“You act like that would be a punishment,” he winks. “But fine, just give me a second.” Parker shifts off his Californian King and nudges past me, his hot skin brushing against my arm. Parker Covington also has very little understanding of personal space. I blame it on him being British.
Unfortunately for me, all the men in The System look like they should belong on a teen drama, not streaming video games in dark rooms for hours on end each week. My radar for hot men has gotten all bent out of shape, thanks to them. It’s taken four years of working for The System for me to become somewhat immune to their sculpted bodies and flirtatious jokes. Especially after The Incident.
“Alright, let’s bounce.” Parker fluffs the collar of his white shirt and checks himself out in the mirror approvingly. He is also wearing a pair of navy-blue chino shorts because he is incapable of not wearing blue somewhere on his body. I have no doubt in my mind that his entire outfit probably costs more than my biweekly paycheck.
I shoot off a quick message to our driver that we are on our way down before grabbing Parker by the elbow to usher him out of his room.
The System’s penthouse apartment is stunning. Custom black tiles and pristine white walls. An open layout living room and kitchen that leads to a massive wraparound balcony. I’ve slowly added a few plants over the years, but the space is minimalistic, decorated mainly with limited edition gaming memorabilia, neon signs, and an iconic The System poster. I live on the tenth floor, and while it’s a gorgeous apartment, it’s nothing compared to theirs.
“Don’t forget your mask,” I remind Parker, punching the button for the elevator.
I startle when he waves the blue LED purge mask in my periphery.
“As if I would. It’s only been three months, Syd. We haven’t got that used to life without them yet.” Parker tucks the mask under his arm while he toes on a pair of loafers.
Three months. It’s only been three months since Aleks, Parker, and Jackson took off their masks and revealed their identities to the world. For years, these three men rose to the top of the video game world as the most popular faceless streamers—wearing matching LED masks as part of their brand so no one knew what they looked like. Then, another streamer tried to blackmail them…and they decided they were sick of hiding. They were ready to step out of the shadows and level up their careers.
It was bittersweet.
They’ve all adapted differently. Parker was the easiest, Jackson the hardest, and Aleksander was in the middle. Regardless of their faces now being known, the masks are still a large part of their brand. It’s my job to make sure they still take them everywhere.
The elevator arrives, and we step in. I press the button for G2 and prepare for my ears to pop during the descent. We live in the tallest apartment building in California. It was built only a few years ago and has sixty floors. I don’t know what I would’ve done if I were afraid of heights.
“We’re going to be late.” I tell Parker as we rocket down to the private parking garage.
“You know, if I drove, we could get there in time.”
My stomach swirls just at the mere mention of him driving. I try to avoid riding with Parker whenever possible. The man has a tendency to drive forty miles over the speed limit. How he has never gotten a speeding ticket blows my mind. If I wasn’t too chicken to get my own license renewed, I could drive myself places…but the idea of being behind the wheel again sends spiders across my skin.
“Francis is perfectly capable of driving us,” I tell him as the doors open. “Besides, I informed the company that we were stuck in traffic and would be a little late.”
The one good thing about living in California is that you can always use traffic as an excuse. No one bats an eye.
Our driver, Francis, opens the door to the white BMW. Parker holds his hand out for me to get into the backseat, and I graciously accept it. No matter how sarcastic or boyish he can be, Parker Covington is, to his core, a gentleman.
Once we are settled, Francis begins our forty-minute drive to the studio. Parker mutters under his breath a few times at the slow pace, but I let my head lull against the headrest and shut my eyes. The exhaustion over the past few months has been unrelenting.
My phone buzzes in my pocket, and I let out a deep huff. The world never stops spinning long enough for me to breathe more than one peaceful breath. I pull my phone from my purse and swipe it open.
“This is Sydney Lake. What’s the situation?”
[to be continued]
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Honestly, I have no idea how to write one of these. At first, it seemed like this would be super easy…but it’s not really. I know some people skip out on the acknowledgements, but it has always been one of my favourite things to read. And yes, I am writing this in British English because I damn well can. [edit: I have now written this, and it ended up way longer than I expected. Turns out, I have a lot of people to thank because I’m just that sort of human.]
I want to start by saying that I wrote this book for myself. Which sounds kind of selfish and conceited but…it’s the truth. I grew up playing video games. They have always been such a massive part of my life. From when I was on a clunky 2005 desktop computer playing CD-ROMS to current days where I’m gaming on my Switch, video games have been my safety bubble. When I get super stressed with life, I know I can put on a game and completely relax my brain. I always wanted a book that featured video games as more than just a hobby…so I decided I would write an entire series. Taa-daa.
To every single person who has posted a picture or video of my book online…THANK YOU! As a fellow content creator, it makes my heart shine. Whether you have three followers or three million, the content you post makes a difference—never, ever, doubt that. You are a superstar.
And thank YOU, my reader. Thank you for giving my book baby a chance. For reading my very first novel. This was such a scary process, but also really exciting. Just having you read the words that I wrote means the world to me. In case no one has told you lately, you matter.
Okay, now onto my people.
First, I obviously have to thank Cat. Sure, Cat designed my absolutely killer covers （swoon）。 But what you don’t know is that Cat read the very first version of Good Game…like legit, Cat read this before I had even finished the last chapter. She fell in love with Stevie and Aleks before anyone else and has been the best cheerleader I could ever ask for. I love you, my sparkly best friend.
Second, I have to thank my amazing editor Katie K! You were so amazing, and I couldn’t have asked for a better person to work with. I know you had to deal with all my Australianisms…and the fact that I clearly did not know the difference between further and farther, but you were so patient with me. Also, you shipped Sydney and Parker from page two, and that makes me smile.
Thank you, Alyssa, for formatting my books. You are a superwoman, juggling seventeen different things at once.
Mum and Dad, thank you for being the reasons why I love reading. And thank you for letting me camp out for two weeks straight in your house to write eighty percent of this book. You always support me no matter what. I know that you will both be in my corner until the end of the time, and I will forever be grateful for how lucky I am to have you as parents.