I grab one of my Pure sweaters and pull it on. I always have to have something with Pure Energy’s logo showing whenever I record. I check the time again as I get my stuff ready so I can stay at my desk for the next few hours. I still have a couple minutes, so I flip through the few pieces of mail I have, tossing two into the trash and opening one from the university.
“What the hell?” I whisper.
How is this even possible? I read the letter over twice to make sure I understand it. One of my scholarships has fallen through. I have two weeks to come up with the ten grand I need for next semester. Not to mention, I’ll need that for every semester that follows too.
“Shit.” I clear my alarm, telling me it’s time to go live. I jump up and change out of my hoodie and into one of the sponsored tank tops instead and pull down my hair. I shake it out then grab my glasses before I drop back down into my computer chair.
Am I really thinking about flirting to draw more attention? I bring the screen to live as another thought dawns on me.
Do I even know how to flirt?
Chapter Four
Asher
My eyes hurt from staring at a computer screen for so long and push away from my desk. Rubbing the heel of my hands against them, I go over to the kitchen and grab a drink.
Since Sam is on his honeymoon this week, I’ve stocked up my own fridge so I don’t have to go next door. Which is kind of bullshit, if you ask me. All of a sudden my brother gets a wife and now I’ve got to cook my own meals. Yeah, I’m not jealous at all.
After the wedding, I hounded my mom for all the details I could get on Lexi. I swear she’s like a shark and could smell a drop of blood in the water. The second she knew I was interested, she had me. Even though I did my best to play it off,
I’ve never shown interest in a woman, and she damn well knew it. My mom loves to tease me, and this was finally her moment.
By the end of the night, all I got out of her was that she was an online gamer and went to school with Parker. I know my mom knows more, but she’s not giving up the details.
I tried bribing her with spa days, a shopping trip to Italy, and even an offer to take her to Disneyland, but she didn’t budge. I have no idea why she’s holding out on me, but she told me that if I wanted to know about Lexi, I needed to work for it.
My dad told me he was staying out of it and disappeared before I could corner him. Coward.
Unfortunately, universities protect their students' identity, and I couldn’t find out where she was on campus. And I never thought to ask Sam about it when he went to go see Parker. So now all I’ve got to go on is somehow finding her online.
When I get back to my desk, once again I start the search. Does anyone have any idea how hard it is to find a gamer online? She’s obviously not going by the name Lexi, because I tried all kinds of variations and nothing came up. This time I’ve decided to throw caution to the wind, and I try searching a gaming network that posts all the current lives. What else can I do except pray that she’s on right now and that somehow I find her? I’m leaving it in fate’s hands and hoping the universe sends me to her.
I scroll the gaming network and see a huge list of lives that are happening. Instead of looking at host names, I search by the video feed and see if I can spot her. Reaching over, I take a drink of my iced coffee, and just as my finger slides over the trackpad, I see her.
I’m so shocked by the image of her on the screen I spit my coffee out and then curse myself. I have to grab some paper towels, but as I’m wiping off the screen I stare at the beauty that has haunted my thoughts since the second I saw her. She’s got on a low-cut tank top, and her tits are pushed up to nearly spilling out. She’s wearing glasses, which she didn’t have on the other night, and her hair is in a messy bun.
“Shit,” I say to myself as I stare at her and just how hot she is. How does this woman I don’t even know have this tight grip on me?
“Now what the fuck do I do?” I’m not familiar with gaming or this site, so I’ve got to sign up in order to talk to her.