Zoey Parker sighed, eyeing Gus Harper—her personal "profit curse"—in WindyPeak's Seattle conference room. Only the two of them remained.
Their gazes locked. For the first time, Zoey really saw him. During his interview, they'd rushed through the contract. Later, she'd leaned on Chloe Quinn for handoffs. Now, Gus's sunny vibe, hidden under a goofy Mickey Mouse hoodie, clashed with the sharp glint in his eyes.
Zoey cracked. "What a dad move, Gus."
He grinned, pulling out a lollipop like a magician. Her eyes lit up, but she played it cool. "Kinda childish."
"Perfect for a college kid," Gus teased, unwrapping it and popping it into her mouth.
Zoey savored the sweetness, her gloom easing. "You're disrespecting your CEO."
Gus waved it off. "Wait till I cover the dinner tab. You'll feel the love."
He tossed the wrapper into the trash with a flourish. Zoey groaned. Why do I feel like the loser here?
…
At the restaurant, plates of gourmet food piled up—Zoey was footing the bill, so no one held back. Gus, as Vampire Survivor's lead, was nudged to speak. He raised his wine glass. "To WindyPeak's rise and skyrocketing sales—"
"Cheers!" Zoey cut in, clinking glasses. Please, no more money talk.
Her phone buzzed. Victor Lang's cautious voice came through. "Ms. Parker? It's Victor."
Zoey's mood tanked. Today's cursed. Gus's update and Victor's promo had obliterated her rebate plan. She rolled her eyes. "Hey, Victor. Calling late—something up?"
"Sorry to bother," he said. "I'll call tomorrow."
"Nah, I'm at a team dinner. Spill it."
"Celebration, huh?" Victor chuckled. "Congrats on 10,000+ sales in an hour! Huge win!"
Zoey's stomach churned. Stop stabbing me. "Thanks. Business, please?"
Victor cleared his throat. "Your company's killing it at the expo, and Gus Harper's getting buzz. Our Development Festival's about shining a light on designers, so we're inviting you and Gus to our exchange event this Wednesday in Seattle. Devs, media—everyone's coming. Details are in your work email. Please join us."
Zoey yawned. Another dog-and-pony show? She'd rather binge a series. But then—competitors. Small studios, drowning in flops. She could mine their failures for rebate gold. Genius.
Her rivals would riot if they knew her plan. Still, she nodded. "Cool, we'll be there Wednesday."
Victor beamed. "Awesome! See you and Gus then!"
Zoey briefed the team. They buzzed—IndieVibe's invite was a big deal for a new studio. Market insights, networking—it'd shape their next moves.
Gus was game. The global indie scene lacked a breakout star, and he didn't mind being first. Plus, he was curious about tech trends like VR pods. Sipping shrimp bisque, he mused: Port my old games—Battlefield, Apex, maybe a horror title—into VR. Test the waters.
Zoey, sucking her lollipop, dreaded the event. More chances for Gus to ruin my losses.