Simple Submission

Chapter 2-revised

He shook it bemused. "I must say that I thought the same thing about you.  I find it, interesting, that you’re the one that’s been causing me all that trouble. Payback's a bitch you know."

She took his comment in stride and watched as his avatar finally respawned. He turned back to the screen, deftly dodging several attackers before the lag bogged him down and he took another head shot.

"I've never seen you at any of the local LAN parties. There is a website where you can get alerts for them."

"My weekends are always booked, Aubrey. Though I do owe you for last night, will you be playing this evening?"

"I play almost every evening, not much else to do around my place."

"You don't go to school or have a boyfriend?"

"I tried college for about a year, English major, and just wound up getting bored in class.  You would think that professors would be more interesting than High School teachers. They weren’t.  I just didn't have any motivation to continue, couldn't really pick a path to take."

He could understand that.  He himself had dropped out of college just short of his Master's degree.  Now he was a Master of another sort.

He raised a brow waiting for her to continue but she didn’t show any sign that she was going to.  She had not responded to the question about a boyfriend but he decided to let it pass for now.

He respawned again and before he could get his fingers to the keyboard the screen went red.

“Goddamn Mutha!” he grumbled as he closed his lap top.

“Son of a bitch!” Aubrey grinned.

They both laughed and in unison cried. “Carmageddon!”

“So, are you up for a rematch tonight, Master?”

Ethan inhaled sharply. She had called him Master.  He liked the sound of it on her lips.  He knew she hadn’t meant it in the way he wanted, but it solidified his intent to have her.  Soon, she would know exactly what it meant to call him Master.

“How about we go on a date instead?” To lighten the mood a bit he said, “I’ve never gone out with a woman I could talk gaming with.” He flashed what he hoped was a disarming smile.

She immediately grew nervous and uncomfortable.  He could see how she began to fidget and shift from foot to foot.  Her cheeks began to blaze like the sun.

“Um, no…no, I really don’t think so.”

He needed to get this under control before he lost this chance.  He quickly stood and placed his hand on the side of her neck using his thumb to tilt her head up so she was looking at him.

“Come to dinner with me.  You’ll be fine,” he said his voice soft but firm with a commanding undertone, but not so much as to scare her further.

He watched as her gaze returned to the floor.“Okay.”  She breathed out.

“I’ll pick you up here at five o’clock.”

She simply nodded, her breathing slightly erratic, as he gathered up his lap top and stuffed it into his bag.

“I will see you soon, Aubrey.”

Again she just nodded, staring off in to space.  He picked up her hand and kissed the back of her knuckles and then the finger she had burned the previous day while looking into her eyes.  Then he simply walked from the building and to the parking lot. He was really confused by her reaction.  Most women would jump at the chance for a date with him.  He wasn’t being conceited, that’s just how things worked.   So why did this little chit who seemed so full of spunk, quiver in her boots at the thought of going out with him?  He had seen women shake with excitement, but not with apparent panic.