Quinn crossed her arms. "I've been asked to test out a new game. I get paid per hours logged, and there are bonuses for the levels I crack. I told them it would be more fun if I could play with a friend and they agreed. I have two new log-ins all ready to go."
My shoulders relaxed, then melted as Quinn reached over and rubbed my neck.
"See? I'm not as helpless as everyone thinks I am. I'm not encroaching on your territory or messing up your career. We can have a little fun," she said.
"Is that all this is?"
She tipped her head and looked away. "This is complicated, but only if we talk about it. How about we play instead?"
I handed over my computer and the game console controllers. Quinn brushed her wavy hair out of the way and set everything up.
"What's the game about?" I asked.
"I'm not going to lie, it’s a lot like Dark Flag, except set on Mars. The colony is expanding and there is potential for players to influence the world, just like in Dark Flag. And there are aliens, meteorites, and all sorts of complicated space dangers."
She made my avatar a pock-faced engineer and herself a middle-aged doctorate in astrophysics. "What, no glamorous astronauts or super-sexy scientists?" I asked.
"That's another thing. In this game, your only choice is to be human. Sure, you can augment your avatar, but they keep the choices plain. It’s all about survival and humanity," Quinn said.
"And starting over," I said. "I like that."
"Exactly," Quinn handed me a controller. "Here, we can start over and no one knows us."
We explored the Mars landscape. I had almost forgotten what it felt like. Video games were supposed to be an escape. Now, as Quinn and I worked together, tried and failed, and fought our way through surprising problems, it all came back to me. The whole reason I loved my job was that I could show people how to be who they really wanted, even if the real world kept telling them no.
"This is good, right?" she asked.
"The best," I said. "I really needed this. Thank you."
She moved closer on the couch and curled up against me. "Is it wrong that I always really wanted this?"
"No. Our timing was just off. Other people got in the way," I replied.
Quinn shook her head, her eyes sad for a moment. "She also brought us together and kept us together," she said.
"But you make me better," I said. I leaned over and kissed her cheek. "Thank you for always making me better."
"Even on Mars?" Quinn asked with a smile.
I nodded. "But especially here and now."
Chapter Nineteen
Quinn
The game was interesting and I loved exploring the Mars scenery with Owen. I was bursting to tell him about my plans for the money I was earning. First, I wanted to see the worried furrow in the middle of his forehead ease. He was so wrapped up in his own problems that I was not sure the time was right.
"Watch out for that crater," I said. We both pulled our avatars back sharply.
"Thanks for saving me again," he said.
"I don't know when you think I saved your life," I said.
"Right now. All I could think about was who might be setting me up and what would happen. All the hypotheticals were killing me," Owen said.
"So a little imaginary exploration of Mars was just the right thing?" I asked.
Owen smiled and wrapped an arm around me. "Maybe it’s more than just the Mars game," he said.