Chapter Three
Morgan
We walk into Hall D, where there is booth after booth set up like a carnival midway. Each booth represents a vendor, publisher, product, studio, entertainer, etc. As we move through the walkways, I notice people have formed lines or are standing around tables or displays marveling at what was being featured. Several booths offer up tchotchkes or host author and illustrator signings. Moving through the crowd is tough. No booth sits empty, and the hall is loud and smells rather musty. I wonder what the hall will smell like in two days’ time.
Then I see it as we enter the clearing; a ridiculously long line comes into view. Apparently, the professional video game industry is a heck of a lot more popular than Ruby and I thought. There is a long table with a black tablecloth that would seat several—twelve maybe. There is a massive San Diego Comic-Con branded backdrop behind the table. But it isn't the staged signing area that truly catches my attention. It’s the line of people already waiting for the signing to start. The line wraps and weaves around, organized by those black retractable line dividers more times than I can count.
"Oh. My. God," states Ruby, with pure disbelief in her tone.
"Yeah, tell me about it. I thought you said we'd make it through this line in no time. This is going to take at least an hour, if not more, to get through,” I say with a pout. “I'm going to miss Evan. The one chance I have to see one of my favorite TV boyfriends in the flesh, and I'm going to miss him because of a video gamer. Not cool Ruby. Not cool," I say.
Really, I'd do anything for Ruby. And since I’m on her and her brother’s dime, it’s the least I can do to stand in line for a signing, but that still doesn't help the fact that I’m going to miss out on seeing the GREEK star.
"Oh Mo, I know seeing as many celebrities as possible was your number one goal, but look at it this way, these gamers are obviously celebrities in their own right," she draws out the word obviously, as if I was oblivious to the obvious.
"You're right. Duh, Morgan! What was I thinking?" I roll my eyes but can’t hide my grin.
She nudges me with her elbow and jerks her head toward the line. "Come on. There is a fifty percent chance the guys could be hot. At least we can take advantage of the eye candy."
I shrug and scan the room as she adds, "You know, I'd be ok here by myself if you wanted to check out the panel."
I look at her and smile. "Nah, there is no way we would find each other again if I wandered off by myself. Plus, you've got me wondering about hot gamer boys and if they actually exist."
She loops her arm through mine and in sarcastic seriousness, "It would be like finding a unicorn."
"Or a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow."
"Or finding a golden ticket," Ruby mused. We both start giggling. "And now I'm thinking about Johnny Depp," she adds.
"As Wonka or Jack Sparrow?" I question.
"Definitely Sparrow, poppet," she replies on an exasperated sigh.
As we move to the end of the line, we hear others around us chatting away about what they've done thus far and where they are going next. Despite having been at a standstill for twenty minutes before the signing started, I honestly don't mind. I try to listen in to the people around us when I hear them talking about the gamers we are all waiting to see, but I’m horrible at eavesdropping. I always get sidetracked if there’s any other noise around.
"So, I really don't know anything about video games," I tell Ruby.
"Yeah, me neither."
"I am aware that there are several different gaming consoles out there, and I know the names of the popular games," I add.
Ruby and I work for a popular social news and entertainment website. I am one of the social media community managers, so I’m only aware of the games because sometimes I have to post about them.
"But that is really all I know. I had no idea that you could be a professional gamer, and that people took it seriously," I whisper that last part because I'm not one to ruffle anyone's feathers, especially die-hard fans.
Understanding the need to be discreet, she replies in a whisper, "I know what you mean. But I grew up with a brother, so I've played my fair share of video games. I'm a pro at anything Mario, but when it comes to Call of Battle, they call it CoB for short by the way, or any other game really, I'm terrible."
"Mario, yeah, I played Mario Kart in high school a few times. It was really fun!" I remember.
"I really don't know much about the whole professional gaming scene, but I know these guys are legit and as you can see, have a pretty big following," she says thoughtfully. “Oh, but that cutie over there is totally checking us out,” she adds distractedly.
I swear her hot guy radar is always on. I look in the direction she motioned toward, and sure enough, the guy is checking her out. Ruby is a classic beauty. She is tall and lean, and she has a gorgeous head of soft, red hair. She is always attracting male attention.
“Are you guys eye flirting?” I ask, not surprised at all.
Breaking her gaze with the guy in line standing in the next segment up—making him ahead of us in line, she says, “Not anymore. He wasn’t my type.”
“Seriously, you can tell from the thirty seconds of…whatever you call it?” I ask confusedly.
“Yeah. Basically, I can tell if a guy is worth the time in thirty seconds or less. It’s all about eye contact. If a guy can’t keep up the eye contact for at least ten seconds, he’s weak. If he can, then I’m intrigued.”
I place my hand on my chest and ask, "So it's like a Jedi mind trick?”
“Ah, you're learning well, young padawan, but I can only perform those on the weak-minded. I’m getting tired of that kind of guy—and cutie over there is definitely that type. I’m looking for something a bit more challenging,” she says turning her back to the guy.
If dating was on my radar, I could learn a lot from Ruby when it comes to men. Somehow, she always gets her way in the dating world.
In an instant, something in the air shifts and the crowd gets much louder. It’s excitement, I realize, as a group of people file in and take their seats at the table. There are four guys and one girl now seated at the table. Interesting. I'd always assumed gaming was a guy thing. I can’t really make out any features of the gamers, as we are still ridiculously far away, but I think Ruby is going to get her wish for some eye candy.
After more waiting, we are finally close enough to make out the gamer’s facial features. By this point, we have missed the panel I wanted to attend, and Ruby has already promised she would make it up to me. She really doesn't need to, but I'll pour it on thick just to get back at her for the comments about me needing to get laid.
"Dang, the eye candy was a good prediction. Most of those guys are hot! I mean, some of them are totally nerdy, but it really works for them. Even the gamer girl has that nerdy-chic thing working in her favor," Ruby whispers in my ear.
As I start from the end to make my own assessments I reply, "Are you saying a person has to be nerdy to be a gamer?" But as I start to form my next words, I change course, "Yeah, ok, that one is totally nerdy but hot." Ruby chuckles as I continue to scan the table.
The girl is indeed nerdy-chic. She is wearing those big, round, old-school clear plastic glasses. She has long, black locks of hair that have a slight wave around her shoulders. Even though she is sitting, she looks like she is tall and lean. She is gorgeous. I'm sure she is a male gamer's dream girl.
"Yeah, I'm sure she is probably some female gamer's dream girl too," Ruby replies deadly serious, as she stares at the gamer girl too. Apparently, I said that last part out loud.
After one last look at the gamer girl, I move on. That's when I see him. There, right in the middle of the group is this guy with brown, perfectly tousled hair. His face is more angular than rounded, with well-defined cheekbones and jaw line. His nose fits on his face perfectly. I can’t tell his eye color from this distance, though. I catch myself licking my own lips as I study his. His smile is downright alluring. He has an athletic build, but he isn't beefy or overly muscular. He is wearing a gray jacket with a hood over a black v-neck shirt. Exuding confidence, he doesn't look arrogant at all. He just seems like a guy you want to know. He looks…perfect.
Ok, perfect is a little much. We aren’t in some Disney movie. People are not perfect in the “real world.”
But wow. He is probably the hottest guy I have ever seen in real life. As in, you can’t really count celebrities as part of the “real world” populace. Mostly because you can’t always prove they are real people. But this guy. Oh, my. I think my mouth is watering. I have never been so attracted to someone before.
“Wow,” is the only thing that manages to escape my mouth.
“Ah, yeah. I was wondering when you were going to see him” Ruby laughs. “He is something else, isn’t he? His name is Dex Roberts, and he’s the team captain.”
“If this is what most video gamers look like, then I’m buying a game system when we get back home, and I’m learning how to play because I could get behind this,” I declare.
“More like, ‘let one of them get behind you,’ right?" she quips, and then adds, "Maybe all their hotness is just a fluke. Or maybe none of them are any good. You know? Someone just thought that if they assembled a team of hotties, it wouldn’t matter. Actually, I’m sure of it. That’s what is going on here: a ploy to take all my money.”
“Give it to them, Ruby. Give them all our money if that means we can stare at them longer.”
Someone taps me on my shoulder then, and as I turn around, I find a mousy, black-haired boy standing there looking at me expectantly. He isn’t more than thirteen.
“Yeah?” I question.
“Actually, that team is the number one team to beat in the MLG. They are more than just looks; they are really good. They win almost every tournament they play, and that guy in the middle—DosDex, he currently has the best positive K/D in like…the history of CoB. They are nothing to make fun of,” he informs us.
Uh, what? Ok, first of all, who is this kid? And what is MLG, DosDex, and a positive K/D? Fortunately, I know what CoB means, but only recently.
Thankfully, before I can say anything, Ruby replies, “Oh, thanks, kid. You seem to know a lot about them. Thanks for the intel. Now we won’t embarrass ourselves in front of the hotties.” The kid scoffs at that and turns around to whom I expect are his parents, who look bored out of their minds.
“Ok, well now we know they really are something to write home about. I’m really excited to get up there and get this T-shirt signed!” she tells me.