Still Time!

There is still time to donate for breast cancer research and receive the Shades of Pink II anthology as our thank you! Here's a taste of my story, "Pure Rose."

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“So are we on for Friday?”

“I am.”

“Me, too.”

“I thought your office had that party on Friday night.”

Rose grimaced as Devilmaycare’s question distracted her from the fight on the screen, her thumbs flying over the controller to keep from dropping the gold she’d just won as the two-headed troll pulled a scythe out of nowhere and began hacking at her arms. “I told you, I’m not going.”

“Duck!”

“If I wasted that forget spell just to have you drop the gold—”

“You didn’t waste it!” Rose snapped. “I’ve got this!” Or she would, anyway, if everyone would just stop chirping in her ear so she could concentrate. These days, she only got two nights a week to get online and beat the crap out of things. It was supposed to be escapist and fun, not another bitch session for pointing out everything that was inadequate with Rose Meszaros. She would’ve been done with this battle already if it wasn’t for Devilmaycare distracting her. For that matter, why were they already discussing their next game date when the fight wasn’t even over yet?

At least they had the good sense to stay quiet while she switched out her pata for a battle axe. The ornamental sword was prettier and more precise, but right now she was more interested in as much immediate carnage as possible.

Cheers went up through the connection when one of the troll’s heads went flying. The second was off before the idiotic monster even had the chance to notice the first was gone.

“That’s how you do it,” Devilmaycare commented, noticeable admiration in his tone.

“Took her long enough,” Raygunnz sniped.

“I saved your damn gold, didn’t I?” Rose collapsed back onto her couch, the adrenaline seeping from her muscles now that the worst threat was gone. “Who let that troll through, anyway?”

“I think it was hiding in the armory,” LeanGen said. “So about Friday—”

“Why aren’t you going to the party?”

Rose sighed. This was the last thing she wanted to talk about, but Devilmaycare wouldn’t let it go until she gave him a reason to. “It’s Grease-themed.”

“So?”

“So? Costumes are required.”

“Dude, I’d love to go to a party like that,” LeanGen said. “Sandy was hot.”

Raygunnz snorted. “Rizzo was the hot one, idiot.”

“Rizzo was the easy one.”

“That doesn’t mean she wasn’t the hot one, too.”

“Just because Rizzo wasn’t afraid of taking what she wanted doesn’t mean she was easy,” Devilmaycare chimed in.

“It was in the fifties.”

“Why are we analyzing Grease characters instead of talking about Friday?” Rose said.

“Because you haven’t said what’s so bad about going to the party yet,” came Devilmaycare’s smooth response. “You love cosplay.”

“In the right environment.”

“What’s wrong about work?”

Before she could reply, distant shouts came through the online connection. “Hey, I gotta go,” LeanGen said. “My roommates are home. Someone send me a message about Friday, will you?”

He disappeared, as did his elf avatar on her TV screen.

“Looks like game over.” The cleric that Raygunnz played slipped his orb into his robe pocket. “Don’t forget to put the gold in the vault.”

With that, he was gone, too, leaving Rose alone with Devilmaycare.