Page 18 of Opening Strain

Seeing as all I need to do is unpack and ice my throbbing leg, I can be ready in forty-five minutes. “Perfect.”

The couple drives away, and I fumble lugging my bags into the bedroom. Although I want to sit and take a breather, I decide unpacking is the better choice. Get it done, earn the ice pack. When I’m sitting on the plush sectional facing a big screen television hung above a modern fireplace, I put ice on my throbbing thigh. Guess I pushed a bit too hard.

“Get used to it. I’m going to rehab hard so everything can move forward without a hiccup.” My thigh protests my resolution but I don’t care. I deserve the pain for doing something so stupid.

The doorbell rings and I check the app to confirm it’s King. Because I still have ten more minutes on my ice pack, I press the “talk” button and tell him to come on in. A minute later, he strolls into the living room. “Guess you’re not worried about security?”

I shake my head. “Nah. I slipped out of the City and no one knows I’m here.”

“Yet.” King sits on the sectional a couple of cushions away. “Believe me, the paparazzi will find you. Since it’s off-season here, they may be more rabid than ever to get a scoop.”

My gaze drifts to the tray ceiling. “Great. All I want to do is recover in peace.”

“I think if you keep a low profile, most of the full-time residents won’t bother you.” I pull the ice away from my leg and he takes it to the kitchen for me. “Maybe wear a disguise. It helps Dad sometimes.”

“How about I use a cane? No one will recognize me then.”

We both chuckle. King puts his hand on my shoulder. “C’mon, Charlie Chaplin. Let’s go to a nearby restaurant, less than a ten-minute walk. Should I drive?”

“If we go slow, I can walk. The exercise should help me.” I lock the door, and we lumber toward the restaurant. We stop in front of a store boasting the largest selection of arcade games in the world. Pinball machines, Pac-Man, Donkey Kong and more are on display. My gaze lights on my favorite.

Embarrassed but needing a break, I pant, “Can we check out this store?”

King notes, “This place is the bomb. If they don’t have something you want, they’ll get it for you.”

I’ve been wanting to get an Asteroids Deluxe forever. Without a home to store it, though, my pipedream dissipates. “Can you play them in addition to purchasing?”

“Don’t you know it.”

I lick my lips. If I can’t buy one, I can still play it here. Realizing the throbbing has died down, I motion to keep going, thrilled when I’m sitting in the restaurant.

“Which game?”

Unsure what King means, I ask, “You mean in the arcade store?” When he nods in the affirmative, I admit, “Asteroids Deluxe.”

He sits taller. “I’m more of a Pac-Man guy myself. I hold the high record in there for that one. Although, I’d be open to learning a new skill.”

We spend the next half-hour bonding over arcade games, discussing the role he played on TV as well as his love for real estate. I deposit the cherry from my Manhattan onto the table. “So you’re not tempted to return to the small screen?”

“Nah. Angie and I make appearances on the show from time to time, but we have new agents whom the cameras follow. Angie and Ihave two daughters now, and we don’t need the intrusion, you know?”

“Cameras sure can be. Although with the movie, we learned how to keep them at bay.”

“We haven’t had a chance to see your film yet, but it’s gotten amazing buzz. UC seems to be back on top.”

“Thanks. We’re happy to be making music again. The movie Quinn Walker made is the bomb, if I do say so myself.”

He raps his bourbon on the table. “A healthy ego must come with being a rock star. Dad and Trent both are never in short supply either.”

I retort, “I don’t think a reality TV actor is missing out.”

“Touché.”

Instead of our server, a woman appears at our table. She has glossy pink lips, long brown hair and eyes that match. She’s wearing a skintight dress that doesn’t leave anything to the imagination. Not that I blame her—her bod’s rockin’.

“Hey, King,” she sidles up to him. “How’s the real estate biz treating you?”

His features tighten. “Great, Michelle. Been keeping us busy.”

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