KARINA

“YOU’RE KIDDING?” HOLLY SAID. “HE invited you back to his? He kissed you? And you walked away? Who are you and what have you done with Karina because I don’t think I know who you are anymore.”

“Stop it,” I said, slapping her leg. “I need support, not telling off.”

I had caught a cab home, finding Holly sprawled on the sofa, half asleep. She stirred when I came in, took one look at me and then got up to make tea. She knew me well.

We sat drinking it while I explained what had happened. “But it sounds like a perfect day,” she said when I was finished. “I don’t understand why you’re here and not there.”

I tried to explain again but the words wouldn’t come out right. “It’s not a game anymore,” I said. “I’m falling for him.”

“So? That’s a good thing, isn’t it?”

“But it’s not really him that I’m falling for, it’s just the character they set up for me to make the game fun. Well, guess what? I’m not having fun anymore. I’m not playing anymore. I can’t do it, Holly. If I spend another minute with Cole, I’m going to want to spend all my minutes with him. I’m going to want to spend forever with him and it’s not fair because he’s not real. Don’t you get it? He’s not real.”

I burst into tears, the pain of it hitting me all at once. “I’m ringing them now,” I said, picking up my phone as Holly put her arm round me. I punched in the number for Game Inc.

“Are you sure there’ll be anyone there at this time?” she asked.

“Good evening,” a voice said at the end of the phone. “Can I help?”

“Karina Browning,” I said, my voice hitching. “I want to end the game.”

“There must be some mistake,” the voice said as I heard the sound of typing. “According to our records, your game has already ended. It lasted one night.”

“That’s not possible.”

“We keep very thorough records. I can see that the game ended once you left the club that was the locale for your personal game.”

“So it’s already over?”

“Correct.”

I hung up, turning to Holly who looked eagerly back at me. “What did they say?” she asked.

“The game’s already over,” I replied. “It only lasted one night.”

“But what does that mean?”

“I don’t know. They said it ended when I left the club.”

“But that can’t be right. You went back to Cole’s house after that.”

I nodded. “Promise me you won’t publish the article, Holly. I don’t think I could bear it.”

“It’s too late. It comes out in a couple of days.”

“What?”

“Don’t worry, it doesn’t mention you by name.”

That was just perfect. I’d been made a fool of by Cole and now I would get to relive it all when the article came out, live on Holly’s magazine website for the whole world to see.

“Can you stop it?”

“I don’t know. I can try.”

I was such an idiot. He’d not been acting but he had been toying with me, playing his own little game for his own amusement. Everyone would get a good laugh out of it apart from me.

“Where are you going?” Holly asked as I put my jacket back on.

“I need to see Cole,” I replied. “I need to know the truth.”

I caught a cab to his house, banging on his door until Reginald opened it. “Is he in?” I asked.

He nodded. “Come in and I will see if he will see you.”

“Who is it?” Cole’s voice called from down the hallway.

“Miss Browning, Sir,” he replied.

“Karina?” Cole said, appearing in the doorway, leaning out in confusion. “What are you doing here?”

“You tricked me,” I said, walking towards him.

“Excuse me?”

“The game only lasted a day but you’ve been toying with me all this time.”

He went to speak but I waved him into silence. “Let me get this out. I can’t handle playing anymore. What I’m feeling is real and I’m not saying any of this right. Look, Cole, just tell me the truth. Is this just a game to you?”

He shook his head. “It’s real, it’s all real.”

“But I don’t understand, it can’t be.”

“Come and sit down and let me explain.”

“I don’t want to sit down, I want to know what’s going on.”

He sighed, rubbing his eyes before taking a step towards me. “It was supposed to last for one night but I couldn’t do it. I had to see more of you. From that first dance, I knew.”

“What about Zoe? Was she real?”

He nodded. “Oh yes, all too real.”

“So that wasn’t set up for her to accost you outside the club?”

“Nope. The only set up was that you appear on stage. Everything after that was up to me.”

“So The Birdhouse?”

“Me. It was all me.”

“So, does that mean this really is your house?”

“I hope so given that I’ve lived here for five years.”

“Even the play room?”

“Mine too. I set up Game Inc. because I was bored. You were the first player that came along that made me feel excited. I broke a lot of rules for you, Karina.”

“Not Melissa? It’s not her you’re after. You’ve not lied to me?”

“No. I have told you the truth from the moment we met. I have not once lied to you.”

“So when you kissed me, that wasn’t just part of the game?”

He shook his head. “It was more real than any kiss I’ve ever had.”

“So your Monet really did get damaged?”

“Yep.”

“You really paid two hundred thousand for my company?”

“Yep.”

“ So, you really are a billionaire?”

“Yep.”

“You really want me to paint your wall.”

“I want a hell of a lot more than that from you.”

“Like what?”

“Come here and I’ll show you.”

I walked slowly over to him, still trying to get my head round everything. I gasped when he grabbed me, holding me tightly in place. “What are you going to do to me?” I asked quietly.

“What I should have done the minute we met,” he replied, grabbing my hand and leading me through the house.

“Where are we going?” I asked, shocked by how excited my voice sounded.

“Haven’t you guessed yet?” he asked. “The game’s over. Now it’s time to play for real.”