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Part 5 - Balanced (cont.)

Nodding, I pulled up the page on my phone and explained, "First of all, I'm going to pay you in cash plus a slight bonus for today." She accepted the bills and tucked them safely into her bag. 

"But, here's the important part. I live very close to a pub called The Salty Lemon. Some Wednesday evenings, they have open gaming competitions. I signed you up...for this Wednesday."

It took a moment for what I'd said to register with Lina. But, once it did, her sleepiness was chucked off like a heavy coat. She bolted, bouncing and jiggling, from the chair to her feet and nearly pressed her face to my phone as I held it up.

"Omgawsh! Omaaagosh! This is real? This is totally real? This is real! I...THANK YOU SO MUCH!"

Her arms knew no boundaries in hugging me, but it was alright. She took my phone with her as she paced around the room and spoke.

"This is...oh my gawwwsh. I know this! I have a friend online who told me about this because she lives upstate and she has something similar at one of her pubs and she said some do this and I should look into mine. I wanted to but it was a busy time at work and I was gonna but I put a note somewhere and I lost it then a new game or something came out and I forgot about it. I was kinda scared too because I knew nobody around here. And it's still sorta that way. Just family and some work people and you and John but...uh... nobody close really into video games and I wanted to go but I was scared. Will you go with me, please please?"

It was the easiest nod and, "Absolutely." She hugged me rapturously again.

"Thankyouthankyouthankyou! This is so cool. My gosh, I never even thought to look at the game list and woo...little dizzy..." She wobbled but caught herself on the desk.

I gently reminded her, "Breathe..."

She giggled and took a few deep inhales before resuming. "Oh! I see all gens of Mario Kart on here. You can win free appetizers, a gift certificate, or even a free Switch. I also see Overwatch! I have an account on Battle.net. Several, actually, long story but looks like you can make one at the event. Fine with that. Also, that quirky Half-Life multiplayer game that takes place after the quadrology...quadrilogy? After the fourth one. The third mainline one is my favorite because it's so different. And they have some fighting titles. The setup would have to be huge and I hope they have plans in case of screen-cheating. And it goes all evening, till almost 2AM. If only it was on a Friday!"

Lina's face was flush like she was seriously turned on by all this. I glanced at the empty can from her bag and asked, "Do you always have such a strong reaction to energy drinks?"

She picked up the can but held my phone as far away from it as possible as she sucked off the last few dribbles and buried it deep in the nearest waste bin. Taking a long, slow breath, she remarked, "Heh, sometimes. But I have even stronger reactions to awesome gifts from amazing friends. I wanna do something for you. You're probably not a Steam user, are you?"

Shook my head there. I gathered it was an online account for games though. The main steam on my mind was Greg's naked body heat pressed up against mine as my pussy bubbled from his cock. That steam had dropped to pitiful puddle, on its way to freezing over.

She mulled, "I could help you make an account. Hmmm. Oh! What about this phone? You have things on it, right?" 

That depended on what she meant by 'things'.

Lina turned it around and asked, "What I mean is surely you have a game or two on here..."

I pushed my glasses up. "Not really. Just work stuff, family contacts and texts, some notes as I need them. Decent number of photos." Most were benign but some... were just for me. She could probably guess the rest from the kinds of pictures I'd already shared.

Furrowing her brow, Lina persisted, "Not even a movie app? I mean...most of them require a subscription but there are alternatives. I have my own bookmarks for that sort of thing. Even if it's not free, I wanna do something!"

I raised a hand and leveled my gaze through my glasses. "Lina. Don't worry about it. Please just save your money. You worked hard for it. And don't worry about me."

Lina bit at her lip. She puffed air through the gap before saying, "There must be some sort of game on here. Sorry. Not to be rude about it but I could optimize it or trick it out or something."

Persistent. I loosened my ponytail and offered, "Maybe. You're free to look at the main screen or the store. You might find something. And you may make it as fun as you like."

Leaning against the desk, she started tapping and sliding her finger across my phone. I noticed her quick, deepening frown and asked, "What is it?"

She rolled back her sleeves, exposing her bracelets, and updated, "Still looking. You keep a quite... utilitarian setup. Oh, wait. Got something. Oh, it's..uhh. There's something called 'Flex Man Buff Crunch' and it appears to be a match-three...game...with body parts."

Letting my hair hang out, I pondered a bit then nodded. "Sounds familiar. You have to put rows of manly asses, pecs, bulges, and biceps together or something?"

Lina gave me a quick look and remarked, "That appears to be...it."

I smirked. I must've gotten that when I first got my phone. I added, "As I recall, it was free. But you only get to play three times without failing or else you pay in testosterone pellets with real money or wait like an hour for your stamina to recharge. It killed time and the art was nice to look at but rather disappointing."

Cradling the phone, Lina nodded and gently set it down on the desk beside her. She took a deep breath and then clenched her fingers like she was throttling a phantom phone. 

"That is total horse plop they would do that to you! You should experience fun, not such Skinner box...licking nonsense! Games are not meant to be like this. They are not a micro-transaction mega-tease which leech into everything to remind you of their sorry, rotten egg existence! Then using a timer to put your enjoyment on the clock too. Which hurts you for failing but sets you up for it no matter how good you might be. It stacks against you until the fat stacks come out... then oh woooow you are the most awesome player with the greatest...everything in the world as it...cuddles you till it's hungry for more! And the worst thing is I kinda like these games! Especially the older ones. There is a complete-story, fantasy adventure game with this same mechanic. There are so many beautiful games that have been pushed aside or stripped of their souls by...stuff like this. Build a thing but not too fast. Have fun but not too much in a day. Foop that! I will have as much fun and joy as I want and no paid fluff-a-nutter piece, no shower of useless keys, no soulless updates will ever steal my love of games. May all such games and their unrepentant makers have...a dog's mouth breathing down their sensitive areas for the rest of their lives!" 

Lina staggered a moment but cleared her throat and softly added, "Sorry again. No slight meant at you. I just feel very..."

I chimed in, "Strongly. You have a strong heart, Lina. You're a strong person. Pretty impressive." Almost as impressive as Greg. Clearly some of the same spark.

She fidgeted and drew her head down. "It's silly though. Not like I changed anything by going off on it."

I shrugged. "Then change it. I mean, I don't know games but you do and you feel very strongly about them. That strength shows in everything you accomplished today. You looked at the tasks before you and you did them all. You made the most stressful moments for the people who came here better."

Lina withdrew and pressed her legs together. "But...gosh. It's just... I feel strong right here and in a handful of things but that doesn't mean much. I went to the Wal-Mart last week and used the self-check line and I didn't see it was twenty items only and I had thirty and the checkers got upset and I nearly broke down crying for the rest of that night. And I can drink those energy drinks but every time I have a Coke it's like a Canadian Goose is running wild through my throat and I'm sick. I'm sorry but I'm really not that strong. I'm just little Lina who peed herself when her teachers scowled..."

I turned my chair, leaned forward, and set my eyes on her. "You are not just Lina. You are so much more. You are strong. You know what you want. And you care deeply about others. Build from your strength. Don't let yourself down by what you fear." I rose and touched her shoulder. 

She eased her legs apart and straightened. "I don't...I...I'll see what I can do. I mean...I was sorta thinking that I might take out the extra DS and Gameboys getting dusty in the back of my closet and loan them out to the kids, and maybe even the older people, while they're waiting. Share some games I love, maybe help people feel better, and do something neat."

I gave her my eager approval, though I cautioned that she would be solely-responsible for them (I noticed all the pens pilfered from the waiting room). And she would have the same workload as Monday (although Tuesdays were usually quieter). She readily agreed to this, trying on a smile and flexing her feet as she announced, "And I'm gonna soft mod your phone!"

Naturally, I had to ask if she could hard mod it as well. She responded, "Umm, I really don't think you'd like me taking your phone apart." 

"You clearly don't realize how much I hate it." I punctuated my words with a death glare in its direction.

Giggling, Lina picked it up and said, "I hope I can make you like it again, at least a little, by my hand. I should be able to..." Words followed that but they were drowned out by a bitter, growling declaration from her body. Lina's stomach was as displeased as Great-Uncle Russell's whenever someone forgot a proper mealtime.

She set a hand to steady the quake and blushed. "Goodness. That was noisy. Why would?....Oh. Oh gosh. Wait. It's past seven. And the last thing was Culver's at around noon."

Yup. Not too weird for me but I was used to the hours. My body learned not to bitch at me till ten. Today had run long without the extra hands for paperwork plus Lina's nap. The sun, which had bled out its last rays, was truly set. 

Recovering my phone and clearing my work area, I announced, "You should have a nice meal to celebrate your day. I'll..."

She jumped in. "I can treat us both to a meal."

I folded my arms. "I just told you to save your earnings."

She held up the cash. "My earnings. To do what I wish with them and I wish to take my friend and mentor for a nice meal somewhere." Her stomach muttered again. "Sooner rather than later, if that's okay."

I had in mind preparing the rest of a pork tenderloin with pasta, but it would take till nine to sit down. Sighing, I acquiesced, "Fine. But tomorrow, my turn."

With a tiny poke of her tongue through her lips, she countered, "You've had too many turns. Clothes, a place to spend the night, several meals now. Let me get a few back." Her stomach made a sound which reminded me of a cat in heat. 

I tracked down an unopened and unexpired granola bar from the depths of John's drawers for Lina, who finished it in four bites. I advised her, "Your earnings but nowhere crazy."

She flashed a playful smile but nodded. 

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