A Geek Girl’s Guide to Kissing a Video Gamer: A Stand Alone Romantic Comedy Read online

  A Geek Girl’s Guide to Kissing a Video Gamer

  A Stand Alone Romantic Comedy

  Bree Livingston

  Edited by

  Christina Schrunk

  A Geek Girl’s Guide to Kissing a Video Gamer

  Copyright © 2020 by Bree Livingston

  Edited by Christina Schrunk

  https://www.facebook.com/christinaschrunk.editor

  Proofread by Krista R. Burdine

  https://www.facebook.com/iamgrammaresque

  Cover design by Bree Livingston

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, without prior written permission.

  Bree Livingston

  https://www.breelivingston.com

  Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.

  A Geek Girl’s Guide to Kissing a Video Gamer/ Bree Livingston. -- 1st ed.

  ISBN: 9798689653020

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Epilogue

  Sneak Peek! The Ranger’s Chance Chapter 1

  Also by Bree Livingston

  About the Author

  Chapter 1

  Xavier Parker was never going to live this down. Stories would be told to his grandchildren—to his grandchildren’s grandchildren. That’s if he ever had any after this stunt. The one lesson he’d learned from this embarrassment was never to take a bet without clearly defined rules.

  That lack of clarity was the only reason he was currently dressed in a beat-up beaver suit—complete with a derpy-looking head—backstage at the convention center right before the Dallas Comic-Con opened. This was what he got for sponsoring the thing to start with.

  “Guys…come on. This isn’t fair,” he said. “You could’ve at least picked a suit that didn’t look like it’s been in a brawl. I mean…the eyeball is even wonky.” The next time he thought he was brave enough to ask a woman out, not only would he remember the public panic attack, but he'd have this moment too.

  Harry whooped and doubled over. “You took the bet. You’re supposed to be a genius.”

  Griffin slapped Xavier on the back. “What are you supposed to do when the man you’re betting with has the money to do anything?”

  Xavier pulled off the head and faced his buddies, the Class of '95 jerk squad. “But…this one?” He waved his hands down the length of the suit.

  Harry wiped his eyes as he straightened and snapped a quick picture.

  Xavier lunged for the phone. "Hey! We agreed—no pictures!" Now his grandchildren would have irrefutable proof that their grandfather was an idiot. It wouldn’t matter that he was the designer of Dragon’s Fury, the hottest game franchise since its launch in the late nineties. This costume would put him in the lame category for eternity.

  Griffin stepped in between them. “Uh, no…threat of legal action if either of us so much as points a camera in your direction isn’t an agreement.”

  With a groan, Xavier’s shoulders sagged. "Please, guys. I'll…take us to Monaco. The Riviera, the Andes…all expenses paid. Please don’t make me do this.” Okay, so technically he was a grown man—a forty-one-year-old man—and he didn’t have to actually go through with it, but a person didn’t back out of a bet. Those were the rules they’d abided by since high school. Once they shook on it, it was a done deal. Xavier wasn’t going to be the guy to break the tradition.

  Harry and Griffin smiled and shook their heads. “No way. We’re bored, and you’re easy to mess with,” Harry said.

  Xavier glared at his so-called friends. “I hate you both.”

  Griffin moved to the curtain separating them from the convention floor and peeked through. “Oh, man, and it’s already starting to get busy.” He sucked in a sharp breath. “Dude, Sadie Baylor is here.”

  “Sadie Baylor?” Harry asked. “No way. I didn’t see her on the list of guests.”

  Xavier walked to the curtain, his bulky suit parting his friends red-sea style. Whoa. Sadie Baylor, the captain of the Slayer Girls All-Pro Game Team back in the nineties. She’d been hot then, and she’d aged incredibly well.

  "Didn’t Xavier have a crush on her?” asked Griffin.

  “No, I didn’t,” Xavier interjected. “Well, o more than the two of you. What guy didn’t? She was hot and played video games.” No way was he admitting he’d had a crush on her.

  At events and after-tournament parties, he’d talked to her a little. He could still feel his clammy palms and the way his heart hammered in his chest when he was around her. She probably wouldn’t even remember him. Not as cool as she was. When she’d retired from gaming, he’d lost track of her, but she’d never been far from his thoughts. He would have called her the one who got away if he’d ever had her in the first place.

  Harry nodded. “I know I did. She was dating someone, right?”

  Shaking his head, Griffin added, “I can’t remember now.”

  Man, she was something. She was also struggling with an armful of stuff and pulling what looked to be a rolled-up banner behind her. Wouldn’t helping her be the gentlemanly thing to do?

  “I’m going to go help her.” Xavier began shucking off the suit, thinking he had a stay of execution.

  “Oh, no. Suit on, dude. You know the rules. Once the bet starts, you gotta see it through.” Harry grinned.

  “You want me to help the hot ex-gamer girl with this ridiculous suit on? No way,” Xavier said, scoffing as he shook his head. What if she recognized his voice? That was the point of wearing the suit. He had to walk around in it, wait for his voice to be recognized, then endure being called out in front of everyone.

  Griffin crossed his arms over his chest. “Fine. You bought that basketball team, right? The one in North Carolina?”

  “I’m part owner. Why?” Xavier replied.

  “Then a naked streak at halftime will get you out of that suit.” Griffin’s white teeth shined as he smiled.

  Xavier pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers. “I don’t hate you guys. I despise you. I’m not streaking down a court.”

  Harry shrugged. “You know the penalty if you don’t fulfill the bet.”

  Yeah, Xavier knew. The two punks would come up with a task even worse than the last. If he didn’t wear the suit or streak, they’d have him doing who-knows-what.

  He sighed. “Fine. I’ll wear the suit.” He pushed the curtain aside and paused, putting the beaver head on and gagging. Something had died in this thing, but there was no point in saying so. Harry and Griffin would only find it more hysterical. “I’m still helping her.”

  The sounds of his friends’ laughter lessened as he approached the distracted-looking cute blonde. “Uh, hey, can I help you?”

  She squeaked and
dropped everything—marbles, bookmarks, and business cards flying everywhere. "Aw…there go my marbles."

  Xavier chuckled. “Lost your mind, huh?”

  Her gaze found him, and she blinked.

  Whoa. Up close, Sadie was seriously hot, and if Xavier had a box, she was checking it. Blonde, brown eyes, cute nose, meat on her bones, and freckles too? Geez, why did he have to be in this horrible suit!

  Leaning back, a smile spread across her lips. “My marbles? I’m not the one in a six-foot…” She looked him over. “Weasel suit?”

  “Beaver.”

  A lone eyebrow hitched upward. “How can you tell? What unholy situation has that costume been in? I can’t even tell if you’re looking at me. That eye seems to be pointing over my left shoulder.”

  “Hey, I’m trying to help you. You could be nice.”

  She stood there staring at him so long, he’d be pulling at his collar if he could reach it.

  “What?” he asked.

  "I'm trying really hard not to judge the life choices that led you to wear an animal costume that needs to be burned. I mean…did you blacklight that thing before you put it on?”

  Laugher barked from behind him, and he knew his friends were witnessing his current humiliation. The only positive was that this cutie couldn’t see his face.

  “I lost a bet.” He crossed his furry arms over his equally furry chest and leaned back. “And you aren’t supposed to be judgmental, y’know?”

  She waved a finger from his head to his feet. “Oh, the moment you put that on, the universe judged you. I’m simply giving it a voice.” A snicker popped out of her as she stooped to pick up her stuff.

  His friends were so going to pay. He didn't know how, but they were going to pay. One of the perks of being a billionaire was that he could hire someone with an evil mind.

  "Do you want my help or not?" he grumbled.

  Peering up, she shook her head. “No, I’ve got it. My booth is a few tables down.”

  “Okay, suit yourself.”

  She chuckled. “You too. Try finding a better one next time.”

  Xavier shuffled down the row of vendor tables, stopping in front of his friends. “I really hope both of you die screaming.”

  They burst out laughing. “Totally worth it.”

  He turned slightly and watched Sadie Baylor. If there’d been no suit, he might’ve had a shot, but now…there was no way she wouldn’t recognize his voice. His chance was long gone.

  Stupid, stupid bet.

  Chapter 2

  Sadie watched the big weasel walk away. She hadn’t meant to be so blunt, but what did the guy expect showing up in that toxic-waste costume? Did it have bugs? Just the thought made her itchy, and she scratched her neck.

  Finished with picking up, she walked to the table assigned to her and began setting up. She'd arrived extra early so she could get everything right. This would be her first year at the convention as an illustrator. Her fan base, tiny as it was, had been lighting up her social media accounts with promises that they'd be seeing her. If they kept their word, maybe her dream of living off her talent would come true, especially now that her gaming money was gone.

  Heat traveled from her stomach to her ears. Buck Nash. Man, if she could, she’d beat him within an inch of his life, nurse him back to health, and beat him again. But she was the idiot for not seeing his true colors before dating him and losing her fortune and company, Empire Designs, to the jerk. Which was why she was forty and starting over.

  She’d researched and planned the best booth display possible. Colorful banner, bright business cards showcasing her talent, and oversized storyboards with her illustrations. This was going to be her year…well, starting now, in June at the Dallas Comic-Con. That gave her six whole months to make it her year. Yeah, pep talk. That’s what she needed.

  Once she had everything in place, she stood back and smiled. Oh, it was great. Everything worked together perfectly. The colors, the fonts…all of it. Yep, definitely her time to shine. Pride swelled inside her. This time next year, Buck would be eating her dust.

  A voice carried, drawing her attention to the front of the convention center, and her heart lodged in her throat. No, not Buck. Not here. Not yet. She wanted some success under her belt before she faced him again. Instead, she was broke, single, and pathetic. Plus, bingeing Death by Chocolate while she’d cried the last year hadn’t helped her hips at all.

  Buck must have sensed her stare because his gaze caught hers and a smile spread across his face. Ugh. The snake. Before he’d betrayed her, she would have called him attractive. Well, most women would have. Tall, broad shoulders, physically fit, a head of blond surfer hair, and dimples. He was gorgeous until he showed his true colors.

  He slithered toward her, and she gulped down her anxiety. The crowd parted a bit more and…double no. Cinnamon Andrews was with him? The voice of Queen Sheba in Xavier Parker’s Dragon’s Fury, the most popular multiplayer game in recent history?

  Sadie didn’t have raindrops falling on her head; she was getting pummeled by concrete blocks. She looked around. No way was she letting this slug of a man show her up. Not here. Not at the start of her new beginning.

  Weasel-suit Guy caught her eye as he drifted past, and she quickly hooked an arm in his as Buck approached. “Play along, okay?”

  “Why should I?” he asked.

  He had a point. “I’m sorry I mocked your horrible choice of cosplay. Just do me a solid here, and I’ll be in your debt.”

  “Deal.”

  Oh, he'd said it too quickly. Her eyes widened. "Uh…stipulations."

  He shook his furry head. “Nope. I help, you owe me.”

  “I am not…doing…you know…” The words died mid-sentence as Buck stopped in front of her. She only needed to keep it together and not let Buck get under her skin. Her gaze dipped to Furry Guy’s arm. “Please don’t have bugs,” she whispered and discreetly scratched her arm.

  “What?” Furry Guy asked.

  She wanted to bang her head. For someone like her with no filter, this guy was a wise-crack goldmine. But if she insulted him, who knew what he’d do, and she couldn’t risk the snide comments from Buck. “Uh, nothing.”

  “Well, well, well, Sadie Baylor,” Buck said.

  “What are you doing here, Buck? I thought you were going to be at the Seattle Comic-Con.” Sadie could cry. She’d double-checked that he wouldn’t be in Dallas. How was he here?

  A smile stretched across his lips. “Couldn’t let you set up shop and not keep an eye on you. I know how you like to steal designs. I want to make sure you aren’t trying to slip some of my company’s illustrations by as your own.” He laughed and held up his hands. “I’m kidding.”

  Kidding? Yeah right. In her head, she could see smoke billowing from her ears. His company? The gall! “Our company before you underhandedly stole it and my clients from me by using a non-disclosure, non-solicitation clause. And those illustrations were all mine.”

  “I didn’t steal it. If that was the case, it wouldn’t have been awarded to me,” Buck said. He held up his hand. “Look. Let’s start over. I didn’t come here to fight. I actually have a business proposal for you, with legal documents and all, outlining everything. I think it’s a good fit for you, and we’ll both get a win.”

  Brain freeze in the middle of the comic-con. Buck had to be joking. “Work for you? After what you did to me? Have you lost your mind?”

  Buck sighed. “We’re adults. We can put the past behind us.”

  She hated his attempts to make her feel small and petty. “Adults don’t go behind other adults’ backs and quietly kick their partners out, blindsiding them.”

  “I’m sorry you felt that way—”

  Cinnamon cleared her throat.

  “Oh, sorry,” Buck said. “This is Cinnamon Andrews, but you probably know that given your history as a gamer.”

  Cinnamon stuck out her hand. “It’s nice to meet you. When Buck said he’d dated Sadie Bayl
or, I can’t say I wasn’t a little jealous.”

  Sure she was, and Sadie could use fine-tip eyeliner without stabbing herself in the eye. Cinnamon was at least four inches taller than Sadie with long auburn hair and perfect makeup, looking like she’d stepped out of a magazine shoot.

  Sadie bit her tongue as they shook hands. “Nice to meet you.”

  “And who’s the…what are you?” Buck asked, turning to Furry Guy, his gaze traveling the length of the suit.

  “I’m a beaver.”

  Sadie palmed Furry Guy’s arm. “Oh, my boyfriend’s such a joker. His sponsor is setting up a few tables away, and they wanted to keep his identity a secret until the con started. Unfortunately, his cosplay costume got a little damaged in shipping.” Did the guy not understand she was trying not to look like a loser?

  “Oh, yeah, right. I’m messing with my sweetie.” Furry Guy draped his arm across her shoulders and pulled Sadie closer. Oh, she was going to need Clorox and a few hours of serious scrubbing to get off whatever sticky substance just touched her.

  Fighting the urge to flinch away, Sadie smiled. “Yeah, he does love to tease.”

  With his free hand, Furry Guy extended it to Buck, shaking his hand. “My name’s…Clifton.”

  Clifton? First, dude is dressed in something that needs a hazmat team, then he breaks out a name like Clifton? It couldn’t have been Jaxon or any other plethora of better names?

  Buck slowly shook his hand. “Nice to meet you. Maybe you could do me a favor? Convince Sadie to meet me tonight at seven at that new seafood restaurant in the heart of downtown. My treat, and we’ll talk business, okay?” He sauntered off with Cinnamon on his arm before either Sadie or Clifton could respond.