Out of the Shadows: Tilda's Brilliant Second Life
Chapter 42: Photos
Tilda swirled her wine glass slowly, propping her chin on her hand while watching the boats glide across the river. The city lights sparkled everywhere, making the whole view look unreal.
โTilda, the holidays are almost here. Want to head to Jeselton and hang out with Andy?โ
โWeโve been talking about going forever, but we never do. Next month is the winter holiday. If we donโt go now, weโll miss our chance.โ
โThat sounds perfect! I miss Andy, too.โ
โThen itโs settled. Oh, check this out!โ
Una pulled a few photos from her bag.
Tilda glanced at them. Two were photos she once uploaded to the Motrar Girl Forum under her alias "X." The other two were shots of the painting that won her the world title.
โUna, whatโs all this?โ
Una laughed. โMy whole family is obsessed with you. Knowing I was meeting you today, they dug out these photos, begging me to get your autograph.
โIt turns out my brothers are die-hard fans of X. When they found out it was you, they freaked, but theyโre too chicken to meet you. Theyโre worried theyโll embarrass themselves and leave a bad impression. Come on, youโve visited my house many times!โ
Thinking about her two brothers, who always acted tough, Una rolled her eyes hard.
Who knew her best friend could actually keep those two in check?
She couldnโt help being impressed.
โNo big deal.โ
Tilda smiled knowingly and signed her name across the photos.
Then, she pulled a USB stick from her pocket. โHere, this is for you.โ
โTilda, whatโs inside?โ
โItโs my updated game design program. Didnโt you always dream of esports and designing games? With this, youโll crush it.
โI even wrote down all the steps for you. If you get stuck, just call me. Iโll help.โ
โNo way! Tilda, youโre a genius! My good luck charm!โ
Una snatched the USB like it was gold, her eyes lighting up.
She couldnโt help herself, jumped up, and kissed Tildaโs cheek.
Tilda winked. โCareful, Una. If you fall for me, youโll regret it.โ
โUgh! Finding out youโre not a guy already broke my heart! If I were a dude, Iโd marry you in a second!โ
The more she said it, the sadder she looked.
No way!
She downed her drink in one gulp. Fueled by alcohol and heartbreak, she dashed to the karaoke stage.
Grabbing the mic, she started singing at the top of her lungs:
โYouโre getting married, but Iโm not the groomโฆ
โLetโs split with some dignityโฆ Donโt bother saying sorryโฆ
โThanks for letting me witness your loveโฆ Maybe Iโm just fated to be the guestโฆ.โ
Tilda almost smacked her forehead.
Oh my god.
Since Una increased her drinking tolerance, Tilda hadnโt seen her act that crazy for a long time.
And weirdly, when Una was drunk, her voice dropped lower and turned rougher.
She actually sounded much better singing drunk than when she was sober.
But she loved to freestyle and couldnโt hold herself back.
The crowd was loving it, shocked faces everywhere, cheering her on.
Since Una wasnโt totally wasted yet, Tilda let her burn off the energy.
Then, someone stumbled over, barely able to stand.
โMr. Preston, pull it together!โ
โGeez, how much did he drink?โ
โSomebody stop him!โ
โI tried! He smacked me so hard! My cheek is still red!โ
โWhen Mr. Prestonโs drunk, he doesnโt know his own strength. Better leave him alone for now?โ
Preston reeked of booze, his shirt half-open and his hair a mess.
Even looking wrecked, he still had that perfect geneโtall, handsome, and impossible to ignore. At over six feet, he made every girl in the bar swoon.
And he wasnโt just any random guyโhe was from the Bells.
If anyone got his attention, it didnโt matter how successful they were in Slosa. Theyโd instantly level up!
It was unusual to see Preston so bewildered and unconcerned about his image. He must have been deeply hurt.
What he needed was a woman.
Right on cue, a stunning girl in clothes way too skimpy for January sauntered over. She fluttered her fake-colored contacts, then โaccidentallyโ bumped into him, spilling her drink all over.
Preston felt the cold liquid soak his pants. He frowned but barely reacted.
โOh no! Sir, are you okay? Iโm so sorry. Iโm so clumsy. I spilled it all over your pants!
โLet me clean it up. If theyโre ruined, Iโll pay you backโฆโ
Thinking her trick was working, the woman grabbed napkins and started wiping the inside of Prestonโs thigh.