Chapter 2

TWO

B rianne's fingers flew across the keyboard, her blue eyes fixed on the screen as lines of code scrolled by. The soft glow of her monitor illuminated her face in the dim apartment, casting shadows that danced across her features. Her blonde hair, pulled back in a messy bun, had a few stray strands falling around her face.

"Come on, come on," she muttered, biting her lower lip as she worked through a particularly tricky bit of programming. The clock on her desk blinked 2:47 a.m., but Brianne barely noticed. Time seemed to disappear when she was deep in the world of Shadow Realms , her latest video game project.

An unexpected ping from her phone startled her out of her coding trance. Brianne blinked, her eyes adjusting as she looked away from the screen. She grabbed her phone, squinting at the bright display.

Mom: Don't forget dinner tomorrow night. 6 PM sharp. No excuses about work!

Brianne groaned, flopping back in her chair. She'd completely forgotten about the family dinner. Her mom's reminders were becoming more frequent lately, always peppered with not-so-subtle hints about her social life—or lack thereof.

She typed out a quick reply: I'll be there. Promise.

Glancing back at her computer screen, Brianne sighed. The security protocols for Shadow Realms weren't coming together as smoothly as she'd hoped. She'd have to tackle it again with fresh eyes. Saving her work, she shut down her computer and stumbled to bed, her mind still whirling with code and game mechanics.

The next evening, Brianne found herself in her parents' cozy kitchen, chopping vegetables while her mother, Martha, stirred a pot on the stove. The warm aroma of herbs and spices filled the air, making Brianne's stomach growl.

"So, honey," Martha began, and Brianne braced herself for the inevitable. "How's that new game of yours coming along?"

Brianne relaxed slightly. Work talk she could handle. "It's going great, Mom. We're calling it Shadow Realms . It's this immersive multiplayer experience where players navigate through different dimensions, solving puzzles and battling interdimensional beings."

Martha nodded, a bemused smile on her face. "That sounds... interesting, dear. I'm sure the kids will love it."

Brianne chuckled. "It's not just for kids, Mom. Our target audience is actually?—"

"And how about your social life?" Martha interrupted, her tone casual but her eyes sharp as a gamer's reflexes. "Any nice young men at work catching your eye?"

And there it was. Brianne suppressed a sigh, feeling like she'd just entered the boss level of a game she never wanted to play. "Mom, you know I'm focused on my career right now. The gaming industry is more cutthroat than a team deathmatch. I need to give it my all if I want to level up."

Martha tsked, shaking her head like a disappointed NPC. "Brianne, dear, you're not getting any younger. Don't you think it's time you started thinking about settling down? Meeting someone special? Your biological clock isn't going to pause itself, you know."

Brianne set down her knife with a dramatic clatter, turning to face her mother. She spread her arms wide, gesturing to herself. "I'm only thirty-four, Mom. There's plenty of time for all that. My eggs aren't scrambling themselves just yet. Besides, the guys I meet through work are... well, let's just say they're more interested in upgrading their gaming rigs than upgrading their relationship status."

"You can't paint them all with the same brush, sweetie," Martha argued, stirring the pot with more vigor than necessary. The wooden spoon became a weapon of mass guilt-tripping in her hands. "What about that nice boy from marketing? What was his name... Todd?"

Brianne rolled her eyes so hard, she nearly saw her own brain. "Chad, Mom. And he's about as deep as a mobile game's storyline. Last week, he spent an entire lunch break talking about his ‘epic' win in some online battle royale game. I swear, if I hear the phrase ‘I totally owned those noobs' one more time, I might go full rage-quit on life."

Martha's eyebrows furrowed. "Owned? Noobs? Brianne, are you speaking English?"

Brianne couldn't help but laugh. "Trust me, Mom, it's better you don't know. Let's just say Chad's idea of a romantic date would probably involve matching Pokémon onesies and a 12-hour gaming marathon. I'd rather try to romance a Sim, at least they have some personality programming."

Her mother looked utterly bewildered. "A... Sim?"

"Never mind." Brianne chuckled, patting her mom's arm. "The point is finding a guy in the gaming industry who's more interested in real-life relationships than virtual ones is like trying to find a rare legendary item drop. It's theoretically possible, but the odds are not in my favor."

Martha sighed, but there was a hint of a smile playing at her lips. "Well, I suppose I should be grateful you're not bringing home some character from one of your games. Though at this rate, I wouldn't be surprised if you introduced me to your virtual boyfriend."

Brianne grinned mischievously. "Don't tempt me, Mom. I could probably code a better boyfriend than half the guys I've dated. At least he'd remember my birthday without a notification reminder."

As they both dissolved into laughter, Brianne felt a wave of affection for her mother. Sure, the constant prodding about her love life was annoying, but she knew it came from a place of love. And who knew? Maybe someday she'd find a guy who could keep up with both her wit and her gaming skills. Until then, she was more than happy to keep leveling up in her career, leaving the relationship quests for another day.

Martha opened her mouth to respond, but Brianne's younger brother, Danny, chose that moment to burst into the kitchen, saving her from further interrogation.

"Is dinner ready yet? I'm starving," Danny grumbled, making a beeline for the pot on the stove. Martha swatted his hand away with a wooden spoon.

"Patience, young man," she scolded, though her eyes twinkled with amusement. "Why don't you set the table instead of trying to steal bites?"

As Danny mumbled good-naturedly and pulled plates from the cabinet, Brianne's older sister, Leann, entered the kitchen, her toddler perched on her hip.

"Something smells amazing, Mom," Leann said, inhaling deeply. She set her daughter down, who immediately toddled over to Brianne.

"Aunt Bwi!" the little girl squealed, holding up her arms. Brianne scooped her up, planting a kiss on her chubby cheek.

"Hey, there, munchkin," Brianne cooed, bouncing her niece gently. "You being good for your mommy?"

Leann snorted. "As good as a two-year-old terrorist can be. Speaking of which," she turned to Brianne with a mischievous grin, "when are you going to join the mom club, little sis?"

Brianne groaned internally. Not Leann too. "Can we please talk about something other than my nonexistent love life?" she pleaded.

"Fine, fine," Leann conceded, holding up her hands in surrender. "Tell us about this new game you're working on. Danny hasn't stopped talking about it since you mentioned it last week."

Grateful for the change of subject, Brianne launched into an explanation of Shadow Realms as the family gathered around the dinner table. She described the intricate world-building, the complex puzzle systems, and the innovative combat mechanics she'd been developing.

"It sounds incredible, Bri," Danny said, his eyes wide with excitement. "When can I play it?"

Brianne laughed. "Not for a while yet, squirt. We're still in the early stages of development. Actually," she hesitated, biting her lip, "I've hit a bit of a snag with some of the security features."

"Security features?" her father, Robert, asked, raising an eyebrow. "I thought you were making a game, not designing a bank vault."

"It's more complicated than that, Dad," Brianne explained. "With online multiplayer games, we need robust security systems to prevent cheating, protect user data, and ensure fair gameplay. The problem is I'm a game designer, not a security expert. I'm thinking I might need to bring in some outside help, but I'm not sure where to start looking."

Martha's eyes lit up. "Oh! I might have just the thing." She stood and rummaged through her purse before pulling out a sleek business card. "My friend Catherine's son runs a security firm. She was telling me all about it at our book club meeting. Here," she handed the card to Brianne, "why don't you give him a call?"

Brianne took the card, reading the name embossed in bold letters: Reid Parker, CEO, Parker Security Solutions. She frowned slightly. "I don't know, Mom. This looks like a pretty high-end firm. I doubt they'd be interested in consulting on a video game."

"You never know until you try," Martha insisted. "Catherine says Reid is very versatile. And he's a bear shifter. Maybe he can help debug your system ."

"Mom!" Brianne protested, feeling her cheeks heat.

"What?" Martha asked innocently. "I'm just saying, it might be nice to meet someone who isn't, as you put it, ‘more interested in consoles than relationships.'"

Leann chimed in, "Mom's got a point, Bri. It couldn't hurt to reach out. You might get the help you need for your game."

Brianne looked down at the card, turning it over in her hands. She had to admit, the idea was tempting. If this Reid Parker was as good as her mother claimed, he could be exactly what she needed to take Shadow Realms to the next level.

"All right," she conceded, tucking the card into her pocket. "I'll give him a call tomorrow."

"That's my girl." Martha beamed, patting Brianne's hand.

Danny, who had been silent during this exchange, suddenly piped up. "Can we please talk about something other than Brianne's love life? Some of us are trying to eat here."

The table erupted in laughter, and Brianne felt a wave of affection for her little brother. As the conversation shifted to other topics, she found her mind wandering back to the business card in her pocket. Despite her initial reluctance, she couldn't deny a flutter of excitement at the prospect of meeting this mysterious security expert.

Maybe, just maybe, this Reid Parker could be the key to unlocking the full potential of her game and maybe she'd even learn a thing or two.

Tomorrow, she'd make that call and see where it led. One step at a time.

As the evening wore on and the family moved into the living room for dessert and coffee, Brianne found herself feeling more relaxed than she had in weeks. The constant pressure of game development faded into the background, replaced by the warm comfort of family banter and shared laughter.

Danny regaled them with stories from his latest Dungeons & Dragons campaign, complete with dramatic reenactments that had them all in stitches. Leann's daughter toddled from lap to lap, basking in the attention of her doting family. Even her parents' not-so-subtle hints about her love life seemed less irritating in the glow of after-dinner contentment.

As the night drew to a close and Brianne prepared to head home, she hugged her mother tightly. "Thanks for dinner, Mom. It was great."

Martha squeezed her back. "Anytime, sweetheart. And don't forget to call that security consultant, okay?"

Brianne pulled back, rolling her eyes but smiling. "I won't forget, I promise."

On the drive back to her apartment, Brianne's mind drifted back to her work. The family dinner had been a welcome break, but now her thoughts were filled with lines of code and potential security breaches. She was itching to get back to her computer and dive back into the world she was creating.

But as she parked her car and made her way up to her apartment, Brianne found herself reaching for the business card in her pocket. She turned it over in her hands, tracing the embossed letters with her fingertip.

Reid Parker. CEO, Parker Security Solutions.

Taking a deep breath, Brianne made a decision. She'd call first thing in the morning. Whether this led to a solution for her game's security issues or not, she was ready to take the chance.

After all, in the world of game development and in life, sometimes you had to take risks to reach the next level. And Brianne Ellis was nothing if not a risk-taker.

With a smile playing on her lips, she set the card on her bedside table and settled in for the night, her dreams filled with shadowy realms and the promise of new adventures on the horizon.