The first challenge was set to start in less than ten minutes, but he hadn’t seen Charlie since their run-in in the lobby. He worried that his presence might’ve scared her off. That hadn’t been his intention. He’d just wanted to hear her voice. Plus, he didn’t want the shock of seeing him to throw her off her game tonight. Eight fifty-five. Most of the seats were filled. About fifty people sat in the stuffy room and he could count on one hand how many were female. Just as the moderator grabbed the door to shut it, Charlie squeezed past, flashing her invitation, and took the seat nearest the door. She wore an oversized army jacket and a baseball cap low on her face. He had a sick feeling about her reasons for the semi-disguise. She quickly set up her laptop and pulled an energy drink from her bag. Most players had similar drinks at their stations. It was a staple of the community. The directions were read for the first challenge. Jonah tuned them out. He didn’t need to know what the goal was as much as he needed to watch how the players approached the task.
