Chapter Four

He was still beyond gorgeous. Instead of the glasses, he wore sunglasses, but they still looked like prescription glasses.

“Me too,” the man said to Tommy, pulling out his phone. “You said your game locked up?”

Tommy nodded glumly. “I'm stuck on the loading screen.”

“Did you log out? Sometimes that reloads your user data and will get you back in the game,” the man told him.

Athena came up to him and sniffed his hand. The man quickly pet her on the head, and Athena leaned into it. If my dog thought this guy was okay, I guess I could let him talk to my little brother. He looked up briefly at me and smiled as Tommy continued to follow his instructions.

“I'm back in,” Tommy announced, relief filling his features. “Now, to keep the gym under our control.”

“Good to have you back in the battle.” The man studied his phone screen. “Hmmm, a leveled up Stingly would take care of this situation in a heart beat.”

“You're right,” Tommy agreed, but he frowned. “But I don't have one.”

“I do,” I interrupted, holding up my phone.

I was just glad that I had a reason to join in the conversation with this guy. Up until thirty seconds ago, I had been sure I would never see him again. I hoped my Stingly would be enough to catch his attention.

Tommy chuckled. “No, you don’t, Alicia. They're super rare.”

“Yes, I do,” I insisted. “Look for yourself. I caught it this morning.”

Tommy snatched my phone and his eyes lit up, but just for a moment. “She does have one, but we can’t use it. It's not strong enough yet.”

“That's too bad,” the guy said. He winked at me before turning back to Tommy. “Just send in your best monsters and I’ll do the same. We can’t let Blue take over this gym.”

Tommy nodded in agreement and tapped away on his phone. The guy flashed me a quick smile before focusing on Tommy again. It was sweet how the two of them were interacting.

I watched as my hero made himself an instant friend with my little brother based purely on the game. They spoke as if they were soldiers about to go into battle and I found myself wishing I was further along in the game so that I could play along with them. They looked like they were having a blast.

I stood awkwardly nearby, wishing I could join in on the conversation, but knowing that I didn’t stand a chance. I’d look like an idiot if I attempted to talk about the Monsters in this game that I knew nothing about. Instead, I just observed the two of them.

I wondered what he did for a living, and what kind of job he had that would allow him to play a game in the park in the middle of the day. Maybe he’s unemployed, just like me. I chuckled to myself. Or maybe he somehow gets paid to be good-looking.

The man pressed something on his phone before looking up at me and grinning.

“Hi. Sorry I just walked up on you guys like that,” he said. His blue eyes were friendly and bright. “I just overheard you guys and knew you were playing the game. That’s what I’m here for too.”

“No problem.” I swallowed and shrugged nonchalantly. “I'm just glad my brother got to play with someone that knows what they're doing.”

“I’m Jacob,” he said, holding out his hand.

“Alicia.” I took his hand and gave a firm shake. I wished I had spent a little more time on my hair before leaving the house. That, and I was fairly sure that there was a hole in the sleeve of my t-shirt. I hoped he hadn't noticed, because I felt like there was a neon sign pointing to it now that he was standing next to me.

“Hi, Alicia.” He smiled again as he let go of my hand. “I’m surprised your brother hasn’t gotten you hooked on the game yet.”

I laughed, shuffling my feet on the pavement. “I like it, I think. I just haven’t played very much so I don’t really know what to do.”

“It’s a pretty fun little game. You should give it a chance,” he said. He was smiling again, and I couldn't help but smile back. His easy grin was infectious.

“Maybe I will,” I replied. “Thank you again for catching me the other night.”

“It was my pleasure,” he assured me. “I would be happy to catch you any time.”

I blushed slightly. “I bet you say that to all the girls you save.”

He leaned forward to whisper. “Just the pretty ones.”

This guy was all confidence and charm. I found it rather appealing. There was nothing fake to it, nothing that said he was simply playing a part. This was just his natural charm. I could appreciate the compliment.

“Still, thank you again for saving me,” I said.

He waved his hand through the air. “It really was no trouble. I'm just glad you didn't actually fall and break your wrists. Then you wouldn't be able to play the game.”

I laughed. “I get the feeling you want me to play more.”

“Only if you want to,” he said. “But I promise that you’ll get hooked at some point if you do. It only gets better the more you play.”

“Is that so?” I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and bit my lip before I could stop myself.

“Look, it sounds like you’re pretty hesitant,” he said, rubbing at the stubble on his chin. “But if you wanted to learn more, maybe we could hang out and play some time?”

Is he asking me out? I wondered. I hoped so. He was cute and I was enjoying this. Talking with him was easy and comfortable, even if we were talking about a game. It would definitely be the first time a phone app had netted me a date.

“A Monster date?” I joked.

“I was just thinking that we could at least get you to level five,” he offered. There was that smile again. He had to know the effect it had on women. “That way you can help your brother defend this gym.”

“I’d love to play with you. I mean, play the game with you.” I blushed, as I stumbled over my words. My stomach twisted into a happy, excited knot.

“Okay, well how about tomorrow then? Same time?” he asked. His smile somehow got bigger and even more friendly. My knees threatened to go all wobbly.

Tommy chimed in. “That works for me!” I had completely forgotten that he was there.

I shot my little brother a nasty look, but he just grinned at me. I decided I could tell him on the way back home that there was no way in heck he was coming with me to meet Jacob the next day. If he came, the date really would be all about the game, and I wasn't really interested in playing that much.

“That sounds perfect,” I said, ignoring Tommy. “Should we meet here?”

“Actually, no, let’s meet over at the fountain. We can walk around the park and pick up a few monsters, and hopefully get you enough experience points so that you can level up,” he explained. “We’ll be battling for the gym together in no time.”

This game suddenly seemed like the greatest invention of all time.

“Perfect,” I said, the word coming out a little more breathless than I wanted. I didn't want to appear too eager.

We looked at each other for just a moment and I felt that tingling of excitement inside of me. Was this the beginning of something? I hoped this would lead to a real date.

Jacob’s phone vibrated and he glanced down. He pressed on his screen before turning and high-fiving Tommy.

“Looks like our team was able to defend the gym,” Jacob announced, putting the phone back in his pocket.

“I knew we could handle it,” Tommy replied. “Good job.”

“You too,” Jacob said, ruffling Tommy's hair. “We took care of business today.”

I watched their interaction and it warmed my heart. Jacob didn’t appear to see Tommy as some annoying little kid, but instead he was just another warrior in this game, just as ready and able as he was. It was nice to see and somehow made me even more excited about the little get together that was planned for the following day.

“Alright, you two, I’ve got to get back to my apartment,” Jacob said. “I'm still unpacking after a long move and this was just my break.”

“You just moved here?” I was excited. That meant he lived here. He wasn't just driving through or here for the weekend.

“Yes. Just a couple of days ago.” He placed his hand on my upper arm, giving it a gentle squeeze. “But I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Yeah, yeah, definitely,” I said, nodding quickly. “Sounds great.”

Jacob walked off and I watched him leave. My eyes were locked on him the entire time as he made his way to the street corner, before disappearing from view behind the massive church that stood nearby. I nearly forgot to breathe.

“Alicia, maybe you should take a picture of him. It’ll last longer,” Tommy said, as he grabbed my wrist and tugged on it. “Come on, let’s go. The Monster Gym is no longer under attack by the blue team. We don’t have to stay around here.”

I felt frozen in place, mystified by the charming man who had just unexpectedly asked me out on a date. Or at least a semi-date.

“Come on,” Tommy pleaded, still pulling on my wrist. “I have things to do.”

“Okay, okay. First I can't get you to leave, and now I can't leave fast enough.” I shook my head at him. “You’re ridiculous.”

Finally, I got my feet to move and I followed Tommy back to the fountain. He took his place on the wall, just catching Monsters and laughing with some other kids his age who were also playing the game. I could have played with them, but didn’t. I wanted to wait until tomorrow to play with Jacob. So, instead, I walked around, exploring the park and letting my mind wander.

My interaction with Jacob had given me a burst of energy. The burned-out feeling that I had experienced that morning in my bedroom had all but vanished and was replaced with a tingling excitement. There was something new on the horizon and even if it was just a silly meet up with a cute guy, it was infinitely better than applying for jobs I’d never get.

For the first time all week, I felt hopeful. There was something tangible to look forward to. Jacob had no idea the gift he had just given me.

I led Athena into the grass a little ways away from the fountain and we walked in a giant circle around a massive old oak tree. I was giggling to myself like a little girl with an uncontrollable goofy smile plastered across my face. I’m certain if someone had seen me, they’d have thought I’d lost my mind. But what did I care? My self-esteem was through the roof. A cute guy came out of nowhere and asked me out. After the constant rejection in the job market, I was suddenly worthwhile again. I felt beautiful, even with my tangled hair and threadbare t-shirt. It didn’t matter. I had a date.