When Jeremy arrived at the entrance of Tempest Studios the following day, he was both nervous and excited. Laura’s suggestions had given him a fresh outlook on things and promised to make the next couple of days a collection of experiences worth exploring. He just needed to be careful and not blow away his opportunities before he got what he wanted. He would show Alfred there was more to him than being relegated to write about erotic urban legends, oh yes, he would!
The automatic doors of Tempest Studios slid open with a soft whoosh as Jeremy stepped inside. The interior of the building was a stark contrast to the bustling cityscape outside. The air was cool and crisp, filled with the faint hum of technology at work. The walls were lined with sleek touchscreens displaying intricate diagrams and colorful concept art from their upcoming games.
Jeremy couldn’t help but be awestruck as he walked through the lobby, a vision of modern design, with polished marble floors that gleamed under the soft glow of recessed lighting. Security guards in sharp uniforms patrolled the area, their watchful eyes scanning every corner. They all had broad shoulders and menacing eyes, and no smile to be seen. It was almost like he was walking into a secret high-tech fortress, rather than a game development company.
He made his way past a row of potted plants, their vibrant green leaves adding a touch of nature to the sleek surroundings. As he approached the front desk, he was greeted by a beautiful young woman with long, flowing chestnut hair and sparkling hazel eyes. With a warm smile on her petite pink lips, she asked,
“Welcome to Tempest Studios. Do you have an appointment?”
“Yes. I’m Jeremy Winters from Signs and Wonders, here to see Deirdre Quinn. She’s expecting me,” he replied.
“Ah, Mr. Winters, of course!” she said, glancing down at the touch screen on her desk. “Ms. Quinn will see you on the fifth floor. Please take the elevator to the right to get there. Once you arrive, follow the main hallway all the way to the end. You’ll find her office there.”
“Thank you,” Jeremy said, glancing at the path the young woman had just laid out for him.
He walked toward the elevator, its shiny doors sliding open in utmost quietness as he stepped inside. The interior was just as impressive as the rest of the building with soft ambient lighting casting a warm glow over the panel of buttons in front of him. There were even retractable plush leather seats for people with weak knees, but he decided to stand.
Jeremy pressed the circular button for the fifth floor and felt a gentle buzz as the elevator began its ascent. The ride was smooth and silent, the only sound accompanying him being the synthesized rendition of the DarkSands MMO main theme playing from hidden speakers above.
As he rose higher and higher, Jeremy stole glances at his reflection in the mirrored walls. He straightened his tie, smoothed down his hair, and took a deep breath. This meeting with Deirdre Quinn was his chance to prove to himself he could do more with his writing than pursue silly sexual tales. He needed to play his cards right, starting with the way he presented himself to her. Failure to do would be a major setback in his plans, something he needed to avoid at all costs.
The elevator doors slid open again, this time with a soft chime indicating it was time to be on his way. Jeremy stepped out into a long hallway lined with closed doors on either side, each one bearing the names of different departments within the company. The air here felt charged with creative energy, crackling like static electricity in the atmosphere.
He followed the main hallway as instructed, passing by employees huddled in small groups discussing project details or typing on sleek laptops. There was no lack of enthusiasm anywhere around, a testament of the company’s work ethics and drive for success. 
At last, he reached the end of the hallway where a large glass door stood with the nameplate “Deirdre Quinn, Senior Programmer” engraved in elegant script. He knocked on the door and peeked inside when he was invited in.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Winters,” Deirdre said from behind her cluttered desk. “Please come in and take a seat.”
“Hello, Ms. Quinn, and thank you for receiving me on such short notice today.”
Deirdre nodded, her jet-black hair kissing her delicate shoulders. Her violet eyes were a hundred times more captivating in person than in pictures or videos, a natural rarity that never left anyone indifferent. Jeremy was momentarily captivated by her beauty and the way her tailored work attire hugged her generous curves in all the right places. She exuded an air of casual elegance, with a crisp white blouse tucked into high-waisted trousers that stressed her slender waist, paired with stylish yet sensible heels.
Jeremy shook her hand and sank in the warm chair opposite her desk. A subtle floral scent swirled in his nostrils, adding to her already charming presence.
“I must admit I’m quite intrigued by your visit, Mr. Winters,” she began, her voice smooth and melodic. “You’ve come to talk about our forthcoming DarkSands expansion, correct?”
“That’s right.”
“Curious because looking at your magazine’s history, I didn’t see any coverage of the world of gaming anywhere. Is this a novel approach?”
“We’re trying to branch out our stories, yes. We’re introducing a plethora of new segments in the next couple of issues, one of which is tailored for this specific market, and the success of your ongoing project made it a straightforward choice for my research.”
“I see…” Deirdre fiddled with a golden pen before standing up. “Can I offer you something to drink, Mr. Winters?”
“I’m good for now, thank you.”
“Then you won’t mind if I have one…”
Deirdre headed to a small mini-bar on the other end of the office and poured herself a glass of gin with strawberry undertones. The clink of the ice cubes against the crystal glass echoed in the room. She turned around, holding the drink between her fingers, a slight smile playing on her lips.
“Mr. Winters, may I be blunt with you?”
“I don’t see why not,” Jeremy replied, crossing his legs.
“Do you know what it takes for a woman to thrive in this competitive business?”
“Lots of hard work and perseverance?” he mused.
“That too but over the years I’ve realized that having no tolerance for bullshit is the best quality one can have. Do you agree with this assessment?”
“I’m not sure I understand what you mean.”
“Mr. Winters, there’s not a lot that happens in this company that I’m not aware of, being a key figure and all, so why don’t we skip all the bullshit and get down to business? I know you’ve secured this interview under false pretense. I know hands were greased for this outcome to play out the way it did. If you were indeed running a story about our game, you would have reached out for other people first before contacting me, so it’s obvious you’re here to write about something else. Will you be kind enough to tell me what it is or do you wish to pursue this charade longer?”
Jeremy’s heart pounded as her words pierced through the air like shards of ice. This was unheard of. He had never encountered someone so perceptive, so quick to unravel his intentions before he even spun his tale. His mouth went dry, his mind scrambling for an excuse, a way to salvage the situation.
But Deirdre’s gaze held him captive, unwavering in its scrutiny. She took a sip of her gin, the liquid swirling in the glass like a whirlpool of secrets waiting to be unleashed. The weight of her expectation bore down on his soul, urging him to come clean and admit defeat.
With a deep breath, Jeremy straightened in his chair, meeting Deirdre’s luminous eyes head-on. Caught in his web of deception, he had no choice but to do as she said.
“I apologize for the subterfuge, Ms. Quinn,” he said. “But this happened too fast, and I wasn’t sure if you’d agree to meet me if the truth was laid bare from the start. You’re right. I came to see you not to talk about your video game, but to dig deeper something more personal, stories about someone you used to know.”
“In other words, you’ve come to talk about The Black Queen tales,” Deirdre chuckled and then pursed her lips as she returned to her desk and reveled in his renewed astonishment. How? How the fuck did she know that, too?
“I… I don’t know what to say… There’s no way I’m this transparent…” he muttered.
“If it makes you feel better, no, you’re not. I did some research of my own when I heard a reporter from Signs and Wonders was coming to talk to me. Like you said, everything happened too fast. I don’t know who helped you with this setup but give him or her my compliments. I may not agree with it, but I respect the hustle.”
“Does that mean you’re not going to kick me out and forbid me from ever entering these premises again?” Jeremy asked.
“Kick you out? Why in God’s name would I do that? While this is not something I ever imagined talking about with someone else, I’m surprised it took this long for that to happen. I take it you already found Simon and something he said led you to me. How’s he doing these days?”
“He wasn’t too happy when I approached him and he just wants all of this to be over,” Jeremy replied. “So, you know? You’ve known the whole time he wrote those tales and that you helped inspire the character?”
“Yes,” Deirdre replied. “Well, not the whole time but I was something I discovered not long after he wrote the first story. Simon’s fantasies weren’t as hidden as he thought they were, at least not to someone like me. I’ve always been a perceptive woman, Mr. Winters. I see many things others don’t realize and I saw his desires bleeding on the screen. They’re strange tales, aren’t they? So raw and yet filled with such devilish concepts. World domination through sex and mental rewiring… I had never read anything like them before. What do you think of them? Do you like them or were you shocked when you received this assignment?”
“My feelings about those tales are irrelevant… I was tasked with exploring the ramifications of the legend and how it affects today’s perception. The Black Queen’s world is much more than those early experiments now.”
“Yes, it is,” Deirdre finished her drink and placed the empty glass atop a worn-out piece of paper, leaving a perfect circular mark in its wake. “It inspired so much greatness and also so much madness. I take it you’ve been to some forums and read all those fantastic tales of ancient goddesses, aliens, and whatnot.”
“I’ve only read a fraction of what’s out there, so I’m sure there are lots of connections I’m not seeing yet. However, some of those influences made it into your game, didn’t they? There are characters and events in it that were lifted from Simon’s work.”
“Adapted is perhaps the correct choice. Yes, some designs came from the ideas he developed but they’re more homages than actual references. Good ideas should never go to waste, Mr. Winters, and many of them are wrapped up in so much garbage that it’s a shame not to set them free and repurpose them into something better?”
“That seems harsh, but I don’t disagree. Please, call me Jeremy.”
“I will… if you call me Deirdre,” 
Jeremy noticed a mischievous glint in her eyes as she glanced at him. It was a subtle movement, a mere wink, but it revealed a side of her that he hadn’t seen before. Her demeanor had shifted from composed and cryptic to flirtatious and intriguing in an instant. Still, he did his best to maintain his professional composure.
“You have a very curious name,” he said. “What does it mean?”
“Oh, many things… It’s from both Irish and Gaelic origin. It can be translated into ‘broken-hearted’, ‘sorrowful’, or my favorite, ‘wanderer’ because that’s how I see myself. You can also find it in a Celtic legend similar to Tristan and Isolde. Perhaps you should look it up if you’re so curious…” she said.
“A legendary name that inspired another legend…” Jeremy noted. “Now, that’s ironic!”
“It is what it is. I didn’t ask for my name even though I love it, and I also didn’t ask for the attention that came from Simon’s unbridled imagination and sexual fantasies. What he came up with and why he did it is not for me to question or understand, but I don’t mind using whatever comes my way to my advantage.”
“Even if you think the original stories are trash?”
“I didn’t say that, Jeremy. I was talking about ideas and how our perception colors them. To people who share Simon’s vision of the world, they’re perhaps the greatest thing ever written. To others who have a different take on reality… not so much. It’s the same with our game. We’re loved by millions, hated by millions, and ignored by millions. Different experiences, different priorities… Who can say which one is the best perspective? I dare not do that! I respect the energy that created them just like I respect what you pulled off to be here with me today. That should be enough, don’t you agree?”
“Perhaps, but I still have a lot of questions and I’d appreciate further insight into how you feel deep inside. I want to elevate this article beyond the titillation factor,” he admitted.
“Ah… so you want to do what I did when DarkSands came to be. Pluck those concepts that you find more appealing and weave your own narrative around them. Do you think your adaptation will fly?”
“Someone dear to me said I won’t know until I try it and here I am, doing that… trying to be different to shed new light on some pretty obscure subjects.”
“It’s almost like you’re writing a twisted love story…” Deirdre leaned back in her chair. “Those are my favorites.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah. We can talk about them if you want but there are some things I’d like to keep out of the office if possible.”
“What are you suggesting?”
“Unless you have other plans already… Have dinner with me tonight, Jeremy. I’ll let you ask anything you want over a good meal and a bottle of wine.”
“Dinner, huh? Yet another surprise you’re hitting me with, Deirdre.”
Jeremy felt a mixture of excitement and trepidation at her sudden invitation. He couldn’t deny the pull of the programmer’s enigmatic aura, and the way she seemed to hold secrets within her that were begging to be unraveled. With thoughts of Laura tugging at the edges of his mind, Jeremy hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to do.
However, the journalist in him yearned for the opportunity to delve deeper into her psyche and understand this woman who had disarmed him without breaking a sweat. If what she was presenting to him was an elaborate facade, he needed to uncover the layers underneath. With that in mind, he had no choice but to say,
“I’d be honored to join you for dinner tonight, and I’m looking forward to hearing everything you have to say.”
Deirdre’s lips curved into a knowing smile, as if she had anticipated his answer all along.
“Very well, Jeremy. Let’s have fun.”
Oh, they sure were going to, perhaps more than he thought possible.

((to be continued))