Virtual Reality

by Kitty Cox

  He tilted his head slightly. "Yes, Lithium. Or do you prefer darlin'?"

  "Sit. Explain." She couldn't quite make her mouth close. This simply couldn't be happening. "And it had better be a really good story."

  "More like an amazing coincidence." He looked up as the waitress arrived. "Champagne please, Daphne. Tonight, my friend is celebrating."

  "Yes, Mr. Degrass."

  He turned back to Kate, completely in his element surrounded by such luxe. "For three years, Nancy has been telling me that I need to stop hiding from my gamer friends. After the ordeal with QQ, it got a lot harder. I've never lied to them, but they also respect the anonymity of games and have never asked. It's rather accepted, what with the mess Void went through."

  Kate dipped her head, agreeing so far. "I just figured you weren't very good."

  He shrugged. "I'm decent. I'm certainly not professional quality. Thing is, I've watched a few pros work their way up, like Knock. I know talent when I see it, both in game and at work. So, when you repaired my bus, I just thought I was going to snag another big name for Paradox before this guy realized he was hot shit."

  She pressed her knuckles to her lips and gave him an incredulous look. He really was Ice, that was the only way he'd know all that. "Right. I was just glad to be able to move."

  He held up a hand. "That is a whole different debate. Pretty sure Fizz disagrees too. So, the next day, I was exhausted after staying up all night talking to this amazing woman. Then you walked into the lobby. I couldn't help it, I was impressed. I literally thought, 'how can this happen twice in one week' when I scheduled your interview."

  "Really?"

  He nodded slowly, smiling at her over the candle. "Yeah. That evening, you logged in later, played like a beast, and managed to keep up with QQ of all people! When the guys started flirting, I decided that maybe I didn't need to keep that gap between work and play. I'd seen those guys move mountains to protect QQ and Void's relationship. So, I was going to be all suave and subtle by getting your information from the forum application."

  "And my name."

  "Yeah. The same name as the woman who'd just rocked my world that morning. I couldn't believe it until you confirmed that you had an interview. One I'd scheduled." He chuckled softly, his face getting a shade darker. "I froze. I completely went full dork and didn't know what to say."

  "You?"

  "Yeah, me." He lifted his hands. "But that worked out, I think." He lifted a finger as the waitress returned. "Thank you, Daphne."

  "Dinner, Mr. Degrass?"

  Adam looked at Kate. "Still trust me?"

  "Today," she agreed. Oddly, she wasn't angry with him. Confused, but not angry. She'd wait for that until he was done with the story. "I'll let you know if that holds true for tomorrow."

  He nodded and ordered for both of them, not even needing a menu. When the waitress was gone again, he shrugged with only a hint of embarrassment. "I figure if frozen pizza is gourmet, you need to expand your horizons."

  "Hey, I order some pretty amazing sushi."

  He laughed and lifted his glass. "Yes, darlin', you do. And you're cute as hell running around the building with Nancy. God, that was worth that idiot trying to slut herself out."

  "Nice watch by the way," she teased, remembering what the girl had said.

  He held out his arm, showing her the watch in question. "Blue team, baby. Offered Chance Hunter from Deviant Games ten grand for one, and he told me no. I had to play the twitter contest like everyone else. So, I did. Got nothing done that day, but I won the damned watch."

  "So." Kate sighed. "If you're IceMan, why didn't you just tell me?"

  "I was going to, but I asked how your first full day went, and you started talking about how your boss freaked you out, and you meant me." Adam pressed his hand over his mouth and sighed. "So, I freaked out a bit. The rest of the week you kept pushing me away, and then you started wincing every time I tried to catch your eye." He lifted a hand. "I get it now. No looming. At the time, I thought I was crossing the line. Even though I have no control over your job, I have no tolerance for sexual harassment. I kept telling myself to back off, then you'd open up that night, and I was seeing these two different ladies, and it wasn't making sense." He grabbed the bottle and filled a glass of champagne for her. "The problem was both of them were amazing. There's this brilliant woman at work who fell into her job like it was designed around her, and this adorable gamer who was improving so fast it made our heads spin."

  "Why me, Adam?" She leaned her elbows on the table, determined to get it out of him. He owed her this much, at least. "Of all the women who throw themselves at you - models, celebrities, and more - all the gamers who have been more than happy to tell me you're rather sexy, why me?"

  "You won't understand."

  "Try me."

  He nodded. "Ever seen a willow tree? Long graceful branches that sweep the ground, covered in tiny little leaves that look like lace? When the wind blows, it's hard to look away. The whole tree dances, completely captivating."

  "I'm a willow tree?"

  "Yeah. Beautiful to look at, delicate, and at first glance, fragile. But a storm blows in, and other trees fall over. The willow just bends. It's soft and supple, but strong enough to know that you can't stand hard against everything. You've got that spark in your eye, Kate. You're not looking for someone to live your life for you, but you aren't going to push away someone who's willing to be a part of it. You're not Deborah, and you're not QQ."

  "There's nothing wrong with QQ!"

  He shook his head. "There isn't. Doesn't mean I want to sleep with her."

  "You can kinda have any woman you want."

  He lifted his glass and gently turned the stem in his fingers. "Can I?" His eyes turned back to her, and he took a sip.

  "Adam."

  Thankfully, that was when Daphne returned with their meal. Adam smiled at her across the table, proving that he knew she hadn't answered, but Kate had no idea what to say. Yes, I'd love to jump in your bed, but I'm terrified that it would ruin a good thing? No, I like you too much to sleep with you? Neither answer was right. She really had two options: keep a good friend, or enjoy a whirlwind romance that was destined for failure. It wouldn't take long before Adam Degrass got tired of the gamer girl who worked for him, especially with such impressive competition for his attention.

  The woman had barely stepped away when he took a bite and looked at her again. "I'm not going to let you slide on this one. Try harder is an acceptable answer."

  She took a bite of her own meal, then realized just how good it was. "This is amazing."

  "Yeah. One of my favorites." He crooked a finger at her and scooped a bite of his own. "Try this."

  Kate leaned over and took the morsel off his fork, closing her eyes in delight. "Oh, wow."

  When she opened them, he was watching her, a tiny smile on his mouth. "That, Kate, is why you." He sounded wistful and almost sad. "Because you're real, and I'm so fucking tired of the expectations."

  "And what happens when you get sick of the girl from the wrong side of the tracks?"

  He actually laughed at that. "Your current address is where I hoped to work up to. I came from the wrong side of the tracks."

  "And now you're over here."

  He nodded. "And so are you, and we're both stuck with a little culture shock, trying to make sure we don't fuck it all up by saying what we really think. Stop looking at my damned bank account, and think about it! Just fucking think for a second. I drink beer and play video games."

  "Oh, god," she whispered, suddenly understanding. "You're not hiding online. You're hiding here. This is the charade!"

  "A few times a year, I get to take off the suit and be a real person. That's why I put in such a stupidly low bid for the PLG conventions. Our company owns every single hotel they are hosted in because I want that escape." He smiled. "And you still haven't answered the question."

  She nodded her head, her lips pursed together. "Fair enough
. Let's turn the tables." She grabbed her glass and took a sip, then gestured at him with it. "I think you are amazingly sexy. I think you probably look better naked than you do in a suit and trust me, the suit is distracting as hell."

  "Good to know." He was smiling.

  "But!" She didn't let him take over the conversation again. "I think I could get a little too attached to a guy like Ice, and I could turn into a fangirl over the kind of guy that wears goofy socks to work, but - "

  He cut her off. "But you need that glass topped up." While she still held it, he poured in more, then gestured for her to go on.

  "This is really good."

  He winked. "Yeah, it kinda is, and I hear you're a lightweight."

  "A bit. As I was saying. Right now, today, my life is as perfect as I ever thought it would be." He gestured for her to drink again, so she did. "But I really like my job, and I have this amazing boss who's a good friend. I mean, he'd make a nice fuck buddy, but what if I go stupid and end up falling in love with him or something?"

  "Old guy like him? Maybe he's ready to settle down?" He lifted an eyebrow, amused at being referred to in the third person.

  "But what happens when he has another one of those underwear models come knocking at his door?"

  Adam shook his head. "You were doing so good for a minute there, and now you've gone back to hedging your bets. Try being a little more QQ. Be Lithium."

  Kate took a deep breath and looked right into his eyes. "Why should I waste my time when you're just going to move on?"

  "What about when you move on?"

  "And what? Find a better guy?" She rolled her eyes. "Adam, you're custom made to be perfect."

  He laughed and shook his head. "Uh, no. So, the only reason you keep putting me off is because you think that you'll hate me one day and lose the job you love?"

  "You have made it an all or nothing deal. I don't get my job without the good-looking guy across the hall."

  Chapter 21

  Adam leaned back in his chair, an amused twist to his lips. "First off, that's bullshit, and I've made it clear that it can't happen, but let's assume you honestly believe it will. So what is your solution, Miss Gaskill? I very much want to make this an equitable relationship."

  Kate licked her lips slowly, watching his eyes drop to her mouth. "Friends with benefits, Mr. Degrass? No expectation of a relationship?"

  His breath caught for a moment. "I can't promise to agree to those terms."

  "Well, let me assure you, I haven't exactly had a better offer in a while, and Marshall always said I was clingy."

  He bowed his head slightly. "First, Marshall is an idiot. Second, have I mentioned that dress is amazing? It would look almost as good on my floor as your suit does on yours."

  "Your floor?" He didn't take women to his place. He took them to hotels, never letting them into his real life.

  Adam smiled. "Yes. My floor." He turned, looking for the waitress. "You'll have to try the dessert."

  Somehow, knowing that Ice was Adam, or vice versa, Kate lost a little of the awe and intimidation. She also wasn't stupid enough to refuse dessert at La Pierre, so smiled deviously while he ordered. Daphne was a professional, though, and could tell that things were brewing so took the order quickly.

  "I thought you didn't invite your dates home."

  "I don't." He made no effort to deny it. "My cleaning lady took the day off, I'd be tragically embarrassed to have anyone see the state of disarray. The Remington is right around the corner, can I buy you a drink?" He smiled. "My sister is in for the weekend, she'll only be here two days, but I can't resist you." He shrugged. "Which one would you believe?"

  "None."

  "Exactly." Then he leaned across the table. "Kate, I have a stupidly huge apartment that's decorated like a man cave. Wanna come see what Eternal Combat looks like on a forty-two-inch monitor? There's beer in the fridge."

  She nodded, realizing that she was the woman getting the real man. The others just got the charade. "Sure, Ice."

  He looked up, surprised. "Now?"

  Slowly, she let her eyes roam across him. He really was very handsome, but the sparkle in his eye was just a bit too bright. "And miss dessert? Besides, I'm at your mercy. Remember, I have no ride home."

  He leaned back, catching Daphne's attention. "Box that and get me a check?" Then he turned back, grinning. "So, I said it's a celebration, right? Well, all celebrations come with a present. You drunk?"

  "No, I haven't even had two glasses. Why?"

  Adam pulled out a small, round key and placed it on the table. "Happy new life." With one finger, he pushed it toward her.

  "You're gonna let me drive?"

  "Mhm." Something about the look on his face warned her there was a catch.

  "Ok, what?" she demanded.

  He just shook his head, as Daphne returned with a check and two boxes. He passed her a credit card without looking at the price. "Do you remember that whole conversation with QQ about buying presents?"

  "Yeah?"

  "So, her cooling lines got cut, right? We never figured out who did it, but Paradox jumped into action. Knock and QQ swapped hard drives and set her up with a machine that could keep her in the running. Swish headed out to get coolant, and I got stuck cleaning up the fluid." He looked at her pointedly. "She wasn't in the outfit."

  "What?"

  He smiled. "She played with us on an alt. Riley didn't do outfits because they got distracted by her girl-ness. We were amused at it, but we put her in the trenches, treated her like one of our own, and we respected her skill. We were also going to make sure a gamer that good made it to the finals. We never asked for a thing. We didn't have to. Gamer to gamer, we knew she needed to win, and we were gonna stand with a bro."

  Daphne returned, and Adam signed the receipt. He thanked her then grabbed both boxes, pushing himself to his feet and tilting his head to the door as he continued talking. "So, she wasn't in the outfit, but she was still a bro. Had nothing to do with wanting to sleep with her. Had nothing to do with feeling sorry for her, since no one feels sorry for QQ."

  "Ok?" She followed him between a pair of tables.

  Adam nodded at the man behind the front desk but kept going, leading her right outside. "Javier? Can you get my car?"

  "Yes, Mr. Degrass," the valet said, hurrying to do just that.

  Adam turned back to Kate. "She paid us back with a shout out that only Paradox had two members make the next round and gave us respect. Made our outfit name one of the best known. She also gave up on being a hardass, just a bit, because friends are the people who recognize what you need most, and help you make it happen."

  A motor revved as a cute, yellow mini cooper pulled into the drive. Across the hood were asymmetrical black stripes, and the thing was brand new. Adam reached over and pushed a curl back from her ear, letting his finger slowly trail down her neck.

  "Happy new life, Kate. I hope you like it."

  She looked down at the key he'd passed her, then up at the car. "Is it..."

  "Yours. Paid in full, titled in your name. You just need to sign the papers. I wanted to wait until that bastard couldn't claim it, but it's yours."

  She squealed and rushed to the side, acting like anything but a proper lady. "Oh my god! Oh my god, Adam, you got the exact one! It's so cute!"

  The valet was trying his hardest not to laugh. Adam shrugged. "I think she likes it."

  Javier chuckled. "Least she could do is kiss you. I mean, it is a car."

  "You bought me a fucking car!" Kate turned and marched back up to him. "You are a damned sneaky bastard, you know that?"

  "Yep. It's why I'm rich."

  Then she grabbed his tie and pulled him down, planting a quick but delirious kiss on him. Adam held their dessert to the side, his laugh ruining the moment. Kate didn't care. She couldn't stop smiling.

  "Thank you, but I'm driving that bitch."

  "Let's go." He made his way around to the passenger side, moving the seat back before he sl
id in. "Know where I live?"

  She shot him a dirty look. "I think everyone does."

  "Good." He pointed ahead of them. "Let's go. You get a ticket, I'm paying it off."

  She didn't even bother replying, just put the thing in gear and eased onto the road, feeling out the clutch. It was exactly like what they'd talked about and handled so much better than she'd expected. Unfortunately, downtown traffic had no intention of letting her enjoy the drive, and every red light stopped them. Finally, she growled softly and changed lanes, heading away from traffic. Only then did she get to play with her new toy.

  "I love my life," she admitted, finding fifth gear. "This is officially the best present I've ever had."

  "Told you that you deserve to be pampered."

  "How much does one of these cost?" She glanced at him quickly.

  Adam wasn't worried about her driving at all. He was looking over the interior, checking out the accessories. "Still not stupid," he said, not even bothering to lift his head.

  She groaned. "Figure, I probably owe Degrass Plaza a year's worth of work by now."

  He hummed at that. "I'll settle for a picture of you in a bikini laying across this."

  "A bikini? Really?" She glanced at him again. "I'm not exactly built like QQ."

  "She's a bit butch. I think its too many muscles from riding horses. You look more like a swimsuit model. Definitely B cups, by the way."

  "It's the dress."

  "It's a very nice dress. Shows off your legs, which just do not fucking stop."

  Kate downshifted, checked her blind spot, and took the corner hard. "If I didn't know better, I'd think you were flirting."

  "Oh, yeah," he agreed. "I'm definitely flirting. Damn, darlin'. You drive it like you stole it."

  "I still can't believe that I confided in you, about you!"

  "Yeah, but you didn't bother telling me that your supposed boss kissed you."

  Her eyes stayed on the road, but she smiled. "No, I didn't tell anyone." Unconsciously, she bit her lip, thinking about it. "It wasn't the kind of kiss you brag about."