She's Got Game Read online

  Then a familiar voice spoke. “Take your hands off her.”

  When Lucas looked over my shoulder, some of the redness left his face. “It’s not what it looks like, man. These are my friends.”

  “No we’re not,” Shannon said. “We’re friends with Holly.”

  Cody said, “I don’t care who they are. You will not touch a woman without her permission in my presence. Take your hands off her, or I’ll call the police.”

  Lucas wasn’t a small guy, but he was gangly. Cody towered over him and outweighed him by about fifty pounds of solid muscle. Tyler stood beside him, also glaring. I hadn’t seen him come in. Lucas spent his days crunching numbers, not pumping iron. Once again, I wondered what Cody did when not playing board games. Other than saving damsels in distress.

  Except this wasn’t medieval times, I wasn’t a damsel in distress, and unlike my namesake, I could take care of myself. I jerked away from Lucas, then spit on the floor in front of him. He lunged at me, but Cody caught his shoulder and held him back. On the other side of the bar, the bartender materialized out of thin air. One of his hands rested on a phone hanging on the wall.

  “Everything’s okay,” Shannon said to him. “We’re leaving.”

  Out of the corner of my mouth, I mumbled a thank you to Cody, although I hated admitting I appreciated his help.

  “You’re welcome. I figured if being your knight in shining armor wouldn’t convince you to go out with me before New York, nothing would.”

  What a line. No idea whether he was joking. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes, while wondering for the thousandth time if I should change my name to avoid all Camelot references for the rest of my life. I didn’t believe for a second Cody really wanted to go out with me, not when his phone continued to vibrate in his pocket. Very popular, this guy. Only players and drug dealers got so many texts. It reminded me of Lucas, sitting next to Holly talking about their wedding while secretly texting plans to meet HotBlonde69 at a bar. Not the type of guy I wanted to be involved with.

  “I appreciate the help, but I still don’t date gamers,” I said. “Thanks for helping.”

  Shannon and I started to leave, but he said my name quietly, and I turned back. “What about your friend? This guy’s pretty pissed. Is she going to be okay?”

  “We’ll call and fill her in. She can stay with one of us tonight.”

  “K. I’ll stay with him a few minutes, make sure he doesn’t follow you.”

  A funny emotion hit me. I didn’t want to be grateful to Cody, but he’d done me a huge favor. More importantly, he was interrupting his plans for the evening to protect Holly, who he barely knew. He’d even dragged Tyler into it. He didn’t have to do that.

  I offered a hesitant smile to the two of them. “Thanks. I really appreciate it.”

  “Happy to help,” Tyler said. “Although I didn’t do anything.”

  “You were here, and that means a lot,” Shannon said.

  “You’re welcome. Have a good night,” Cody said.

  Part of me thought he’d say more, but he let me go, waving a sort of goodbye/thank you over my shoulder. Of course. He didn’t want to spend time with me now that his friend had shown up. Flirting was probably such second nature to him, he made jokes about going out with everyone. Or maybe he wanted me to think he liked me, to get inside my head before the next round of the competition. I refused to spend the next four weeks mooning over some player because he had gorgeous brown eyes and thought he’d mastered the art of seduction.

  The minute my feet hit the sidewalk, I texted Holly. Pack a bag. Meet me at my house. Will explain when you get there. You’re going to be staying with me for a few days.

  Then I texted Dad to let him know he’d be buying ice cream for four, and we started walking toward the T.

  “Remind me again why you don’t want to go out with Cody?” Shannon asked.

  “I don’t sleep with gamers.” Uttering the phrase for the third time in two days made it seem a bit hollow. “You know that.”

  “I know you don’t hook up with gamers, and hey, I’m on board. Awkward City. But what about an actual date? Cody seems to like you. It might be nice to have someone to talk to on the long nights, someone who loves gaming as much as you do.”

  “When did you become such a champion for love? You sound like Holly.” I shook my head. “You didn’t hear him at the bar the other night. He’s not looking for a relationship. He’s texting constantly, like he’s always looking for something better. Besides how can I have a relationship when I’m in a different city every week?”

  “There are a thousand people who could be texting him other than girls he’s hooking up with. Maybe he’s got a sick mom or something.”

  I shook my head. “He’s not interested. He’s trying to get inside my head, because I’m the competition. It’s all part of the game. If I sleep with him, then he can ghost me and get the advantage in New York. No, thanks.”

  Shannon pressed her lips together, but didn’t answer. Annoyed, I moved away from her. Of all people, she should understand why I didn’t want to get involved with another gamer—especially not when we’d be facing off in the next round of a major competition. Just like the day I drove a car into my dad’s business.

  My feet beat out a loud rhythm on the steps into the train station. It took me three tries to tap my card and move through the turnstile. Stupid broken card.

  When I stopped walking, she moved up beside me, toes pressing against the yellow line. “You’re awfully flustered for someone who doesn’t have any feelings for Cody.”

  “Where is this coming from? You know love is a load of bullshit. Look at my dad, spending almost twenty years pining for my mom. Look at Holly—we’re about to devastate her. You want me to go looking for someone to do the same to me? No, thanks.” I shook my head. “Besides, I’m always on the road. No guy who looks like that is going to sit at home and wait for me to swing by Boston once every couple of months. He’d find someone else before I made it out of the next airport.”

  The train was full, so I left Shannon to take the seat by the door and headed in deeper. When I got to the other end of the car, my phone beeped with a text. Are you trying to convince me or yourself?

  We started to move, and my phone lost the signal, saving me from having to reply. Our eyes met across the train, and her look told me everything. No need to reply. No matter how I protested, Shannon saw right through me.

  PART II: NEW YORK CITY

  Gallivanting Gwen

  July 14

  New York, New York. A place so nice, they named it twice. When I was a little kid, New York seemed like this amazing mythical place where magical things happened. Even though it’s not far from Boston, we hardly ever made the trip—Dad usually had to work. But then my grandparents brought me a few times, and it’ll always have a special place in my heart.

  I’m in town for the second round of the Explorers of Islay tournament, which means I’m up against winners from New England, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. While I’m here, I’ll be revisiting some old favorite spots. It’s been a while since I checked into my favorite game stores, and one of them has expanded to include a coffee shop. Also visiting at least one new favorite place, because somehow, I’ve never had a cronut.

  Chapter 6

  The life of a travel blogger is full of excitement. The week before Round 2 of the tournament sent me from Niagara Falls to Montreal to Albany. Saturday morning, I took the train down while Holly rode over from Boston. We met at Penn Station at the crack of dawn, so early I could barely keep my eyes open long enough to find a decent place for breakfast. My poor stomach had to be reasonably content with a diet soda and a “low cal” fast food breakfast sandwich.

  Given the rates in the area, Holly and I decided to split the cost of a one-bedroom rental condo in Brooklyn rather than stay at the conference hot
el. After three years of rooming together, we could share a queen-sized bed for one night. But our room wouldn’t be ready until after lunch, so we went straight to the tournament hotel and stowed our bags behind the front desk. Holly popped into the snacks room to grab us replacement drinks while I went to check out the setup for the first game.

  We weren’t playing together in the first round. Too bad, because after her break-up, I preferred to keep an eye on my friend. She seemed to be dealing well, but I still worried about her. Given the crowds, I found Holly’s spot on the list before going to join her. Poor thing had been stuck in her first game with a guy we referred to as “Creepy Art.” As I turned to warn her, the very person I sought to avoid stepped up a couple of feet away to check the other set of lists.

  The gamer community is pretty small, so even though Art didn’t live in Boston, our paths had crossed before. Personally, I avoided him when possible. Word on the street was, he used to be really hot. Like, panty-dropping hot. But that was forty-some years ago, and before decades of hard living caught up with him. That explained his high opinion of himself, but not why he hadn’t noticed he wasn’t twenty-five anymore, why he wore clothes several sizes too small, or why he didn’t understand how to behave around women. Every time he leered at me, my skin crawled. While I’d love to be the one to personally knock him out of this contest, I’d be happier if I never had to play another game with him for the rest of my life. At least the competition didn’t allow alcohol. Then he’d be creepy and handsy.

  As I sidled away, he spotted me. I shuddered internally. The last thing I needed was a conversation with Creepy Art. Unfortunately, with so many people in the room, other people waiting to check the lists blocked all my possible escape routes. I made it about four steps before he caught up to me.

  “Gwen! How’s my favorite gamer?” He raised his arms as if expecting a hug, which was never going to happen.

  Favorite gamer, my ass. He liked me because most of the other female gamers were better at concealing how disgusting they found his personality. Somehow, my aversion made me more attractive to him. I side-stepped and offered my hand instead for a shake I didn’t really want. If I did nothing, he’d hug me, anyway. “Hi, Art.”

  Instead of shaking it, he lifted my wrist to his nose and inhaled deeply. I grimaced. “You know, dear, Gwen and Arthur were mythical lovers.”

  Just as he pursed his lips as if planning to kiss the inside of my wrist, I yanked my hand back. It took all of my restraint not to slap him. No violence in the conference center. Putting your hands on another contestant could get you eliminated and walked out immediately. That rule unfortunately didn’t extend to unwanted sniffing or overly familiar handshakes.

  “No. Gwen and Lancelot were mythical lovers. Arthur sat at home, not realizing his bride played him. Gotta go.”

  Luckily, when I spun around, I spotted Holly on the other side of the room. Her eyes were fixed on us, and even from ten feet away, her eyes told me she wanted to smack the guy as badly as I did.

  “Congratulations on escaping The Sniffer,” she said when I approached.

  I shuddered as I took my diet soda and a bagel from her. “Thanks. Talking to that guy always makes me need a shower. Sorry you’re stuck playing him so early in the morning.”

  “Ick. Really?”

  “The who?” Until he spoke, I hadn’t even noticed Cody standing beside Holly. That spoke volumes about how badly I needed to escape Art. Ever since the cake incident, I’d been highly aware of Cody’s presence. Maybe some of the embarrassment was finally starting to wear off, and I could act normal around him.

  Holly saved me from having to explain. “Art. The first time I met him, he walked up, put his nose next to my ear, and inhaled slowly. Then he told me I smelled good enough to eat. It was the most intensely disturbing moment of my life.”

  “I’m sorry,” Cody said. “What??”

  “Don’t worry,” I said. “You’re safe. He’s only unbelievably creepy with women. Around men he’s so funny and charming, no one believes us when we talk about why we avoid him.”

  “That may be the saddest thing I’ve ever heard. If he approaches you again, let me know. We’ll have a long talk about appropriate behavior.” He met my eyes, and I smiled at him.

  “Thought you were a loud and proud player,” I said. “Shouldn’t you be on his side?”

  “You can’t paint all guys with the same brush. I flirt, but sincerely hope women don’t find me creepy. If you do, please say something.”

  “Obnoxious, yes. Creepy, no.”

  “Don’t hate me for being the better gamer.” He turned to where Holly had been standing only seconds before, but she’d been drawn into conversation with a group of people behind us. “Anyway, I was going to ask Holly this, but speaking of creepers, what happened with her cheating boyfriend?”

  “Lucas is out of the picture, thank goodness. He groveled for a bit, but she wouldn’t even hear him out. There’s no acceptable excuse for picking up strange women while engaged to someone else. They did not have an open relationship.”

  He winced. “No, there really isn’t any excuse. How’s she doing?”

  “She’s much better off without him,” I said automatically. Truth was, I’d been worried my friend would be too depressed to continue the competition, but she’d been getting better. Besides, she’d already paid for this leg, so here she was. And I wasn’t about to disclose the fact that my best friend’s head might not be 100 percent in the competition, especially not to this guy. “She considers kicking ass at games to be the best comfort food.”

  His eyes twinkled. “Good thing she’s not playing me in the first round, then, huh?”

  I snorted.

  “Anyway, what you did for her was really cool. Sounds like you’re right, and she can do better.”

  “Exactly. Why, you interested?”

  His gaze never wavered. “Not in Holly.”

  Something fluttered in my stomach. If only I did find Cody to be creepy, my life would be so much less complicated. Not knowing what else to say, I deflected. “I bet you say that to all the girls.”

  The bell rang to indicate we’d be starting in a few minutes. I’d been so distracted first by Creepy Art, then Cody, that I hadn’t even found my table yet. I needed to say something before walking away. “Hey, I never got a chance to thank you for your help at the bar.”

  “And you don’t have time to do it properly now.” He smiled at me. “Buy me a drink after today’s competition?”

  My eyes narrowed at him. “I’m not going to sleep with you.”

  “I know. But at least this way, if Art tries to follow you back to your room, you can tell him you’re meeting someone.”

  “I could tell him that, anyway.”

  “True.” He winked at me, a gesture I hated less the second time I saw it. But still, it irked me. “But it’s really obvious when you’re lying.”

  Before I could respond, the second bell rang, meaning I had about sixty seconds to get my butt into my chair. I raced across the room and slid into the seat with seconds to spare. Across the table sat Tom from the local competition, in between a guy a few years older than me and the gorgeous Asian woman he flirted with.

  The woman greeted me with a stunningly beautiful smile, introducing herself as Michelle. Her dark hair hung in loose waves past her shoulders, and blue eyeliner accentuated her oval brown eyes. Her lips looked absolutely kissable under her red lipstick. Men tended to underestimate attractive female opponents, assume they were stupid, but playing up her looks wouldn’t fool me. I mean, yes, she was hot. If I’d met her at a bar, I’d be interested. But from the way she barely acknowledged me, probably not into girls. Sharp eyes darted around the table, seeking signs of weakness in the other players. She wouldn’t find any here. I was just glad she diverted the attention of the fourth player so I didn’t have to deal with a
ny more unwanted flattery this morning.

  A certain type of guy always zeroed in on the nearest female player, and this particular guy’s aura screamed “Stay away, ladies!” from the day I met him a few years ago. He thought he was charming, but something about him always turned me off. From the frosted blond tips of his dark hair to his dimples and the practiced smile, he oozed insincerity. Even his name advertised what type of guy he was: Dustin. This guy would turn into Creepy Art in a few decades, if he didn’t slow down the partying. He was okay-looking, I supposed, if you were into overgrown boy band-types. Funny, charming, but also incredibly transparent. Dustin may be the life of the party, but the vast majority of the time, he was only helping everyone have a good time so he could get laid. I didn’t much mind him, because I knew not to take anything he said seriously. Still, I preferred to hang out with other people.

  For now, he was good-looking enough that a lot of people found it flattering when he flirted with them. Michelle either found him charming or deserved an Academy Award, so I cheerfully ignored Dustin and greeted Tom instead.

  When we each rolled to find out who’d start the game, a six and a four put me in first position. Depending on the board’s layout, this wasn’t always the best to start. Sometimes I liked to review where other players placed their starting pieces before making my choices. This board’s random setup only left a few good positions, though, so going first would help. Poor Dustin only had one real option once his turn came around, and it would be difficult for him to get the resources he needed.

  That’s why the tournament gave us multiple chances to win before being eliminated, though. The game involved enough luck that the coordinators tried to balance things as best they could.

  After setup, my first turn went smoothly. Michelle also placed her pieces quickly. I liked that in a player. Beside her, Tom frowned at his cards. “Does anyone have wood for my sheep?”

  Dustin snickered, and I hid a smile behind my cards. “That’s what he said.”