Read Dance For The Devil for Free Online

derisive snort, “Okay, a lot of mistakes, but I am trying. I realize I work too many hours but that’s part of my job. However, you two are more important to me than any old job.” Jake hesitated. “Maybe it’s not working out here. Maybe we should move back to Toronto.”
    Silence. Finally, Skeeter shook his head. “No, I like it here. It was hard at first, b ut now I’ve made a good friend.”
    “Amy? What do you think?”
    “I think Mom should move back with us.”
    Jake paused, choosing his words carefully. “I know you’d like that, but it’s not going to happen. For better or worse, it’s just us now.”
    She began sobbing again. “I know.”
    Everyone was quiet while they digested that. Finally, Amy spoke. “I think we should stay, at least for a little while longer. Skeeter’s right, I’ve made friends, too. But it really hurt my feelings what Skeeter said about the Vandercamps.”
    “Sorry,” Skeeter mumbled. “I didn’t mean anything by it.”
    Jake took a deep breath. The situation was diffusing. He restarted the engine and eased the car back onto the road. “Maybe we need a holiday, guys, what do you think?”
    “Disneyland?”
    Jake smiled. “No, Skeeter, not now, anyway. Maybe at Christmas break. I was thinking more of a weekend thing. We could drive up island and explore Long Beach, or maybe take the ferry to Vancouver. Or, we could go the other way, to Seattle. Take in a movie, do a little shopping, check out the Space Needle. Play tourist. What do you think?”
    “Yeah!”
    “Amy?”
    She sniffed. “I wouldn’t mind shopping. I could use some new clothes, everything I have is so geeky.”
    “Okay. Great. It’s a date. Next weekend, the three of us. You guys pick the place and I’ll make the arrangements. The three amigos, off on an adventure.”
    “Dad?”
    “Yes , Amy?”
    “Promise you won’t cancel?”
    Jake met her eyes in the rear-view mirror. “I promise. Even if I break my arm, I’ll make it. Even if I break both arms, one leg and have to wear a goofy-looking neck brace, I’ll make it. I promise. In fact, even if I’m dead, I’ll still make it. You might have to drag my coffin behind you, but I’ll be there.”
    She giggled. Honest to God, thought Jake, she giggled. It was the first time he’d heard her laugh since... well, since they moved here.
    Things were looking up.
    **
    Things were looking down. On Friday, Pluto’s Playground developed a programming glitch that threatened to derail the entire game. When the testers reached level six, the orbit sometimes went out of whack and they found themselves back at level one. At the beginning. For no reason.
    Worse, because it happened only occasionally, the error would not be easy to locate. Jake had promised the boys in Marketing that the game would be ready by the end of October, ready for the Christmas season. A massive advertising campaign had teased consumers since summer and the industry buzzword hinted Pluto’s Playground would be this year’s bestseller. A true coup for Marvelworks. This little company was starting to attract notice, and to delay distribution would be extremely detrimental, possibly suicidal. To distribute a faulty game... Jake shuddered at the thought.
    Gil Vandercamp was in an uncharacteristic panic. He strode into Jake’s office unannounced and threw a copy of Pluto’s Playground onto Jake’s desk, dislodging a sheath of papers which flew off like a tickertape parade.
    “Gil. Nice entrance. I gather you’ve heard about our little problem,” Jake remarked dryly.
    “Little problem? It’s a fucking disaster!”
    “Calm down, Gil, it’s a minor disaster and we’ll fix it. It may take a few days, but we’ll fix it.”
    “We don’t have a few days! A group of Japanese executives are flying in from Tokyo on Tuesday specifically to see this product.”
    “So, don’t take them to level s ix.”
    “Ha ha. Very funny. You know as well as I do that level six is a vital selling