Her Perfect Game Read online

  “Pack your bags. You’re going back to your old stomping grounds.”

  “What?”

  “Chicago. Jaime’s sick and can’t go to the hackfest. And since the whole thing was your idea, it only makes sense for you to fill in.”

  “Are you sure that’s a good idea? I might know some of the competitors. Like you said, it’s my old stomping grounds.” Jonah shifted in the chair, suddenly not as comfortable as he thought.

  “You brought the idea of sponsorship to me. We both know that the winner of the competition isn’t going to be the only talent there. Other sponsors will have representation on site. We can’t afford to lose out.”

  Jonah knew Kyle was right. This kind of competition brought out the best hackers. They could assess things that wouldn’t show on a résumé or in transcripts. They needed people who could think on the fly to work in their newly expanded R & D department, and they always needed security people.

  “Your flight is booked for Wednesday morning.”

  Jonah had no idea what his expression said to Kyle, but it must not have looked good.

  “Think of it as a free vacation. Spend some time with hackers. Check out the skimpy outfits on cosplayers. Have a few drinks. Have fun, but do what you have to do to recruit.”

  While he knew many people would dress in costume to look like their favorite movie and gaming characters, it didn’t do much for Jonah. “I’m not a recruiter, Kyle. I can pick out the best, but I don’t know that I’ll be able to convince anyone to join us.”

  “Lay the groundwork. That’s all we need you to do. We’ll handle the rest.”

  Jonah left Kyle’s office and went back to his own work space. It wasn’t an office or a cubicle. When Kyle designed the office, he wanted everyone to be able to interact, so the old loft space was left open. Drafting tables were shoved together for conference space, usually a team talking story lines over cheap Chinese food or pizza. Each team member had a computer station that they worked from, but they shared everything. It wasn’t unusual to find one of his teammates at his station.

  So he shouldn’t have been surprised to see Tim sitting in his chair waiting for news of his meeting with Kyle. As much as Jonah enjoyed the laid-back atmosphere of his job, sometimes it was inconvenient.

  “So?”

  Jonah shrugged. “I’m going to Chicago for the rest of the week, so you need to keep the team on track while I’m gone. We’re still having problems with Resskaar. People are getting in and fucking with abilities. You need to find the issue and create a patch before there are bigger problems.”

  Tim swiveled in the chair. “Bigger problems like what?”

  “I don’t want to know. That’s my point. Right now, the few I’ve seen are guys figuring out how to steal the same thing more than once or restore their health without a healer.”

  Tim stood and shrugged. “What’s the big deal about that?”

  “It’s not a big deal yet. But players will start to notice, and if one guy makes changes, others will follow. It could fuck with the whole system.” Jonah took the seat Tim vacated.

  “I know that, but that game’s been out for a couple of years. Why waste the time and energy when we should be focusing on the new version?”

  “Because we have loyal players on this version. We want them to follow us to the next. If they think the world is unstable because of a few hackers, we lose customers.” He spun in his chair and hoped Tim would take the hint.

  “Whatever, man. We’ll get in and figure it out.”

  The hacking bothered Jonah more than it probably should. Every game had people who hacked to make modifications. But Resskaar was the first game Jonah had worked on and he had a soft spot for it. It wasn’t a perfect game. It had plenty of issues and glitches that they’d had to fix over the years, but he loved the world and the premise of the story.

  And this was the game that had led him back to Charlie.

  Wednesday came too soon for Jonah. He felt like he was leaving too many things unfinished at work. He was only going to be gone for five days, but the hacking issues in Resskaar had doubled since the weekend. He’d checked forums to try to find who was spreading the information, but he’d had no luck. Now he had to trust his team to handle it.

  As the plane touched down in Chicago, Jonah turned on his phone and checked for messages from Tim. Nothing. His fingers itched to be on a keyboard, searching for the problem. He’d spent most of the last two nights doing just that and he was exhausted. The idea of being smashed in throngs of people at a convention made him cringe. Even at his best, he didn’t like crowds.

  He followed the passengers off the plane as they moved like cattle; the bodies pressing against him tightened every muscle. The airport wasn’t much better. After walking probably a mile and a half to get his suitcase and find a cab, he was finally on his way to the hotel. While the cabbie dodged traffic on the Kennedy, Jonah checked his e-mail as the downtown skyline came into view.

  They passed the WinTrust building, and he tried to remember what mural had been there the last time he’d seen it. It was one of those things he had overlooked as he’d drawn near downtown while in college. He’d been aware of its presence, but had never paid attention to the art. This time, he found himself setting his phone down to look.

  The John Hancock and the Willis Tower stood tall, their tops not visible because of cloud cover. Maybe this weekend, he’d take a trip to the sky deck at Willis Tower. The glass platform had just opened his last year here and he’d been too cool for touristy things. As they pulled into downtown, the cab became darker with the tall buildings concealing the meager sunlight. He’d arrived late enough in the day that they’d missed rush hour, but the traffic moved slowly through downtown.

  Even with the sluggish traffic, Jonah realized he’d missed this city. He hadn’t returned in the nearly three years since graduating. He’d almost forgotten what had drawn him here in the first place. The cab pulled up to the hotel. Jonah paid the fare and grabbed his luggage. After checking in, he dropped his bags in his room and doubled back downstairs to assess the conference room that would host the first challenge for the hackfest. The first two nights they booked large rooms because they expected a huge turnout, but only the best would move on to subsequent challenges, so the last night would be held in a smaller room. His biggest concern was making sure the power was adequate.

  While waiting in the lobby to speak to one of the conference organizers, Jonah saw her. Even after three years, Charlie was unmistakable. Her messy blond hair was only partially hidden by the knit cap she wore. With her black backpack slung over one shoulder, she checked in.

  He knew she saw him, felt it in the air, but she took her room key and walked to the conference registration table. He waited, but even after getting her registration material, she didn’t turn to acknowledge him. And why should she? He’d left without a word.

  He strode up behind her and called, “Charlie.”

  There was a brief hitch in her stride before she turned, but when she faced him, her bright smile dazzled him. “Best! What the hell are you doing here?”

  She threw her arms around him in a too-friendly hug. Best. He’d forgotten that she’d always called him by his last name. Except in bed. Then he was Jonah. He forced images of Charlie in his bed away and answered, “My company is sponsoring the hackfest.”

  “Hackfest?”

  She never did play dumb well. “Drop the act. Yes, it’s supposed to be secret, but I have access to the registrants. I knew you’d be here.”

  “Sponsorship, huh? So that means you’re not competing?” Hopefulness filled her face.

  “I haven’t decided.” No, he hadn’t planned to compete, but he liked to push her buttons.

  Her eyes narrowed slightly. “Wouldn’t that be a conflict of interest?”

  “We sponsored the prize money. A third party created the challenges and will determine final winners. I’m here to observe.”

  Relief came into her eyes
. “I guess I’ll see you later then.”

  “How about a drink?”

  Her lips curved but didn’t quite make a full smile. “We’ll see. I have a busy week planned.”

  He watched her walk away. He’d expected her to be pissed off, maybe a little hurt, but she showed no signs of either emotion. It had been almost three years. He supposed it was possible that his leaving didn’t have nearly the same impact on her as it had him. For some reason, that bothered him more. He had five days to set things right with Charlie. He didn’t know exactly what that would mean, but he knew that it was something that he’d been working toward for more than a year.

  As he stood thinking about Charlie, one of the conference organizers caught his arm and offered to show him the room for tonight.

  When the elevator doors closed, Charlie released a shuddering breath. Of all the things she’d hoped to experience this week, a reunion with Jonah Best didn’t even come close to making the list. As soon as she’d entered the lobby, she noticed him. How could she not? For a few brief months three years ago, Jonah had been her friend, her lover, her mentor, her lifeline. No one had ever had such an impact on her.

  Part of her was a little pissed that he still looked so good. After he’d left, she’d wanted to believe that he’d get old and ugly, as if three years would make that much of a difference. The other part of her couldn’t control being attracted to him. He still affected her without even trying. She attempted to steady her breathing and lower her heart rate. What the hell was she going to do?

  The hackfest was her best shot of doing something she loved with her life, but she couldn’t go up against Jonah. First of all, he’d taught her most of what she knew about hacking. Second, he was a huge distraction. There was too much between them. Too much history, too much emotion, too much . . . God, she didn’t even have the words to describe the tornado swirling in her chest.

  By the time she got to her room, her hands were steady enough that she got the key card to work on the first try. She wanted to talk to someone about running into Jonah, but who? She’d never told anyone about her relationship with him. It had all happened so fast, and she was in such a bad place that she’d wanted to have him all to herself. Layla and Felicity might recognize the name, but they’d assume he was just some guy she’d fucked. He’d never been that.

  There was only one person she could think of that she could vent to. After dumping her bag on the bed, she booted up her computer and logged on. Of course, it was still afternoon, so Win wouldn’t be playing the game, but she could leave him a message. He’d left her one, early this morning.

  Hey, gorgeous, you might want to stay offline for a bit. Ran into Kraven. He’s really pissed about you taking his stuff.

  Kraven was the least of her worries right now.

  Thanks for the heads-up. What would I have to do to convince you to come to Chicago? I might sound desperate, but I just saw my ex. Complicated stuff. If you’re here, I’ll be less likely to do something stupid.

  She clicked send, not too worried about how desperate she might sound. Win was a good friend, and this week, especially, she’d need a good friend.

  Charlie logged off and sorted through her registration materials. She’d been so focused on the hackfest that she hadn’t really looked at the panels she might want to attend. She scrolled through the schedule, but the bold date at the top of the page glared at her.

  Three years ago today.

  Why couldn’t this con be any other week? Spring break landed all over for different schools. Why this week? It would take every ounce of effort to concentrate and forget about Sylvie.

  But the damn date at the top of the page wouldn’t let her go. She glanced at the clock. Three years ago, what had Sylvie been doing? Who had she been thinking of? Why didn’t she call someone, anyone, but especially Charlie?

  Instead, Sylvie jumped from the water tower in her small hometown and died alone.

  Three years ago today.

  Chapter 3

  At eight fifty, Jonah couldn’t help but stare at the clock. The first challenge was set to start in less than ten minutes, but he hadn’t seen Charlie since their run-in in the lobby. He worried that his presence might’ve scared her off. That hadn’t been his intention. He’d just wanted to hear her voice. Plus, he didn’t want the shock of seeing him to throw her off her game tonight.

  Eight fifty-five. Most of the seats were filled. About fifty people sat in the stuffy room and he could count on one hand how many were female. Just as the moderator grabbed the door to shut it, Charlie squeezed past, flashing her invitation, and took the seat nearest the door.

  She wore an oversized army jacket and a baseball cap low on her face. He had a sick feeling about her reasons for the semi-disguise. She quickly set up her laptop and pulled an energy drink from her bag. Most players had similar drinks at their stations. It was a staple of the community.

  The directions were read for the first challenge. Jonah tuned them out. He didn’t need to know what the goal was as much as he needed to watch how the players approached the task. They had one hour to meet the goal. The top thirty would move on to round two.

  As soon as start was called, everyone began typing furiously at their keyboards. Except for a select few, Charlie being one of them. She was scrolling through code. While most players would barge through the front door to leave their mark, she was taking her time, searching for a loose basement window. That’s my girl.

  The fleeting thought hit him hard. Charlie had listened to almost everything he’d said about hacking. She was smart, sometimes unfocused, but she had great intuition. He stopped by her table, snatched the energy drink, and replaced it with a bottle of water. She shot a glare at him but didn’t speak.

  No one else seemed to notice, so he moved on because he didn’t want anyone to accuse him of favoritism. Even though he definitely had a soft spot for Charlie.

  Twenty minutes in, the first five players were done and packing up. They knew they were a lock, so they didn’t wait for judgment. Jonah waited at the door for them to exit and give them their pass to the next round. He waited anxiously as the stack of passes dwindled. He knew Charlie could do this. It was a simple hack. What was she doing?

  As he had the thought, she shut her laptop with a quiet click and headed for the door. Handing him the bottle of water, she said, “Don’t touch my stuff. I don’t need you to take care of me.”

  Her eyes told a slightly different story. She’d been crying. “We both know that when you drink that shit, you get all hopped up and then you might do something stupid.”

  “Like you?” Her quip came as quickly as her smirk.

  He probably had that coming, but he’d really been thinking about her bad habits from the past. She’d suck down energy drinks, and then when she couldn’t sleep, she’d light a joint. She had no balance for anything in her life. But she seemed to be doing better. “How about that drink?”

  “Sorry, I have a date.” And she slid through the door without a backward glance.

  He continued to hand out the remaining passes and thought about what would make Charlie cry. Being at a con should make her happy. This was the kind of place where she would thrive. She liked crowds and conversation and the craziness of fans.

  He checked his watch, and as his gaze slid over the date, he made the connection. Charlie had been crying over Sylvie. Now he really felt like shit for talking about her doing something stupid. Charlie wasn’t immune to doing stupid things, but he shouldn’t have joked with her if she was hurting.

  The first challenge wrapped up with some people grumbling about the scores and the challenge itself. The moderator basically told them better luck next year.

  Jonah headed out and thought about going to the convention main floor. Certainly there would be plenty to see and do, but he really didn’t want to run into Charlie with her sad eyes and whatever guy she had on her arm, so he went back to his room.

  In the elevator, his phone pinged let
ting him know that Charlie had logged on to Resskaar. Shit. Hadn’t he told her to stay offline for a few days? Kraven had been furious when they’d run into each other. He’d been screaming, and nothing Jonah had said would calm him. They’d actually gotten into a fight.

  The worry about Kraven faded and a new thought came to Jonah. Charlie had said she had a date. Why the hell was she online?

  In his room, he logged in to the game and checked messages first. Laura: I might sound desperate, but I just saw my ex. Complicated stuff. If you’re here, I’ll be less likely to do something stupid. He laughed. So she was afraid of doing something stupid with him and she thought inviting Win would prevent that. No way could he come clean about his online identity now. Kraven still appeared as part of their guild, and Jonah saw he was also logged on.

  Not good for Charlie. Jonah took off through the woods and into the village to find her. She had a habit of taking off and starting new missions without being in full health and hoping she’d get what she’d need on the way. He went to the house where she was supposed to be and called out to her, but didn’t get an answer.

  In the back room, he saw why. Kraven was pummeling her. As Win came through the door, Kraven held Charlie’s avatar Laura by the throat. With one swipe of his hand, he tore away her clothes.

  What the fuck? Nothing in the program would allow that.

  Now you’ll learn why bitches don’t belong in game. A cunt’s only good for one thing.

  Jonah rushed forward and slammed Win’s little body into Kraven. Laura slumped to the floor, and Jonah used every keystroke and bit of health energy he had to send Kraven up in flames. As soon as Kraven was a pile of ash, Jonah watched his own avatar flop down.

  Jonah logged off and grabbed his phone while he entered the back end of the game. Something was wrong with the code. When Tim answered, he was already searching.

  “What’s up, Jonah? No luck picking up chicks?”