Gizmo

Chapter 2

Jill pushed her cart through the grocery store picking up whatever looked good or caught her interest. Not that she bought everything she picked up, but she took her time and enjoyed her grocery shopping. Sure, she could have had her groceries delivered. It would certainly be easier, but since she’d started working from home, she’d found getting out of the house for her weekly grocery trip was something she looked forward to.

She enjoyed the chance to talk to people, under her own rules. Once a week to shop, and the occasional venture for something else, maybe a movie on the weekends, was all she needed, at least in person.

Jill preferred most of her socializing be done online, mainly through her favorite game, The Sorceress’s Apprentice 3, No One Said Anything About Dragons, more commonly referred to as SA3.

The Sorceress’s Apprentice 3, No One Said Anything About DragonsThere, she didn’t have to try to make small talk or pretend she cared, they could talk about the game and sometimes, conversation drifted from there. She didn’t mind that. She knew she had something in common with the other players… SA3.

Jill shook her head and pulled her mind from the game as she turned and worked her way down the frozen foods aisle at the Albertson’s, where she preferred to do most of her shopping. Walking along the frozen vegetable section she scanned the shelves for anything that caught her eye or looked tasty while only keeping a peripheral eye on where she was going. She was the only one in the aisle, so she didn’t have to worry about running into anyone.

A new frozen pizza caught her eye, so she pulled one from the case and was standing, reading the back of the box when something smashed into her, knocking her into her cart. The pizza in her hand flew away as she fell to her ass.

She looked up, ready to snap at whoever had been careless enough to barrel into her. What if she’d been an elderly person? Their bones were a lot more brittle than hers and they could have been seriously hurt.

“I’m so sorry, ma’am.” A man who looked about her age stared at her with wide eyes. “Here, can I help you up?” He held out one hand but didn"t touch her without permission, well touch her more than the slamming into her he’d already done.

“I’m all right.” Jill pushed herself to her knees, then stood.

“Are you sure? Is there anything I can do to help?”

“No, I’m all right.” She made her way to her feet and looked around, wondering what had happened to the pizza. It lay a little haphazard but had landed in her cart. With a shrug, she left it there. It probably would have ended up there anyway, why fuss over the how?

“Are you sure?” He seemed flustered. “Let me get you a coffee or something to apologize.”

“You don’t need to do that. You are obviously in a hurry.” Jill rolled her shoulders and flexed a little to see how bruised and sore she was. While she tested her muscles, she got her first good look at him. She blinked and looked again then had to resist the urge to wipe one hand across her chin to make sure she wasn’t drooling. Damn he was hot.

He wasn’t tall, maybe 5’9”, with dark hair that looked several weeks overdue for a cut and eyes the shade of warm dark chocolate. She couldn’t make her brain form words for a moment, only stand blinking at him like an i***t.

“I’m not really in a hurry, just had my mind on something else and didn’t see you. I’d like do something to apologize, please?”

She stopped and watched him for a moment. He seemed genuine.

“All right. Here or you want to go somewhere else?”

“Here is good, that way neither of us needs to rush our shopping we can have our drink, maybe talk a little,” he shot her what she took as a hopeful look, “then go on with what we were doing.”

“I think I’d like that.” She pushed her cart to the front of the store to the corner where there was an in-store Starbucks kiosk and parked it next to an empty table in the nearly empty seating area before following him to the register.

“Get whatever you like.” He motioned her to the register as he pulled out his phone. Jill ordered her drink, then went to the table while he ordered his and covered the bill. After a moment he joined her.

“Here you are.” He slid into the seat across from her. “My name’s Gizmo. I’m sorry again for not watching where I was going. You sure you’re not hurt?”

“A few bruises, maybe, nothing serious.” Jill frowned. “Gizmo? What kind of name is that?” Her face heated and she wished, not for the first time, she had more of a filter between her brain and her mouth. Too often whatever she was thinking slipped out before she thought enough to stop it. Thankfully the man across from her chuckled.

“It’s a nickname, but one I’ve gotten used to and just about the only name anyone uses anymore. I grew up Chuy.”

Jill tilted her head to one side. “Isn’t that a nickname too?” She’d been in Tucson long enough to get used to the odd sounding Hispanic names she’s never heard in Minnesota, but she’d only recently learned that Chuy wasn’t really a given name.

“You got me there. My dad was Jesus, and my family wasn’t yet integrated enough to go with Jesse, so I ended up Chuy. I don’t mind it, but it’s not really been me for years.” One corner of his mouth tipped up in a half-smile that made something low in her belly go soft and warm.

“So how did you go from Chuy to Gizmo?” She shook her head at the silly sounding name.

He shrugged. “Luck?”

She laughed, wondering if maybe it was a private story she shouldn’t have asked. Oh, well it would have been interesting to hear, but if he didn’t want to share, she wouldn’t push.

“I’m Jill.” She extended one hand across the table, careful not to hit either of their cups.

“Nice to meet you, Jill. Tell me, do you make it a habit of getting knocked over for free coffee?”

The glint in his eyes and the crinkles to either side let her know he was teasing.

“Only when there’s a hot, bad-ass looking guy barreling my way without looking where he’s going.” Jill held her breath, hoping if he could dish it out, he could take it too. Not everyone could, and it was a total deal breaker for her. She could handle not teasing, but if a guy couldn’t take as good as he gave, then he wasn’t worth her time. She was more than a little picky and she knew it. That was only one of several reasons she’d not been on more than a second date in at least a year.

He lifted one brow and met her gaze. “That happen often?”

“Just once, so far. But I have hopes for the future. It is an interesting way to meet people.”

“I can think of safer ways to meet people, how about at work?”

“I work from home.” Jill gave her head a slight shake. “I meet people there, but only virtually and I’d prefer to get together with the people from my game over the ones I work with.”

“Game?” That eyebrow lifted again. “I’m a bit of a gamer myself. I like tech, Gizmo, get it?”

Gizmo for a tech geek, Jill couldn’t help but shake her head as she let out a soft chuckle.

“I play SA3, Sorceress’s Apprentice 3, No One Said Anything About Dragons.” She avoided going into detail, she didn’t want him to think she was a total nerd. She was, but she didn’t want him to think so, not yet. Something made her want him to find her attractive, she didn’t mind if he thought she was cute, but she didn’t want to walk away, not yet.

Sorceress’s Apprentice 3, No One Said Anything About Dragons“Really? I play SA3 once in a while. Have you heard Sorceress’s Apprentice 4, Eldridge Shenanigans is supposed to be out soon? They keep pushing back the release date, but I hear it will be in the next couple months.”

Sorceress’s Apprentice 4, Eldridge Shenanigans“I’ve heard, but I’m getting frustrated with the delays.” She sighed. “I mean, I get it. It’s complex and I hear there’s a lot of new storyline for the next one but come on, it’s been delayed three times now.”

He nodded. “I hear there are a lot of little things to work out. Have you seen the cover art?”

“You mean BA’AL with the Cthulhu? It’s great art, but then all of them are. Great art doesn’t make up for letdown after letdown. SA4 had better be one amazing game to bring back the players who’ve gotten frustrated and given up.”

He gave a slow nod without adding anything more.

“How often you play?” he asked after a moment.

“A few times a week.” The last thing she was going to do was admit she played for several hours every evening. She had a second computer, a high-end laptop she’d had built to her own specs for gaming that she kept in her tiny living room so she could be comfortable while she listened to the TV and played after work. Admitting that would be like telling him flat out she had no life but work and gaming. While that might be true, she wasn’t ready to admit it to a total stranger.

He tipped his cup back. She watched the way his throat moved as he swallowed and wondered why she found him so enticing. She found it difficult to take her eyes off him.

Damn. It had been too long since she’d gotten laid.