Gamers’ Omega (Gimme MMMMMore #5)

Chapter 1

~October~

I cranked the volume on my speaker, grabbed my mop, and used it as an impromptu microphone as I danced around my kitchen.

What else was a man supposed to do when his favorite song started playing?

My neighbor pounded on the wall halfway through the song, but I didn’t care. He’d kept me up screaming at video games every night for a year—so he could suck it up when I decided to clean in the middle of the day. I wasn’t the one breaking the noise rules after all.

Plus, I was leaving. I was out of that shithole with its paper-thin walls and management that didn’t care about either the building or tenant violations.

I belted out the chorus at the top of my lungs. My asshole neighbor could complain all he wanted and scream all night in attempted retaliation. I would be sleeping at a motel that night and had a walkthrough with management scheduled in the morning—where I’d absolutely be pointing out that I was leaving the place cleaner than I’d received it, so they had better not try to screw me on the deposits. Then I’d be on my way to a new city.

I couldn’t wait. I’d never been to Valle Granja, but that was the point. It was an adventure. I’d go and discover for myself if it was a place that made me happy. Would I want to settle there, or would I be ready to move on again in a year?

The song changed, but it was another banger and I couldn’t be bothered to feign politeness anymore. I had long ago run out of fucks and wasn’t planning on getting any more until I landed in my new place.

A lock of brown hair escaped the bandana I’d tied around my hair and flopped into my field of vision—a reminder that I’d need a haircut before I started interviewing for a job. I stopped long enough to tuck it away, then started singing louder when the neighbor pounded on the wall again.

“Payback’s a bitch!” I sang to the tempo of the chorus. “Especially when you’re a piece of shit.”

I started mapping out my vacuuming path in my head. How could I move so that he didn’t get a break for more than a few minutes? Plus I’d have to move the furniture around so there were no stray dust bunnies. Oh yes, I could make plenty of appropriate noise all day.

Was I being a vindictive asshole? Probably. But he’d earned it by keeping me up almost every night the past year.

Besides, I still had to clean. It wasn’t my fault that he slept during the day.

∞∞∞

I’d been in Valle Granja for three days, and it was beautiful—though I felt like my skin was practically drinking lotion. The leaves had all turned various shades of red, yellow, and orange for the fall, and there was a crispness to the air.

Things had gone good so far. The furnished apartment I’d rented was exactly as advertised, which wasn’t always the case. It was clean and the area was nice. The job opportunities were plentiful with tons of restaurants advertising server positions.

It was only a matter of time until I found a job, which meant that I needed to take the time to explore while I had it.

“How many?” asked the woman at the ticket counter.

“Just one.”

“Fifteen dollars.”

I handed over cash and accepted the ticket she slid across the counter.

“The next tram departs in ten minutes,” she stated. “You can wait on the platform, or browse the gift shop.”

“Thank you,” I replied as I considered my options. I moved aside so she could help the people behind me, and finally decided to wait on the platform.

I walked to the edge and my gaze traveled up the cable until I could no longer distinguish it from its surroundings. It was a good thing I wasn’t scared of heights—since I was about to go up the side of a mountain in a tin can dangling hundreds of feet in the air. The view from the top would be worth it though.

The carriage descended along the cable until I could see people inside, then it stopped at the platform and the doors opened.

Excited schoolchildren exited, chattering about how high they’d been and how cold it was at the top of the mountain. Harried-looking parents followed, then a teacher called for them all to assemble in the lobby for a headcount before heading to their busses.

There was a pause, then the operator stuck his head out and announced that we could board. I allowed an elderly couple to go ahead of me, then stepped inside.

The carriage swayed slightly, even in its berth. I looked around and decided to take a seat against one of the windows. A few minutes later, the doors closed and the operator started guiding us up the mountain.

The scenery was stunning. Trees lined crevasses in the mountainside, craggy rocks jutted from places where time had eroded soil away. Birds swooped below the tram, hunting, foraging, and tending to their domain.

I turned and saw Valle Granja spread out like a blanket across the land. Roads and houses shrank to a soft silhouette with the downtown buildings sticking up like something had pierced the Earth from below.

I really had chosen someplace special to live.

The ride lasted for about ten minutes, then we berthed at the mountaintop platform. I exited to the small reception area and browsed some of the information boards before going outside.

The view was even more stunning from the top of the mountain. The river that gave the valley its fertile soil cut through the center of the city with farms to the north and south.

Then I noticed how crisp and cool the air was, harsh with the tinge of approaching winter. It made me glad that I’d thought to bring a jacket, even though the temperature below was still comfortable enough to go without.

I walked along the viewing platform, taking in the beauty, then I turned and looked down the back side of the mountain, where ski runs crisscrossed between the trees. A drier valley led to smaller towns and subdivisions.

My mind wandered. How much of the area would I be able to explore in a year? Would I want to stay longer, or would I move on again once my lease was up? A part of me couldn’t imagine leaving such a beautiful place, but I’d felt that way before.

I frowned. Had I left places, or had I left people? When I thought of those beautiful locales that had stolen my heart in the past, there had always been a sense of loss when I’d left. But the memories were tarnished by the greed of men who didn’t understand me.

Should I have stayed? Maybe. But why tie myself to a place with bad memories when there were so many gorgeous new places with nothing to darken the beauty?

I shook my head and made my way back inside the reception area for the tram. There was a small lunch counter, and though I knew it was going to be overpriced, I couldn’t help myself. I might ride up again, or I might not. It could be my one chance to eat at the top of that mountain, and I wasn’t going to miss it.

Soon I had a burrito in one hand and a bottle of soda in the other. I found a nice table outside along the overlook and sat.

What would I find in Valle Granja? What was there that would make my heart sing? Was love in the cards—would I find the man who could help me finally put down roots?

Only time would tell.

I finished eating and was just crumpling the wrapper when my phone rang.

“Hello?” I answered, hoping the wind wasn’t too bad for the other person to hear.

“Eric Newsom?”

“That’s me.”

“Great! My name is Owen, and I’m the manager at Slice of Heaven. You put in an application for a daytime server position?”

I sat up straighter. “Yes?”

“I was wondering if I could schedule you for an interview sometime in the next couple of days.”

“Absolutely.”

“Great! Is there a good time in the afternoon?”

“My schedule is fairly open since I just moved here, so whatever works.”

“How about tomorrow at three?”

“Tomorrow at three? I can do that.”

“Great I’ll see you then.”

“See you then.”

I did a little happy dance after I hung up. It was a good sign to be called so quickly for an interview. It meant that the universe was telling me that I was where I was supposed to be.

I made a note on my phone about the interview and restaurant name so that I could find the address. Then I made my way back inside and to the platform.

Things were definitely on a good track.

∞∞∞

I checked my uniform. White shirt, black trousers. Both were clean and professional-looking. I ran a hand through my freshly cut brown hair and grinned.

My first day at a new job, and I could already feel that it was going to be amazing. The manager, Owen, was a pretty likable guy from the interview, and he’d taken me around for a brief tour when he’d offered me the position.

You got a vibe as a server from how the others carried themselves. Were they looking over their shoulder constantly, or did they banter?

The banter level at Slice of Heaven was off the charts. Work got done, but everybody was smiling, and I could tell that it came from the top. People weren’t afraid to go to management with questions or issues, because they knew the boss had their back.

It was just the kind of place that made for dedicated employees, and return customers who actually mattered.

Sure, there would be the occasional entitled crazy, but diners recognized when the vibe was good, and they rewarded such restaurants.

Maybe I’d make some friends and be able to settle in quickly.

One last check, then I was off for my first day of training.

It was going to be a good day.