I slid my eyes with forceful purpose back to the computer screen, calling up the correct file off her flash drive and then copying it onto my computer. She was goading me. Easy to recognize, easy to dismiss. Usually.
As if I didn’t already want it so badly I could scream. And below the belt, my body was shouting, “Challenge accepted!” I took a deep breath—through my mouth so I wouldn’t keep smelling her—and let it out, opened the file and then handed the laptop off to the audiovisual guy to copy it onto his equipment.
Minutes after that, I was called on stage to deliver my talk. Just like when the real deal would go down tomorrow, a countdown clock starting at 18:00 flipped numbers backward. I had that time—and only that amount of time—to deliver my “ideas worth spreading.”
I closed out my remarks with less than thirty seconds to spare. Given the near tragic mishap with the slides, it ended up being a surprisingly smooth rehearsal. When I stepped out of the room, April tagged behind me as we made our way out into the hallway.
“That was really good,” she said in a hushed voice.
I adjusted the laptop case on my shoulder and slipped my hands into my pockets. “But…?”
“No ‘buts.’ It was a fascinating talk.” I glanced at her, as if to verify she wasn’t mocking me. She wasn’t. Her brows were knit, indicating intense interest. “So Dragon Epoch has a virtual economy that behaves exactly like real-world economies?”
“Most of these types of games do. And the best ones employ economic experts to advise as to how it should work in the game.”
She shook her head. “That’s amazing. And beyond that, I’m surprised that economists can study how economics work in a game and actually learn things about theoretic economics.”
Several people coming toward us in the narrow hallway were on a direct collision course, so engrossed in their own conversation that they weren’t paying attention. I wrapped my hand around April’s arm and tugged her out of the way, causing her to almost collide with me. She put her hand against my waist to steady herself, and even that touch had my body perking up and wanting more. Hell, a stiff wind would perk it up these days. My eyes slid over the beautiful bone structure of her face, the perfect, porcelain skin that resembled a certain Disney princess and the slight build that still managed to boast curves in all the right places. April was far more interesting than a stiff wind.
“Thanks,” she muttered as she sluggishly pulled away from me. I swallowed, checking my watch. “What else do we have going on today?”
“You’re on your own for dinner, but there’s that cocktail mixer with the press tonight. I don’t have to be there, but I was going to show up in case any scheduling needs arise. I have a feeling that after your rehearsal today, you are going to be a pretty popular interview subject.”
I raised my brows. I thought it had been a competent delivery of a decent speech, but she seemed far more impressed with it than I could have hoped.
“And then, of course, you need to get a good night’s sleep. They suggest practicing your speech before you go to bed, when you wake up, and again in the green room before you are on.”
“Well, the less we discuss this, the less nervous I’ll feel. Let’s go get some dinner.”
“You—ah—want me to come with you?”
“Why not? You can ask me more about my talk if you want, and I can ask you why you are going to business school when theoretic economics is obviously what gets you giddy.”
She darted a glance at me, then put her head down and continued walking in silence. I arranged for a driver to take us to one of the nicest restaurants in Vancouver, hoping she liked Hong Kong fusion cuisine. It was original, delicious and she obviously enjoyed it, though she refused the wine pairings with each dish as they were suggested.
We ate while we talked, enjoying ourselves, and she appeared fascinated as she continued to pepper me with questions about my speech.
“What made you decide on business school if you enjoy economic theory so much?”
She shrugged. “It seems more practical.”
“The idea of being able to tap into a virtual economy like the one in Dragon Epoch doesn’t get you hot and bothered? If you studied theoretical economics, you could do your entire thesis on DE’s economy.”
She took a spoonful of her desert—vanilla bean mousse. She eyed me for a moment before answering. “There are a lot of things that get me hot and bothered.” Her dark pink tongue snaked out to lick her spoon.