“She’s into cigarettes.”
Dean made a considering face. “I can work with that. So Max said you designed a game, that’s pretty cool.”
Julia made a non-committal noise.
“What’s it about?”
“A virus and gangs and stuff.”
Dean made a thoughtful noise. “Impressive.”
“Not as impressive as me kicking your ass right now.”
“My time will come, little lady. Did you really make Max a character? Is he badass?”
“Sort of. The game’s mostly about women, though. He’s just the main character’s boyfriend.”
Dean sniggered. “It’s sweet you channeled your love into something productive. All Max’s pining over you amounts to is hours of whining and dried-up tissues.”
“Yuck,” Julia said but her cheeks burned.
She began to wonder what would happen if she got Dean and Ash in the same room, they did share a similar grotesque sense of humor. Ash wasn’t into redheads but Dean had a certain laid-back charm that was appearing. He certainly wouldn’t be the most annoying wanker she’d ever dated…
Julia heard the heavy footfalls of someone coming down the corridor. She smelled Max before she saw him, that warm masculine scent mixed with soap and cologne. Her hands shook and for the first time since she and Dean started playing someone stabbed her avatar in the chest.
“What was that?” Dean hollered. “You just got shanked by a teenager. Achild.”
“Piss off! My KDR is still miles higher than yours.”
Max cleared his throat. “Julia?”
Her palms went slippery and she clutched her controller harder. “Hey, Max. I hope you don’t mind me coming over.”
“I don’t mind at all.” Somehow she could hear that he was smiling. “Would you like to go into my room and talk?”
“Sur—”
“No way!” Dean threw a paper cup at Max. “I’m gonna win, I can taste it. Your little love-summit can wait another five minutes.”
Max appeared in her peripheral vision, more attractive than any blurry outline had a right to be. “Dean.”
“Actually, if you have a minute, Max, I wanted to show you something.” Julia dug into her pocket and pulled out the e-mail Tiff had sent her.
“What is it?” he and Dean asked at the same time.
“Just something for my game.” She held the piece of paper up in the air. “Could you take a look at it?”
“Sure,” he said, plucking it from her fingers.
Julia listened as the paper rustled open, sick with nerves. She fixed her attention on the TV, waiting for her guy to respawn. Five minutes passed and she claimed her twenty-eighth victory. Dean swore. Max said nothing. He had to have been finished reading but he remained silent as the grave. She and Dean began another game. Ten minutes passed and Julia unleashed a care package, decimating fifteen players at once.
Dean groaned like she’d taken her top off. “Seriously, Max, if you don’t put a ring on this chick, I will marry her out from under you.”
“I don’t want to marry you. And stop camping. People like you ruin multiplayer for everyone.”
“Okay,” Max muttered, and unless her hearing was shot, he soundedtorn up. “Julia, my room. Now.”
Dean threw another paper cup at Max. Where was he getting those from? “C’mon, buddy, one more game. Best of ten. Hundred. Thousand. You don’t understand. Ihaveto beat this girl.”