by Claire Adams
"No, thanks. I've got some contacts to meet. There are always people here looking to hire Beta Testers or sponsor players," I said.
My father frowned. He did not believe me. "I have to get back to work. You'll take a cab directly home?"
"Don't worry. I'll be fine," I said.
It was hard to believe my own words as I wandered through the ballroom. People shook my hand and chatted about the game, but it was all just casual interest. I recognized some of the people that represented Owen's sponsorships, but when I approached them, they only gave me cheap swag. I walked away with lanyards, pens, a free t-shirt, and bumper stickers.
The only thing my ranking had done was qualify me for another tournament. If I was going to leverage my playing into any sort of job, it was going to be a very steep uphill battle.
Is it worth it? I wondered again.
I loved it, that much I knew. The thrill of the game, the way it felt so natural and right. But maybe my father was right and it was only an interesting hobby. Everyone I met had a day job outside of the gaming world except Owen. And Anya.
"You look like you were hoping for laurels and medals. Not quite the big win you thought you were getting, huh?" Anya appeared behind me.
"At least I played honorably," I said.
"Please. You sound like such a newbie. The whole point of Dark Flag is that it mirrors the free will of real life. You don't lose points for doing something dishonorable. If it hadn't been a judged tournament challenge, you would have been dead," Anya said.
"So what did your play get you?" I asked. "It’s not like sponsors are lining up to endorse your style of playing."
"You forget, newbie, that I don't need sponsors to play. I've already made enough money to support myself for the rest of three life spans. I'm not some little girl getting taken care of by daddy."
"You don't know anything about me," I countered. My chest burned and I pressed hard against it, worried she might be right.
"Face it," Anya said, "you're not even in his league."
There, at least, she was wrong. I looked where she nodded across the ballroom and caught sight of Owen. My heart jumped, remembering the intimate tangle of our bodies. He might be a celebrity in the gaming world, a towering hero in Dark Flag, but wrapped in the blankets of my bed, he and I were on a level playing field. My mind flashed over the feel of his strong shoulders under my kneading fingers, the ragged catch of his breath as we came together. I had seen the ecstasy and relief on his face when we were together.
I left Anya standing with her smug smile and wove through the crowd to Owen. It did not matter that everything else felt like a mess, I knew the touch of our hands would feel right. I slipped next to him and reached for his fingers.
"Oh, Quinn. There you are," Owen said. He pulled back his hand. "The panel discussion has been pushed back an hour. I can't do lunch, but you can have this buffet voucher they gave me. Maybe we can meet up afterwards."
His eyes skimmed past me and found someone else he wanted to talk to more than me. I could not find a single word to say, so I turned around and left. I fought my way out of the crowded ballroom and through the Luxor's towering lobby. It felt like I could not breathe until I pushed through the front doors and walked out onto The Strip.
The day was heating up and most visitors jumped directly in cabs. I took off down the sidewalk, glad for the space and the movement. I needed to walk off the acidic feelings Anya's nasty comments and Owen's cold responses had stirred up inside me.
I told myself I was glad to be all on my own. I needed time to think. Though when my phone rang, I picked up immediately.
"Quinn? How are you, honey? Your lab partner just stopped by and told me you quit the nursing program. Where are you?" Darla asked.
"I'm in Vegas," I said. "I just ranked third in another Dark Flag tournament."
"That's awesome, but are you okay? You sound funny."
"I don't know. I just feel lost. I'm supposed to know exactly what I want to do with my life, but I can't even figure out what to do with the rest of this afternoon," I said.
Darla laughed. "You overthink everything. Don't worry, something will come up."
I did not have time to respond. There was a horrible screech and the smell of burnt rubber. Directly in front of me a car with Iowa license plates, full of tourists, slammed on its brakes before missing a right hand turn off The Strip. It barely missed hitting two people in the crosswalk. The car behind them swerved to avoid a collision and bumped up onto the sidewalk. The few pedestrians scattered and more than one person screamed as the car slammed into a light post.
"Oh my God. What was that?" Darla screamed into the phone.
"I'm fine, but there was an accident right in front of me. I have to go help." I hung up the phone and ran up the sidewalk.
I scanned the people on the sidewalk. Most had leapt out of the way. A few had fallen but had only bumps and bruises. One woman was crying and holding her ankle.
"I know first aid," I said, "Don't move. I'll be right back to help."
Steam pumped up from the black sedan's hood where it wrapped around the lamp post. Inside, the air bags were just deflating. I could see there was only one person in the car. The young man driving was thrown back in his seat, his eyes closed. I yanked on the driver's side door and pounded on the glass when I saw it was locked.
"Sir? Sir? Can you unlock your door? You need help and I know first aid," I called through the glass.
His eyes fluttered and finally opened. With a bleary look, he fumbled for the lock switch and then closed his eyes again. As I pulled open the door, I heard his groan of pain.
"Don't move. It looks like you may have broken your right arm, but I'm going to take care of that cut on your forehead first, if that’s okay with you." I pulled a pack of tissues from my purse and blotted the blood from his face.
He waved my hands away. "I'm fine. I'm fine. I didn't hit anyone, did I?" He struggled to get out of the car.
"You are not fine and if you feel fine, then it’s only the shock talking. I hear sirens, help is on the way. Until they get here, you are going to stay still and let me help you," I said.
He refused and got out of the car. I spied a long scarf on the passenger seat and grabbed it before I caught him and forced him to stop wandering down the hot sidewalk.
"If you insist on moving around, I'm going to have to put your arm in a sling," I said.
"That's my mother's scarf," he said.
"Then she won't mind." I threw it over his shoulder and tucked his injured arm inside. Immobilizing his arm was the only way to keep the break from getting worse. Then, I pressed a wad of clean tissues against the cut on his forehead. I brought his uninjured hand up to hold it in place. "A woman over there hurt her ankle. Everyone else is fine. You're going to stay still while I go help her."
He winced but nodded. I ran over to a free newspaper machine and grabbed a few copies. Rolling them up created a splint that would keep her ankle stable until she could be transported to an emergency room. I used three hairbands the woman handed me to secure the splint in place.
"Nice work," a voice said behind me.
I looked up to see an EMT in a dark blue uniform. "Sorry. I know the traffic on The Strip can delay you guys, so I thought I would try to help."
"And you did. That splint will hold, so it’s better if we don't touch it. You'll be fine, ma'am, your hero did a great job. How's the driver?" the EMT asked.
"His arm is broken, so I secured it in a sling. He's in shock and keeps trying to walk away. There's also a cut on his forehead, but it seems superficial. The bleeding is already slowing," I said. "I am, I mean, I was a nursing student."
"Doesn't matter about your training," the EMT said. "You've got good instincts and that's what matters out here. I've seen the best surgeons in the world choke when it comes to accidents. It takes a certain kind of person to be able to jump in, assess, and then help people."
"It didn't feel like a choice," I
admitted. "I just did it."
"Like I said, instincts." The EMT smiled at me. "Maybe you should consider a change of career."
I heard his words over and over again as I waited at the scene. The police arrived seconds later and asked me to explain the accident. I described the car with the Iowa plates. It had driven off as soon as the black sedan crashed. The pedestrians all agreed with me that the driver of the black sedan was only trying to prevent a worse accident by swerving off the road.
After I was done, an older couple were waiting to talk to me. The officers introduced them as the driver's parents.
"He was coming to pick us up so we did not have to walk in the heat," his mother said. There was a heavy catch in her voice. "He could have been killed."
"Your son is a smart man, he was wearing his seatbelt," I said.
"Even so, he got hurt," she said. "Thank God you kept such a clear head. Everyone said you jumped in right away. We wanted to say thank you."
They insisted that I come with them to the ambulance where their son was waiting to go to the hospital and have his broken arm set. He smiled when he saw me.
"You were right, my mother did not care that you used her scarf," he said.
"Oh, Evan, don't be silly," the older woman said. She swatted his foot as he sat on the gurney in the ambulance.
"Thank you," Evan said. "You saved me."
"That's a bit dramatic," I told him.
He laughed, "Well, you at least stopped me from wandering off and hurting my arm more. You should hear the horror stories the EMTs are telling about what people accidentally do when they are in shock."
Evan's father cleared his throat. "Before you go, isn't there something else you wanted to say?"
Evan rolled his eyes. "I'm thirty, but they still treat me like I'm a kid. I wanted to thank you properly and invite you to have dinner with us tomorrow night."
I shook my head. "That is not necessary. Thank you, but no."
"Please, we insist," Evan's mother said. "We have reservations at the new Bellagio restaurant. Five stars, or so we heard. You have to join us."
I blinked. It was too much like a fairytale. It only took a second glance to realize the wealth of the couple and their adult son. She wore diamond stud earrings that flashed brighter than supernovas, her husband had the most expensive watch I had ever seen, and the totaled car was a brand new top-of-the-line Mercedes. And people paid thousands of dollars just for a reservation at the restaurant she had casually mentioned.
"No, really," I said, "I'm just glad I could help."
"At least tell me your name," Evan said. The EMTs helped his parents into the ambulance and then climbed into the rig and got ready to shut the doors.
"Quinn Thomas," I said. "I live nearby."
Evan waved through the doors of the ambulance as they pulled away. I wondered why I had included the information about where I was from, but then again it was not every day that I saved a handsome rich man.
"Quinn? Are you alright? What the hell happened out here?" Owen grabbed my arm from out of nowhere.
"Oh, I was just walking along when Evan swerved to avoid hitting another car. He totaled his Mercedes and broke his arm. I put it in a sling and helped stopped the bleeding on his head before the EMTs got here." I stopped, realizing that I was rambling.
"Who the hell is Evan?" Owen asked.
His jealousy hit me off guard and I did not know whether to laugh or scream.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Owen
My heart was hammering. I had watched Quinn leave the Luxor ballroom. She had marched out without looking at anything. That was when I had realized her father had not talked to her. She had no idea why I suddenly was giving her space. In her mind, I had slept with her, then publicly turned away from her again and again.
I had pushed my way through group after group of Dark Flag fans. By the time I had reached the front doors of the Luxor, I could hear the ambulance sirens. My heart had dropped onto the pavement as I ran down the sidewalk to find Quinn.
Half a block away, I had overheard two women talking about a heroic bystander. She had jumped forward to help when everyone else was still standing back in shock and fear. I had prayed it was Quinn; it had sounded exactly what she would have done. Then, when I saw it really was her, the relief left me unfiltered.
She glowed, and it never even occurred to me it was the adrenaline. The way she smiled at the handsome injured man in the ambulance pushed my blood pressure to the clouds. His name on her lips was too much.
"Who the hell is Evan?" I asked.
Quinn's eyebrows crashed together in a frown. "The driver. The man that just went off to the hospital with a broken arm."
"And let me guess, he was just dying to find a way to thank you," I said.
She pushed past me and stormed down the sidewalk. I caught up to her in two steps and grabbed her elbow. I wanted to tell her how afraid I was when I heard the sirens, but the words would not form.
"His parents wanted to take me to dinner as a thank you. What is wrong with that? It’s not like I have plans with anyone," Quinn said.
"Then let's make plans," I said. I wrapped her arm in mine and pulled her back towards the Luxor. "I don't care if it’s pizza in your parents' basement, but whatever you are doing tomorrow night it’s with me."
I did not have time to decipher the narrow flash of her eyes. As soon as we walked into the Luxor lobby, I caught sight of Anya. Despite the small knot of fawning young men, she pursed her lips and gave Quinn a hard stare. She then stepped over to the judge that happened to be standing nearby and whispered something in his ear.
"What is up with her?" Quinn asked. She had noticed Anya's barbed looks.
"Whatever it is, it looks like we have to address it right now," I said.
Anya marched the judge over to meet us. "I've heard from quite a few other players that Quinn's performance was remarkable. Too remarkable. I'm sorry, Owen, but it seems like maybe you coached her."
"And what's wrong with giving pointers to newbies?" I asked.
"It’s against the rules for sponsored players," the judge said.
Quinn yanked her arm out of mine. She grabbed the judge's phone from his hands and gave him her login and password. "There. Now you can check my play from last night. Owen's alibi happens to be standing right here." Quinn gave Anya a sharp look.
The judge scrolled through the play log and found the moment she detected the Shattering Mirror Charm. "Yes, it’s right here. And I'm to understand that you were with Mr. Redd last night at 11 p.m.?"
Anya crossed her hands over her chest. "Yes, that's right."
"Then, it is clear that Ms. Thomas discovered the move on her own and there was no direct coaching involved. Now, if you'll excuse me." The judge disappeared back into the ballroom with Anya on his heels.
"That was awful," I said. I reached for Quinn, but she stepped back.
"Kind of like this whole morning. I can't even enjoy my one success."
"You're right. It was a huge success. You should be proud."
"Really? Where was all of that an hour ago? You know, when you ignored me in the ballroom. I know I'm just a newbie, but I thought maybe we were closer than that," Quinn said.
"I know, I acted stupidly. I thought you wanted your space. I mean, with your father watching and everything that happened yesterday."
"Yesterday is exactly why I thought I could expect a little more from you," she said.
Her eyes flashed over me and I remembered them turning to dark brown chocolate as she had melted underneath me. The memory was enough to make me feel hot again.
I cleared my throat. "Was that before or after you quit your nursing program and then agreed to go back and live with your parents? I'm sorry if I had some trouble keeping up."
"If it’s so much trouble, then why do you keep butting into my life?" Quinn asked. "It’s either you or my father telling me which way to go and I'm getting sick of it. I came here and did a great jo
b on my own, and not only does that go unacknowledged, but I'm accused of getting my skills directly from you. No one believes I can do anything on my own." She looked towards the doors and bit her lip.
"That Evan seems to believe you did just fine on your own," I said.
"And what's with the jealousy?" Quinn asked. "Coming from a man that spent the night with a friend who clearly has the hots for you, it seems ridiculous."
"You know it’s not like that between Anya and me," I protested.
"No. I don't know that. You just expect me to believe it. Just like my father expects me to believe that what he decides is best for me. I'm sick of it! Life should not be this complicated."
She dodged around me and headed for the doors.
"Where are you going?" I asked.
"To get a cab."
"Come on, let me drive you home," I said. "It’s the least I can do to make it up to you."
"Don't you have work to do?"
I shook my head. "It’s optional. I'd get paid, but I don't have to do it. And right now, the most important thing to me is driving you home safely."
She did not talk as we found the car and started towards Summerlin. I racked my brain to find a safe subject to talk about.
"So, what would you like your non-complicated life to look like?" I asked.
Quinn frowned out the window. "That's easy. All I want is a job that I like that supports me and lets me be independent."
"Sounds practical." I wondered how much her parents had lectured her the night before. "What happened to using your talents? The game today showed you are really good."
"Turns out I'm really good administering emergency first aid too," Quinn said. "So I don't see anything wrong with finding both a job and a hobby that I love."
"The hard part is figuring out which is which," I said. "It took me years to realize gaming was more than just a hobby for me."
"Well, not that many people can make a lifestyle out of it. You either have to be well-connected, experienced, and sponsored like you or filthy rich like Anya. I didn't see many other people like that today. Everyone else had day jobs, but they were not enjoying themselves any less," Quinn said.