“Gem Stars,” he answers quickly. “It’s my fave.”
I’m about to score big points with this little person. “Did you get up to level twelve yet?”
His head pops up. Blond curls bounce against his forehead. “No one gets past level eleven. It’s way too hard.”
With a brush of his hand over his face, he drops his gaze back down.
I glance at Bella to find a huge smile on her face. I grin back before I turn my attention to Mickey. “I finished the game.”
His mouth drops open. “No way.”
“Way,” I bounce back. “I conquered level twenty and found the prize at the end.”
“It’s a super gem, right?” His eyes scan my face. “Is that what it is?”
Leaning forward, I look over his tablet. “You’ll find out once you get there.”
Disappointment mars his expression. “You’re like seventeen. I’m six. What if it takes me forever to do it?”
Bella giggles from across the table. “Seventeen?”
I shoot her a wink. “I’m twenty-five, but thank you, Mickey.”
He shakes his head as though he can’t follow the conversation. “Can you tell me some cheats?”
“I can give you a hint or two,” I offer with a grin, not adding the fact that I’m the sister of the man who created the game.
I made the mistake of offering that tidbit of information to a class I was teaching back in Seattle. The students overran me with requests to talk to Drake so I arranged a videoconference with him and the kids.
I thought it would be an informative hour spent talking about the benefits of hard work and dedication in order to reach your career goals, but it turned into chaos quickly.
Most of the kids wanted to know how to overcome an obstacle in the game, or where the hidden treasure boxes were located.
I swore that day that I’d never again mention to any child that my brother is a video game developer.
“Thanks.” Mickey smiles before he looks down to his tablet.
“I want those hints too.” Bella taps her hand on the top of the table. “I’ve been stuck on level nine for days. Give me all the tips, Emma. Share your wisdom with me.”
I laugh. “I’m happy to.”
I glance back over my shoulder to see Delaney with a wide grin on her face. I know that look. It’s the same look I see when I tell a parent at school that their child is not only smart, but polite.
I’ve only spent ten minutes with Mickey, but I can tell he’s both.
CHAPTER THIRTY
Case
I smilewhen I glance up from Drake’s desk and spot Emma standing in the doorway.
“There you are,” I say, pushing back to stand.
She flicks her hair back over her shoulder. She’s wearing white pants and a light blue T-shirt. It’s casual, but she looks incredible in it.
I put on a pair of jeans and a black T-shirt before I took off from the apartment this morning. Elias thought one of the software engineers found a possible fix to the framework issue overnight, so I came in early. We’re still working toward a solution, but I’m confident that we’ll have a breakthrough soon. It’s essential if we’re going to keep the game’s launch on schedule.
Emma looks me over. “Your text said I should stop by if I found myself close to here.”
