Dance For The Devil Read Online Free Page A

was usually bang on, but this didn’t feel quite right. Maybe sons were different. Skeeter wasn’t as difficult as Amy, but then Skeeter was only twelve. Give him time. Good God, he had to do this all over again in a few years? Perhaps he should pick up a self-help book on the way home. Actually, that wasn’t a bad idea...
    “Ah! An idea! I can see it swirling through your head. You’re onto something.” Gil looked delighted.
    “Just a sudden thought,” Jake said, abruptly sitting back down. “Look, we can’t be the only two people with difficult teenagers. Hell, difficult and teenager are synonymous. Everyone has trouble with their teens at some point. Maybe we can capitalize on that for a video game. Capture both points of view, the parent and the kid. On one level they’re competing against each other, but on another, they must work together to realize and appreciate their common goal... to win.”
    “I love it. A ‘ Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus’ type of angle –”
    “ With enough intrigue and challenge to capture the interest of both groups.”
    “Cross-marketing.”
    “The battleground could be the house, with loads of booby traps, of course. Mold-monsters growing underneath the teen’s bed, threatening to eat everyone, and toxic amounts of vegetables threatening to edge out junk food in the fridge.” Jake took his jacket off and slung it over his seat. “And music. When the kid scores, the music will be some obnoxious rap that kids love and parents hate –”
    “And when the adult wins a point, the music switches to classical or Barry Manilow.”
    “Exactly. The graphics will have to be ground breaking. I mean, off the charts – something we haven’t seen before. When they are in the house, I want them to feel like they are physically in the house. I want them to smell the mold.”
    “You’re brilliant,” Gil stated. “Fucking brilliant. That’s why I pay you the big bucks. But aren’t you forgetting something?”
    “ Mmm?” Jake murmured, already tuning Gil out, already wrapping his brain around the logistics and possible game plots and graphics and music, mentally sorting out potential conflicts and already troubleshooting problems. He was a million miles away, his fingers guiding the keyboard with skill and speed born of years of practice.
    “Jake?”
    “Mmmhmm.”
    “Jake!”
    “Yeah? What?”
    “As a boss, this is a horrible thing for me to say , but as your friend, I must insist. Go home! Remember? That’s where you were headed before I came in. Home, with your kids.”
    “Oh. Yeah, Jesus, right.”
    “Go home, have dinner with the kiddies, then work on it later. If the idea is sound, it won’t go away.”
    Jake shook his head. “Yeah. You’re right. Once I start, I lose track of time. Still, I hate to leave when it’s fresh.” He mentally smacked himself. So much for putting his kids first. That plan lasted for about two seconds. Jake grabbed his jacket again. “Okay, I’m outta here.”
    “Oh, wait, almost forgot why I’m here. Suzanne’s planning a barbeque for Sunday afternoon. Mostly people from the office and their families. I know it’s short notice, but you know how wives are. Get a bee in their bonnet and that’s it. Suzanne decided we should take advantage of the weather before it turns cold. Another week and we’ll be smack dab into October, and then we can kiss summer goodbye. Are you free?”
    “I think so. I’ll check with the kids and make sure they don’t have other plans.”
    “Works for me. Suzanne’ll call you with the details.”
    “Okay.”
    Gil nodded, looking absurdly pleased, like a child given his fondest wish. “That’s it, then, have a good weekend. Oh, and Jake? I’m ecstatic you’re with us at Marvelworks. You’re doing a fantastic job. I just finished previewing Cyber Sleepover and it’s terrific. Brilliant idea to expand our girl’s games. Hardly anything out there for girls... all boy’s stuff. Wonder