Taboo Online

Chapter 5: The Gift

"Mine? Miss Lauren, you didn’t have to..." Luke stared at the second black package. "These things must have been expensive."

Lauren had expected that exact question all afternoon and already had an answer ready.

"I got a discount for buying two," she said, smoothing the front of her apron. It was technically true, even if the discount had not been large enough to justify purchasing an extra system. "Besides, you shouldn’t refuse a gift, Luke. It’s only been two days, but I can already see how much help you are around here."

His gaze moved between her and the sleek black box. Large silver letters stretched across its surface, and even the packaging looked more expensive than anything he had ever owned.

"I still don’t know if I should accept something like this."

"Then consider it part of our arrangement. You help me with the café, and I give you somewhere to stay. Every now and then, I might even buy you something nice."

"That still sounds like you’re doing a lot more for me than I’m doing for you."

Lauren rested a hand on his shoulder and gently turned him toward the remaining delivery crates.

"In that case, you can repay me by getting back to work before the milk spoils."

Luke looked over his shoulder. "You’re not going to let me argue about this, are you?"

"No."

A small smile appeared on his face. "Yeah, okay."

Once he disappeared into the storage room with another crate, Lauren released the breath she had been holding.

Her explanation seemed to work, though Luke still looked uncomfortable accepting something so expensive.

He had never had many opportunities to play video games. Most of his childhood had been spent learning how to take care of himself without attracting attention. His father had never bothered to buy him a computer or even a decent phone, while his stepmother made sure her own sons received the newest devices whenever they asked.

Sometimes, Luke watched them play from the hallway. They shouted at one another through expensive headsets, complained whenever a game took too long to download, and abandoned titles that had cost more than Luke received over several birthdays combined.

Whenever he showed any interest, his stepmother reminded him that the games belonged to her sons. His father never disagreed, so eventually, Luke stopped watching.

Now he owned an immersive virtual reality system, and Lauren apparently wanted to play with him. frёeweɓηovel.coɱ

The idea made him more nervous than excited. freewebnøvel.com

He understood the obvious parts of fantasy games. There would be swords, magic, monsters, and heroes. Knowing that did not mean he understood how to build a useful character or cooperate with another player.

Lauren might assume he had years of experience, just like most people his age. What would she think if he chose the wrong abilities or failed to understand something basic?

I should tell her I’ve never played anything like this.

Across the café, Lauren was speaking with the delivery driver while checking the invoice. A loose strand of black hair had fallen across her cheek, and she tucked it behind her ear without looking up from the page.

Luke opened his mouth, but the words refused to come.

I can ask her later.

Rather than continue worrying about it, he returned to work.

The two black packages remained beside the counter for the rest of the afternoon. No matter how hard Luke tried to ignore them, his attention kept drifting back.

He noticed every customer who stopped to admire the silver Powerforge Online emblem. One young man even asked Lauren how she had managed to obtain two systems so soon after release.

"They’ve been sold out everywhere," the customer said. "My brother has been checking every store in the city."

Lauren gave an awkward laugh. "I suppose I was lucky."

So the systems were hard to find too, not just expensive.

Luke considered questioning her again, but three new customers entered before he had the chance. The rest of the afternoon disappeared beneath dirty dishes, supply crates, and an endless stream of small tasks.

Even while he worked, the boxes never entirely left his mind.

As evening approached, the number of customers gradually declined. Lauren turned the sign on the door from OPEN to CLOSED while Luke wiped down the final table.

The café felt different after dark. Without customers talking and dishes clattering, every sound traveled farther than usual. The refrigerators hummed behind the counter, and Luke’s cloth brushed softly across the tabletop.

Once again, his gaze wandered toward the packages.

Lauren caught him looking. "You’ve been staring at those all afternoon."

Luke quickly returned his attention to the table. "I’m making sure no one steals them."

"From inside a locked café?"

"You never know."

Smiling, Lauren began counting the register.

After rinsing the cloth, Luke helped her complete the rest of the closing routine. He swept the floor while she checked the kitchen, then they emptied the trash, turned off the display lights, and made sure the back door was locked.

It was ordinary work, but anticipation made every task seem slower than usual.

When they were finally done, Luke carried both Powerforge systems upstairs. Lauren offered to take one, but he shifted the boxes away before she could reach for either of them.

"You already bought them," he said. "The least I can do is carry them."

"You’re still recovering."

"My stomach barely hurts anymore."

"That’s exactly what you said about the delivery crates."

"And I carried those without dying."

Lauren gave him a stern look, but he was already climbing the stairs.

Inside the apartment, Luke placed the boxes carefully on the living room floor. Lauren joined him on the rug, and they spent a moment staring at the sealed packages.

"Should we open them?" he asked.

"I suppose we should make sure they sent us the right products."

Lauren tried to sound casual, but she reached for the packaging before he could respond.

They opened the boxes together.

Beneath several layers of protective material rested two enormous black headsets. Each device was larger than a motorcycle helmet, with a curved visor, adjustable straps, and thick padding around the interior.

A faint scent of new plastic and fabric escaped the boxes.

Luke reached inside and carefully lifted his headset into the light.