by Radclyffe
Aimee kissed her. “I have a feeling Olivia is going to take after you in a lot of ways—she’s already told me she was born to ride.”
Lesley Davis lives in the West Midlands of England. She is a die-hard science-fiction/fantasy fan in all its forms and an extremely passionate gamer. When her Nintendo 3DS is out of her grasp, Lesley is to be found seated before the computer writing.
This story features characters from Playing Passion’s Game.
The Game Changer
Lesley Davis
“Tell me again why we’re here?”
Juliet Sullivan laughed at her best friend’s exasperated tone as they were bumped and jostled by pedestrians on one of Chicago’s busier streets. Juliet tightened her hold on Monica Hughes’s arm as she helped steer her through the crowd.
“We’re here to support the Baydale Reapers as they take one step further in fulfilling their ambition to be the number-one clan in their league.” Juliet’s gaze drifted over the group of people she and Monica were following. “I, however, am really here to cheer on that gorgeous hunk of butchness that is my lover as she does just one of the many things she excels at.”
Monica snorted back a laugh. “Oh, I’m well aware of her many talents, courtesy of your inability to keep that sexually fulfilled look off your face.”
Juliet’s answering grin was unrepentant. “I’ll freely admit there are things my Trent can do that don’t require an audience. She’s amazingly gifted.” She watched Trent walking with the others. She stood head and shoulders above everyone except her friend Elton. Six feet tall with a lean, muscular build, Trent was dressed head to toe in black and cut a handsome figure that never failed to set Juliet’s heart racing.
“Will you stop cruising your girl while we’re fighting against the tide of humanity here? We’re just trying to get from the damn parking garage to the hotel, for heaven’s sake. Whose dumb idea was it to stay in one that didn’t have the garage attached? These heels aren’t meant for strenuous walking.” Monica bumped Juliet with her hip. “And you can just quit it now. That look in your eyes is bordering on indecent.”
Juliet smiled at Monica’s teasing. She wasn’t embarrassed at being caught checking out her lover’s body. “I can’t help it. I’m admiring her swagger and enjoying the view of her ass in those jeans.”
Monica shook her head. “Well, it’s no wonder you’re salivating over her if you’ve been subjected to the same treatment I’ve had to put up with this past week.”
Curious, Juliet reluctantly pulled her gaze away from Trent. “Subjected to what?”
“The ‘no sex before a big tournament’ rule,” Monica said. “I swear if I wanted to be left high and dry, I’d have dated the sporty type and not the geeky pirate king.” She gestured toward her boyfriend, who bore a strange resemblance to Captain Jack Sparrow with his wild long hair and plaited beard.
“Elton said you two couldn’t have sex before this competition?” Juliet wanted to be sure she was hearing this correctly.
“He’s been up all hours ‘playing,’ and not with me!” Monica shot Juliet a suspicious look. “He hasn’t been up all night online with Trent?”
Juliet shook her head. “No, Trent has been by my side every night.” She couldn’t help herself from adding saucily, “Or above me, or under me…”
Monica visibly fumed. “You’ve had sex?”
Juliet knew her grin was only infuriating Monica more, but she was powerless to stop it. “Yes, several times, all week, every night.”
“Fuck me,” Monica growled. “Or not, as it happens.”
Juliet hugged Monica. “I’m sorry, Monica. I guess my Trent subscribes to a different set of gaming rules.”
“Great. You got the gaming geek who still plays with your joystick while I got the one who pulls a Zen Master Jedi mind trick on me.”
“I guess everyone has their own way of preparing for an important tournament.” Juliet smiled, aware of Trent’s attention shifting to her as she finished her conversation with Elton. Trent had been doing that periodically—catching her eye—from the moment Elton had split them up to talk “team tactics.”
“And don’t think I haven’t noticed she’s keeping an eye on you, while the man of my dreams probably hasn’t taken a break from his team-building spiel.”
“She always looks after me.” Juliet winked at Trent to reassure her she was okay. She got a smile in return that made her ache to be beside her. But the weekend wasn’t about them being together, it was about the Reapers and their gaming. She could afford to let the Reapers play with Trent for a little while.
“Rick’s holding hands with Zoe while Elton’s droning on,” Monica pointed out with a grumble.
“They’re on the team and they are together. It doesn’t count.”
“I bet they had sex too.”
“Be sure to ask them over dinner tonight,” Juliet commented dryly, more than amused at her friend’s peevishness. She wondered how she would have coped not having Trent touch her for a week. She craved the connection with her all the time, a look, a touch, a kiss that lingered just a little too long before they had to go to work. She’d have been just as put out as Monica was now if she’d not had that closeness. “If the Reapers win, you’ll know your enforced celibacy was worth every minute.” At Monica’s disbelieving look, Juliet said, “Elton’s probably going to want to celebrate.”
“I packed his favorite black corset of mine,” Monica said, feverishly planning ahead. “He likes how it lifts everything up.” She cast a wicked look at her chest, which was decoratively displayed in a frilly white gothic shirt. Monica’s face suddenly fell again.
“What now?” Juliet was losing patience with her friend’s mercurial mood swings.
“He’d better be giving them a rousing speech because I need this team to damn well win. I need some post-gaming sexcapades!”
Juliet’s laughter brought Trent’s attention back to her.
Win or lose, babe, Juliet thought, we’ll celebrate because you’re always a winner in my eyes.
*
The hotel lobby was busy and Trent let Juliet lead while she carried their suitcase. She tried not to smirk at Elton, wheeling two large cases behind him. Monica’s signature gothic style obviously meant an extra case for just the weekend. While Elton was listening to Monica, Rick and Zoe were talking with Chris and Eddie.
“He’ll cramp my style, man,” Chris whined. “What if I find myself a fine young lady? I can’t bring her back to my room if I’m sharing with Eddie. He watches pay-per-view porn paid for by his mother, for Christ’s sake!”
Eddie ignored the laughter at his expense. “She gives me her charge card to pay for my half of the room. I tell her I watch the sports channels.”
Trent shook her head at him. “Eddie, we’ve got to get you a girlfriend.”
“I would love that,” Eddie said, “but it’s hard for me to be noticed when you’re the one the girl groupies trip over themselves to impress.” He nudged Juliet. “Did she tell you about the one who bared her boobs while we were playing Halo at one tournament?”
Trent groaned inwardly at the pointed look Juliet gave her.
“No,” Juliet said. “Oddly enough she didn’t. I guess it must have slipped her mind.”
Elton cut in smoothly. “Trent never missed a beat, she wasn’t distracted at all. But the guys on the opposing team were busy swallowing their tongues and got slaughtered. It was awesome. We wiped them out while they were still wiping the drool off their chins.”
“You weren’t even a tiny bit distracted, Trent?” Monica asked as they all piled into the elevator.
“I was playing. No one distracts me when I’m gaming, except for a certain beautiful blonde.”
Possessively, Juliet rested her hand on Trent’s chest. “Just so you’re aware, should any woman dare to flash her boobs at you anytime during this tournament, I swear I will rip them off and beat her to death with them!”
Everyone burst out laugh
ing.
“They wouldn’t even catch my eye, my darling. No one compares to you, Jule.” Trent risked a peek at Juliet’s ample cleavage before looking back up into Juliet’s bright-blue eyes. She could tell by the intensity of Juliet’s gaze that her desire had been easily read.
Juliet pulled back from Trent a fraction. “I do believe the groupies are all yours, Eddie.”
He cheered and was still grinning like a fool when he was dragged from the elevator by a long-suffering Chris. Zoe and Rick stepped off too to find their room. The doors closed behind them.
“He is so not groupie fodder,” Elton said. “I foresee a future of X-rated bills on his mother’s card.”
Trent disagreed. “Hey, if I can find my soul mate, maybe Eddie can too.”
Elton sighed dramatically. “Juliet, you have turned my best friend into a hopeless romantic. I hope you’re satisfied.”
The elevator reached their floor and Juliet stepped off first.
“I’m perfectly satisfied, Mr. Simons,” she said. “Which is more than can be said for your girlfriend.”
Monica high-fived her as they walked down the corridor to their adjacent rooms. Elton and Trent got off the elevator and hung back as Elton struggled with his cases.
“What am I missing here?” Elton asked, looking truly perplexed.
“A word to the wise, my friend,” Trent said, patting him on his shoulder. “The whole celibate, purifying your gaming aura before a big tournament was okay when you were single. But you have a girlfriend now.” She waited for Elton to get what she was hinting at. He still looked puzzled. “No sex pisses her off, dude.”
He sighed gustily. “Having a girlfriend alters everything.”
“It’s a game changer, that’s for sure. But it’s worth it.” Trent followed Juliet’s path down to their room where she stood waiting with a smile on her face. It’s worth every change you make to be with the one you love.
*
The hotel room was spacious, light, and clean. Trent placed their case by the bed and shucked off her backpack. She turned to find Juliet right in front of her. The look in her eye rooted Trent to the spot.
“You know Elton is going to expect everyone to just drop their bags off and head out to the venue.” Trent’s voice held a note of warning, but Juliet’s intensity made her skin tingle and her hands itch to reach out and touch.
“He can wait a moment.” Juliet slipped her hand behind Trent’s head and pulled her down for a searing kiss.
The familiar warmth of Juliet’s lips stole Trent’s breath away. She moaned as Juliet’s tongue tangled with hers, tasting her, teasing her, as the kiss grew deeper. Trent grasped Juliet’s hips, tugging her closer, relishing the press of Juliet’s breasts against hers. Unable to resist, she slipped Juliet’s blouse free from her jeans and sought flesh. Trent was hungry for her, needing to get as close as possible. She craved every inch of her. Desperately, Trent tried to temper her roughness. The urge to take Juliet where she stood raged through her. Her kiss grew more feverish as she worked at the button on Juliet’s jeans. She was seconds away from her goal when her phone rang. Trent tore her mouth from Juliet’s.
“Goddammit, Elton!” She recognized his familiar ring tone and snatched the phone from her pocket. Gruffly she answered, “What?”
There was silence on the other end of the line for a moment and then Elton asked, “Testing out the hotel bed already?”
Trent rubbed her cheek on Juliet’s hair while Juliet held her tightly. “What do you want, Elton?”
“We’re going to check out the venue. Are you going to join us?”
Trent was torn. She wanted to experience the thrill of seeing their gaming venue for the first time, but she also wanted to stay with Juliet and finish what they had started. “We’ll meet you in the lobby,” she said finally and ended the call. She tossed the phone aside and wrapped her arms around Juliet. “We have to go play with the other kids.”
Laughing, Juliet ran her hand through Trent’s short hair, ruffling the piece that fell across her forehead. “That is why we’re here, after all.”
“But I liked what we were doing here,” Trent admitted softly, her hands trailing gently across Juliet’s back.
“So did I, and we’ll continue later. For now, you need to be Gamer Williams and not my sexy lover.”
“I can be both,” Trent argued.
“I know you can, but I’m not sharing the sexy part with your fellow gamers.” Juliet pulled free from Trent’s arms. “Let me go fix my lipstick, and we’ll get out of here before Elton sends a search party.”
Reluctantly, Trent tucked her T-shirt back into her jeans and stuffed her phone in her pocket. They rode down to the lobby in silence, but the air was full of promises to come. Juliet never let go of Trent’s hand. The connection soothed Trent’s soul.
Monica was leaning against the wall as they stepped off the elevator. She took one look at Juliet’s bruised lips and rolled her eyes. “Girlfriend, I could really learn to hate you two.”
*
The Annual Chicago Gaming Convention was a gamer’s paradise. Rows upon rows of monitors, consoles, and computers lined the stages.
“Glad I didn’t have to help lay those cables,” Elton commented, his eyes shining as he took in the large rooms laid out for their pleasure.
Trent was impressed by the hard work that had gone into filling two conference rooms full of gaming equipment. She couldn’t wait to get started.
“So where will you be playing?” Juliet asked.
“There’s no seating arrangement here. You and Monica need to just pick a spot and hope we’re somewhere in your eye-line.” Trent shrugged apologetically. “Sorry. With so many teams competing it’s a massively choreographed dance to get us all in here at one go.”
“Any chance that groupie will be here this year?”
Trent sent Juliet an exasperated look. “I have no idea. Groupies have a habit of switching allegiances the higher the clan rank or the more prestige the top-ranking player has.”
“So you wouldn’t recognize her if you saw her?”
“Juliet, to be honest, it’s not like anyone was looking at her face. I certainly won’t be looking for her. I didn’t pay attention to her last time and I sure as hell won’t be interested in anything she has to offer this time. I’ve got you. No other woman stands a chance.”
Juliet snuggled into Trent’s side. “You’re a charmer, Trent Williams.”
Trent lifted up her shirtsleeve, exposing the new tattoo inked onto her upper arm. A stylized pink rose bloomed there, emblazoned with Juliet’s name inscribed in an incredibly fancy font. Trent had chosen the Bayonetta lettering because the Umbra Witch from one of her favorite games oozed a raw sex appeal she recognized in her lover. Trent firmly believed that Juliet had brought her own special magic into her life. She trailed her finger over the artwork, tracing the magical symbols that framed the rose. “I have your name on my skin and your love keeping my soul alive. I’m not going to look at another woman, be she bare-breasted or otherwise.”
Juliet touched her name on Trent’s arm and was just about to lean up for a kiss when Elton bounded over to them, effectively shattering the moment.
“Come on, it’s time to play. They’re letting us practice.”
Trent brushed a kiss over Juliet’s smiling lips. “I’ll win for you,” she promised and let herself be dragged away by an excitable Elton.
*
The day sped past in an endless stream of one match after another as the clans battled it out to get their names higher on the leader boards. Trent had already led the Baydale Reapers to victory in a button-mashing Tekken tournament and now she was watching Elton lead the charge in a capture-the-flag game against a formidable foe. In her mind’s eye she was playing the game along with him, seeing where she would have taken chances and silently cheering when Elton’s skill at the game shone through and he scored points in spectacular fashion. She could see Zoe and Rick’s characters fl
anking Elton’s every move as they fought alongside him. Chris was taking part in a dance-off elsewhere that wasn’t part of the actual competition, but he boasted some very serious moves and he enjoyed the attention. Eddie, however, was talking in whispers not far behind her. He was earnestly holding a conversation with a young woman who seemed totally enamored by his every word. Will wonders never cease? Trent hoped this was the start of something good for him. She was drawn back to the game just as a rousing cheer erupted, led by Elton’s distinctive Reaper roar.
“That’s my Elton, ever shy and retiring.” Trent watched him tower over everyone as he shook hands with the team the Baydale Reapers had just beaten. Then, like a huge puppy, he hurried over to Trent and hugged her tightly, swinging her around like she was a child.
“Awesome game, dude.” Trent barely managed to get the words out once he finally let her go from his bone-crushing hug.
“Did you see how I managed to totally obliterate three in one go there? That was so cool. They learned the hard way not to congregate in that spot when I have grenades and the perfect aim.” Elton draped his arm around Trent’s shoulder as he turned her toward the main stage. “We’re edging higher up on that leader board, my friend. The top three get the big prize money. If we rank, what are you spending yours on?”
Trent looked around her to make sure no one could overhear. “I want to put it toward the medical costs of getting Juliet pregnant.”
Elton’s eyes widened to almost comical size. “No fucking way! You’re really going to have a baby?”
“It’s what we’ve dreamed of. We’ve looked into all the details, the insemination stuff, and all the hospital costs. We think this is our time to go for it. I want my share of the prize money to go toward us having a baby to love.”
“Shit, Trent,” Elton whispered in awe, his eyes unashamedly teary. “That makes my wanting a new bigger, badder HDTV sound pitiful in comparison.” He hugged her to him again. “Oh my God, you’re gonna be a mama.”