Even Odds by Elia Winters

Author:Elia Winters
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pocket Star

Caleb watched Isabel eat, her head held high and her posture rigid as she talked to Matthew. So she’d decided to be a complete stranger to him, at least in public. Interesting.

“I wouldn’t bark up that tree if I were you,” said Phil, the animator sitting to Caleb’s right, his voice low enough not to carry.

“Hmm?” Caleb turned to Phil. “What do you mean?”

“Isabel’s the best at what she does, but she’s not the dating type.” Phil shoveled some potato salad into his mouth. “She might be gay. Maybe asexual. I don’t know. She’s never brought a date to any company events. It’s none of my business, but if you’re looking to make a move on her, I wouldn’t bother.”

“Ah. Thanks for the advice.” Caleb returned to his sandwich. None of this was new information; Isabel had told him she didn’t date much. Still, it was difficult to reconcile this serious, professional woman with the light-hearted Isabel he’d met at DiceCon. Best to change the subject. “So tell me about these company events. How’s PI Games to work for?”

The rest of lunch passed smoothly. Isabel left before him, having eaten her food in what must have been record time. When Caleb finished, he grabbed his tablet and made his way to the conference room, thanks to Phil’s directions.

Isabel was reviewing something on her iPad when Caleb entered. The conference room was large enough for full-staff meetings, but it was only set up for a small group at the moment, two tables pushed together where five or six people could comfortably gather. Isabel, sitting alone at one table, looked more imposing than she had at DiceCon. She wore her hair pulled back in a twist, which made her appear somewhat severe, and her posture was rigid and uptight rather than relaxed and playful like he’d seen her. Her clothing was androgynous—khaki pants and an oversized polo shirt—the outfit of someone who didn’t want her body noticed. It was hard to believe she was the same person as the playful, flirtatious woman with whom he’d had mind-blowing sex. She looked up when the door closed behind Caleb, the expression on her face neutral and bland. “Come show me what you’ve done.” She gestured to a seat on the opposite side of the table. It would have been impossible to look over his work with an ocean of table space between them, so Caleb sat down on a seat near her instead, noting how she inched fractionally farther away from him as he did so.

He should probably clear the air immediately. “Listen, I need to explain.” Caleb rested his arm on his sketch pad and turned to face Isabel, who was still watching him with the same calm expression.

“Is there something wrong with your design portfolio that you can’t just show it to me?” Isabel reached for the tablet, but Caleb picked it up and held it away from her.

“Not about the portfolio. About DiceCon.”

A flicker of emotion passed over Isabel’s face, then the mask descended again.

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