Game Changer Read online

  By the time he hung up his phone, I was seething. With my arms crossed over my chest and my foot tapping loudly on the floor, I was clearly irritated with the useless intrusion.

  “I’m sorry. Did I interrupt your important phone call?” I asked, sarcasm seeping through every word that spilled from my mouth.

  “Nope, not at all. I was about to hang up on him anyway,” he said with a laugh.

  Oh, so the cocky geek thinks he’s funny?

  His answer infuriated me. The least he could’ve done was apologize for being rude. He was lucky his phone didn’t end up in the trashcan—or the toilet—that’d be even better.

  My eyes narrowed, but he just continued to look at me with humor in his stare. The depth of his striking, blue eyes disarmed me a bit. I wasn’t expecting them to look so… so… blue… and seemingly familiar. I internally scolded myself at the stupid thought.

  “Well, if you don’t mind, I have work to do,” I retorted, clearing my head with a shake and bringing my gaze back to my computer. He persisted to stare at me with a slight smirk outlining his features.

  “What kind of work do you do?” he asked. Seriously, the man wasn’t getting the hint.

  “I’m sorry, Mr.…?”

  “Liam.”

  “Mr. Liam.”

  “No, just Liam.”

  “Okay, well, Liam…” I put an extra snarky emphasis on his name to prove to him I wasn’t a dummy. “I apologize for being rude, but my work is none of your business.”

  “Fair enough,” he said with a nod. Again, those damn eyes seemed to capture me. They were a breathtaking mix of the sky and ocean—so deep and crisp. I almost had the urge to ask where I had seen him before. No, that’d make him think I was interested, and I wasn’t. Really, I wasn’t. “So…” His voice brought me out of my obvious ogling and back to reality.

  Cocky geek. You must remember he’s a cocky geek.

  “So?” I said, lifting my brow and pretending to be unaffected.

  “Well, my name is Liam. And yours is?” He extended his hand out to me.

  “Busy,” I barked back while grabbing his hand and shaking it.

  “Busy. Okay, busy. Nice to meet you, busy. Come here often, busy?” he joked, only it wasn’t funny.

  “Maci,” Ramon hollered as he approached the table. Cocky geek raised his brows in surprise—aware he now knew my name and therefore beat me at my own game of evasion. “I see you’ve met Liam, my other lifelong customer.”

  “Yes, we’re getting acquainted. Thank you, Ramon,” I said kindly, not wanting him to sense our tension and feel the need to choose sides. Liam just stared at me with a smug grin on his face, and I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to smack it off him or ask him to come closer so I could feel those dimples for myself.

  “Would you like more?” Ramon asked, pointing to my nearly empty cup.

  “No thanks. I need to be going soon anyway,” I respond with a smile before looking back at Liam.

  “Very good, I’ll just put it all on your tab.”

  “Thank you, Ramon.”

  “Have a lovely day, Maci,” he yelled as he walked away.

  “Maci. Now, was that so hard?” Liam asked, making me scowl in return.

  I didn’t say anything as I closed my laptop and stowed it in my bag. I needed to find a new, less-distracting writing hole, and I needed to do it soon before this man looked at me with those beautiful, familiar eyes again.

  “So, Maci,” he hissed, accentuating my name like I did his. “How would you like to go to a very stuffy, black-tie charity function with me next weekend?”

  Shocked, I stopped my fumbling and stared at the man like he had horns growing from his head. Flipping an errant lock of hair from my face, I gawked at him and squeaked, “Excuse me?”

  “A charity event. It’ll probably be less boring if you come along. What do you say?”

  “I say you’re on crack if you think I’ll make a good date to your swanky event.” I couldn’t believe he was seriously asking me. This had to be some prank. I’d been nothing but snarky and condescending to him. No way he’d want me on his arm all night.

  “So, is that a yes?” he asked, standing along with me like a true gentleman.

  “No, Liam. I’m sorry. But that’s a big no,” I said, attempting to squeeze my way around him and toward the door. My laptop case nearly knocked over the chair he was sitting in. Just as I dodged around it, the bag of books I purchased clattered to the floor.

  Closing my eyes and taking a deep breath, I willed the color of embarrassment to leave my cheeks as Liam picked up the books and held them out to me. A slight nod was all the thanks I could manage as I took it from him and began bolting for the exit.

  And, of course, he followed me.

  “Will you at least think about it? You have almost two weeks. I come to this coffee shop almost every day. So, we ca—”

  “Wait,” I said, interrupting his babbling as I swung around to face him. “How come I’ve never seen you in here?”

  “Because you usually have your nose stuck so far up that computer, one would think it was using your memory instead of its own RAM,” he replied with a chuckle.

  “Thank you for reminding me why I said no.” With that, I turned on my heel and walked out.

  Chapter Two

  Liam: Distractions

  I couldn’t contain my laughter as I watched her walk away. Christ. Why did women have to be so infuriating? Regardless of how much she seemed to loathe me, I found her snarky attitude to be… entertaining. Not to mention her looks. She was simply captivating.

  “Maci, wait up!” I yelled as I ran after her on the sidewalk. She chanced a glance over her shoulder, but never stopped walking, seeming to pick up her pace at the sound of my voice. I must’ve lost my mind. I never chased women, and it came as no surprise she was running for the hills. Most women only saw me as a paycheck, once they knew who I was. And Ms. Maci had no idea.

  Her long, blonde hair flowed behind her in waves with each large step she took, accentuating the subtle strands of bright colors she had mixed in, yet her stride was no match for mine. Catching up to her, I said, “I just wanted to apologize. I’m not usually a dick. You just had the word no written across your forehead before I even got a word in. I found it… different.”

  “Apology accepted. But I’m still not going anywhere with you,” she said without even looking in my direction.

  A whistle from the curb caught my attention before I heard the yelling, causing me to stop mid-step. “Dude, what are you doing? We gotta go,” Thad yelled while gripping the roll bars and standing upright in the driver’s seat of my Jeep Wrangler, tapping at his watch with impatience.

  I smiled at the sight of the new golden snitch hanging on my rearview mirror.

  Turning back to face Maci, I was surprised to see she was gone. Whipping my head around and scanning the area, I managed to catch sight of her retreating form into a set of glass doors leading into an office building—her colorful hair a dead giveaway.

  “Pembroke Publishing,” I whispered while reading the sign on the door. There was no need to memorize the familiar name, and I suddenly wondered if she’d be able to set up a meeting with my favorite Sci-Fi author they represented. They were a small publishing house, catering mostly to Indies who needed some help and advice when it came to getting their work out there.

  “Seriously, Liam,” Thad shouted again. “I can’t stay parked here, and we have a raid scheduled. Come. On.”

  Rolling my eyes, I walked to the driver’s side and pushed him out of my way. “Fine, but I’m driving my own goddamned car.”

  “Thank you, Thad, for getting it detailed for me. Oh, no problem, Liam. It was my pleasure,” Thad mocked, pretending to be all butt-hurt I didn’t bow down and kiss his feet.

  “You’re such a whiny brat. You wouldn’t’ve had to get it detailed if you didn’t spill your fucking Mountain Dew all over the seats,” I reminded him as my engine roared to life, and
I pulled away from the curb. Flicking the golden snitch, I asked, “Where’d you get this?”

  “Some cute redhead at the detail shop was selling them. Said she made it herself. I thought it’d be a perfect addition to your nerd-mobile here.” He paused before his grin widened, and he added, “Plus, it was easier to get her number after buying something from her.”

  I chuckled. “Well, thank you for that then.”

  *****

  While mindless gaming before bed seemed to calm my thoughts, I’d had little success sleeping last night. What was it about that Maci chick? Yeah, she was cute, especially with her casual attire and colorful hair. But that sort of thing didn’t usually keep my mind so overwhelmed.

  Was it that she didn’t like me? Maybe. I always seemed to attract women who thought my job was cool and my money even cooler. They tended to cake their personalities with false pretenses—shaping themselves into women they thought I would want to keep around rather than being themselves.

  As the lead game developer of nZone Studios, I had a knack for attracting women who felt the need to use me in one way or another. Whether it be a status within the gaming community or, hell, even a way to get their foot in the door as a tester—they all seemed to have an ulterior motive, one that never involved me specifically, but rather my rank on the totem pole.

  With that in mind, Maci’s take-no-shit attitude toward me had my interest piqued. She—

  “Mr. Allen… Mr. Allen?”

  “Earth to Liam…”

  “What?” Looking up, I noticed several eyes staring at me, probably waiting for some sort of response to whatever they’d been going on about. I knew this pitch meeting wasn’t going to be a good idea this morning.

  Thad looked at me, shrugged, and said, “Dude, what planet are you on?”

  “Krypton,” I said, my voice filled with sarcasm. “Ahh, my bad. I just have a lot on my plate.” It wasn’t entirely untrue. “It sounds like a great idea, but I’ll want to look over these figures a bit later. Email this information to me and I’ll analyze it tomorrow before giving you the green light,” I instructed, tapping my pen on the papers in front of me before standing, effectively dismissing everyone.

  “Sure thing,” chimed Sky, one of our most brilliant developers. She usually kept to herself and still managed to blow all the others out of the water with her ideas.

  Once everyone cleared the room, I walked over to the window overlooking the skyline, Thad noisily approaching me from behind.

  “What the hell is up with you today?” he asked.

  “Ahh, nothing. My mind is just a bit preoccupied.” Deciding I wanted to change the subject, I added, “So where are we going for lunch?”

  “Actually, I can’t. I have a meeting with the ad execs.”

  “That’s right.”

  “You gotta stop being a fucking pussy. I’m not sure who slipped estrogen in your sippy cup, but you’re causing a scene. Man up,” Thad lectured before turning and walking out.

  To others, it would seem like he was being coldhearted and mean, when in reality, that was him being his unusually sensitive self.

  He was right though, I was causing a scene. Even if this female was getting into my head and making herself feel right at home, there was no reason it should’ve affected how I performed at work.

  We all had a part in the games we played, and I was about to lose a life if I didn’t—for lack of better words—man up.

  “Mr. Allen,” a female voice sounded through the phone’s intercom.

  “Yeah, Danni.”

  “Mr. Kroger is on line three, says it’s urgent.”

  And, back to work…

  *****

  My heart thrummed in my chest as I entered the Pembroke Publishing office and approached the receptionist’s desk. Why I thought dropping in on the woman I’d just met yesterday would be a good idea was beyond me. I must’ve been seriously losing my mind.

  “Good afternoon, and welcome to Pembroke Publishing. Can I help you?” the stocky woman asked while pushing her glasses up on her nose.

  “Yes, I was hoping I could speak with Maci?” The fact I didn’t know her last name wasn’t lost on me. If she didn’t think I was a stalker, her office mates likely would.

  “I’m sorry. Miss Layne isn’t in the office right now. Would you like to leave a message for her?” she asked, eyeing me warily.

  “No, that’s okay,” I responded and attempted to flash a charming grin. It probably came across as creepy-looking instead. “Do you know where I might be able to find her?”

  “I’m sorry, but I cannot give out any information about our… ahh, employees,” she said, stuttering and eyeballing me up and down. I guess today wasn’t the best of days for casual wear. I’d probably be taken way more seriously in a suit. But I loathed suits.

  “Okay, thank you. Sorry to be of trouble,” I mumbled, backing away and turning for the door. The receptionist just kept one skeptical eye on me, never responding as I walked out.

  Employee, huh? Why would a publishing company allow their employees to come and go on a whim? Maybe she was an editor and chose to work in the coffee shop instead of a stuffy office? Now there was a new mystery to solve with the enigmatic Maci Layne.

  Since the coffee shop was only a block away, it seemed like second nature for me to grab a cup while in the area. It was also a rather obvious excuse to see if she were there. The place wasn’t quite as packed today, but still busier than usual, especially in the late afternoon.

  It didn’t take me but a second to spot her. She sat closer to the window this time, her colorful hair falling forward, framing her face in waves as she stared at her screen and furrowed her brow in concentration. A small pout formed on her lips, drawing me to them with an odd sense of fascination.

  Inching over to the counter and never taking my eyes off her, I said, “Hey, Ramon. Can I get my usual and whatever Maci is having?”

  “Sure thing,” he said, while busying himself with the order. “She’s having the same as you today—two vanilla iced lattes coming up.”

  Gathering the iced coffees, I slowly inched my way toward her table, taking each step with careful consideration as if I were about to spook a baby deer. She hadn’t noticed my approach—all the better.

  Sliding my way into the booth across from her, I cleared my throat and said, “What? Are you stalking me now?”

  “Oh, balls,” she responded with a sigh, yanking the buds out of her ears and pulling away from her computer screen in annoyance. I knew my sense of humor was that of a goldfish, but I was still hoping she’d laugh… even a little.

  “C’mon. It was just a joke. Here,” I said, sliding the iced latte in her direction. “Whatcha working on so hard?”

  “Again, it’s none of your concern,” she huffed, nearly slamming the lid of her laptop shut to glare at me. “What is it you want, Liam?”

  Man. The sound of my name on her tongue seemed to work its way through me, catching me off guard, even laced with anger. I was definitely not one to get all gooey about this kind of thing, but my attention was still drawn to those pouty lips that were now curling around a straw to take a sip of the latte I’d bought for her.

  Lifting one eyebrow in suspicion, Maci silently seemed to prompt me to answer her.

  “I just wanted some coffee. After all, this place is on my way to and from work, and Ramon makes the best damn iced lattes in town,” I said with a wink while placing the straw against my lip and sucking.

  Eyeing me up and down, I could tell she was wondering who in their right mind would hire some punk who came to work in jeans and t-shirts every day.

  “So, no ploy to get me to go out with you?” she asked, her defensive tone faltering slightly.

  “Nope,” I answered, making a popping sound with the P. “Just good coffee and good conversation,” I added while holding my cup in the air, a half-assed cheers of sorts. “You were so cute when I interrupted your work yesterday, I thought it’d be great midafterno
on entertainment to come say hello again.”

  Folding her arms across her chest, which seemed to accentuate the rather busty tank top she was wearing, she sat back in her chair and stared at me.

  “What?”

  “I just can’t seem to figure you out,” she said, lightly grazing her teeth across her lower lip. “It’s not every day a gamer geek has the guts to approach a woman with such confidence,” she added, pointing to my shirt.

  Looking down, I grinned at the colorful design that said, “GTA made me do it.”

  “Ahh, so you’re a Grand Theft Auto fan?” There was definitely more to this girl than meets the eye if she knew what GTA stood for.

  “Not particularly.” Her answer was cut short as an idea seemed to flicker across her face. “Hey, Liam, I have a proposition for you.”

  Chapter Three

  Maci: For the Sake of Research

  My stomach knotted up as I remembered the advice my publisher not so kindly gave me earlier that morning…

  “Maci, you need to get out and live life more. Your writing, while brilliant, is becoming too stale and one-sided. Go out and have some fun. Consider it research.”

  Camille had stuck by me ever since I first got started, allowing me all sorts of freedom most other authors didn’t have while under a publisher’s wing. However, I had it in my right mind to tell her to stick her advice where the sun doesn’t shine. The fact that my editor, and best friend, Samantha, agreed with Camille had me thinking twice about the notion.

  Embrace a social life—for research. I internally groaned at the thought.

  Now here I was, sitting in front of this infuriating man, and something drew me to him that I couldn’t put my finger on. Even though I had only met him yesterday, part of me seemed very familiar with him… or maybe just his type. The fact his appearance didn’t quite match up with the cocky, holier-than-thou attitude seemed to pique my interest. My curiosity was going to get the better of me in this situation, I was certain.