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They actually had to settle for three days later.
It turned out that purchasing, then waiting on delivery and installation of four
NerveBoxes took that long, and it just about drove Gunner crazy. He spent his every
waking moment thinking about or talking about what he’d seen, which in turn just
about drove Rachel crazy. It was a sign of her love that she didn’t pack up and move to
Europe.
Finally, an hour before his planned meeting with Virtual Solutions, she huddled in his
arms, whispering in his ear.
“I’m proud of you.”
“Proud of little ole me? Why?”
She kissed him. “Just because you’re awesome. I could care less about you changing
the world.”
“Couldn’t care less,” he said, knowing that’d get him a love smack. And it did.
He moved so that he could look her in the eyes. “Okay. It’s time for a cheese moment.
You don’t get these often. Are you ready for it?”
“Oh, I’m ready.”
He kissed her on the cheek. “I love you, babe. This is something big—bigger than any
stupid game. And I want you with me on this. We can do good things and always be
together. That’s what I want.”
Gunner swore he saw a tear brimming in her right eye. “That’s what I want, too,” she
said. “Forever.”
Thirty minutes later, they said good-bye.