Mind Games

She dressed carefully for the meeting, a collared white shirt, her hair back in what she thought equaled a professional and non-distracting tail. Her mother’s pink diamond studs for luck.

After some debate, they settled on holding their part at the kitchen table. It said, Thea thought, who she was, and the powers that be might as well know that from the start.

“I’ll stay out of the way.”

“Oh, don’t leave, Grammie. You’re moral support.”

“I’ll stay, honeypot, but out of the way. And the dogs stay outside so they don’t fuss around.”

“Ready?” Rem asked her.

“I actually am.”

“Then let’s log in.”

She got her first look—except from online photos—at Bradley Case. He had a flop of brown hair, Buddy Holly glasses, and a tiny silver hoop in his right ear.

“Good to see you, Thea, and you, Rem. Let me introduce you around.”

As he put names and positions to the other three people on-screen, Thea scribbled those names and positions on a pad to the side of her laptop.

They talked about the game—and there she felt confident.

She could answer questions about characters, world rules, obstacles, power points, choices, coding, game play without missing a beat.

She listened to suggestions for changes or improvements, made more notes.

“Actually, I’m bringing Mog back in the next game.” She said it absently as she scribbled notes.

“You have plans for the next?” Bradley asked her.

“Oh, sorry, yes. I started the GDD yesterday, and have the first layer. Also another main character I’m bringing in. I can bring those up if you want, but it’s only a start, and maybe a little rough.”

“Bring them up. Give us the pitch.”

The pitch, she thought, and her belly clutched. She did better writing it out than talking it out. But she had to learn.

“Endon’s been at peace for nearly a year,” she began, “when the seers prophesy a new threat, and an old one. And a stranger comes to the forest.”

She ran it through as best she could, tried to keep it brief.

“I don’t have the narrative locked down. I work better when I let it flow. But the character of Tye Smith will be key, as well as the new big bad, Barstav the Giant, conjured by Mog.”

“Before we go on,” Rem interrupted, “Thea intends to design and develop this game as she did the first. Then submit it for your review and consideration. And, of course, will be open to any changes you feel necessary.”

Bradley just lifted an eyebrow under his flop of hair. “We’ll keep that in mind.”

She let Rem take over, talk terms, compensation, percentages, salary, bonuses. Her eyes widened when he brought up merchandizing, but she let it roll.

An hour later, she closed her laptop.

“Did I really just sell—I mean lease—my first game to Milken Entertainment?”

“Yeah, congrats.” He offered her a fist to bump. “Some nitty-gritty to work out, and you’ll want a lawyer to look over the contract when it’s finalized.”

Frowning, he drummed his fingers on the table. “If I knew more, we could probably have done better there. But I think it’s fair. You’re just getting started.”

“I’m in awe. In serious awe of both of you.” Lucy got up from her counter stool to hug them. “You were each speaking a different language. I didn’t understand the half of it.”