Page 27 of Playing Games

Good with kids

Patient

Confident around celebrity figures

Likes to tease

Self-deprecating at times

Flirtatious but funny advances that make it hard not to smile

An image of Blake stretching at the front of the group comes to mind.

Muscular thighs

I hit enter to populate another run of my AI-assisted analysis and, once again, get a result in the high nineties that Blake Boden in my life would be a good thing. So far, no inputs are moving the needle downward, and I’m starting to wonder if I’m going about this all wrong.

Maybe it’s not all about Blake. Maybe, just maybe, I need the app to run the analysis as a comparison instead. With both of our information, I could set up an algorithm for compatibility.

My phone pings in my bag, so I take a drink of my coffee with one hand and reach blindly to dig it out with the other. I’m expecting a message from my mom—she makes a habit of getting in a few messages first thing in the morning—but instead, it’s a message from Blake.

Blake Boden: Good morning, Lab Girl. Discover anything Nobel Prize-worthy yet this morning?

I scoff. Holy hell, if he only knew.

Me: Just having my morning coffee. The Nobel Prize will probably take another hour or two.

Blake Boden: Wow. Slacking today, huh? I’ve already conditioned, run drills, and jogged three miles.

Me: Am I supposed to be impressed or depressed? Because that sounds miserable.

Blake Boden: What? Not a fan of exercise?

Me: I don’t particularly like being uncomfortable. Or sweaty. So, no.

Blake Boden: Ah, well. I imagine when your brain burns as many calories as yours does, it’d be way too tiring to do anything more.

It’s an obvious attempt at coddling me, and surprisingly, I find it flattering.

Me: You’re being nice.

Blake Boden: I’m always nice.

Me: I don’t know about that.

Blake Boden: Then you don’t know me well enough yet. That means we need more time together. Let’s go get breakfast. Or lunch. Or dinner. Whatever meal you want. Hell, I’ll even settle for an after-lab snack.

Me: You’re going to see me at camp tomorrow. Isn’t that enough?

Blake Boden: Not even close. Yesterday, I barely even got to talk to you.

Me: What if I promise to talk to you more? Will that be enough, then?

Blake Boden: Doubtful.

Me: But isn’t it better than nothing?

Blake Boden: Absolutely. When it comes to you, I’ll take anything I can get.

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