Simulated Love (2024)

Chapter 20

Chase

I loved my new part time job.

I didn't expect to have so much fun teaching and what made it better was that I had a diverse class.

There were office workers, retirees, and young dreamers, all seeking to unlock the language that held the keys to opportunity.

We practiced pronunciation, conjugated verbs, and laughed over idioms. They asked about New York, the bright lights, the yellow cabs, the snow.

As I shared my stories, I saw longing, ambition, and the hunger for a life across the seas.

After the last class, I stepped out into the humid evening. The sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in hues of orange and pink.

It felt good to have had a second job. It was no New York, but it was enough.

Enough to pay the bills, to send money back home, and to save for my dreams.

I walked through the busy streets, the scent of street food blowing through the air. The neon signs flickered, massage parlors, food stalls, and karaoke bars. I'd traded New York's pizza for pad thai, Broadway shows for traditional dance performances. And yet, there was a contentment, a simplicity that I'd never felt before.

My apartment was small, but it was mine. The little fan in my room gave me just enough to air to not die from heat.

I checked my phone for a message from Elijah, but it was too early in the morning for him. I sighed as I lay on my back.

I stared up at my ceiling thinking about Elijah. I missed him so much.

Long distance was no joke. Being hours apart. It was like we could never talk. I just had one more week left and I could see him again.

I had to hang in there for a week.

Just a week.

But why did it feel like a month?

~

The lights flickered as I stepped into the office.

"Surprise!" they chorused. Streamers hung from the ceiling, balloons bobbed near my desk, and a cake with "Congratulations, Chase!" written in frosting sat in the center. I was speechless and a little teary-eyed.

Ink clapped me on the back. "You did it, kid. The game was great. I played the prototype this morning. I was really impressed," Ink said.

Fae handed me a party hat. "Mork and I wanted to wait to play the game until you got here."

Mork sipped his soda. "Yeah. Let's see what vomiting inducing romance game you created."

Knowing Mork, that was the highest standard of a good romance. The more it made him want to vomit, the better it was.

Fae sat at her computer and pulled up the game on my computer, my heart racing.

The screen came to life, and there it was, the world we'd created together. Characters flirted, hearts fluttered, and love bloomed across the pixelated world I created. That me and Elijah created.

That game was more than code; it was our shared dreams, our overnight debates, and our shared joy.

It was fun watching her play it. We were all seated around her eating cake and chips. She had chosen the friend to lover route.

"Chase, this is incredible! Elijah's writing is so good. Everything feels so natural," Fae said.

Mork grinned. "And the art? Damn, Chase. You've outdone yourself."