he keeps himself to himself. Even today. I couldn’t tell you much about him, to be honest.”

  “Hot and mysterious…” She sighs. “I’d talk to him, Evie, but don’t want to step on your toes.”

  I want to deny she would be, that I don’t care if another girl talks to him and he offers her his smiles. I’d be lying, but what’s the point? He leaves tomorrow. I stare at my beer; my promise to myself to steer clear of alcohol an epic challenge I haven’t met.

  What would be the consequences if we did flirt and move closer? Or crossed a line? I shake the idea away. The effect he has on my sober self is bad enough. I pointedly set down my beer and gesture at Erin’s drink. “You want another?”

  “Please.”

  At the opposite end of the alfresco area, a tub filled with ice and bottles gradually depletes. Well, my beers have disappeared. I poke about Erin’s vodka mix cans and manage to find a lemonade for myself. As I straighten, cold water running down my hand, I give myself an imaginary pat on the back for my self-control.

  Then turn around and am a hair’s breadth from bumping into Marshall.

  Fuck.

  This had to happen eventually as we share the same circle of friends. He can’t hold my look when our eyes meet, and I’m as frozen as the ice currently melting in the blue bucket next to me.

  “Hey,” I say eventually.

  “Hey, Evie. How’ve you been?” He bends over and grabs two bottles by the neck.

  “Fine. Did you find a lucky girl the other night, after you called me asking to ‘come over’?”

  “What’s wrong? I thought we could keep up the arrangement, that’s all.”

  I narrow my eyes at him, and realise he’s had more to drink than me, fuelling the douchebag inside.

  “Arrangement?” I splutter. “You mean, have sex when one of us is drunk and looking for some?”

  “Yeah. Could be fun.”

  “Let me think…” I tap my chin and turn my eyes skyward, before staring back into his less than coherent eyes. “No bloody way, Marshall.”

  He shrugs. “Your loss.”

  What the hell is it with arrogant men in my life? “Believe me, it really isn’t. The experience was underwhelming.”

  He snorts. “You should count yourself lucky I took pity on you.”

  “What the hell?”

  “Aw c’mon. You’ve been wanting that for a year at least. I was drunk. Thought I’d give you what you wanted. Then I called the other night because I thought you might be interested again, since you were desperate the first time.”

  “I cannot believe I’m having this conversation,” I hiss. “You arrogant asshole.”

  “This sounds like an interesting discussion.” I look over my shoulder where Aaron stands, arms crossed, as he scrutinises Marshall.

  “Who’s this?” asks Marshall.

  “Aaron.”

  The two men size each other up, but don’t speak.

  The embarrassment that Aaron has again heard my dodgy sexual history heats my skin and I’m glad I’m in the shadows. Why can’t he take what he wants from the bucket and leave?

  “I think we’d best avoid each other, Marshall.”

  He nods in the direction of the partygoers. “Good idea. Probably best nobody knows what happened between us, huh?”

  “Suits me.”

  I wish Aaron would bloody pick his drink and leave. What kind of person hangs around to listen to conversations like this? I don’t want to imagine what opinion he’s forming of me.

  The mortification Aaron’s close by and says nothing the whole time breaks our standoff and I turn away. Lowering my gaze to the floor, I mutter an ‘excuse me’ and walk back to Erin. Slamming down her can, I glance over my shoulder. Both men gone.

  Screw this. I return and search the bucket for something matching the occasion and dig up one of Erin’s vodka mix drinks.

  Yep. That’ll do.

  “You okay?” asks Erin as I stumble past her.

  “Fine. Need the bathroom.”

  I head into a quiet corner at the opposite end of the garden and lean on the pool fence. The pool’s darkened water is still in the warm night, and I relish my spot deeper in the shadows as I rest against the gate’s metal rungs. Taking shaky breaths, I gaze at my feet and picture Marshall’s head crushed beneath them.

  A large figure appears next to me and hairs lift on my neck. Aaron could be several metres away and my body would trigger an alert—and other things. Any closer to me and I’ll be diving into the pool to cool off.

  Oh, please, don’t mention what you just heard.

  “When you talked to me about the guy who messed you around, I didn’t realise he was a complete dickhead. Guys who treat girls like that deserve smacking in the balls.”

  “Like I’d tell you.” I close my eyes.

  “You didn’t want me to judge you?”

  “I don’t care what you think of me.”

  “No? But we’re friends.”

  “Guildies,” I say with a weak smile. “Hard to be friends when we know nothing about each other.”

  “But you’re okay?” His voice lowers in concern and I swear he’s about to touch my arm.

  “I’m fine, Thorsday.”

  “Aaron.”

  I turn my back and rest against the fence. “You know what’s odd. You look more like a Thor than an Aaron.”

  He grins. “I should use that to my advantage more, rather than sitting home playing games all night. What do you reckon?”

  Is he telling me he has no girl in his life?

  “Whereas I should do the opposite and not let men near me?”

  “Why? Because of one experience with some douche like him? You won’t meet anybody of the non-douche variety if you stay home all the time.”

  “Now you sound like Erin. Why not take your own advice first?”

  He looks at the pavers. “I’m not interested in relationships right now.”

  His tone and stiffening jaw suggest why: something ended badly. “Neither am I. I’ll stick with virtual ones.”

  “Yeah.” He pulls away from the fence but his defensive aura returns. “Just wanted to see if you were okay, he shouldn’t speak to you like that. Dickhead.”

  “My knight in shining armour ready to take on more than tigers for me?” I ask with a smile.

  A muscle in his cheek twitches. “Virtually.”

  Aaron strides away, leaving me with a whole heap of confusion.

  And shit, the bottle emptied quickly. No more alcohol… But who am I kidding? It’s too late for that now.

  13

  I hold the large plastic bag and grab empty plates and bottles, shoving them inside. A nearby couple sit entwined, others talk or laugh inside the house or ended their talking and laughing for unconscious sleep on the sofa. Aaron joins me in gathering the aftermath and shoving rubbish into the bag.

  “I thought you were gaming?” I ask him as I tip a half empty beer into a bowl.

  “Ev
erybody stopped.” He takes the bottle and drops it into the bag. “I always thought you were joking about Tyler faceplanting on his keyboard and falling asleep. Seems you’re right.”

  I smile. “I hope you weren’t raiding without me.”

  “We wouldn’t dare.” He holds out a hand and touches the prosthetic ear. Our earlier conversation hangs as heavy as the humidity in the air around us; my heart leaps into overdrive.

  I inhale calm, but with it comes Aaron’s inviting scent. Shit. I step sideways towards more empty plates.

  “This is falling off,” he says.

  “Oh.” I drop the bag and pull at my fake ear, and it falls away. “Hmm. I’d best take the other off otherwise I’ll look even sillier.”

  The glue on the other ear is stronger, and I have trouble removing the prosthetic. I laugh to myself.

  “What’s funny?” asks Aaron.

  “I need help pulling my ear off.”

  Aaron laughs too. “Here.” Deft fingers slide beneath the ear, touching the skin as he does and I take a sharp intake of breath.

  He’s closer than ever. Touching. His mingled scent of the beer he drank and the expensive scent I caught before surround him. I hold my breath as he finishes his strange task and holds out the ear.

  Then I giggle.

  I bloody giggle. Stupid, girly Evie around her stupid, girly crush. “You pulled my ear off.” See, told you I shouldn’t have drunk anything.

  “You asked me to. Anything else you want me to take off?” He cocks a suggestive eyebrow.

  “Sure. Your shirt.”

  He shakes his head at my comeback. “If you want.”

  “I was kidding.”

  He shakes his head and picks up a red drink nearby. “Finish your healing potion, it’ll make you feel better.”

  “How do you know that’s mine?”

  “I’ve seen you with several, I’m presuming this is yours too.”

  To make a point, I tip the contents into the bowl filled with dregs and drop the bottle in the bag. “I don’t need any more.”

  “Sit and talk to me. Let someone else clear up the mess.”

  “I’m surprised Erin isn’t doing this. She’s the tidy freak.”

  “Nah, she disappeared with Cole.”

  My ears prick up. “Really? Where?”

  He shakes his head. “None of my business. No idea.” Aaron yanks out a plastic chair and sits. “Sorry I was rude and walked off before. It doesn’t take much for me to become caught up in game talk.”