Geek Mafia by Rick Dakan
Authors: Rick Dakan
Tags: Fiction, General, Suspense, Science-Fiction, Thrillers, Crime, Espionage, High Tech, Computer programmers, Software piracy, Video games industry
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everything out here is expensive. You just need a local guide to show you the ropes."
"Maybe you're right," said Paul. "To be honest, I've been here almost three years and I don't really know the area very well at all. Most of my time's been either at work or at home or hanging out with people from work at somebody's house."
CHAPTER 5
27
"Sounds like you need to get out more and see some of our local sights before you head back east."
"That's a pretty good idea." There was certainly no hurry to go anywhere, he thought. There damn sure wasn't anyone like Chloe waiting for him back home. Not even close.
Chloe and Paul each took a moment to dig into their food. It was spicy enough to make his eyes water, which was just the way Paul liked it, and he was pleased to see Chloe heaping even more chili sauce onto her own dish. On some level Paul thought anyone who didn't like spicy food was a wimp, and it was becoming more obvious with each passing hour that there was nothing at all wimpy about Chloe.
"But back to my question," she said after a few minutes. "What're you gonna do with all that money?"
"I told you," he said "Buy a house, live off the interest."
"Yeah, sure, but what are you going to actually do? How are you going to spend your time?"
"Oh, well, I'm not sure. I could start up a new comic book I suppose. Maybe something based on what's happened to me here."
"Do you miss making comics?" she asked.
"A ton. I really miss just being my own master and not having to sit through endless design meetings where I have to justify every decision to everyone in the company."
"You like being master of your own destiny," said Chloe. "I'm exactly the same way. I can't even hold down a straight job anymore. I just get too pissed off at dumb people telling me what to do."
"What do you do for a living then?" asked Paul, although as he asked the question he realized that he was a little scared to hear the answer.
"Oh you know, this and that. I just try to have fun." She paused and cocked her head to the side. "Come to think of it, I don't really know how I make money. Something always seems to come up though. Life's funny that way." Paul took this to mean that it was none of his business.
"But come on Paul, answer the question," she pressed. "What're you going to do with $850,000?"
"I'm pretty sure I answered that," said Paul.
"You only sort of answered it."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean," said Chloe, leaning back in her chair and pushing her empty plate away. "That your answer sucks, and I'm going to keep asking until you come up with a better one."
"What?" said Paul, "You want me to give some of it to you?"
She laughed. "No, you big goofball. I don't need your money. But this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for you. You could do something really exciting with this money. You could do almost anything, at least for a time."
"And then I'd be out of money and back where I started," he said.
CHAPTER 5
28
"Or maybe you'd be out of money and somewhere millions of miles away from where you started," she said.
"Maybe you'd do something that would change your life forever and you'd never be able to go back. Never want to."
"Haven't I committed enough felonies for one day?" he asked, jokingly.
"Shush, you!" She chided. "There's never such a thing as too many felonies - as long as they're the right felonies."
"Speaking of which," said Paul as he looked at his watch. "I think it's about time to make a withdrawal."
"Ok, pal, let's go get your booty," said Chloe, as she stood up.
"Booty?" asked Paul, his mind turning towards another kind of booty as he stood up as well.
"You know! You're ill-gotten gains. Your filthy lucre." She suddenly leapt towards him, jumping into his arms. He caught her - just barely - with an audible ooof. "C'mon! Don't you know your pirate slang, rich boy?"
He smiled widely even as he strained to hold her whole weight. Their faces were very close now - just inches apart. "Ohhhhh...Booty!" he
"Maybe you're right," said Paul. "To be honest, I've been here almost three years and I don't really know the area very well at all. Most of my time's been either at work or at home or hanging out with people from work at somebody's house."
CHAPTER 5
27
"Sounds like you need to get out more and see some of our local sights before you head back east."
"That's a pretty good idea." There was certainly no hurry to go anywhere, he thought. There damn sure wasn't anyone like Chloe waiting for him back home. Not even close.
Chloe and Paul each took a moment to dig into their food. It was spicy enough to make his eyes water, which was just the way Paul liked it, and he was pleased to see Chloe heaping even more chili sauce onto her own dish. On some level Paul thought anyone who didn't like spicy food was a wimp, and it was becoming more obvious with each passing hour that there was nothing at all wimpy about Chloe.
"But back to my question," she said after a few minutes. "What're you gonna do with all that money?"
"I told you," he said "Buy a house, live off the interest."
"Yeah, sure, but what are you going to actually do? How are you going to spend your time?"
"Oh, well, I'm not sure. I could start up a new comic book I suppose. Maybe something based on what's happened to me here."
"Do you miss making comics?" she asked.
"A ton. I really miss just being my own master and not having to sit through endless design meetings where I have to justify every decision to everyone in the company."
"You like being master of your own destiny," said Chloe. "I'm exactly the same way. I can't even hold down a straight job anymore. I just get too pissed off at dumb people telling me what to do."
"What do you do for a living then?" asked Paul, although as he asked the question he realized that he was a little scared to hear the answer.
"Oh you know, this and that. I just try to have fun." She paused and cocked her head to the side. "Come to think of it, I don't really know how I make money. Something always seems to come up though. Life's funny that way." Paul took this to mean that it was none of his business.
"But come on Paul, answer the question," she pressed. "What're you going to do with $850,000?"
"I'm pretty sure I answered that," said Paul.
"You only sort of answered it."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean," said Chloe, leaning back in her chair and pushing her empty plate away. "That your answer sucks, and I'm going to keep asking until you come up with a better one."
"What?" said Paul, "You want me to give some of it to you?"
She laughed. "No, you big goofball. I don't need your money. But this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for you. You could do something really exciting with this money. You could do almost anything, at least for a time."
"And then I'd be out of money and back where I started," he said.
CHAPTER 5
28
"Or maybe you'd be out of money and somewhere millions of miles away from where you started," she said.
"Maybe you'd do something that would change your life forever and you'd never be able to go back. Never want to."
"Haven't I committed enough felonies for one day?" he asked, jokingly.
"Shush, you!" She chided. "There's never such a thing as too many felonies - as long as they're the right felonies."
"Speaking of which," said Paul as he looked at his watch. "I think it's about time to make a withdrawal."
"Ok, pal, let's go get your booty," said Chloe, as she stood up.
"Booty?" asked Paul, his mind turning towards another kind of booty as he stood up as well.
"You know! You're ill-gotten gains. Your filthy lucre." She suddenly leapt towards him, jumping into his arms. He caught her - just barely - with an audible ooof. "C'mon! Don't you know your pirate slang, rich boy?"
He smiled widely even as he strained to hold her whole weight. Their faces were very close now - just inches apart. "Ohhhhh...Booty!" he
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