“Your best scotch, neat,” Hunter said.
“Please,” I muttered.
“What’s that?” Bruce asked as the woman moved away, leaning toward me.
“Oh.” I bit my lip before allowing a sheepish smile. “Just finishing Hunter’s sentence. You know…the social etiquette thing…” I scratched my cheek to put a barrier between Hunter’s eyes and my red face.
Bruce’s booming laugh rocketed out across the mostly empty bar area.
“My son has never had great manners,” Rodge said with laughter in his voice.
As Hunter’s expression darkened, I waved Rodge away. “Not at all. The man is a first-grade gentleman in most things. He’s the only man who’s ever stood when I got up, or pulled my chair out and waited until I sat. That’s old school, right there. He’s just used to giving orders.” I leaned back as the waitress came back with drinks. “Just have to get used to it. Everyone has their quirks.”
“That is true.” Bruce took his beer from the waitress. She put the rest of the drinks on the table and wandered away.
“So how have you found the lectures so far?” Bruce asked Hunter.
Hunter reached for his scotch unhurriedly. “For a beginner, perhaps they have some value. But I find some of the theories rather limiting.”
“You haven’t learned anything, then?” Rodge asked with a straight face. His eyes glimmered as he swirled his whisky lazily. The ice cube clinked off the sides of the glass as it swam around. He hid the tension with his son surprisingly easily.
Hunter’s jaw tightened. Clearly he found hiding the tension more difficult. “No, and I doubt you did either. Hopefully the topics will prove more interesting tomorrow. You were smart for missing a few, Bruce.” Hunter took a sip and put his glass back on the table.
“Yes. I got to work on my hobby without my wife nagging that I need to get out of my office.” Bruce nodded at me. “Did you update?”
“Yeah. But, honestly, I didn’t see any difference.”
“It was more the early levels. You’re almost finished with the game. Smart girl.”
Rodge leaned forward with just the trace of a smile, his eyes taking on that predatory quality again. Clearly he didn’t like being left out of a conversation. I had no doubt he’d try to interrupt as soon as he could. People like him weren’t happy unless they were dominating the conversation. If they weren’t talking at you, they were talking over you.
Polite me would’ve tried to include everyone, but this was business. I needed to keep Bruce’s focus. Besides, Rodge sucked. I loved having an excuse to verbally spit in his eye.
“I told you, I need to shut off from time to time,” I said to Bruce. “And I can program, too. I can see how you set the game up, to some extent. I’ve learned your rules, so now it’s just a matter of exploiting them.”
“You cheat!” Bruce pointed at me with a beaming smile.
“I analyze,” I corrected.
“She’d be great in business,” Rodge said, leaning closer to Bruce. “If only I’d found her first.”
Bruce didn’t acknowledge him. His eyes had taken on that focused gaze that meant he was thinking about his hobby. “You’re right in the middle of my age demographic. I would love your insight on a new game I’m designing. Especially because, right now, it’s geared more toward men. My daughter hates it. Maybe you can help me with content, and then proof the bugs that always crop up…”
“Oh, that’s right—she’s in computers, correct, Olivia?” Rodge asked. He tried to catch my eye. “You went to Stanford, didn’t you?”
With some effort, I ignored the direct question. I didn’t even glance in Rodge’s direction. Focusing solely on Bruce, I said, “Yeah, sure, if you want. I don’t have oodles of time, but I should definitely get a hobby. It would be nice to use my education.”
“Stanford, huh?” Bruce nodded, a gleam to his eyes. “Yes. This could work.”
“What I have for you tomorrow can wait, Livy,” Hunter said in a non-concerned tone. “You’ll have plenty of time to speak with Bruce.”
“That’d be fun to sit in on,” Rodge tried again, leaning way forward in his chair.
In contrast, Hunter leaned way back, crossing his ankle over his knee. Utterly relaxed. He was letting me lead.
Bruce snatched his phone off the table and started pecking at the screen. “I have a couple-hour stretch.” He glanced at me in excitement, like a kid discussing building a tree house. “Give me your room number and I’ll call you tomorrow.”