Page 43 of Play Hard

Chapter 11

Throughout Monday morning,Liam thought hard about what he should ask Robert to do for his next challenge—or rather, his final challenge, as they’d agreed their game was becoming exhausting and would be more fun as a periodical event rather than a continuous one.

Because he fancied symmetry, he sought inspiration in Robert’s initial test, when he’d asked Liam to construct a collage to express his deepest desire. It had felt awkward at first, but it had ultimately reminded Liam what was truly important.

Still he came up empty—until he went across the street to the community center for his Monday workout. As so often happened, a bit of blood flowing to the brain provided the clarity he needed. Or perhaps it was the bit of serendipity at the front desk.

Robert arrived at Liam’s flat at half past one, fresh from his meeting with the Glasgow Effect funders.

Liam greeted him at the door. “How’d it go?”

“I got a reprieve. They’ll fund me another six months.”

“Thank God.” Liam put a hand to his own chest. He hadn’t realized how anxious he’d been about Robert’s meeting until the relief had rushed in just now. “They don’t mind you redesigning it the way we talked about last night?” The two of them had stayed up until nearly four a.m., brainstorming progressively more out-of-the-box ideas.

“They couldn’t argue with the analytics. Keeping the game serious and realistic was exactly what the players didn’t like.” Robert took a glass from the dish dryer and filled it at the tap. “I brought an armful of video-game-psychology studies to support my argument. And I reminded the funders that life in Glasgow can be pretty silly, in good ways and bad. So making the quests and goals more fun doesn’t make the game any less realistic.”

“If anything, it makes it more like Glasgow itself.”

Robert nodded as he swallowed a huge gulp of water. Then he exhaled hard. “They didn’t all agree, but enough of them did for me to keep going.”

“Did they like my quest idea where you try to make it all the way up Buchanan Street while avoiding increasingly aggressive buskers?”

“That was their favorite. They especially liked the big boss bagpiper at the end.”

“Good.” Liam pressed his palms together. “And you asked about hiring help?”

“I did. They agreed to give me a wee bit more money for a couple of part-time subcontractors to ease my workload.” Robert gave a sheepish smile. “So now I can work sixty hours a week instead of eighty.”

“I’ll take it.”

“Some of the money to pay the subcontractors will come out of my pocket, but that’s only fair. I’m the one whose life’ll be easier.” Robert finally slid off his coat and slung it over the back of a kitchen chair. “Okay, I’m ready to think about something else. Have you got my final challenge?”

“Yes! You’ll never guess what it is. Never in a trillion years.”

Robert hesitated. “Then maybe just tell me?”

“Fair enough.” Swallowing his trepidation, Liam pulled from his pocket the green flyer he’d picked up at the community center.

Robert took the flyer and unfolded it. “Volunteers needed to teach computing classes.” He looked at Liam. “You want me to do that?”

“It’s been months since you’ve put in a volunteer shift there. You could teach the magical things you do.” He gestured in the direction of the community center. “It’s where you first learned all that, right?”

“It was. I’d be nowhere without those classes.” Robert folded the flyer in half and creased it hard. “But with my job, I don’t know if I’ve got time.”

“Then make time,” Liam said. “Remember when I told you that simply working less wouldn’t be enough, that you needed to replace a bit of your job with something else important?”

Robert nodded. “You said I’d get bored. You were right. I do need a new challenge.”

“And for once I wasnae talking about sex. Well, not only about sex.” Liam rubbed his neck to soothe a twinge of nervousness. “I thought teaching this class might remind you why you love what you do. And also remind you who you’re doing it for.”

Robert’s gaze rose to meet Liam’s. Then he closed the distance between them and kissed him, and kissed him, and kissed him for what was probably the longest time they’d ever kissed fully clothed.

Then Robert said, “I love you.”

“Wow. I should order you to do good deeds more often.” Liam pointed to the door. “Away and cure cancer!”

Robert laughed and drew back slightly without letting him go. “I’ve never taught anything before. What if I’m rubbish?”

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