Finn makes his move as the movie ends and our tour guide returns to give more instruction on bean roasting. In one smooth exchange, he slides closer and wraps his arm around the middle of my back. I don’t object to our new position, but as I look up at the smug expression on his face, it reminds me of a kid who just got away with stealing candy. I can't help but laugh. Finn pulls me to him so our sides line up and I wrap my own arm around him as well.
We probably look mismatched with me in my work clothes and Finn ready to go off and cut down a tree, but I can’t find it in me to care. I love being around him. Plus the preppy, rugged look he has going on works for him. I’m pretty sure Finn doesn't even try. He goes to the closet in the morning, picks out whatever he wants, but emerges hot regardless. It’s totally unfair.
As the tour moves on I don’t want to let Finn go. Unable to think of a way we can walk like this, I reluctantly move my arm, but Finn grabs my hand. Our fingers lace together and he tugs our joined hands to his mouth, kissing my knuckles before we move to the back of the group. Finn walks with me as if he doesn’t realize what he’s done even as I swoon beside him. He’s so nonchalant with the hand kissing as if it happens every day. He may think it’s no big deal, but it is to me. I want to take every word I said about waiting and throw them out the window. What was I thinking? If he asked me right now, I’d probably do him on one of the chocolate staging tables.
We hold hands for the rest of the tour. I can’t remember the last time I held hands with someone, but I guarantee they all pale in comparison to this experience. Finn doesn’t let go even as we stand in line to select products for our taste test. It's simple and sweet, and for some reason that makes the impact of his actions headier for me.
“You ready to go?”
“We’re not trying some?” I’m disappointed. He said there would be chocolate tasting tonight.
I hadn’t realized how close I’d worked myself next to him as we stood in front of the case until I need to take a step back in order to see his entire face.
“We’ll be back for hot chocolate later, but let’s eat dinner first. Don’t worry, I wouldn’t bring you to a chocolate factory and not let you take some home,” Finn promises. I swear, the man can read my mind. That or all the years Ben’s harassed me about my lack of a poker face weren’t merely mean-spirited jokes at my expense.
Hand in hand we jaywalk across the street to a large grey building hidden by trees. It isn’t until we reach the door that the name Tacolicious comes into view. The store hours are listed directly below in the same thin, simple font, and I’m glad we have hours left so there won't be a need to rush.
As with every other restaurant I’ve been to in this city, the tables are packed together and mostly full. “Chocolate and tacos?” I ask as we make our way to the long bar seating area, which runs the full length of the back wall. There are two empty stools side by side and we grab them before someone else can, finally releasing our grip on one another. The stools are tall to match the bar and minimalistic in design. My feet are nowhere near reaching the floor. The furniture and color scheme has a modern, yet warm feel.
“Hey, cut me some slack,” he jokes. “I planned this entire date while testing a competitor’s game with Trey and Grant. All they did was pass on horrible dating advice.”
“Well it’s wonderful. I love tacos. Who are Trey and Grant?” I ask while I flip the one-page menu over in my hands.
Finn does the same reading between talking. “Trey is the CEO of Raven Design Arts or RDA, our company, and Grant was an early investor who has a lot of free time and a love for video games. They’re both overly intelligent idiots I roomed with in college."
From the way he beams and speaks about both men, Finn is fond of the intelligent idiots. “What do you do for RDA exactly?” I ask. My video game knowledge is pretty much nonexistent and I can’t wrap my head around what it is these guys do all day.
Finn takes a deep breath, places his menu on the bar top and turns to face me. I didn’t know he’d take such a simple question so seriously. “I design and develop the games our company puts out. Either for mobile devices, computers or more recently game consoles. We’re a small company that started with the three of us. We recently… um, outsourced some games so we don’t need too many people. Most of our fans will beta a game for free so we don’t need many paid employees.” He pauses. “Does it bother you that I work in gaming?"
The start of my answer is cut off by the bartender as he asks for our order. Finn’s question hangs in the air, and if the moment wasn’t so serious, I would make a joke about the bartender’s bushy mustache and keeping his day job. Orders placed, I turn back to the conversation.
“It doesn’t bother me, Finn. It’s clear you love what you do.” My eyes make contact as I answer so he knows how true my words are. “I think it’s cute. You’ve all found a way to never grow up and get paid for it."
“I can’t wait until tomorrow morning when I tell Trey you think what we do is cute. First-person shooter games are not cute, Aspen. They are manly and dangerous.” He puffs his chest a little in his exaggeration.
“Sure they are, Finnegan. Sure they are.” I push on his shoulder and laugh at the haughty look he flashes me.
“Oh, you’re breaking out the full name. A sure sign of sarcasm if I’ve ever heard it.” He sweeps his fingers through his dark brown hair ruffling it more.
I want to know more about what he does. The entire industry makes no sense to me. I’d probably understand more if Finn were a deep sea fisherman. At least then I could watch the reality TV show and pretend to be an expert. “So, why will your fans beta a game for free? It sounds like cheap labor. Do you have nerds everywhere sitting in their basements clicking for you?”
“Clicking for us? That just sounds so wrong. First, we are not nerds. We’re gamers,” he clarifies with the fake snooty tone and inflated movements. "Second, when a game is in beta it’s already developed. The fans are a first test. They help make sure it runs the way we want it to and then let us know when they experience a problem. It’s a precise scientific process."
I snort. “Yes, it sounds that way. From what you described, it definitely doesn’t seem as if your legion is made up of basement dwellers.”
“You have a horrible stereotype of a gamer. Video games today require good surrounding light so you can see all the game play. Basements would be awful locations for a system. I’m going to make you play one day. Who knows, maybe I'll convert you.”
“Good luck. My brother quit playing games with me when I was ten. I lack all hand eye coordination.” I stop my self-degradation as our food is delivered.
Four beer braised chicken tacos are placed in front of me on a rectangular white plate and my mouth waters. They are huge, stuffed full and smell delicious. Our conversation stalls as my stomach reminds me how empty it is. I pull a black hair band from my purse and tie my wavy hair back in a loose ponytail at the base of my neck so I won’t end up eating any of it.
Once we’ve both finished two tacos and I’ve quieted the hunger pains, we jump back into our banter. I don’t learn more about what Finn does at work, but I do learn about his parents. Both are physics professors at Stanford University, which is where Finn attended three years of college before he dropped out at the start of his senior year.
He’s local, which explains why he knows all the good spots in the city, but doesn’t begin to tell me why he wouldn’t finish school. If he was accepted to Stanford he's smart, regardless of his parents. I didn’t even apply, there was no way my grades would have gotten me in the West Coast Ivy League university’s door.
“Do you ever plan to go back and finish school?” I’m not sure why, but for some reason the fact he didn’t finish his education when he was so close bothers me. Who drops out right before their senior year?
“No, not unless I get bored one day. Trey secured the funding we needed from Grant the summer before my senior year, and I promised him once we had that, I’d focus on the company full time. There are hundreds of tech companies based in the San Francisco area. It was a great place to set up shop and I couldn’t work with better people. It’s worked out well so far.”
I can’t mistake the tone he switches to and worry I’ve stuck my foot in my mouth with the whole college topic. I don’t understand it, but I don't want to upset Finn. I assume he had his reasons and I make a mental note not to ask again.
“I never realized how many tech jobs were in San Francisco until I started applying to places so I could move here. I wanted to be close to my brother, but not so close I’d have to live with him. I took the first position to make me an offer, but I would have loved to end up at one of the small upstart places.”
Finn tosses his napkin on his plate in a gesture of defeat against his last taco. “I have a lot of contacts with certain companies here. If you’re interested in getting in somewhere specific, I might be able to help.”
“Thanks, but I’m okay.” Dog food isn’t where I'd pictured myself after finishing my education, but I’ve already started to love the people.
The conversation moves to lighter topics as the night progresses and Finn leaves me at my door with one hell of a kiss. Okay, it was actually a mini make-out session. Thank God no one else lives on our floor or they would have been in for a sight.
