“Why do you ask?” Rafe watched her, suddenly wary.
“Because you don’t sound happy.” Ahri knew that look. She’d seen it in her mirror for months.
“I’m twenty-five and a billionaire. Why shouldn’t I be happy?” Rafe gave a stiff shrug and wouldn’t look at her. “Ready to check out this place?”
“Sure.” Ahri followed him. He acted a lot older than twenty-five. She doubted getting lucky with a game had made him so serious and mature. What had happened in his past to have done that to him? It struck her that he seemed like people she knew who were missing something in their lives. Like herself. It was obvious money couldn’t buy everything.
Her thoughts drifted to her brother. Lately, they’d only beenable to talk once a week rather than every couple of days. Some of that had been because of the project he was working on, the same one that’d made it hard for him to get away to come for her. Was he unhappy too?
Rafe nodded toward the entrance that led to the hallway of theater rooms. He guided her with a hand on the small of her back.
For some reason Rafe kept his hand there as they walked. She liked the comforting feel of it, the sense of belonging somewhere. His closeness and gentle touch made her feel watched over, protected. It also confused her, and she didn’t want to be even more confused right now.
Rafe opened the first door that had sound coming from it. They walked up the ramp. The large theater screen had the loading page for a game of REKD.
“Wow,” she breathed. “It’s amazing on the big screen. How do they get the game to show at that quality?”
“No idea. The tekkies handle that.” Rafe guided her the rest of the way into the room and paused. Bill ducked in behind them.
The seating in the lower three-quarters of the room had the same stadium seating as a theater, probably left over from its former use. A few people sat in the seats, apparently spectators waiting for the game to begin. The big difference came at the top. A platform had been constructed for the two teams of five each. They sat on opposite sides with a large space between them. Like in the professional games, they wore headsets so they could talk to team members.
“I’d like to sit right below one of the teams so I can hear their game chatter,” she said.
“Lead the way.”
Ahri checked the screen and recognized some of the names. She gasped and glanced back at Rafe. “This is the pro team.”
He grinned and nodded. “Do you follow them online?”
“I don’t miss a match if I can help it. Forget baseball or soccer. They’re boring.”
Rafe chuckled and indicated they should move further down the row.
“How much do you play?” he asked as they took their seats.
“Daily, if I can. I guess you could call it my hobby.”
The pregame champion bans and selections were finished, and the game started.
“Is this just a practice game?” she whispered, leaning close to Rafe.
“Yes.” His warm breath tickled her ear and sent a little tingle down her spine. He smelled really good. She shook her head at the random thought and tried to pull back her thoughts. He added, “The Midsummer Clash will be held in Miami.”
“Will you be broadcasting it in any of the rooms here?” Ahri asked. “I think it’d be a fun shared experience.”
“We’ve talked about it. The owner ought to make a killing on concessions.”
“Enough to make this month’s rent anyway,” Ahri said.
“Let’s hope so. If enough people enjoy coming, this could turn into a lucrative investment.”
“You already get huge crowds at the live locations,” she said. “I’ll bet there are plenty of people who’d like to watch the events together, but they’d need to know about them. Theaters broadcast special events like plays. Imagine if locals could win tickets to come here to watch a live broadcast of the Clash finals. It might be good advertising.”
Rafe gave a soft grunt like he was thinking about it and turned his attention to the game. As usual, Ahri found herself wrapped up in the game play. She loved to watch how the pro players used clever spell or attack combinations when they used her favorite champion’s wombo-combos. It was a close game. When it ended and the pro team won, she jumped to her feet with the others, applauding.
At the end, the lights brightened, and a man entered.
“That’s Tim Nasus, the owner.” Rafe stood.
