The Game

by Kira Blakely

  “Um, yes.”

  “Then you’re not thinking straight.”

  I lift my shoulders. “What does that have to do with it?”

  “It’s the sex talking. Not you.”

  I frown. “You know, maybe if you had sex a little more often, you’d be less cranky and skeptical.”

  “Ouch.” She picks up her cup of coffee. “That confirms it. He’s a bad person. I mean, look at what he’s done to you. He’s turned you into this mean bitch.”

  “Sorry,” I tell her quickly.

  Pam may scold me a lot, but she is my best friend.

  “I just… I wish you’d trust me on this. I wish you’d give Nathan a chance. He really isn’t a bad person.”

  “So, womanizers are saints now?”

  “I’m not saying he’s a saint, just that he’s not all bad. And he’s not a womanizer anymore.”

  “So he says.”

  “I trust him. Won’t you trust me?”

  Pam says nothing.

  “I’d really love to have my best friend’s support, you know. It would mean the world to me.”

  Pam sets down her cup and sighs. “I wish I could but…” She stops suddenly.

  “But what?”

  She doesn’t answer and this time, I can tell her silence is a meaningful one. This usually means there’s something she wants to tell me but doesn’t want to upset me.

  “What?” I ask again, curious.

  “Never mind,” she says.

  “Pam.” I look at her insistently.

  She gives another sigh. “You say you trust Nathan. But do you even know him? Like, really know him?”

  Now, I’m really curious. And worried.

  “Pam, what are you not telling me?”

  Again, with the silence.

  “Oh, no. You’re not going to leave me hanging here. Now, spill the beans.”

  She looks at me. “Fine. Do you remember Elaine? She’s a news writer just like me.”

  “No. Why?”

  “Well, she’s working on this story about the trade on rhino horns. You know that’s illegal, right?”

  I nod.

  “Of course, you do. You’re the animal expert.”

  “Pam.” I try to steer her back on track. “Cut to the chase, will you?”

  Pam takes a deep breath. Moment of truth.

  “Well, the name of Nathan’s company came up.”

  My eyebrows crease. “Landers Innovations?”

  “That is his company, right?”

  “Are you saying his company is involved in the illegal trade of rhino horns?”

  “And possibly other poached goods.”

  I shake my head. “Absurd. Landers Innovations is in the tech industry. Why would he deal with wildlife goods?”

  “I was wondering the same thing. Then I remembered how Landers Innovations developed an app for tracking wildlife.”

  “They did?”

  “It’s not too well-known, but I found a few articles on it,” Pam answers. “What if it’s a cover-up, Sam?”

  I don’t even entertain the thought. “No. There’s no way Nathan would be involved in something like this. Why would he be? He’s already making enough money from his products.”

  “Enough money? Do you really think businessmen can have enough money?”

  “You’re wrong, Pam. You were wrong about him before, and you’re wrong about him now.”

  “This is not an opinion, Sam. This is a fact.”

  “Well, it’s wrong. Your friend’s facts are wrong.”

  “I looked into them myself, for your sake.”

  “You shouldn’t have.”

  Pam exhales deeply, looking down. “As I thought, your mind is clouded.”

  I, too, sigh as I get up and grab my purse. “I have to go. I still need to rest.”

  This conversation has proven exhausting.

  She picks up her cup. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

  “It’s not a warning,” I insist. “It’s an attempt to bring him down, to ruin what he and I have.”

  “I—”

  I look at her. “I was really hoping you’d support me, you know. But it’s fine. We’ll do just fine, even without anyone’s support.”

  “Sam…”

  I don’t listen. I don’t look back.

  I leave the café, leaving my best friend behind for the first time.

  It’s fine.

  True, my heart is heavy, but I’m not mad at her, really. Pam’s just being Pam. I’m just sad that we had to argue. But then, even best friends argue sometimes.

  At any rate, I’m not going to think about it. Not right now.

  I have a date to prepare for with the man who’s everything I ever dreamed of and more.

  I wonder what surprise he has in store for me.

  ***

  “Now, open your eyes.”

  I obey Nathan’s command, clasping a hand over my mouth as I gasp in wonder at what he’s prepared.

  A candlelit dinner just for the two of us on the deck of the yacht, the sea glistening beyond us, and the stars sparkling above.

  Romantic.

  Perfect.

  He puts an arm around me. “Like it?”

  “How can I not?”

  “I actually thought hard about this. I thought about bringing you to a zoo, but something tells me you don’t like seeing animals in cages.”

  “No, I don’t.”

  “Then I thought of bringing you to a restaurant inside an aquarium, but I was afraid you’d feel stifled. You’re claustrophobic, aren’t you?”

  I look at him. “You’ve noticed?”

  “Of course I have, since that first elevator ride.”

  “Really? Sorry.”

  Nathan shakes his head. “There’s no need to apologize for what you fear. Anyway, I figured I’d bring you somewhere open. And this occurred to me.” He gestures toward the sea. “I’m glad you like it.”

  “Of course.” I give him a light kiss on the cheek. “Thanks.”

  He grins. “Don’t thank me just yet.”

  I smile, my heart that hasn’t even slowed down yet skipping a beat.

  There’s more?

  He grabs my hand. “Shall we eat?”

  I go with him. “And while we do, why don’t you tell me more about yourself?”

  Of all the things Pam said, she was right about one thing — I don’t know Nathan all that well. But that’s going to change after tonight.

  After tonight, nothing is going to come between Nathan and me.

  ***

  “You got thirteen stitches?” My eyes grow wide in disbelief.

  He shrugs. “What can I say? I was young and reckless.”

  “And stupid,” I add.

  “That, too.” He takes a sip from his glass of wine. “Aren’t the stupidest moments of our lives some of the most memorable?”

  “You mean we can’t just forget them even though we want to? Like they just surface when we least expect them, and then we end up either laughing out loud or grimacing and wanting to hit our heads against a wall?”

  He looks at me. “What’s the stupidest thing you’ve ever done?”

  “Me?” I pause to think. “Well, I once stole chocolates from a box in the fridge.”

  “That’s not stupid.”

  “It certainly felt like it after my mom scolded me.” I take a sip from my own glass. “Oh, and there was a time I tried to milk a cow and the milk ended up squirting all over me instead.”

  “Hmm.” Nathan’s eyes narrow. “A milk-coated Samantha.”

  “Shut up.” I punch his shoulder playfully then sit back and look up at the stars. “It all seems so long ago now.”

  “You mean you’ve come so far.”

  I shrug. “I guess.”

  He looks at me. “So, what are you going to do about that new job assignment?”

  I give another shrug. “I really haven’t thought much about it.”

  “You still don’t
want to accept it because I arranged it?”

  “You didn’t have to, you know.”

  “I couldn’t have you fired because of me.”

  “Because of you?”

  “That’s why you and Casey were fighting, right?”

  “Is that what she told you?”

  “That’s what someone told me.”

  I wonder who. “Well, you were misinformed. It wasn’t even Casey I was fighting with. It was her friend, Denise. And we fought mostly because she was trying to get my camera.”

  “Why?”

  “She was just being mean. Just picking on me.”

  “Because she had heard you were with me, and she doesn’t approve.”

  Sometimes, I forget he knows women so well, probably because I want to.

  I sigh. “Fine. It’s all because of you. And then you felt guilty so you decided to ask my boss to give me my dream job. Couldn’t you have just convinced him not to fire me?”

  “I didn’t want a repeat of your… squabble.”

  “Squabble?” That’s the best word he can come up with?

  “Neither did the Rockfords. You had to be transferred. I just offered a suggestion. Everyone seemed happy with it.”

  “Everyone but me.”

  His eyes meet mine. “Are you still unhappy?”

  “No,” I answer. “Just confused. Like I said, I haven’t really thought about it.”

  He takes another sip of wine. “Have I been distracting you?”

  I chuckle. “You have such a big ego, don’t you?”

  “It’s not the only thing big about me.”

  I blush. “I know.”

  Boy, do I know.

  Just the thought of it is enough to make me feel a stronger heat than the one from the alcohol.

  “Now, before you get all excited, and we get carried away, I have something to give you.” He sits up. “Close your eyes.”

  “Again?”

  “Unless you don’t want another surprise.”

  I close my eyes, my mind racing as I try to guess what else Nathan has in store. A present, clearly. But what? A bottle of perfume? Car keys? A watch? A necklace?

  A diamond ring?

  I feel something thin and light on my palm.

  What’s this?

  “Now, open them.”

  I immediately do, seeing a map in my hand.

  A map?

  Wait. It’s not just any map. It’s a map of… Kruger National Park.

  Holy shit.

  “Is this…? Are we…?”

  I can’t even form sentences anymore, my excitement too much to handle.

  Nathan chuckles. “That’s right, Sam. I’m going to Africa for a conference and I’m bringing you with me.” He plants a kiss on my cheek. “We’re going to Africa.”

  Chapter 13

  Return to the Jungle

  Africa.

  The world’s second largest continent.

  A vast expanse of diverse natural landscapes.

  An adventurer’s paradise.

  An animal lover’s dream destination.

  Ever since I can remember, I’ve dreamed of coming here, of watching the lionesses hunt, of feeling the earth shaking beneath the hooves of the wildebeests and majestic elephants, of hearing the leaves in the trees rustling as the monkeys swing from branch to branch.

  Now, I’m here.

  Even as we enter the vast national park that is the first in South Africa and one of the largest game reserves in the continent, I still can’t believe I’m here.

  Everywhere I look, my eyes grow wide with wonder, and sometimes, I have to put down my camera just so I can admire the beauty and the scenery with my own eyes and capture it in my heart.

  Incredible.

  “So, how does it feel to actually be looking at animals instead of just imaging people as them?” Nathan asks, breaking the silence that’s been lingering over the backseat of the jeep.

  He’s been quiet mostly, but I can tell he’s been watching me.

  “Great,” I answer, tucking a few strands of hair that have been floating in the breeze behind my ear. “They’re even more magnificent than I thought they’d be.”

  “You haven’t been able to take your sparkling eyes off them. I’m starting to feel jealous.”

  I look at him and at the pout I see on his lips, I immediately feel guilty. I’m aware I haven’t been paying much attention to him since the plane landed. And to think he’s the one who brought me here.

  “I…”

  “Just kidding.” He gives me a quick kiss. “I want you to have the time of your life while we’re here.”

  ***

  “These pictures are perfect,” Nathan says as he goes through my slideshow of the day.

  While Nathan is busy with his conference, I roam the park on foot, on a bicycle and in a jeep with a private guide.

  Sure, I wish he were with me, seeing the things I’m seeing, but with my trusty camera for company and an endless array of landscapes and creatures to snap pictures of, I’m more than happy.

  I’ve never taken so many pictures in my life, some taken carefully for my portfolio, others snapped without thinking just to capture the moment, my finger pressing the shutter on its own.

  The more pictures I take, the more I realize these are the pictures I should really be taking, and the voice inside my head telling me to accept the job at the Seeker grows louder.

  Why am I even hesitating? It’s what I’ve been dreaming of, right?

  So what if Nathan helped me get it? I’m still qualified, and I sure as hell am going to prove I deserve the job.

  But that’s not the problem. The problem is what I’ve feared all along: heartbreak.

  If I accept the job, I’ll be away from Nathan most of the time. He’s busy. I’ll be busy. We’ll be miles apart. We’ll fall apart.

  It’s not pessimism. It’s reality.

  The question is, can I handle it?

  “What’s wrong?” Nathan asks, both of us lying beneath the sheets and behind the lace canopy in our air-conditioned bedroom. No matter how tired we both are, we always make it a point to spend time with each other.

  “Nothing,” I answer quickly. “Just thinking about that job offer.”

  “You’re wondering if you should accept it, aren’t you?”

  “Yes,” I admit with a sigh. “I was just thinking, it isn’t bad to do this on a regular basis.”

  “Not bad? Wasn’t it your dream?”

  “I know. It’s just…”

  Should I tell him?

  No. If I do, he’ll just try to encourage me to accept the job even more. Nathan isn’t the kind of man who wants to stand in the way of a woman’s dreams.

  I want to make this decision on my own.

  “I need more time to think about it,” I say.

  “If you say so. By the way, I have something to tell you.”

  “What?” Why is it that I get so jumpy each time he says that?

  “There’s a party tomorrow night to wrap up the conference. I’d like to bring you.”

  Bring me? To a gathering of corporate executives and their snobbish wives?

  Yes, I’m used to attending parties by now. But this time, I’m not going as a photographer. I’m not covering the party.

  I’m going as Nathan’s date and meeting his colleagues for the first time.

  “Hey.” Nathan squeezes my tense shoulders. “It’s not the end of the world. It’s just a party. You’ve been to a lot of parties, haven’t you? Just think of this as another one.”

  Yeah, right.

  “Just think of the others as animals like you always do. This is Africa, after all.”

  Very funny.

  “You’ll be just fine.”

  “I don’t know. I…” I try to come up with a hasty excuse. “I don’t have anything to wear.”

  “Oh, is that all?” Nathan grins. “Don’t worry. I happen to have just the thing.”

  ***

 
He happened to have just the thing?

  Just this exquisite jade gown, the color of which happens to set off my auburn hair perfectly and the size of which fits me just right? In his suitcase?

  Bullshit.

  Nathan planned for this party all along. He planned to show me off from the beginning.

  That thought scares me even more.

  I try to conceal my fear, though, as I walk into the crowded pavilion on Nathan’s arm.

  Animals can smell fear.

  Indeed, I’m following Nathan’s advice and thinking of them as animals again.

  Lions. Leopards. Zebras. African buffalos. Hippos.

  This way, I can genuinely smile at them, even though my heart is pounding like a drum and my knees are quaking beneath my gown.

  Some of them smile back, though it’s probably just the Flehmen response (like when a dogs snarls, raising its upper lip) — gauging the atmosphere and smelling the air to see what’s afoot. Others stare and watch me like monkeys with curious eyes, waiting for me to do either something spectacular or something funny. As for the rest, I swear I can hear them snarling.

  I try not to mind. I’m not here to please or entertain anyone.

  I’m here because Nathan asked me to be.

  He leads me around the pavilion, introducing me to his colleagues and the heads of other tech companies. I get to meet some of his company’s executives for the first time, as well.

  “Finally, we meet the enchanting Samantha Willis,” Shawn, the head of Nathan’s marketing department, who I liken to a baboon, says. “We’ve heard so much about you.”

  Really? I didn’t know Nathan had been talking about me.

  “All good things, I hope.”

  “Wonderful things,” he answers, turning to the man beside him. “Right, Alfred?”

  Alfred just nods. A quiet guy, uncomfortable with crowds. A cheetah?

  “Alfred is the head of Tech Research,” Nathan informs me. “And this man here…” He puts his arm around the shoulder of a man with black hair and eyes. “Is my VP, Edgar Brooks. He’s been with me since I started the company.”

  “Pleased to meet you.” Edgar shakes my hand.

  I look at him. A jackal? Or a hawk?

  “We got our MBAs together,” Edgar chips in. “I guess you can say I’m the closest thing Nathan has to a best buddy, though he’ll never admit it, of course.”