Chapter 4
FOUR
Kyle
Sometimes, when I work, I forget about everything, including that it’s time to eat or sleep. I am currently hovered over my drawing tablet, feeling the intensity of my characters as they come to life.
As an electronic game developer, I use deferent equipment, depending on what part in the process I am at. But drawing characters is my favorite, and I spend countless of hours doing this.
I am at a point in my life where, despite my young age, I don’t need to work as much.
My friend, Alex, happens to own a software company that he started on his own a few years ago.
At the time, he asked everyone he knew to invest in it to get it off the ground.
He had just come up with some accounting software that was groundbreaking at the time.
I didn’t have the money to invest, but I did offer my skills for free.
He took me up on my offer, and once the company blew up, he compensated me accordingly, making sure I’d never have to worry about money.
Since I can’t not do anything, I started focusing on my passion which has always been gaming. The creative side of it has always fascinated me, more so than playing the actual games. With Alex’s help, I have a distribution platform for whatever I come up with, and it’s been pretty successful.
“Ah, fuck!”
I drop the electronic pencil and shake my hand in frustration.
I’ve been struggling with the face of the main female character in the story I am currently working on.
Every time I think I’m getting somewhere, I end up hating the finished result.
The face staring back at me from the drawing tablet is just too…
common, I decide with a sigh. She looks like all the other ones I’ve ever drawn, sultry and sexy, which is the usual.
That’s what attracts people to my games.
But I want something different, and I have no idea what or why.
Getting up from the chair I’ve spent the last four hours in, I straighten my back, sighing in relief when I feel it popping.
Then, I take my glasses off, throw them on the desk and drop to the ground to do ten pushups in quick succession.
In fact, I should probably quit for the day and go to the gym.
With that thought in mind, I shuffle my feet to the kitchen where I open a can of energy drink and down half of it in one go.
The acidy liquid going down my throat feels incredibly good.
I follow that with a glass of water, then lean against the counter and look around the space, wondering what I should have for dinner tonight.
I don’t really feel like eating alone, though.
I grab my phone and look up Alex’s name before hitting the call button.
“What’s up?” he answers in a most unwelcoming tone.
“Hey, there, sunshine,” I tease. “Whatcha up to?”
He sighs. “Plenty, but thanks for your concern. What do you want?”
“Uh oh, trouble in paradise? Again?” I can’t help the snicker at the end. He hates it when I comment on his love life.
“Fuck off,” he grumbles. “And if this is just a social call, I’m gonna hang up. Not in the mood.”
Sensing that he is about to do just that, I rush to stop him.
“Hold on, dude. You wanna grab a pizza for dinner?”
“No.”
His answer is short and to the point, leaving no room for discussion, but I’m no quitter.
“Aw, come on, dude. I’m hungry, and I don’t wanna eat by myself.”
“Find somebody else to babysit your ass,” he barks at me. “I can’t tonight.”
There’s actual frustration in his tone this time, and I can tell that it’s not caused by me. For a split second, I debate if I should push for him to tell me what it’s about. But he is in such a foul mood, he might bite my head off. So, I decide to retreat for a change.
“Okay, man, just thought I’d ask. Tomorrow?”
He lets out a heavy sigh, like he’s got the weight of the world on his shoulders.
“Yeah, call me tomorrow.”
After we hang up, I remain staring at the tiles on my floor, finding myself counting the lines in each piece.
I shake my head as if to clear it, wondering who I should call next.
Browsing through my phone, I decide to go with a text this time to my usual hangout buddies.
However, they all respond quickly that they’re busy and can’t do anything at such short notice.
“Well, this is some shit then,” I say to myself.
I am tempted to go out by myself. It wouldn’t be the first time. I could have a couple of drinks, maybe even meet someone, have some fun, kill some time.
A yawn takes over my entire body as I try to come up with a plan. Suddenly, staying in doesn’t sound as terrible. Maybe I should try it, it won’t kill me.
“Pizza for one it is.”
I chuckle to myself as I place the order.
Grabbing the energy drink, I walk toward my bedroom where I throw my clothes off and start the shower.
I place the can on the bathroom sink and jump under the already hot jet of water.
At first, it burns a little, but then I get used to it and start scrubbing.
For a brief second, as I soap up my balls, I get tempted to rub one out.
But then, just like with the idea of going out alone, I change my mind.
My eyes widen slightly at the thought of possibly being bored even with myself, let alone my usual activities. I always seem to do the same things, on repeat. Maybe I need some new excitement in my life.
I get out of the shower and dry off, then wrap the towel around my hips, too lazy to put on some clothes. What’s the point in putting them on when I’d be taking them back off when I go to sleep?
Staring at myself in the mirror, I can barely see myself through the steam that’s filled the bathroom.
I blindly reach for the energy drink and take a long sip.
It feels so good as it goes down my throat.
The rush it gives me right after is unfortunately short lived.
I bring the can back to my lips and down the rest of it, same thing though.
The doorbell dings, making me jump as I continue staring at myself in the mirror, an empty can in my hand, looking like a damn druggie that’s eager for his next hit.
“Fuck, maybe I need to quit drinking this shit,” I mumble to myself as I walk over to check who’s at the door. A quick glance at the security screen reveals the pizza is already here. Since I already paid and tipped, I don’t have to do anything other than opening the door to grab the food.
“Mr. Kelly, hi!” The delivery girl grins at me, taking in my bare chest and the towel around my hips. I about flirt back when I remember that she’s most likely still in high school and my ass is too old for her.
That’s a sobering thought, me being too old for anyone, and I’m not even thirty yet.
“Hey, there,” I smile back, which seems to make her really happy. “Please don’t call me Mr. Kelly. It makes me feel old.”
“No way,” she giggles. “You look like you could be going to my college.”
I let out a silent sigh of relief that she’s older than I’d thought. But I still feel dirty flirting with her, which is a new thing for me. I’ve never had an issue with hooking up with the college girls.
My dick moves a little when she looks me up and down, pausing briefly around my chest area, where I know I’m sporting a six pack. The inviting look on her face would make it too easy. But I am not in the mood for this, not tonight.
I grab the box of pizza from her, one hand on the door, ready to thank her and send her on her way.
“My friend knows you,” she says, stopping me in my tracks.
“Who’s your friend?”
Her smile grows, happy that I’m not kicking her out just yet. A frown takes over my face when she takes a step forward, basically forcing me to let her in.
“Corinne,” she tells me while licking her lips in a very obvious gesture. “She said you gave her the best time.”
My frown deepens. “I don’t remember a Corinne.”
“It was a couple of months ago,” she explains. “At the pub by the theater.”
I try to think back to the last couple of times I was at that pub. The whole group of guys was there once, then I was there with just Alex… Suddenly, I know who she’s talking about.
“Ah, Corinne. Yes, I remember her. She was very… nice.” I settle for that.
The girl was a nut, and I was lucky she didn’t tie me to the bed and keep me prisoner for life.
The sex was just as wild, and I enjoyed every second, but I would lie if I didn’t say I was happy to get out of there as soon as we were done.
The pizza delivery girl, whose name I don’t even know, gives me a come hitter look. “I can be just as nice. Even nicer,” she assures me.
A shiver goes through my body, and I’d normally take her up on her offer. But tonight is different. I feel restless, but I’m also looking forward to spending the night in, on my own. How odd.
“Already have plans for the night.” I wink at her, but it gets awkward when the smile falls off her face. It doesn’t last long, though, and her eyes light up with excitement, like she just had the best idea.
“What about tomorrow night?”
I take her in one more time, this time paying attention to more details. Like the fact that her outfit is not appropriate for delivering pizza.
“What did you do with the pizza guy?” I’m only half joking, but my suspicions are proven correct when she her eyes go around nervously.
“Uh, I… He… What do you mean?”
Now I’m a little worried that I ended up with a crazy stalker on my hands. At least she’s hot, I tell myself.
“I’m ten seconds away from calling over there to check what the deal is,” I tell her. “That’ll be followed by a call to the police.” I notice her taking her a small step back. “Your face is all over my security system by now, so locating you shouldn’t be hard.”
Her shoulders sag, and she looks deflated. “I was at the pizza place when your order came through,” she confesses. “My friend, Corinne, was there with me. She told me about the night you spent with her, and she dared me to hit on you. I was hoping…”
My eyebrows go up in surprise at everything she’s telling me. I have to admit that it’s smart the way she went about it.
“How did you or Corinne know where I live?”
She shrugs. “That part was easy. We waited until we saw your order being ready for delivery. Then, I walked up to the counter and told them it was for me and that I changed my mind about delivery. They just handed it over, and your address was on the sticker.”
I snort in amusement. I spent a lot of time erasing my presence off the internet only for a couple of random college girls to crack the code with hardly any effort.
“I’m impressed,” I tell her. “Very creative, and that’s something I always appreciate in people.”
My words give her courage. She takes two steps forward, the tips of her shoes almost touching my bare toes.
She lifts a finger and runs the tip up my chest, then back down.
Once again, I am briefly tempted to invite her in, but then I remind myself that my first impression of her was that she would be too young for me.
“Not that impressed,” I say just as my hand wraps gently around her wrist. “Thank you for delivering the pizza. Please don’t show up unannounced or tell your friends to show up unannounced. I was not joking about the security system.”
She bites her bottom lip, and I almost grown at the picture she makes. Damn me and my morals.
“Have a great night.”
She takes the hint and finally looks like she’s about to walk out. But then, right before stepping over the threshold, she stops and turns back around to face me.
“Here’s my number in case your plans change.” She slaps her hand over the pizza box in my hand, revealing a piece of paper. “And I’ll take a kiss.”
She lifts herself on the tips of her toes and sticks a hand into my wet hair, pulling me down to her mouth before I have a chance to react. Her tongue licks at my surprised lips, and I almost open up for her, but then I realize what I’m doing.
I push her away from me. “I appreciate you being a go getter, but it’s a no for me.”
She licks her lips again before grinning from ear to ear and finally leaving. I close the door, letting out a long breath of air.
“What the fuck,” I laugh.
I have no idea what I am more surprised about, the fact that she was so forthcoming, or the fact that I said no to her obvious invitation.
Once thing I do know for certain. She would not be a good choice to bring to my friends’ wedding, which reminds me that I have to get on the Holidates app and start the process of finding a decent date.
My friends are right. I don’t attract any nice girls. Not that the party girls are not nice girls, but the party girls I hang out with would not be the type to bring home to your mother. And that’s the type of girl I need to find for my date.
Time to get to work.