AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The Donahue clan had protected him against the ever-present feelings that he didn’t quite fit in with the world he inhabited. But God had known exactly what family he should belong to.
Even though he was a fully-grown man, there was a part of Daniel that still felt like a little kid on the inside. For instance, he loved going to the candy store—the old-fashioned type with hundreds of different candies and all the bells and whistles. It felt like he was Willy Wonka. And he loved his profession. He had a tight-knit staff that surrounded and supported him. For a man who’d never had a bunch of friends, he could honestly say that they had become like a second family to him over the past few years.
Creating video games had been the perfect balance for him between being an adult and still feeling as if he could be spontaneous and whimsical. And he loved making people happy with his video game innovations. It was the reason he had gone into the business of video games. The pure joy of it. It didn’t hurt any that it was extremely lucrative.
At the moment he was in the midst of plans to increase his company’s visibility and take it to the next level. It was already incredibly successful and had made Daniel a very rich man. Money had never motivated Daniel very much. He simply enjoyed the challenges and the satisfaction he received from creating video content that stimulated minds as well as his own creativity.
Whenever he received a fan letter, especially from a child or a teenager, he felt as if he just might burst wide open with pride. He didn’t create the violent games because he couldn’t stand the idea of people simulating graphic violence or gore or gruesome deaths. As a Christian, he couldn’t justify it, although he knew others did. He always tried to push the envelope creatively, but he liked to think he had integrity with regards to content. That wasn’t to say he didn’t have sword fights or Kung Fu matches, but his video games didn’t promote gun violence or excessive b
lood and gore.
From the beginning, Daniel had thought outside the box. And it had worked. His company had made him into a multi-millionaire. And it was still growing by leaps and bounds. By this time next year Daniel hoped his video games would be the hottest sellers in the United States and all around the world. More importantly than his revenue, Daniel was very content with his career. He loved waking up each morning and heading to DD Studios.
This morning he was sitting in on an interview with a female model who would be considered for a huge role in an ongoing video game series. He had created the character of Rhiannon, a medieval warrior seeking justice. Customers were clamoring for the games to be released. His company—DD Studios—was planning to create a promotional campaign for the new game that would put the model in the spotlight and earn her a lucrative salary. It would be a win-win for DD Studios and the model who was chosen.
Two of Daniel’s top level executives—Sharon Modell and Guy Walker—were also present at the meeting. Daniel didn’t insist on a dress code at work. For the most part his employees, as well as himself, dressed in casual clothes. Although he did request that employees wear business attire when they were conducting interviews. Today he was wearing a long-sleeved oxford shirt with a pair of khakis. That was about as dressy as he got at work.
The moment the model walked in, Daniel wanted to let out a groan of frustration.
Her wavy red hair, green eyes and creamy skin made her look like a princess. She was totally wrong for the gig. He was looking for a warrior. The character of Rhiannon was deadly and dangerous. She wielded swords and daggers. This woman looked as if she might not breathe the same air as mere mortals. Her beauty was ethereal, like a fairy princess. He wanted more medieval and less Disney princess come to life. An image of the mermaid Ariel popped into his mind.
“Hello. I’m Lorelei James.” She stuck out her hand and shook all three of their hands before sitting down in a seat across the table from them. Daniel knew with a deep certainty he had never seen a woman so radiantly beautiful in his whole life.
“You can’t be Rhiannon.” Daniel blurted out the words before he could stop himself.
“I beg your pardon.” She looked at him with widened eyes, then swung her gaze toward Sharon and Guy. “I’m here to audition for that very role.”
He shook his head. “You’re way too beautiful. We’re not looking for Sleeping Beauty. More like Lara Croft, tomb raider.”
She let out a brittle laugh. “I’m a very experienced model and I have a wide range. I’m sort of a chameleon. I can change my look on a dime depending on the job.”
“It’s not going to work.” He stood up from his chair. “Thanks for coming out today, but there’s no way I can give you the job.”
Daniel felt a bit bad about the look on Miss James’s face, but it was better to be open and honest rather than drag the interview out. She slowly stood up from her chair. He held out his hand but she simply looked at it, then shook her head.
She frowned at him. “Are you Micah’s brother?”
Daniel stood up straighter. “Yes. He’s my younger brother.”
Lorelei hoisted her purse over her shoulder. She looked at him with venom emanating from her eyes. “Good. Because I can’t wait to tell him how much of a jerk you are!”
She turned on her heel and stormed out of the room without uttering another word.
Daniel scratched his head. What in the world had just happened?
**
Lorelei James couldn’t remember a time when she had felt so royally steamed about a gig. For someone as experienced as she was in the modeling business it should have been an easier process. Not that she thought it had been in the bag, but never in a million years had she imagined that her interview would have been so disastrous. She’d gotten slammed before she had been able to show her range and ability. Daniel Donahue was an absolute fool and the polar opposite of his brother, Micah. While Micah was generous and sweet, Daniel seemed overbearing and downright rude.
Humph. Rude to the bone! She couldn’t believe he was the same Daniel Donahue who was ridiculously smart and talented. He’d built a video game empire from the ground up, yet he had no manners whatsoever. Perhaps he was one of those creative types who were simply obnoxious and overbearing. He probably thought he was the boss of everyone and everything.
Lorelei felt the tears trailing down her cheeks. It hurt to be dismissed. As a model she knew people judged her every single day of her life. She had worked incredibly hard for the last ten years to build a name for herself in the industry. She had sacrificed so many things to succeed in a cutthroat industry. Daniel had just reminded her that in the true scheme of things she was nobody. Unimportant. Dispensable. It played on every single insecurity she had in this world. She walked quickly toward her car and pressed the unlock key on her keychain. Without hesitation she stepped inside and turned the car on, pressing the button on her dashboard to turn on the A/C. As the cool air filled the car, Lorelei took deep breaths.
“Just breathe,” she reminded herself, trying to ward off the feelings of panic. She had learned techniques to try to stave off the panic attacks. Sometimes it worked. Sometimes it didn’t. She had been dealing with these attacks ever since she was eleven years old. And sadly, there was no end in sight. They were unpredictable and impossible to control. She was at the mercy of her body!
Her cell phone rang and she looked at the screen. It was her agent, Olga Winters. She had a feeling Olga was calling to check in on her interview with Daniel Donahue. Lorelei didn’t have the heart to pick up the call. It would only add to her feelings of anxiety and despair. A feeling of shame swept over her. She’d blown the audition. Daniel Donahue had made her feel worthless. And for someone who struggled with stress and anxious feelings, it had a tendency to mess with her mind.
Her breathing was becoming shallow and her palms were slick with moisture. Why was it so difficult for her to control these feelings? Sometimes when the panic swept through her, Lorelei felt as if she couldn’t breathe or talk or function. Her heart beat at a crazy rhythm inside her chest.
