“The app would mainly help kids prepare for kindergarten and first grade, but there are levels beyond that.” Her gaze drops back to the desk. “Drake thought it might be too simplistic, but I think it has merit.”
It has millions of dollars invested in its launch weeks from now.
Letter Leap is expected to gross more than any educational product we’ve developed based on early interest in it. Our preliminary testing showed that kids love the animated frog that narrates the game.
That app wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for Emma’s ideas.
I need to make this right and that happens now.
CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO
Emma
Case slidesto his feet and rounds the desk toward me.
Are we about to have sex?
Is he going to swipe an arm over the desk to clear it before he strips me and takes me right here and now?
He points at the drawer right in front of me. “There’s a tablet in there I need. I want to show you something.”
My dream of office sex won’t be coming true today.
I roll back to give him room to open the drawer.
He yanks out a tablet. He swipes a finger over the screen to power it up.
“I want you to look at something for me.”
I glance up to his face. He’s not smiling. If anything, he looks worried, or concerned.
Anxiety roots itself in my stomach in the form of a knot. What could he possibly have to show me? Please don’t let it be related to Drake coming back to New York.
I may have been eager for that to happen a few days ago, but now I want my brother to take his time.
I’m not ready to say goodbye to Case yet.
‘This is Letter Leap.” He places the tablet in my hands. “We’re working out a glitch, but you shouldn’t run into a problem if you play the first few levels. Give it a try.”
I scan the screen, taking in the brightly colored graphics.
When I gaze back at Case, he’s scrubbing a hand over the back of his neck. Something has shifted dramatically since he walked into this office. “You want me to play a game? Do you want my opinion on it? Drake sent me an early copy of Gem Stars.”
His eyes close briefly. “Please just start the game, Emma.”
Nodding, I set my focus on the screen. I tap the start now button and take time to set up the features, including adding my name. I choose the skill level of a first grader since I’ve worked with many during my time at Garrington Academy. I assume this is the point where a parent would hand the tablet over to their child to play.
An animated frog pops on the screen.
He croaks out a greeting to me. “Hi, Emma. Welcome to Letter Leap.”
Working my way through the first few puzzles, I feel my pulse quicken. This is surreal. I can’t believe this.
I stop to glance up at Case standing next to me. “This is Spell Snake. All of it is exactly what I envisioned. I gave Drake all the details right down to the old talking apple tree with the crooked teeth and the long eyelashes.”
I expect a smile to creep over Case’s lips, but instead, I see fury behind his eyes.
I place the tablet on the desk. “What’s wrong?”
