Games Of Fools

urban haze, cast a golden glow over the sprawling silhouette of Lennox City. A place where dreams came to live fast and die faster. From the sky, the city glitt

om the market vendors hollering at every corner to the suits huddled a

curling from hot dog stands, the city had its own perfume. Somewhere, a jazz band rehearsed on a rooftop while construction workers danced their drills on ano

ls, curved ever so slightly to kiss the skyline. The logo, bold and metallic, spun slowly atop its antenna-a rotating reminder t

marble-the conference room of the Development Department.

navy pantsuit, sharp as a razor's edge, her poise was nothing short of military precision. Hair pulled back into a severe bun, not a strand daring to wander. Diamond studs

but cutting. "Which means our next move needs to be both bold and flawless. I

ed open at tha

once-black blazer, his jeans looked like they'd been through both a rock concert and a laundry strike. His hair had the wil

ty through awkwardness. But the room's

ooke

e was s

Cough. Another co

orry-tra

eed to. "I won't be entertaining your recycled excuses this

linked

what I

somethin

aid crisply. "But I'm sure y

ckpack by his cubicle, where his monitor still displayed a half-finished sc

he elevator doing little to calm his buzzing nerves

like little suns, and a shelf boasting awards and perfectly aligned books that may have never b

n. The man was neat to the point of suspicion-slick gray hair, a pinstripe su

his throat. "

idn't

d I...

rep

, each one chewin

n and looked up, adjusting his glasses l

paced, "you were fire. Everything you touched turned to viewe

idn't

es. Your last show got pulled after two episodes. Ei

ack, expressi

agement discussion, we've deci

ed so far you could

ckled, dry and hollow.

ace didn

tried to crowd his throat. N

't really shown up in years, just haunted his cubicle like an underpaid ghost

lowly. Collected his ba

Martina, the designe

dn't

-an old coffee mug with a chip, a stack of notebooks, a figurine of a wizard

d him. Whisp

n't lo

until Jules, an HR staffer and one of the f

was just coming

e," Jake

you a dozen times-let it go. Whatever it was. The breakup, the show

shr

in the building, and now look

his head.

weeks. Then get back on the horse.

r dinged. G

red, hoisting the box. "I

ooked different. Colder. Mo

. He turned once, looked up at the mighty

iled

wisdom. Just neon li

his fourth drink and trying to forget what he couldn't

n might've st

Ja

oured ano

city swall

orld. His head throbbed like a drum in the hands of a madman, and the pale morning light seeping through the bl

rough, like gravel s

through his haze. Even half-conscious, he could picture her: dark hair perfectly tousled, lips

o," he grunted,

hesitated. She was the queen of blockbusters, the woman who spun words into gold, the one who had

ing as the room tilted. "Guess the hig

apped. "You're not a fraud.

augh. "Diffic

in yesterday.

your pen?" He sighed. "It's fine,

hen, softer: "What a

swer when the doorbell rang

g beneath him like a ship in a storm. The floor was littered

eephole and groaned. Th

face set in that tight-lipped expression that meant

s all false sympathy. "Hear

orframe, feigning nonchala

d his throat. "Look, I'm sorry, but you know how it is

ghtened. "You

"I've got a guy from the network looking for

s stung. Jake forced a

argument. When none came, he sighed. "Yo

uck.

, closing his eyes. Clara's voice crackl

ou still

d it up.

was t

muttered. "Comi

. "Tell me you're not

e wee

en, decisive: "Pack a bag

inked.

d before you start with your pride bulls

e weight of the last twenty-four hours pressed

am sorry I can't stay

. "What are you going to do? I

t, the unpaid bills on the counter, the ghost o

t. He hopes

omething out and