Read Online Game of Love by Ara Grigorian - Free Book Online Page A

she wasn’t a child who didn’t know how to manage these types of situations. She was surrounded by good looking people all the time. But… none quite like Andre.
    “Are you listening?” he asked.
    “I’m sorry, were you talking to me?”
    “Ohh… good one,” he said, nodding in approval. “Gemma one, Andre zero.”
    “I didn’t ask for a doctoral dissertation. Just solve a few pages so I can win a wager, and we’re good to go.”
    “So you want me to cheat? Is this what you’re used to? Give someone a first class upgrade and they’ll do your homework?”
    “After that crap advice you gave, the least you can do is help.”
    One eyebrow arched before he winked. He clicked open his pen and started. “The advice I gave was not crap,” he said, rapidly filling cell after cell.
    “Please, that was bollocks.” She watched him with curiosity.
    “Do you agree the problem will be solved if you win a Grand Slam?” He continued to complete cells rapidly, now on the third page. As if he was jotting in random numbers.
    “Well, yes.”
    “So the solution is easy. Execution is the challenge.” Another page done. “Do you believe you’re good enough to beat anyone you face?”
    “Yes,” she said, amazed at how quickly he tore through the pages, limited only by how fast he could write.
    “Good. Then the question is, what has stopped you? Was it your opponent, the environment, or something else? You have to think about that carefully.”
    He had completed ten pages, maybe more.
    “The best place to start is with ourselves. Usually we are our own worst enemy,” he added. “Have you considered–”
    “Stop.”
    He froze. “What?”
    “Are you writing gibberish?”
    “No.” He seemed hurt. “I’m completing the puzzles for you.”
    “But that’s impossible. You’re not even paying attention to what you’re doing. How is that possible?” She was confused, on the verge of giggling with hysteria.
    He flipped to the back of the book. “You can check the answers if you want.”
    “Are you fuc–” She bit her tongue, glanced around and tried again. “Seriously? I’ve never seen anything like that.”
    He hesitated. “It’s my talent, my curse.”
    “Explain.” She leaned in close, grinning ear-to-ear, amazed.
    “Once I know the rules–that is, once I understand the way to solve something–the answers become obvious. They show up, and all I have to do is trace the answer in the proper cell.”
    She blinked.
    “If you saw one plus one, would you hesitate in writing the answer?” he asked. “That’s how it is. For me, a lot of things are one plus one.”
    Her mouth was partially open. “Have you always had this… gift?”
    “For as long as I can remember. I’ll quote a profound statement: My first memory is this ability. In fact, I can’t say I have any independent recollections of events in my life that exclude this ability. My life is completely intertwined with it. It’s the only thing I know.”
    She saw what she thought was sadness in his eyes. “Photographic memory also? You are amazing. A phenom. A–”
    “Freak?” he said.
    “Why would you say that?” She pulled her legs up beneath her.
    “I’ve always been ‘that’ kid. The one who was different.
He’s a genius
eventually turned to
he’s a geek
, and then
he’s weird
. I didn’t feel different, and my friends didn’t treat me differently, but the fact is I was different. Some people were just weirded out by it, while others wanted to study me. From the ages of four to eleven, I tried to hide it by disappearing, but my buddies wouldn’t let me. The school knew, my parents knew, but I just wanted to be a kid, ride my bike, play basketball with my friends, try to impress the girls. You know, just be me… a kid.”
    “So what happened at eleven?” she asked.
    “Pressure from my school, my parents, and everyone who wanted to get their hands on me. A university professor convinced them my ability needed to be