The Game Store

“Oh my God, this one is so cute,” April said as she held up a model pack from the shelf.

You had been in the shop for about half an hour, slowly browsing the store. The two staff that were on had both waved hello to you and called some quick greetings, but there was a Magic event going on and they were fairly busy. That meant you and April had the big retail part of the store to yourself. You’d already been through the comics and the board games, and now you were in amongst the miniatures and tabletop stuff.

“April, that thing is disgusting,” you laughed. She was holding up a slime demon from the latest release of Battlehammer, its box art painted to be a disgusting vomit green mixed with fluorescent oranges that made you think of dangerous mushrooms.

“But look at his little face,” April said, holding it closer to you. “Imagine painting those eyes a normal colour.”

The model did have a weirdly puppy-like face when you ignored the disgusting paint scheme. “OK, I see it, I just don’t agree with the idea of making a slime demon cute,” you chuckled.

“That’s fine,” she said, putting the box back as her other hand rested on your arm. She reached up and pulled a bigger box from a higher shelf, and you helped her get it down. “This was actually my very first kit.” It was a big battle mech from the anime show that she’d done some voicing of minor characters for.

“You started with one this big?” you asked in surprise.

“Go big or go home,” she laughed. “You know what they say about big power fists, right?”

“No?” you asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Big power pistons,” she giggled, squeezing your arm before pushing the kit back up on the shelf.

You browsed a little more, with April exclaiming over this kit or that one, and asking your opinion on things that were right in front of you, or seemingly pulled out of thin air. Eventually, you worked your way out of the tabletop area and into the decorative statues and random collectables.

“Oooh,” she said, picking up a plastic version of the One Ring. “Let’s check if it works.” She slipped it onto her finger.

“April?” you asked. “April, where’d you go?” You waved your hands around like you couldn’t find her and messed up her hair a little as she laughed and caught your hands with hers.

She pulled off the prop ring and put it back, then turned to you while still holding both your hands. “Ollie, how the hell are you single?”

“Um-” you said, feeling the blood run from your face a little. “I- well, I mean… I’ve just never really met someone who I liked that also liked me back that way. I’ve always been, well… like this and-”

“Oh, fuck,” April said, her eyes going wide as she realised how embarrassed you were. And then she did something that you weren’t expecting at all.

April went up on her toes and gave you a peck on the lips.

“I’m so sorry for being a dick,” April said. “I wasn’t thinking that would be some sort of a rude question. But obviously, it was. I just put my foot in my mouth.”

“Uhm, well…” you said, blinking rapidly as you tried to compute that April had just- She’d-

“Ollie,” she said, smiling up at you softly as she squeezed your hands. “I gotta tell you, you’re cute when you’re flustered.”

“Thanks?” you said questioningly.

“I really am sorry,” she repeated, dropping one of your hands to pull you over to the next display. “I didn’t mean it in a bad way, I just can’t believe a guy with your heart and your quick intelligence isn’t-” She took a breath, checking herself for a moment, then looked back at you. “I just think you’re a really great guy, is what I meant. I’m really enjoying this first date with you.”

“Thanks,” you said, breathing out a slight sigh and trying to get out of your head.

“Are those prop lightsabers over there?” April asked.

“Yeah,” you nodded. “Hold on, I bet Anthony over at the cash will let me open up the case if I ask for the key. One second.”

“Come on up,” April said, pulling Ollie from the back of the Uber. It had been a bit of a tight squeeze knees-wise to get in for you, but when you and April had finished touring the game shop, each of you leaving with a couple of comic books that she wouldn’t let you pay for, she’d said she wanted to show you a good time like you’d shown her.

Pulling up in front of the hotel had been a bit of a surprise, but you quickly realized she probably needed to grab something before you headed where she wanted to bring you. Part of you hoped she wanted to go dancing - you loved the idea of it, but your size had always made you feel off about going out unless it was in a big group and you hadn’t done that since college. If you were going to a dance club she would need to change into something nicer again, which made sense.

She held your hand in the elevator, the two of you talking about the latest season of Throne of Bones and how you hoped the season finale wouldn’t be a dud. It felt like hanging out with Hannah, though April was way nerdier than your best friend.

April led you to her room and asked you in politely, and you followed to find she’d been given a small suite by the App company.

“I’ll be right back,” she said as she flipped on the bathroom light. “Feel free to get comfortable.”

“OK?” you said, frowning a little as you looked around the fancy hotel room. There was a little living area and an open archway that led right into the bedroom. It looked like April had been here at least a day or two and she’d left a book in the sitting area. You sat down and kicked off your shoes, then reached for the book. You hadn’t read it before, and it had an attractive cover that hinted at it being a fantasy adventure, so you cracked it open and started reading the first page. You doubted you’d get very far if you were just there to pick something up, or if she just didn’t like public toilets which was reasonable, but maybe you could see if it was a book you should pick up yourself.

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