Page 30 of Glitched Play

"That's not an answer, and why do you keep checking your phone at the table?”

Inside I’m rolling my eyes. My family is too nosey so I add one last thing that will give them something to talk about after I leave. "Oh, and she’s staying at the penthouse.”

Birdie chokes.

Noelle drops a fork.

Parker immediately says, “Absolutely not.”

“It’s temporary.”

“That’s how every disaster starts,” Parker leans back and rubs his jaw. Annika, elbows him in the ribs.

Right now, I want this dinner to glitch so I can turn it off and go home. Thankfully, it’s bedtime for the kids so everyone but Parker and me have left the table, gathering their diaper bags, and toys.

Parker and I get up and walk out onto the balcony and he throws his arm around my shoulder. “Witt, I just know how you like your personal space and if she’s that impressive, you need to make sure you don’t run her off. Staying with you might not be ideal.”

“It’s eight thousand square feet. We’ll rarely see each other except at work.”

“Yeah, it’s a lot of space. Just don’t snap at her if she walks into your gaming cave.”

Every time someone disturbed me playing, I would scream for them to get out. They were always moving my controllers to sit down or turning down the volume.

“She won’t be.”

He squeezes my shoulder and says, “You’re the genius. Just hope you know what you’re doing.”

By the time I leave, the sun has disappeared below the Austin skyline.

The drive back to the penthouse takes less than twenty minutes.

Long enough for my family to send three group texts.

Long enough for Parker to send a GIF that simply says:

WORK WIFE.

For everyone's safety, I mute the conversation.

The elevator carries me to the top floor. The familiar quiet settles around me the second the doors open.

Better.

Much better.

Everything appears exactly as it should as I step inside.

The living room is clean, although it always is. Everything has a place.

The lights are dimmed.

Perfect.

I head straight to my bedroom and change into a T-shirt and athletic shorts before returning toward the kitchen.

From the living room, I see a mug sitting beside the coffee maker.

I own six mugs. All black. All identical.