Page 8 of The Proximity Factor

“We all play in an Ultimate summer league.” Javon gave Parker a meaningful look. “Well, most of us. Parker has been MIA for a few years.”

I bit my lip, not wanting to sound like a ditz, but between the MMO whatever and the Ultimate thing, I was so confused. “Um ... what is Ultimate?”

Ethan, Pete, and Javon laughed.

“We get that a lot,” Javon said. “Ultimate Frisbee. It’s the best sport on the planet. Come to the game and see for yourself.”

Frisbee? They played Frisbee? I had no idea there was a league for the sport. “I’ll be there with bells on, and maybe some pom-poms.”

That did Parker in. He threw off his headset and stormed out, slamming the door to his bedroom.

I stood pensively, not sure what to do. It hadn’t occurred to me I would actually drive him away. I just wanted to be acknowledged. Dang it, I was supposed to be saving the world with this social experiment. “If you haven’t noticed, he hates me.” I felt like crying.

Pete took off his headset. “It’s not you.”

“He’s under a lot of pressure right now,” Javon added. “And it probably doesn’t help that you look a lot like his ex-wife.”

“Except prettier.” Ethan smiled.

“Oh. He’s divorced. I had no idea.”

“Yeah, she—Maren”—Javon spit out her name—“left him for his best friend and stole his company.”

“That’s awful.” It made me feel terrible. Not to say I excused him for being a jerk, but maybe I’d come on a little too strong.

“This game is a big deal for him,” Ethan said. “He’s trying to get back on top so he can finish paying for his sister, Daphne’s, schooling. And he helps his mom out a lot.”

Daphne was his sister, and he was paying for her tuition? And he helped his mama? I would have never guessed he could be so kind. Mama would say that’s what I get for judging people without really getting to know them first. In my defense, I had tried to get to know him, but he was very resistant. “Wow. That’s really nice. I guess I should go. You can tell him I’ll stay in my room or go out.”

“Stay for the LAN party,” Ethan was quick to say.

“Land party?” I was more confused than ever.

They all laughed.

“LAN party,” Pete articulated. “L-A-N. It stands for local area network.”

I was feeling dumber and dumber. Those words meant nothing to me. “I think I’m going to need a dictionary with all your special terms if I’m going to hang out with y’all.”

“I hope you will.” Ethan’s cheeks reddened. “It will be good for Parker. He needs someone to help bring him back to the land of the living. You might be just what the doctor ordered.”

I had a feeling Parker would think of me more like a prescription for a colonoscopy.

I PACED BACK AND FORTH across Pete’s deck like a caged animal, the sultry Saturday evening air beading sweat on my forehead. Growing up in Ohio, I was used to humidity, but Georgia was a whole new level of hellish heat. It didn’t help that my roommate was infiltrating my life, making me feel more heated. As I watched my friends at the grill and breathed in the smoky, tangy smell of the ribs, I couldn’t help but think it was only a few years ago they were on my deck at the upscale home I’d bought with Maren in the Atlanta suburbs. I’d thought I had it made. But in a matter of months, it was all gone. Any equity I’d split with Maren went right back into developing Ruptured Worlds. My savings account was almost empty. What I had left was for Daphne. If things didn’t pick up soon, I was going to have to sell my Porsche. Then I would officially feel like a failure.

“Hey, brother.” Javon slapped a hand on my back. “What’s troubling you? You’ve hardly said two words today. You didn’t even congratulate us on our win.”

I peeked in through the glass patio door at Lanie in the kitchen with Brynn and Anna, my friends’ wives, acting like she belonged. Lanie was cutting up a watermelon and laughing. She’d made quick friends with the women at the game. She had even made signs for the team—Lord of the Flings. The name was my brilliant idea ages ago, back when I captained the team. Back when my life wasn’t such a dumpster fire. Lanie even had the audacity to bring her family’s secret potato salad recipe and play with Pete’s and Javon’s kids like she was their long-lost aunt. Worse than any of that, though, was Tuesday night when she’d won over my friends by feigning interest in Ruptured Worlds. I saw right through her fake enthusiasm and her charcuterie board. Looking gorgeous while she did it, no less.

Pete laughed and turned a rack of ribs over on the grill. “Isn’t it obvious? Lanie has gotten under his skin.”

That was an understatement. She’d burrowed in and was going to burst out of my chest like a scene from Alien. “She hasn’t gotten under anything,” I grumbled out my lie.

“Is that your problem?” Ethan pushed off the deck railing. “You’d like her to get under something? Like your covers.”

I narrowed my eyes at Ethan. Ethan, who couldn’t take his eyes off my roommate. “Man, don’t say things like that. She’s only twenty-eight.” I found that out during the LAN party.

Ethan shrugged. “That’s not exactly robbing the cradle.”

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