Level Up (11 page)

He suddenly felt like he'd been stabbed in the chest.

"Pick it up," Tessa said, nodding.

He sighed, unsure. She nudged him, and he grabbed the receiver. "Hello?"

"Adam?" It was Casey--sounding sad and vaguely tipsy.

"Are you all right? It's got to be...what, four in the morning where you are."

"I was out with some girls," she said. "We went and saw the ball drop in...the big thing. You know. With Ryan Seacrest and everything."

"That's great. I knew you'd love New York," he said. "Can we have this conversation in the..."

"I got the package of stuff you sent," she interrupted him, hiccupping. "Adam, I still love you."

He rubbed his eyes, feeling his body knot with tension this time, not passion. His heart hurt. "Yeah, well, you're three thousand miles away, Casey, and you made it clear that going to New York was more important than staying here with me, so let's not do this, okay?"

"I told you. I think...I think I might've made a mistake."

He glanced guiltily at Tessa, who was picking up her sweater and putting it on with clumsy motions. "Casey, you've obviously been drinking. This is the champagne talking."

"Tequila, actually."

"Okay, then it's tequila talking." he couldn't help it, he felt concerned. "Are you all right? Are you safe?"

"That's so like you, Adam. You always took care of me." She hiccupped, and he heard her break down into tears.

"Oh...C'mon Casey. It'll be all right. You'll feel much better in the morning."

"I miss you," she blubbered.

"I miss you, too," he said. "But it's been a whole year."

"Oh, God," she said. "Have you found somebody new? Have you moved on?"

"No, I haven't found anybody new or moved on," he said impatiently.

"Do you have a woman there? Like, right now?"

He glanced to see Tessa heading for the hallway. "As a matter of fact..."

"Oh, God. And now I've gone and ruined it." She started crying even harder.

"She's my roommate, and a woman I work with," he said. "But seriously, Casey. We've both got to move on, okay? You've got a new life and so do I."

She snuffled and said something unintelligible.

"Are you at home?"

"Ye-yess," she sniffled.

"Drink some water, take some vitamins, and go to bed, Case," he said. "You'll feel better in the morning."

"I love you, Adam."

"Love you too," he said reflexively, and hung up.

By the time he got back, Tessa was already in her room. He knocked on the door.

When she opened it, she was wearing
Adventure Time
 pajamas and a horrified, embarrassed expression. "I'm so sorry about that," she said.

"I'm not," he protested.

"Casey...that's your ex, right?" She didn't look at him when she asked it.

He sighed. "Yeah."

"Been a year since you guys broke up, huh? That's when I moved in," she said. When he nodded, she sighed. "Still hung up on her?"

"No," he said, but there must've been something in his voice that made her hold up her hand.

"It's been a long while for me," she said. "I'm making new friends and hopefully, I'll be making the engineering team. We'll be working together, as well as living together."

He frowned.

"Let's face it. Wouldn't that be awkward?" She said, avoiding eye contact. "I mean...would this just be for tonight?"

"I...honestly, I hadn't thought about it." Now he felt embarrassed.

"Neither of us did." She grinned. "You are a very good kisser."

"Hopefully that's not all," he said, starting to reach for her, only to have her shake her head.

"It's too fast, there are too many variables, and it's potentially a disaster," she said. "We need to sleep it off, and just chalk it up to hormones, the holidays, and forced proximity. Dodged bullet. That kind of thing."

"Is that what you want?" he said, his voice tight.

She sighed. "It could affect our jobs. My job," she pointed out. "It's the smart thing. And trust me----I always do the smart thing."

With that, she nudged him back, and shut the door.

He retreated to his room, his head swimming. Casey still loved him...but all he could think about was the dark haired girl in the other room. Not just because he'd like to have wild monkey-sex with her--although his body clamored frantically at that enticing thought, and he winced at the sudden blood rush----but because of the sadness in her eyes.

Would it have been just tonight?

He wasn't sure. But apparently, when it came to her job--she was.

Tessa had managed to avoid Adam the next day, and had managed to bum a ride with Stacy into the office on the following day, saying she wanted to get there early even though they both knew there was no reason to. She'd spent the day coding, partially because she didn't want to disappoint the girls, but mostly because she didn't want to deal with Adam.

Her cheeks still burned just remembering how she'd acted. And, frankly, how he'd felt underneath her
. I took off my sweater, 
she remembered. But instead of more embarrassment, she remembered the feel of his chest. His lips--holy hell, what that man could do with his mouth and tongue was ridiculous.

And then his ex-girlfriend had called.

"I still love you, too." 
That's what he'd said.

She winced and focused back on the computer screen.

Making out with Adam hadn't meant anything. They were both lonely, it was the New Year. They were emotional. Hell, she hadn't had sex in three years, so she was basically a time bomb. It could've happened with anyone, and she should be grateful it wasn't Fezza or José Yao. That would've been a walk to shame to end all walks of shame.

So, yeah, they'd made out. Now, they'd just downshift back to co-workers and roommates. Easy-peasy.

Riiiiight.

She rubbed at her temples. What's worse, Adam was right. There was absolutely no way they could code even a simple game in time for the deadline. Not with just the two of them, anyway. And when she'd emailed the engineering team Adam's production schedule for her project, she'd gotten absolutely no replies.

She thought about agoraphobic Cressida, and Hailey. About Rachel. About her new friends. She was the one who had proposed this cockamamie scheme. Now she felt responsible, and she didn't want to fail them.

Which meant she had to get the guys from engineering on board by any means necessary.

The guys were in the break room, lounging on the couches, playing the latest
Mortal Kombat
. There was still the leftover feel of the holidays--true work wouldn't probably begin for another week or so, and in a few months, they''d be in the crunch. They were taking advantage of the break until new assignments were handed down.

She marched in front of the TV, ignoring their jeers and shouts to move.

"I need your help with this game," she said.

"I need you to move the hell out of the way," Abraham growled.

"You never answered my email!"

"That wasn't a production schedule, that was a pipe dream," he shot back. "It's impossible."

"I thought you guys were supposed to be awesome, kick ass coders," she said, hoping that a cattle prod to the pride might jump-start them into action. "Sure, it''s two weeks. But it's only four levels. Jeez, I'd think you alone could do it in your sleep, Abraham!"

He glared at her. She glared back.

"I could," he said, his expression surly. "But I don't
want
to. That's the difference."

"It would take an insane marathon," Fezza said, more gently.

"And no offense, but I don't want to make a game based on some lame TV show about a bunch of male models trying to fight crime or whatever," José added.

"They don't fight crime, they fight
evil aliens
," she shouted, balling her hands into fists. She stopped herself, forcing herself to calm down.

Rodney surprised her. "It's actually about these three brothers who fight these alien replicants who basically have this tech that looks like magic. The Mystics been around for centuries and they used to be Druids. It''s sort of fantasy/sci-fi mixed."

Abraham, José, Fezza and Tessa all stared at him.

"What?" Rodney said stiffly. "I like it. Screw you guys."

She realized she wasn't going to get anywhere with this argument. With the possible exception of Rodney, they were all dead set against her.

It was time to make a truly desperate plea.

"All right. I will do just about anything to get your help," she said. "I promised some friends that I'd get this done. I told you about that. I don't want to let them down. So what is it going to take to get you guys to help me out?"

She saw José's eyes light up.

"Barring that, you horn dog," she said, anticipating his suggestion.

"Aww, I didn't even get to say it!"

"Seriously. I will...clean your house. I will make you meals. I will let you duct tape me to an office chair for an entire day," she said. ""Dunk tank. I'll let you shave my head. Bring it on."

Closer. Abraham was still scowling, but José and Fezza now looked intrigued...and, unfortunately, a bit gleeful.

"How about coming to work in a costume?" José asked.

"Sure."

"All day?" Fezza added, looking diabolically happy.

"Sure. All day," she said, then narrowed her eyes. "But I get to approve the costume."

Abraham snorted. "Ivy Valentine, from
Soul Caliber.
"

"Yeah, right," she said, rolling her eyes. "Unfortunately, I don't have triple-E sized boobs, and even if I did, no chance in hell."

"Bayonetta?" José asked hopefully. "She's completely covered. Sort of."

"No!"

"Slave Leia?" Fezza tried.

"Sailor Moon?" José piped in.

Now Abraham scowled at him. "Seriously?
Sailor Moon
?"

"Hey. She's hot."

Tessa frowned. They weren't going to come up with less sexist costumes any time soon, but she'd always sort of liked Sailor Moon, and she was probably the tamest of their options. Besides, she''d seen Kyla's sketches--there was a costume, already made, that she could use.

"Okay."

They turned back to her from their arguing over whether or not Sailor Moon was hot. "Okay, what?" José said.

"If you guys help me finish the game by deadline, I'll dress as Sailor Moon. For a full day. Here at work."

They whooped. José and Fezza high-fived. Even Abraham shot her a smug grin.

"Hey, guys?" Adam said, interrupting their festivities. "I just wanted to bring somebody by to say hi."

Tessa blinked. It was Rachel...the stunning, Megan Fox-looking co-owner of the bookstore. Today, she was wearing a business suit, her inky black hair up in a loose top-knot, full lips smiling, violet blue eyes gleaming.

"Adam told me that you guys were going to help Tessa with the game," she said.

Rodney grinned. José, Fezza and Abraham, on the other hand, gaped at her. Slack-jawed, open-mouthed
gaped
. The mouthy engineering crew had been struck dumb by the sheer loveliness of Rachel.

"I thought I'd stop by and thank you personally. I can't tell you how much it means to my sisters and me."

"You have
sisters
?" José croaked.

She laughed. It sounded like a bell.
Because of course it would,
 Tessa thought. Rachel wasn't human.

And what's she doing with Adam?

"I can only stop by for a minute," Rachel said, glancing at her watch. "But when Adam said you'd all be here, I figured I'd stop by now so I wouldn't distract you when you were doing your work."

"Oh, no trouble!"

"Really...distract us, any time!"

Rodney came up to Tessa and nudged her. "I would've helped regardless," he said, the only male there seemingly unaffected by Rachel's looks. "But it looks like you've got your team."

She watched as Adam escorted Rachel out, turning and giving Tessa a quick thumbs-up before shutting the door.

She sighed. This was obviously a plan on his part.

And damn him, it was working.

"Right. We'll all come over to your house tonight," Fezza said, rubbing his hands together. "We've got all weekend, and we'll just caravan."

"I could take a few days," José said. "I've got vacation.""

"So do I," Abraham said. "We'll run it by Stacy, but we''re not on for anything...we could probably all go."

Tessa realized she had vacation, too. It was all coming together.

"Rachel was the deciding factor, wasn't she?" she asked.

"Well, duh," Abraham said, getting up and heading to Stacy's desk, the guys close behind him.

"Does that mean I don't have to dress like Sailor Moon?" she called after them. They immediately answered back in a chaotic jumble.

"Yeah you do!"

"You're still on the hook for that."

"Sailor Moon! Sailor Moon!"

She rubbed at her temples, watching as they walked away. Well, she had her crew. She'd talk to Adam, and they'd pull it together.

"Why are you mad at me?" Adam asked Tessa as she bustled around the kitchen, laying out food, cleaning stuff up...and otherwise, flat-out ignoring him.

It was Saturday morning, fairly early at eight a.m. Adam knew the guys decided they'd come by the house today, rather than last night. They were getting all their gear ready for this week's coding marathon.

Tessa had been up since about six a.m. She'd asked if she could borrow his car, since she didn't have one, and he'd let her, only to find a feast of bagels, cinnamon rolls, doughnuts, and two vats of coffee, as well as a fridge full of beer and soda, bags of chips, and some kind of deli plates or something. He'd helped himself to a cup of coffee, still wearing the sweats he'd slept in and a hoodie. She was already dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt, ready to deal with the incoming crew. She'd gotten the fire going, so the house was toasty, and she'd straightened up the house a little. Not that the guys would have noticed, or cared if they did.

She wasn't looking at him, or talking to him. She was obviously pissed. He just wasn't sure why.