12. High Score
I walkedinto Jo’s office, which felt more like a cross between a Silicon Valley start-up and a new age retreat than a corporate space. The room was decked out with many tech gadgets mingled with crystals and lush plants that seemed to have more breathing space than the tech itself. Jo, with her multi-colored shawl and an array of beaded necklaces, looked every part the unconventional tech executive she was rumored to be.
“Hello, Everett. Please, have a seat,” she gestured towards a circle of plush cushions on the floor around a low wooden table.
Navigating to the cushion with a slight awkwardness because of my prosthetic leg, I settled down as gracefully as I could manage. Jo’s office was a vibe, one that you couldn’t help but feel relaxed in, despite the initial oddity.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’ve read quite a bit about you.”
My eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Read about me?” I asked.
“Yes.” Her voice lowered as if sharing a secret. “And there’s something I think you need to read.” She handed me a stack of papers, and my heart skipped a beat as I caught sight of the top page. It wasn’t a business document; it was romantic fan fiction, featuring characters unmistakably inspired by HuntraTheRed and EverDemon023—my online avatar.
“I’m sorry, what is this?” I stammered, looking up at Jo in confusion.
“Oh, just a little creative writing from Rachel. Quite… sensual, isn’t it?” She then watched me scan the page.
“Wait, Rachel wrote this? As in the Rachel I’m working with now?”
“The same one,” Jo confirmed with a nod, her eyes alight with naughtiness. She watched with clear entertainment as I read a line aloud, my voice tinged with disbelief, “‘His arms, the sanctuary of her desires, wrapped around her, pulling her into the abyss of passion unspoken.’”
“Seriously?” I asked again, the words tasting strange in my mouth. I couldn’t believe this was a professional meeting.
Jo leaned forward, elbows on her knees. “It’s quite expressive, don’t you think? Rachel certainly has a way with words.”
I squinted at the page, my mind reeling. “She wrote this about me… and Huntra?” The realization made me feel like I was in some bizarre alternate reality.
“Yes, and there’s more,” Jo said, her tone playful. She reached for the manuscript, flipping the page before I could stop her. “‘His touch sparked electricity through her veins, each caress a promise of nights filled with wicked delight?—’”
“Please, stop,” I cut in quickly, raising a hand. My face felt like it was on fire. “I get the picture.”
Jo chuckled, evidently enjoying the situation. “She’s a big fan, Everett. Rachel sees something quite heroic in you. And her creative outlet seems to be… well, vividly inspired by your gaming persona.”
I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling the heat there. The thought of Rachel, a coworker, crafting these narratives about our avatars was more than a little unsettling. “She’s very talented,” I said, trying to find neutral ground amidst the awkwardness. “I mean, the writing is… vivid.”
Jo laughed softly, her eyes crinkling with genuine delight. “Vivid is one way to put it. Rachel jumps headfirst into everything she does. That includes her work here and, apparently, her fan fiction.”
Still holding the manuscript, I was unsure whether to be flattered or alarmed. “So, Rachel is… what, exactly? In love with me?” The notion felt as surreal as the fan fiction in my hands.
“Maybe in love with the idea of you and Huntra,” Jo suggested with a shrug. “Or maybe just expressing her admiration in her unique way.”
My mind spun with the implications. This wasn’t just a case of being admired for my professional skills; it was personal, deeply so. And knowing this added a layer of complexity to a job I hadn’t even started yet.
“Jo, why are you showing me this? Are you saying Rachel hired me because she’s a… a fan?”
Jo’s expression softened, and she placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. “Everett, I’m showing you this because here at TherTech, we value transparency. We’re a team, and understanding each other’s backgrounds and passions can only strengthen that team.”
“But this?” I waved the manuscript slightly. “This is personal. It’s her private writing, right?”
Jo nodded, understanding the conflict in my expression. “It is. And while it’s unusual, I believe it’s important for you to know the environment you’re stepping into. We don’t have ordinary relationships here; we’re deeply connected, creative, and yes, sometimes a little unconventional.”
Sitting back, I took a deep breath, trying to process everything. The transition from online gaming legend to corporate consultant was proving to be more complicated than I’d expected, especially if my presence here was intertwined with a coworker’s imaginative fantasies about me.
“This has to be a prank. I don’t even know Rachel. If she’s some sort of stalker fan, shouldn’t you be worried as our boss?” The words tumbled out awkwardly, and as soon as they hung in the air, I knew I might have been too direct.
“I’m not worried,” Jo replied.
“This girl is obviously obsessed with me.”
Jo burst into hearty laughter, the sound echoing off the quirky office walls lined with tech gadgets and hippie tapestries. “Maybe, maybe not,” she said, wiping a tear from her eye, clearly entertained by my discomfort. “Should you be worried? Possibly. Or maybe flattered?”
“Oh my God,” I muttered under my breath, eyeing the manuscript as though it might leap up and bite me.
Jo’s voice was a playful whisper. “Everett, it’s not every day you discover you’re the muse behind such… erotic literature.”
“I’m not sure if ‘muse’ is the term I’d use right now,” I replied, trying to match her light tone despite feeling like I’d just walked into a surreal sitcom.
“Oh, come now,” Jo chided. “Don’t tell me you haven’t secretly enjoyed being the hero in a romantic epic. Even if it’s just on paper.”
“I guess it’s better than being the villain?” I offered, hoping to divert the conversation from the mounting embarrassment.
“Exactly!” Jo exclaimed, clapping her hands as if I’d just agreed to join some grand adventure. “Every hero needs a good story, and Rachel has certainly provided you with an epic one.”
“But what about professionalism?” I asked, still struggling with the personal nature of the fanfic. “Doesn’t this blur some serious lines?”
“Ah, but life is all about blurring lines and exploring new territories, isn’t it?” Jo’s rhetoric sounded more like something out of a motivational speech than practical advice.
I glanced down at the manuscript again, reading another line before I could stop. “‘Her longing gaze met his steely determination, and the world melted away…’ Seriously, Jo, this is intense.”
“Life at TherTech is intense,” Jo replied with a wink. “We do nothing halfway here, especially not our crushes.”
Trying to muster a smile, I looked back at her, still unsure how to navigate this conversation. “So, what you’re saying is, embrace the narrative?”
“Embrace it, rewrite it, live it,” Jo encouraged, her hands spreading wide as if to embrace the universe. “Just think of this as your initiation. Most people get a welcome email; you get an epic love saga.”
“Jo, why are you showing me this? Was this why I was hired?”
“Fine, I’ll let you in on a little secret. Only, promise not to tell anyone, okay?”
I wasn’t sure I could handle any more secrets. “Fine.”
“Rachel is HuntraTheRed.”
The room seemed to tilt as her words sunk in. “What?” I choked out, my mind reeling from the revelation.
“Yes, Rachel went to the expo intending to meet you in person, to reveal her identity, and invite you to join our team here. But, she overheard you speaking to Emily, saying she wasn’t your type… and it broke her heart.”
A rush of emotions flooded through me—confusion, guilt, shock. “Are you serious?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
Jo nodded, her expression compassionate yet firm. “I don’t know you well yet, Everett. We hired you because you’re talented and because Rachel spoke highly of your character. She thinks you could be a great addition to our project. But I’m telling you this because I believe in transparency and, perhaps foolishly, in helping where I can.”
My head was spinning. “I… I need a moment. Are you seriously telling me that Rachel is HuntraTheRed?”
“Yes, Everett,” Jo said, her tone patient but insistent. “You really need to keep up. This is a fast-paced environment, and we value openness here.”
Stunned, I sat back against the cushion, trying to process the whirlwind of information. Huntra, my mysterious gaming partner, the woman I had shared countless battles and laughs with online, was the same person I’d inadvertently hurt with careless words. No wonder she bailed on me that night and then ghosted me for a month.
FUCK!
It all made sense now.
The implications were enormous, not just professionally but personally. I needed to fix this, but first, I had to understand it fully. Jo’s revelation wasn’t just a piece of information; it was a turning point, and I had to decide how to navigate the path ahead.
Jo leaned back, her bracelets clinking softly as she folded her hands, considering me with a thoughtful gaze. “Would you like my advice?” she asked, her tone implying that it was more an expectation than a suggestion.
I hesitated, still reeling from the bombshell she’d just dropped, but nodded. “I guess.”
“I know we just met, Everett, but you’ll get used to my forthrightness,” Jo said with a small, knowing smile. “You need to show Rachel that you can fall in love with her as a person, not just Huntra.”
I frowned, confusion knitting my brows. “But I?—”
Jo cut me off gently, “You made it sound like Rachel wasn’t good enough for you, Everett. Now she’s feeling like the two sides of her are at war with each other.”
“That makes sense,” I admitted, feeling a pang of guilt at the unintended consequences of my words.
“You can’t let her know I told you this,” Jo continued, her eyes piercing. “It’s vital she doesn’t think this revelation came from anyone but herself.”
I nodded, understanding the delicacy of the situation. “Okay, but why won’t she just tell me? If she would have just told me who she was, I would have liked her.”
Jo sighed. “That’s exactly the problem. Huntra is who Rachel wants to be because she thinks no one likes Rachel. When I first hired her, she was a shell of a girl, too scared to be herself.”
I listened intently as Jo painted a picture of Rachel’s struggles. “She had just moved here from Oklahoma, where her mother and sister bullied her relentlessly. She was afraid to like the things she wanted, do the things she wanted, wear the clothes she wanted to wear. It has taken years for her to come out of her shell.” Jo closed her eyes briefly and inhaled deeply before continuing. “The mask she wears for the video games is the last thing she needs to take off,” she concluded. “And you have to prove to her that you love both sides of her.”
My heart clenched at the thought of Rachel feeling so divided, so unsure of herself. “And if you tell her now that you know she’s Huntra,” Jo added, “she’ll always wonder if you really like her or just the persona she adopts online.”
I absorbed Jo’s words, the weight of my responsibility towards Rachel settling heavily on my shoulders. It wasn’t just about making amends; it was about supporting someone who had become incredibly important to me, someone who deserved to be loved for who she truly was—mask or no mask.
“Thank you, Jo,” I said sincerely, standing up to leave. “I’ll think about everything you’ve said.”
As I left her office, my mind was racing with plans and possibilities. I had to make things right with Rachel, to show her that both Rachel and Huntra—the complete her—mattered to me. And somehow, I had to do it without revealing that I knew her secret. It was a delicate balance, one I hoped I could maintain for both our sakes.