We stream for a few more rounds, and I realize as we sign out that I’m hungry. I probably need to start keeping snacks on me. Even though it’s dinner time, I could still use a snack. I’m preoccupied when he pulls the rolling chair I’m in over to where he is standing, no longer sitting in his own chair.
“What are you thinking about?” he asks.
My legs are crossed in the seat, so my knees bump into his thighs as he boxes me in. He holds onto both the arm rests as he leans down toward me.
I lift my head slightly, to look up at him, a little bit dazed at the amount of desire I can see in his eyes. “Uh?”
“Are you embarrassed?” he asks carefully.
“No, but I’m hungry,” I offer.
He lets out a deep, sexy laugh. “So, the fact that I kissed you during the stream … it doesn’t bother you?”
“No, but we probably shouldn’t make a habit of it.”
He looks at me curiously.
“You run a gaming channel, not a porn site.”
He licks his lips and I stare at the movement.
“Well—” he starts.
Which is enough to break the connection. “Nope, don’t even go there, buster.”
Laughing again, he replies, “Joking. Really, you are for my eyes only.” He leans down and kisses the tip of my nose, then moves away. He turns to his desk and types a few things on his keyboard.
“Really though, are you going to have angry fans?”
“What do you mean?”
“Are your female fans going to be angry you’re taken now? How’s Melissa going to take that?” Damn Melissa, she’s active on every stream, video, and all his social media posts. She’s annoying.
Amused now, he looks over his shoulder at me. “You still worried about Mel?”
I cringe.
He sees it and chuckles.
“Do you have to have a nickname for her?”
“Only when I’m talking about her with you. Your jealousy of someone so inconsequential is adorable.”
I roll my eyes and huff in response. He does something more at his computer then faces me, leaning back against his desk.
“Rubes, Melissa is trying to start her own channel. She told me flat out during our date that she is trying to build a following. She isn’t a threat to our relationship, she isn’t interested in me in a romantic way, to start with.”
I purse my lips. She sure acted like she was on their date in California, but I keep quiet.
“And as for my female fans, it doesn’t matter. They can be mad that I’m not single anymore all they want. You—my relationship with you, is what’s important. Losing a couple thousand fans, who were only fans for the pretty face, doesn’t mean a thing.”
“Oh, only a couple thousand?” I deadpan, ignoring the pretty face comment.
“Look babe, I’m trying to make you feel better here. Do you want exact numbers? I can contact my marketing manager,” he offers,
And damn it, he’s so freaking hot when he’s all cocky and arrogant. I try for an eye roll, but I can’t fight the smile that crosses my face.
“Whatever,” is all I can manage before he’s back at my level, kissing my face.
After a few seconds, he straightens, effortlessly lifts me up out of the chair and then sits back into his own chair. Now straddling him, I’m completely lost in his kiss.
My stomach growling loudly is enough to bring us out of our chair make-out session.
“All right, all right, I guess I’ll feed you,” he says, still catching his breath.
“I want pizza.”
“Oh, and I want to talk about baby names later. I was thinking if it’s a girl, we should name her Daisy, and if it’s a boy, Leon.”
I can’t stop the laugh that bubbles out of my mouth in reply.
“Well, aren’t you just full of all kinds of surprises tonight?” I finally say.
“I aim to please, my lady. I aim to please.”
“Yes, you certainly do, but I’m not sure I want to name our kid after my favorite Mario character or the guy from Resident Evil.”
“Shut your mouth, woman. You love Daisy and you know it.”
I just laugh, because yeah, I secretly do. I won’t tell him that though.
~~~
A few days later, Morgan is hanging out with Gia and me. The guys and Bernie are away on a tournament. The girls didn’t travel with them this time. Link is with them, because it’s what he does, and I find myself really missing him. It’s the first time he’s traveled since we’ve been together.
But like normal, we text each other often. So, it’s not so bad.
We have been camped out in the living room, watching Netflix comedy specials for the past couple of hours, but have paused the latest one to talk about wedding stuff. Everything, surprisingly, is going really well and the wedding is on track to happen in just two short months.
“Okay, so I was talking to my Great-Aunt Martha on the phone the other day,” Morgan tells us.
“Wait, you talk to your great aunt on the phone? Like, on a normal basis?” I ask.
“No, I’ve actually never talked to her on the phone before, I’ve only ever met her once, at my mom’s funeral. But that’s beside the point,” she replies, and I cock my head, because it’s still odd.
Apparently, Gia thinks it’s odd too. “Yeah, but if you’ve never talked to her on the phone before and only met her once, just causally starting a conversation about how you were talking to Great-Aunt Martha is, in fact, worth talking about,” she chimes in.
Morgan sighs, “She called to inform me that she is not going to be attending the wedding. That she just recently had a hip replacement and is unable to travel the seven hours it would take by car in order to attend. Happy now?” she asks.
“Yup.” I pop the p. Gia nods. We both wait for Morgan to continue her story, but she doesn’t.
“So, what is that you wanted to tell us about Great Aunt Martha?” I ask.
“No, I don’t want to tell you guys anymore.” She shakes her head and I expect her to cross her arms like a defiant child.
“Oh, come on! We want to know,” I say with a laugh. Gia shoves Morgan with the pillow.
Morgan glares at both of us before giving in and continuing her story. “She asked me how long Dex and I were planning on waiting after we were married to start having kids. I just laughed it off, but now that I’m thinking about it, we are going to get that question a lot once we are married, aren’t we?” she asks worriedly.
Gia cackles, “Yes, I think it’s like the most asked question all newlyweds get. You and Dex should come up with some interesting answers and have fun with it.”
And I feel like I’ve been punched in the gut. I should be telling my best friends that I’m pregnant, but I just can’t yet. The more I read, the more I find it’s common for women not to share their news until they hit the twelve-week mark. That it’s safer that way. I’m only a few weeks along, I think, and I’m not showing yet. The only symptoms I have besides feeling like I’m going to start my period any day now is the fatigue that hits me randomly.
I want to tell them, but when I open my mouth, nothing comes out.
“Here’s one. Next time someone asks you when you’re gonna have a baby, just say ‘When the condom breaks’, that should shut them right up,” Gia suggests.
This breaks me out of my haze and I laugh. Well, shit. That would be funny to hear come out of Morgan’s mouth. Imagine the look on dear Aunt Martha’s face.
But … I don’t want to talk about babies, so I change the subject.
“So, about this week’s This is Us …” The change in subject does the trick, because Morgan and Gia start to gush and go and on about all the parts that made them cry. I won’t admit that I haven’t watched it yet, I actually fell asleep about five minutes into the show. Thank goodness for DVR.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Link
What do a bunch of professional video gamers do when the
y hang out? They normally play video games. I know, people think this is crazy, never taking a break from the video games. When you do something you love though, it doesn’t matter. Sure, we watch movies, binge watch what we can on Netflix. But we also get caught up in all the other games that gamers are loving when we are busy playing the same game over and over. It’s good for the gamer soul.
Sometimes, a night to play mindless rounds of the newest game is just what you need. Fortunately for them, I’ve got the hook up on just about every game they might want to blow off some steam with. Unfortunately for them, I kick their asses because while they focus all their time on one game, I get to learn tips and tricks for all the games. It’s what I do. I like to think of myself as the Grand Game Master.
Simon and Dex give me shit about the title, but only because they know it’s the truth. They’re both a bowl full of Jell-O.
But tonight? We’re not playing video games. Nope.
Tonight, we’re playing poker.
And if I were to admit that I have a weakness — a game that I don’t excel at — it’s poker. Apparently, I have shit luck.
Dex’s brother Wade, invited us to a poker night fundraiser event. It is a guys’ night out type of thing. He is a consulting associate for a big non-profit consulting firm in Chicago. So, he bounces around from one non-profit to the next, helping with their fundraisers. Tonight’s event is small, not more than one hundred-fifty people were invited.
Even though Wade lives in Chicago too, he’s busy with work and is hardly ever around. He’s a cool dude but isn’t really into the video game scene like Dex is. They get along great. He’s practically a big brother to me since I spent just as much time with his family as I did my own growing up. While he doesn’t actively play video games, he supports Dex and often comes to tournaments.
The event is all right. It cost a hundred dollars to play, but it has an open bar, and a few blackjack tables and craps running for other ways to gamble our donations.
I lose my money several hands in, but Simon surprises me the most and ends up winning big. Figures, he’s a patient, studious fellow.
Several hours later, I’m nursing a beer while waiting for Simon and Dex to cash out. We are going to head back to our place and do what we do best, play video games.
I shoot off a text to Ruby, one of many over the past few hours.
Me: What about Ryu?
The little dots don’t even get the chance to bounce across the screen.
Ruby: No.
Me: You didn’t even think about it.
Ruby: Didn’t need to.
Me: What about Epona?
Ruby: Double no.
Me: Why not? It’s special to me.
Ruby: It’s the name of a horse from a video game …
Me: I feel like it doesn’t matter what name I suggest, you’re going to say no.
This time the dots do bounce.
Ruby: Correct.
Really? That’s it?
I send her back a GIF of Stanley from The Office slow blinking.
She replies with kissy lips face.
Ruby: As long as you keep suggesting names from video games, the answer will be no.
Me: Fine. I’ll start pulling from my 10,000 Baby Names book list.
Ruby: smh
I chuckle at her reply when I hear Wade move into the seat next to me.
“You must be chatting with the lovely Ruby,” he says.
“The one and only. How’d you guess?” I reply, placing my phone on the table and taking another drink of my nearly empty beer.
He smirks. It’s eerily similar to his brother’s. “You’ve gotten that goofy, ‘I’m in love’ look on your face for the past two years whenever I see you texting or on the phone with her.”
I grunt, because that’s what we men do when another dude calls us out.
He laughs. “My brother tells me you and Rubes are official. ’Bout time man, congratulations.” I nod, and he continues, “How’s it going?”
I want so badly to tell him, the big brother I never had, about the baby. While I couldn’t be happier with Ruby — we feel so right together— I’m still freaking out about becoming a dad. In no way do I regret my decision to stand by her side through this pregnancy, but isn’t a guy allowed to freak a little? And I’d really love to be able to talk to Wade, or Dex, or even Simon about it. But I promised Ruby I wouldn’t tell anyone yet.
I guess I could talk to Bernie about it, but I need a dude’s point of view.
“What’s up?” he asks, studying me.
“What? Nothing.” I scrunch my face.
Shit.
He eyes me, and I worry I’ll start to sweat under his brotherly stare.
“I’ve known you for more than fifteen years. Just like Dex, I can tell when there is something you’re not sharing.”
I play it cool and shake my head with an answering, “Nah”.
Thankfully, he plays along. “I’ll let it go, but Link, you know you can always talk to me, right? I might not be your actual brother, but I’ve always considered you an annoying little bro, just like Dexter.”
I laugh, because only Wade calls him by his full name, not even Mrs. Roberts calls him that. “I know, and thanks man,” I say just as Dex and Simon join us.
“All right, so we are all cashed out. Why do you all look so glum? I’m walking out of here a rich, rich man,” says Simon on my right. Dex chuckles beside him.
“Because most of the people here, are walking away with less money than they walked in with,” Wade replies.
Dex throws his thumb my way and adds, “Yeah, like that guy.”
“True story, bro.” I shrug.
“So, we are going to head out. Go back and play some Fortnite, if you’d like to join us,” Dex tells his brother.
“Actually, I think I will join you. Some of the guys in the office are talking about how much they love it and I’d like to know what all the fuss is about.” Wade stands and pushes in his chair.
My phone buzzes in my hand right as I go to put it in my pocket. I smile when I see her name on the screen.
Ruby: Besides, the best video game name ever is already taken. Xoxo
She’s sweet as can be when it counts. I reply with a big kiss GIF and pocket my phone.
~~~
A few short days later I find myself sitting in a waiting room filled with pregnant women. Ruby is standing up at the check-in counter and I’ve just found a small two-person bench smack dab in the middle of the room. I wonder how many doctors are with this practice, because I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many preggos at once.
I don’t want to whip my phone out and look like half of the other bored-as-fuck looking men who’ve accompanied some of the woman here. Next to me, there is a coffee table covered with glossy baby and pregnancy magazines. There’s a cardboard holder with coupons for body lotion and baby formula. I snatch up a magazine called Parents and start to flip through it when Ruby sits down beside me with a clipboard.
“What’s that?” I ask her as I look over at the paper she’s filling out.
“It’s the new patient forms. This sheet is general info, like insurance stuff.” She flips up the page and I notice there are several. “This one is about family history, and then the next is emergency contact info, and payment agreement forms.”
“That’s going to take an hour to fill out, couldn’t they have sent this to you?”
She laughs. “That would have been nice.”
“Well, let me know if you need help. Until then, I’m going to brush up on some parenting skills,” I say and give the magazine a little shake.
“You do that,” she chuckles.
Truthfully, I’m not into the articles in the magazine. I get side tracked by the lady on the TV playing in the corner of the room giving out random information about having a healthy pregnancy. Right now, she’s making some kind of breakfast. The room is relatively quiet, but there’s a lot to take in. There is a small children’s pla
y area in the corner and a little blonde toddler sits at a tiny table putting together a puzzle. Her very pregnant mom carts her away after a nurse calls her name.
Beside me, Ruby nudges me. “So, I’m going to talk to the doctor about my predicament before I fill out this paternal family history. But read through this and see if you can answer any of this.” She hands me the sheet. I start to read through it.
It’s intense, that’s for sure. I’ve got to mark down any and every health issue that I have had or currently have, as well as my parents and grandparents. I don’t know how much I can fill out without calling my mom. Which, I mean, I’m going to have to call her eventually and tell her the news. I never met my dad, so I have no background on him at all. Suddenly, I’m feeling more ill-prepared for the impending parent thing than I was pretending not to be. I clear my throat.
“What’s wrong?” Ruby asks, looking up from her forms.
“Well, I’m not sure how much I’m going to be able to answer. I’ll do my best, but I hadn’t realized how important family health history was.”
She looks at me with understanding. “Well, I’m sure it’s not like extremely important.” She’s one of the few people who knows I grew up without a father. That my mom actually never knew him. That I was a product of a drunken one-night stand. She’s never been married but has been a serial-dater my whole life. Explains a lot, doesn’t it?
I shrug just as the door to the exam room area swings open and a young woman in pale pink scrubs calls out Ruby’s name.
Next to me, she heaves a heavy, nervous sigh. I turn and snag her hand.
“It’s all good Rubes, I’m right here with you.” And I pull her up with me as I stand. She comes willingly, but I know she feels like what we are about to do will make this whole thing completely real.
The nurse tells us her name is Kelly and guides us over to a big scale. She jots down Ruby’s weight as I look away, because I’m a gentleman like that. Then she leads us over to a little alcove and tells us they need to draw blood. The technician warns her that they need to take several vials, and this should be the only time throughout the pregnancy that they will need to draw blood. She rattles off a slew of things they are going to be testing for.
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