The fear slowly released its hold on her muscles. Zoe forced herself to breathe. Once, twice, then a deep, relieved sigh.
Z-Tech? she asked, referring to Zachs company. When the dot-com boom had gone belly-up, Zach had struck out on his own, creating a video-game company that catered to niche markets. Since she specialized in business consulting, Zoe had advised him more than once to expand his horizons, but Zach had always claimed he liked the cozy feel of specializing. He had decided last year to risk it all on his own platform. To compete with the likes of Sony and Microsoft, hed gone with the concept of cheap, functional and expandable.
Is his new system having problems?
Meghan nodded. Hed be furious if he knew I was telling you, but yeah. He sank everything, all our money, into this idea and now nobody is interested in the system. Not without something extra. If it doesnt take off, Z-Tech wont survive through the end of the year.
Damn, Zoe breathed, sinking back in her chair.
Z-Tech was everything to Zach. Oh, sure, he adored his wife. But hed loved that company first. Hed talked about starting it, had planned it way back when they were kids. Their parents had moved to Bradford, Idaho, when Zoe was fifteen. Zach, at eighteen, had stayed behind to try his luck in Silicon Valley. When their parents had died, hed set aside his dreams, moved to the small Idaho town to let Zoe finish high school and gone to work in the dot-com industry to support his sister.
Zach had given up everything for her. Zoe never forgot that. She owed him. Owed him for keeping her in school, for pushing her to excel instead of curling up in a ball of misery. Owed him for reminding her what family was, and what it meant to be loved when the whole world as shed known it had turned into an upside-down hell. Not that he saw it that way. The few times shed tried to express gratitude, hed rolled his eyes and changed the subject.
Three years ago, after shed quit yet another job, itd been Zach whod suggested Zoe pile all her qualifications into a portfolio and call herself a consultant. She could step in, boss people around, fix their problems, then leave before she got bored. Specializing in startups with growing pains, she evaluated, assessed and created business plans to help companies move to the next level. Or, a lot of times, to realize that theyd tapped out their market, in which case she pointed out options to reinvent themselves. Itd turned into the perfectand very successfulsolution to all of Zoes career woes.
And now her brother, whod essentially given her her career, was losing his own company. She set her glass on the side table with a frown. Nothing like the heavy taste of debt to ruin a perfectly good margarita.
He had this idea, though, Meghan said, her tone hushed as though she was sharing secrets. Zach was saying if he could get a hook, something special, hed be able to make it work.
Something to convince buyers to try his system? That they could only get with it? Zoe clarified.
Exactly.
Thats a great idea. Something Zoe had actually tried to suggest a few months back, but Zach had been in a weird macho I-can-succeed-my self-and-prove-Im-not-a-loser mood so it hadnt sunk in. If his business was in this bad shape, that probably accounted for his attitude, she realized now. What boredom was to her, failure was to her brotherpure hell. Whats the problem?
Zach figures he needs one killer game. An exclusive attached to his system. And theres only one game designer out there whos really exclusive, you know? Who everyones heard of but whos never worked for one of the big companies.
Starting to see how this would circle back to her high-school reunion, Zoe waited.
Apparently theres this guy. He goes by Gandalf the Gaming Wizard. Hes the hottest video-game designer in the industry and hes a total mystery. Nobody knows who he really is. Zachs tried to reach him through Leeton, the company he works for, but no luck. Meghan got up with a bad-tempered huff and stalked to the large plate-glass window to stare out over the San Francisco skyline. I tried to help Zach research him, but its like digging in the dark. Nothing to go on but a few rumors.
Which was where the reunion issue came in. Zoe reached for her margarita glass and downed the rest of the watery contents. Oh, yeah, shed heard plenty of rumors about Gandalf.
Meghan turned and, apparently seeing the recognition on Zoes face, pointed in triumph. You know him, dont you?
No. Not a lie. She had no idea who Gandalf was.
But he knows you. Hes got the hots for you. Even Zach admits it, although he growled a little bit when he did. Its obvious based on his launch gameClass Warfare.
Circumstantial, Zoe dismissed, even though she knew Meghan was probably right. Five years ago, after hearing Zach rant about it, shed checked the game out herself. The designer had obviously lived in Bradford at some point. The similarities were glaring: landmarks, sayings, class slogans. Her.
She gave a little shiver. Shed never been able to pinpoint if she was flattered or freaked that the main character, a busty heroine named SweetCheeks, had been based on her. Not so much in looksor bra sizebut in attitude. Some of her catchphrases, her habit of tapping her lip when she was thinking. The purple-tipped, spiked black hair shed sported in school. And more specifically, the one-of-a-kind tribal wings tattoo on her shoulder blades Zoe had gotten at sixteen in memory of her mother.
It was like a strange homage to her teenage self. A nice antidote to the ignominy of being voted most likely to die a virgin. The guy obviously knew her. But him? As far as she knew, nobody had a clue who he was.
Circumstantial my ass, Meghan returned, slapping her hands on her denim-clad hips and glaring. The answer to Zachs prayers, the hottest video-game designer in the country, is from your town. And chances are, given that he knew you in school well enough to see your naked back, hes likely your age. So hed be at this reunion. Doh its a connect-the-dots win. Even you can focus long enough to connect dots, cant you?
Nobody likes a smart-ass, Zoe muttered, her lips twitching as she uttered the lie.
Sure they do, Meghan claimed, sensing Zoe wasnt going to slam the door on the discussion. Zach and I love you.
The trickle of guilt intensified.
Needing to move, Zoe got up and crossed the apartment to the kitchen. A push of the button on the blender whirred a nice loud distraction, as well as mixing up another batch of margaritas.
Central High. Cliquish, snotty and judgmental. Zoe had never fitted in. Shed been an odd dichotomy. A moody fifteen-year-old Goth-girl brainiac with a chip on her shoulder. Shed taken to the exclusive small town and its high school like a cat to water. Thankfully shed had Dex. Because of him, her one friend, shed been able to ignore how poorly shed been accepted. Until she was sixteen and her parents had died in a car accident and shed had to deal with another nasty small-town reality. Gossip. While shed been trying to deal with her shock and grief, the gossip mill had gone into overtime, whispering on every corner rumors of her parents pending divorce and claiming it was over her mom having an affair with the school principal.
Zoe had wanted to drop out, go anywhere and hide. But Zach had insisted she graduate. Hed set aside his dreams to be responsible. Despite the rotten high-school experience, she was grateful that he hadnt let her wienie out. Wasnt it her job, now, to set aside her irritation with the past to give his dreams a chance? After all, she wanted him to succeed, And even more, she wanted to prove herself. To him. And to herself.
Zoe sighed. Talk about pressure. She carried the pitcher into the living room and refilled both glasses.
You know hed be pissed if he found out you were doing this, she muttered to her sister-in-law as she sat back down. But she still picked up the invitation. Nobodys even sure if Gandalf is from Bradford. You know that, right? He could have just passed through. Theres no real reason to believe hes going to be at the reunion.
Zach thinks he will be. Anyone that sentimental about his hometown would go to his reunion. The timing, a bunch of things in the game, suggest hes your age. Zachs been racking his brain to figure out a way to find the guy.
The guilt was a waterfall now.
Seeing the crack in Zoes armor, Meghan moved in for the kill. She gave a perky smile and tugged a fat envelope out of her purse. Look, heres more information on the reunion. I found the link when I used that Web site, you know? The Classmates one? When I saw your class was having a reunion, I e-mailed them to send me the invitation package.
Zoes eyebrow arched. So thats how theyd really found her. Shed wondered. It wasnt like shed left a trail of breadcrumbs for her ex-schoolmates to track her down.
There was even speculation about Gandalf there on the message boards, Meghan continued, once she was sure Zoe wasnt going to chide her for the behind-the-back maneuvering. People wondering if hes really from your school. What class he was in. If hell come to the reunion. That kind of thing.
Figured. More gossip, this time cyber-style. Zoe just rolled her eyes.
Even if he is there, its not like hes going to be wearing a sign. The guys managed to keep his identity a secret from major competitors for five years. He wont show up wearing a pointed hat and carrying a game controller. Seeing the stubborn look on Meghans face, Zoe sighed. Then, as she did when faced with any impossible business challenge, she started breaking it down into smaller tasks to research, areas to consider, things to do. In other words, her brain had gone into strategy mode.
While she mulled all the angles, she absently took the reunion booklet Meghan held out. When she flipped the neon cover open, all thoughts of strategy fled; Zoes stomach knotted. With narrowed eyes, she looked at the grainy black-and-white picture of the king and queen. Brad Young and Candice Love. Her crush and the girl whod stolen him away from her.
She gave a low growl. Candice was the mean, snotty bitch behind making Zoes high-school life a living hell. Galaxies apart socially, the two girls had been in direct competition in most things academic. Zoe snickered, remembering that four out of five times, shed beaten Candice.
But Candice had had her revenge. Her whispers had taken Zoes one spark of happiness and turned it into a worthless misery. Buzz of Zoes parents and the affair had surfaced the same week shed won the Governors Award for Excellence. Candice had been the one whispering loudest, saying that since Zoes mom had been fooling around with the principal, his recommendation and support of Zoe were based on her mothers bedroom skills. Zoe hadnt believed the gossip. She knew her parents were having problems, but cheating wasnt one of them. But shed never forgiven Candice for starting the ugly rumor. Or for planting those doubts in Zoes head.
Which meant helping out her brother was also her chance to go back, show the stuck-up cheerleader and her gang of friends that she was all those things Meghan tried to convince her she was. Hot and successful.
Okay, fine, she decided with a determined thrust of her chin. Ill go.
Thanks, Zoe. Meghans gratitude, apparent in her blue eyes and huge, relieved smile, gave Zoe a warm feeling. Helping was good. Meghan picked up the reunion folder and flipped through the pages. You need a costume. And youre late sending an RSVP, so it might be hard to get a room at the reunion hotel.
Im going, but Im not wearing some stupid costume. The last thing I want to do is dress up and make nice with the people who so easily judged and dismissed me, she sneered as though she didnt care. And she didnt. At least, not much.
Please, Zoe. If youre going to get these people to help you find Gandalf, you have to at least pretend youre going to play their game.
Zoe wrinkled her nose. Play nice? She hadnt factored that into her calculations. But the pitiful begging look on Meghans face forced her to nod.
Ill take care of the RSVP, she said with her best negotiation smile. The reunion is at Drake Inn. I know the owners. So Ill be right there in the thick of things and able to track down all the Gandalf insider info. But Im not doing a costume.
Meghan waved the purple and orange flyer. You have to. Its a costume party! she declared.
No, thanks, Zoe said. Ill find a sexy little dress and wear that instead.
She wasnt going for the reunion festivities. She was going to help out her brother. And maybe, just maybe for a second shot at the crush that got away. A chance to show the hottie football star, Brad Young, just what hed missed out on. Blond and buff, hed inspired many a fantasy and her sadly failed attempt to divest herself of that pesky virginity problem.
And then hed left her high and dry.
Oh, yeah. The promise of showing everyoneBrad, Candice and all the people whod mocked herjust how well she was doing was the last bit of incentive she needed to return to hell and chase down Gandalf.
As she imagined that scenario and considered shopping for new lingerie, Zoe tapped her bottom lip and considered. Die a virgin, her ass. The problem with a title like that, though, was how the hell did one prove it wrong?
Two weeks later
ZOE STRODE UP TO the beveled-glass doors of the Drake Inn, her four-inch stiletto boots rat-a-tat-tatting against the stamped cement. Shed spent a lot of time here in her teens since her best friend Dexs parents owned the place.
After Meghan had convinced her to attend the reunion, Zoe had pulled out her one photo album and laughed over the few happy memories she had of Bradford. All of them had included her best friend, Dex.
As much an oddball as she was, Dex had joined in with Zoes schemes and dreams. They had sketched castles in the air of the wonders theyd accomplish when they were out from under the oppressive judgment of all the small-town minds that didnt understand them.
A brainy Goth-girl and a geeky math nerd, both proud not to fit in with their mainstream classmates.
She could use some of that youthful arrogance now. Oh, sure, she was still distinctive and self-assured. People treated her with respect, curried her favor and sought out her professional advice. But as soon as she drove into town, all her old doubts, self-consciousness and worry about not fitting in had hit her.
Itd been one thing to plan a brilliant reunion coup with Meghan in her living room, to draw up a list of ideas, just the way shed outline a plan of attack for one of the flailing businesses that regularly consulted her. Zoe had made a roster of people to talk to. Shed gone through the yearbook and researched all of her classmates, coming up with a list of possible wizards. Shed e-mailed everyone she knew in the business industry who might have any ideas about Gandalf, and she had had Meghan use Zachs contacts to dig for information.