His head turned, his eyes locking on my outstretched hand. For a second, I thought he might actually take it.

  “Go to hell,” he replied bitterly.

  I shrugged, retracting the offer. “Suit yourself. I’m still sorry for your loss.” I turned to Matt. “Let’s go.”

  “Okay,” Matt replied. I could see the distress in his eyes. He had brought me here to relax and have some fun, and not only did it backfire, we had to leave before getting to play any of the other games.

  I clapped PrattLord on the shoulder on the way past, offering him silent support. He nodded to me, and Matt and I left Star Squadron, one of the three operators joining us to make sure we left.

  “That was some punch,” the guy said once we had left the play area. “Are you a boxer?”

  “Mixed martial arts,” Matt answered. “I have a black belt in karate and muay-thai. I’ve been studying since I was six.”

  “That wasn’t a martial arts move.”

  “Sometimes the best approach is the most basic.”

  “And effective,” the man said, smiling. “I’ve never seen anyone lash out like he did before. He’s not going to like being banned from the arcade.”

  “It’s probably the best thing for him right now,” I said.

  “Are you sure you’re alright?”

  “I’ll have a couple of bruises in the morning, but they’ll heal.”

  “Do you do MMA too?”

  “Me? No. Matt’s taught me a few moves, but I prefer less physical hobbies.”

  “Me too,” the guy said, patting his rounded stomach.

  We made it back to the entrance. Levi looked up when we arrived, surprised to see us on the way out.

  “Leaving already?” she asked.

  “Not entirely by choice,” I answered.

  Her surprised expression was too cute. “What happened?”

  “It wasn’t their fault,” the operator said, shaking his head. “Some idiot got rough with him because they beat him at Star Squadron. They agreed to leave quietly to help avoid any other disturbances.”

  Levi flashed me a concerned look. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, I’m fine. I appreciate you asking though.”

  She reached into her pocket to retrieve her phone and held it out to me. “Don’t forget to leave me your number.”

  I smiled at her while my gut clenched. I had been out with other women before, but Levi was the first who had shown such an immediate, open interest. It made me feel special. Handsome. Interesting.

  The timing sucked.

  I quickly entered my name and number into her phone and passed it back.

  “Thanks,” she said, smiling as she accepted her phone. She ignored her customer to tap on it, and a moment later my phone buzzed with her first text.

  “Got it,” I replied.

  Matt and I left VR Awesome!, making our way to his car. No policeman. No ticket. We climbed in, and I dropped my head against the headrest, exhaling a big sigh.

  “I’m so sorry about all of this,” Matt said, starting the engine.

  “You don’t have anything to be sorry about,” I replied. “Just my bad luck, I guess. I feel like I really pissed someone off Upstairs, and I don’t know how.”

  “They say bad things always come in threes. You’re due for a win streak now.”

  I laughed, wincing and clutching at my ribs as pain lanced through them. “Well, it can’t get much worse. First I find out I’m dying. Then Levi practically asks me out on a date. Then I get into a physical fight playing a VR sim?” I shook my head. “I think maybe I should win the lotto or something.” I pulled out my phone, glancing at the notification of Levi’s message.

  Dinner Saturday @ 8? 12 Sycamore Street.

  “Okay, she actually did ask me out,” I corrected. “How do I say no?”

  “Don’t say no.”

  “I can’t go out with her.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because I’m dying. I don’t want to meet someone and fall in love and all that just to croak in the end like some lame Hallmark channel romance.”

  Matt backed out of the spot and drove slowly through the parking lot. “You aren’t dead yet. You should live as much as you can while you can.”

  “That wouldn’t be fair to her.”

  He shrugged. “Just think about it. Maybe you’ll change your mind.”

  “Okay, but what do I say in the meantime? I can’t just ignore her.”

  “Tell her you’re busy Saturday. That you have a gig. Some other time.”

  I stared at the notification. I couldn’t bring myself to do that either so I turned off the phone and shoved it back in my pocket.

  “Ah, the coward’s way out. That’ll help.”

  “Shut up. I’ll text her after I’ve had a beer or two.”

  “Sure you will.”

  “Are we going to McRory’s?” I asked.

  “Yes, sir, we are,” he replied. “Hungry?”

  “Yeah. Starving.”

  “I wasn’t on Green team comms, but Bloodstain was a total douche, wasn’t he?” Matt said, making conversation as we drove.

  “He was,” I agreed. “Especially when he wouldn’t take my hand after you knocked him on his ass. I kind of feel bad for him. He’s going to get himself into worse trouble if he keeps taking out his anger about his mother like that.”

  “Happens all the time.”

  My phone vibrated in my pocket.

  “Shit, she’s probably wondering why I didn’t answer yet,” I said.

  “If she’s that aggressive, you don’t want her,” Matt said. “It’s probably your Mom checking up on you.”

  “As annoying as that is, I hope so.” I lifted my phone and turned on the screen, looking at the new notification. “Not Mom. It isn’t even a number in my contact list.”

  “Spam? What does it say?”

  I read the message out loud. “Starshipforsale.com. The adventure of a lifetime awaits!”

  Matt laughed. “Yeah, like that’s not totally a scam.”

  “Of course it’s a scam.” Still, I continued staring at the message. I hadn’t gotten a spam text in weeks. Why now? It had to be a coincidence. Didn’t it?

  “It’s a scam, why are you still looking at it?”

  I glanced over at him. “I don’t know. I think I’m going to click on the link.”

  “It’ll take you to some porn site or something and they’ll steal your identity or put malware on your phone. Why would you do that?”

  “Maybe because I never would before today,” I answered. “Maybe because I shouldn’t.”

  “That doesn’t make any sense.”

  “Doesn’t it?” I asked. “Maybe because it doesn’t matter anymore if someone steals my identity or messes up my phone. At least I’ll have an excuse for not answering Levi’s text.” I opened the messaging app to get to the full message with the hyperlink.

  “Ben, I don’t think you should—”

  “Too late,” I interjected, tapping the link. The action opened a web browser, which loaded the web site in question. As the page rendered, my mouth began to gape. “What the…?”

  Chapter Ten

  I stared at the website as Matt craned his neck, trying to get a look. The page appeared as though it had been designed back in the early days of the Internet, with an ugly space background and bold, gold comic-sans lettering across the top.

  STARSHIP FOR SALE!!!!

  A big block of white text, hard to read against the background followed.

  FOR SALE:

  One moderately used, fully-functional starship. Originally designed for use in the film Space Aces Need Love Too, this starship is both one of a kind and an important piece of movie-making lore.

  SO WHY ARE WE SELLING IT?

  Unfortunately, storage fees have become prohibitive. As it’s a starship, it requires a moderate amount of both square footage and secrecy to keep it safe. Rather than dumping the spacecraft into the ocean to dispose of it, we’d like to sell it to someone who will get full use out of everything the ship has to offer.

  IS THAT PERSON YOU?

  There’s no way for us to know. But maybe you already do.

  BUT WAIT… HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

  Price is negotiable. If you don’t plan to take the starship into space, you’ll also be responsible for paying all storage fees from the time of purchase. Plus tax.

  INTERESTED?

  If you’re interested in owning this unique item, please reply directly to the message you received regarding this offer.

  THE ADVENTURE OF A LIFETIME AWAITS!!!

  I read the whole thing out loud to Matt, who was laughing loudly by the time I finished.

  “Total scam,” he said. “I can’t believe you clicked that link. The only real starships come from NASA, SpaceX, and Blue Origin. And there’s no way anybody made a spaceship for a Skinemax B-movie, functional or not.” He glanced over at me. “It’s probably installing malware as we speak, because nobody is dumb enough to believe any part of that ad is real. They didn’t even include a picture of the ship.”

  “I don’t believe it’s real,” I replied. “But the entertainment factor was worth the click, even if my identity is being stolen while we laugh about it.” I looked at the screen one more time before closing the web browser. The whole thing was clearly bullshit, but still, I couldn’t help fantasizing about what it might be like if it were serious. The adventure of a lifetime. Who wouldn’t want to spend the last few months of their existence gallivanting through space?

  “Just try to keep yourself in check,” Matt added. “Maybe you feel like the gloves can come off when it comes to taking risks, but just be careful you don’t go too far. Not for yourself, but for the people around you who might become collateral damage.”

  “I don’t think there was any harm in risking my own phone’s security.”

  “No? What if they get all the numbers in your contact list and have even more elaborate phishing schemes to unleash on them? Or what if they use your phone to send those texts?”

  I looked over at him, suddenly nervous about my carefree reaction to the spam text. “Do you think? Shit.”

  “In this case, probably not. It’s just something for you to think about.”

  “Yeah, you’re right. It was a dumb thing to do.”

  “I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

  I nodded. “Usually they go after devices that haven’t been kept up to date. I always have the latest patches. But I’ll be more careful. I don’t want to drag anyone else down with me.”

  Matt looked at me again, obviously concerned about my mental state. He didn’t say anything else, returning his attention to the road. I spotted the red and yellow sign for McRory’s up ahead. The place was both our best employer and favorite hangout, a bar and grill that did live music every Friday and Saturday night. They also just so happened to have the best burgers in town.

  “At least I still have my appetite,” I said. “I hope that lasts once I start hitting the meds.”

  “Me too,” Matt agreed. He pulled into the parking lot, grabbing the closest open spot. My mind jumped back to the strange text and the web site. I should have just let it go. Maybe it was my mood or the diagnosis, but I couldn’t cast it completely out of my mind. Matt got out of the car, but I stayed in the passenger seat, to open up the scam text and quickly tap out a reply.

  I’m interested. Next steps?

  I closed the app and turned off the screen before Matt reached my door, pushing it open.

  “You okay?” he asked, resting his hand on the top of the car door and staring down at me.

  “Yeah,” I replied. “Just got a little dizzy when I tried to get out.”

  “Maybe you should skip the beers and take those meds now?” Matt suggested, motioning to the glove compartment where I had stored the pills.

  “Not a chance,” I replied, hopping out of the seat to show him I was okay. My ribs still throbbed when I moved, but this time I refused to show it. “Tomorrow.”

  Matt looked less certain than he had during our first conversation about the subject. “If you insist.”

  “I do.”

  Since it was a weeknight, McRory’s wasn’t overly crowded, though they always did good business. Matt and I were on first-name basis with everyone who worked there, including the host at the front who also happened to be our drummer, Richie.

  “Hey, Mattie, Bennie,” he said, smiling when we entered. “How’s it going?”

  “Good,” I replied before Matt could even think to say anything else. “We’re both good.”

  “You sure?” Richie pushed. “You look a little ragged, like you got beat up or something.”

  All three of us were friends, but not in the same way Matt and I were friends. Bandmates rather than besties, close but not close enough that I was going to tell him anything about my visit to the doctor. He knew about the coordination issues that had kept me out of the band the last few weeks, but nothing more than that, and he didn’t care enough to dig for more. Which, it suddenly occurred to me, hadn’t surfaced at all while I had been playing Star Squadron. Either something about the experience had settled the ticks or I had been lucky enough to not suffer the random twitches during the game.

  “That’s another story,” Matt said. “But he did get beat up.”

  “What? Dude.”

  “It’s nothing,” I said. “You should see the other guy.”

  “You don’t get into fights,” Richie said. “Matt, yes. You, no.”

  “I’ll tell you all about it later. Right now, I’m so freaking hungry I can’t see straight.”

  “I hear you.” He picked up two menus from behind the counter. “Follow me.”

  McCrory’s had the look of a typical Irish pub. Dark wood, dark paint, dim lights. Being a bar, there were televisions arranged throughout. Some screens showed soccer, others football. People often told me the Shepherd’s Pie was the best in town, and I believed them, but I could never bring myself to break up with my first love.

  “Hey guys,” one of the waitresses, Melissa, said as Richie walked us to our table. “Funny to see you here on a weeknight.”

  “I need a burger,” I replied, licking my lips and swallowing to keep from drooling.

  “And a pint,” Matt said.

  “Two pints,” I added. “Whatever’s on tap.”

  “Coming right up.”

  Richie brought us to one of the smaller booths in the corner. A private spot unofficially reserved for the most favored customers. Red leather upholstery filled in the dark oak benches on either side while a gold-framed photo of the original McRory’s stared at us from the wall.

  “We’re still on for practice Saturday afternoon, right?” Richie asked Matt as we sat.

  “Absolutely,” he replied. “We’ve got the gig here at nine.”

  “Sweet.” He put his hand out, fist-bumping both of us. “Enjoy the grub, chums.”

  “See you later, bro.”

  Matt opened his menu. I didn’t bother. Even if I wasn’t desperate for a half-pound slab draped in thick aged cheddar and slathered with onion rings and barbecue sauce, I knew the whole bill of fare by heart. I just wasn’t interested in any of it.

  Melissa returned to the table, dropping off two pints of beer with enough panache that some of the suds flowed over the sides and onto the table. She quickly mopped the spill up with a towel.

  “So how are you boys doing tonight?” she asked.

  She always called us boys, even though she was only a couple of years older than us. Maybe because we had only been legal in the place for the last few months, though Junior had often served whoever wasn’t driving post-closing prior to our twenty-first birthdays.

  I had waited so long to imbibe openly and my moment of opportunity was already dwindling.

  That thought led me to another, and I pulled out my phone to check the notifications. I hadn’t felt it vibrate against my leg, but maybe I had missed something.

  “We’re good,” Matt replied, giving me a slightly annoyed look because I went right to the phone. “Ben got beat up by some teenage jock at VR Awesome!. Asshole totally ambushed him because we destroyed him in the game.”

  “Really? Ben, are you okay?”

  “Yeah, I’m fine,” I replied distantly, turning on the screen and feeling a sense of dismay that my text to the scam number had gone unreturned. Of course, I should have expected it. But something in me wanted the adventure of a lifetime so damn bad.

  “Oookay,” Melissa said. “Sorry to interrupt.”

  I put down the phone, embarrassed. “Sorry, Mel. I’m being an ass. I’m fine, really. Bruised ribs, nothing major. How are you?”

  “Loving life,” she replied. “I’ve got a date after my shift.”

  “Anyone we know?”

  “No. I met him on Tinder.”

  “Ouch,” Matt said. “Not your best idea.”

  “Thanks, Dad,” Mel said. “He’s cute. Besides, we’re having a bite right here, so nothing to worry about. But really, thank you for caring.”

  “That’s what I do.”

  Mel smiled and lifted her order tablet. “Ben, I already know what you want, unless you decided to try something different?”

  “Nope.”

  “Didn’t think so. Matt, what’s your pleasure?”

  “Shepherd’s Pie,” he replied. “Nice and crispy. And an order of potato skins, extra bacon.”

  “Sounds delish.” She finished entering the order. “You two need anything else?”

  “Not right now.”

  “Gotcha. Be back soonish.”

  She wandered off. I picked up my pint and took a drink before leaning back on the bench, not realizing how tense I had gotten until I let my muscles relax.

  “Another message from Levi?” Matt asked, wondering why I had picked up my phone so urgently.

  “No. Though I still need to do something about that.”

  “Your mom?”

  “No. I thought I felt it vibrate, but it was a phantom shiver.” I put it face-down on the table and looked up at the nearest television. “Any idea who’s playing?”