Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 46875 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 234(@200wpm)___ 188(@250wpm)___ 156(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 46875 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 234(@200wpm)___ 188(@250wpm)___ 156(@300wpm)
And the company Dwayne and I set up ended up in his hands once I left all the ‘business’ side of things to him, figuring when he spoke about the business, it included me as an equal partner.
Boy. Was I wrong about that.
True, the ‘settlement’ has left me very comfortable, but Zak Templeton doesn’t always do what he’s told.
Plus, there was nothing in the settlement about me not starting my own company.
Nothing is stopping me from coding my own games and marketing them myself.
I guess Dwayne figured if they gave me enough to live out the rest of my days in comfort, I’d let it go at that.
With over a million followers on most social platforms and twice that again in online gaming forums, it hasn’t been hard to get support for my own game development company.
Gamers aren’t stupid, but I also know followers and fans don’t make great games.
That’s my job.
Followers and fans don’t equal market share, and the gaming industry elite is flush with more money and clout than most people could imagine.
So once the ink was dry on my settlement check, I set to work to create something new. And something without Dwayne ‘fucking’ Webster anywhere near it.
Something totally different. And something very few people even knew about until recently.
In fact, the feedback I’m getting about the game is showing stronger support for the new guy on the block than all my former employer’s combined efforts.
Meaning they didn’t just lose their best programmer. They lost a lot of future business through bad press, and soon enough, everyday gamers will be speaking with their wallets and looking elsewhere for content that isn’t just driven by money.
You know, gamers who just want to game and not have to buy their way in or spend stupid amounts after buying the damned thing to pretend they’re having fun.
So, with this in mind, as I’m playing a handful of Beta testers, I notice one guy.
One player who really stands out. Reminds me of myself so much it’s almost spooky.
As it turns out, a kid is giving me more than just a run for my money with his gameplay skills.
He nearly kicks my ass not once but every single round.
And I built the whole damned game.
My paranoia about my previous employer and their dirty tactics is enough to see me contact him straight after the game.
Joey.
There’s no way a kid could preempt so much of the gameplay unless he’s a developer himself.
Or a freakin’ genius.
Or maybe working for someone, pretending to be a kid online…
After sending him a PM to arrange an online face-to-face, the thought vanishes as soon as I meet Joey via video call.
He really is just a ten-year-old kid, shy. Awkward.
And once I point out that the terms of use for the game require adult supervision for those under fifteen, he’s quick to point out he doesn’t have a dad when I ask if his mom or dad’s at home.
It’s just his mom and him at home, Joey explains, agreeing instantly to call her in.
Not from the next room, mind you, but from next door where she’s ‘visiting,’ apparently.
A kid home alone on a school day playing computer games is nothing new, and I’m not one to make assumptions about anyone.
But when I see Joey’s ‘mom,’ I feel something in me shift.
I’m suddenly tongue-tied. Stuck for words.
Forgetting all about the game, about my suspicions.
Hell. I even forget who I am for a moment or three.
This girl. This mom is out of this world, and apart from being the single most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen, she has an attitude that makes me grin like an idiot.
I can feel her through the screen, like meeting a kindred spirit.
And even though she would have had to be ten when she had Joey, I play along with the she’s Joey’s mom story.
It’s not the first time someone outside of a games PG rating has played online. But it’s more the effect she has on me that stands out.
Before I even hear her name, I know I’m done.
I’ve never had time for romance, and until I saw her, I never even knew I was capable of such strong feelings for anything, let alone another person.
Blond hair tied up in a ponytail that swishes when she moves, and crystal clear blue eyes that have a hint of red around the rims match her description of herself.
A fellow gamer who’s quick to let me know she’s not such a bad player herself has at least one tell-tale sign of late nights in front of the console or PC.
If she is Joey’s mom, she’s got the body for making babies.
I mean, a buxom chest and hips like hers that I know also have to have a perfect ass to match.
Round cheeks with natural pink coloration, and a cute button nose I already want to rub with mine to boot.