#ThrowbackThursday: Roll for Initiative (Table Topped #1) by Alex Silver

 

Today's #ThrowbackThursday is a celebration. It's been just about a year since Alex Silver published Roll for Initiative. Let's hop in the Wayback Machine and take a look!

From the Blurb:

If I discover one more passive aggressive sticky note detailing all the ways I’ve annoyed Paz today, I’m going to scream.

When Paz moved in, I thought I’d rolled a critical success in the roommate lottery. He’s just my type, into guys, and he works at my favorite cafe making the most heavenly chocolate confections I’ve ever tasted. Then the notes start, criticizing everything I do. Before I know it, he’s making my blood boil, and not in a sexy fun way.

With the holidays coming we’re both dealing with work stress, but at the rate we’re going I might just be the grinch who ruins Christmas by telling him to find another place to live.

Roll for Initiative is the first book in the Table Topped contemporary romance series featuring a group of tabletop RPG players who make video games for a living. M/M romance with a HEA, roommates to lovers, enemies to lovers.

Excerpt: 

“Are you planning to join us?” I ask Theo as Pia, Laura and Errol head for the exit.

 

 “Yeah, just peeved.” Theo sighs. “Looks like I’ve got some planning to do before the next game session.”

 

“With the big deadline coming up, it might be just as well,” I offer as consolation. Day Dreamer, the latest video game from the company we all work for, has a planned release date in time for Christmas and we’re already behind schedule.

 

Theo snorts. “You mean the deadline that should have been three weeks ago? Beats the heck out of me why they didn’t release in time for Black Friday.”

I shrug. “They opened the pre-order. You know how it goes; the client wants blockbuster quality for the theatrical scenes on a B-Movie budget.”

 

Theo rolls his eyes. “Whatever. Errol sucks for messing up my cool dungeon plans. Bruce the paladin is not coming back in the next campaign. I’m going to make him play a human farmer with an improvised weapon next time. See how well Errol fucks my plans when he doesn’t have magic to screw around with. Distract me with something else?”

 

“I might have found a new roommate to take Jason’s room,” I offer a bit of gossip. Jason used to work with us. I’d sublet the second tiny bedroom in my ridiculously overpriced apartment to him for the past six months, and I can’t afford the rent on my own.

 

“Oh? Who?” Theo asks as he slings his bag over his shoulder.

 

“A barista from the cafe on 3rd with the killer hot cocoa, Sin and Chocolate,” I reply, hitting the lights. We’re the last ones to leave the studio tonight, so I arm the security system and lock up behind us. I can already envision all the delicious baked goods my new roommate might bring home from work. The guy smelled like chocolate when he checked out the room after his work shift. Way nicer than Jason’s signature scent. His room had stunk like day old pizza and sweaty socks when I was cleaning it after he left.

 

“Name? Pronouns? Are they hot? I need details, G,” Theo demands as we start down the street to meet the others at the bar.

 

“Pascal, he/him. And yeah, he’s cute, if you’re into wiry white guys with baby faces.”

 

“Which you so are.” Theo pokes my stomach and bats his eyes. “I am totally your type.”

 

“You are totally my best friend,” I counter. “And we both know you’re too much of a social butterfly for me.”

 

Theo chuckles. “By which you mean I’m too much of a player for you. It’s cool. You’re not my type either.” That’s accurate enough. Theo prefers to be with smaller guys he can manhandle a little in bed, but not so much smaller that they can’t give as good as they get. He once told me he kept his hair long on top to give guys something to grab on to. We might overshare a bit about our sex lives. He grins and prompts me, “So, tell me more about the sexy barista.”

 

“I barely know him, beyond seeing him around Sin. He’s moving in tomorrow. From the way he was salivating over the kitchen, I’m pretty sure he likes to cook. Or bake, maybe, since he said he makes the pastries for the cafe.”

 

“Wait,” Theo stops dramatically in the middle of the sidewalk, thrusting his hand into my midsection to stop me too. “Why didn’t you lead with the fact your new roomie makes the triple chocolate brownies at Sin and Chocolate? Tell me he offered you a friends and roommates discount?”

 

“No discounts,” I swat his hand away. “But we can still swing around and buy his confections during our breaks.”

 

Theo gives me a knowing look. “I’ll bet you want more than his confections.” He makes a lewd gesture, then cackles with glee as I take a playful swipe at his toque. If nothing else, at least my new roommate brightened his grim mood. To tell the truth, I’m nervous about the change since Pascal made some ominous comments about a cleaning schedule and he seemed unimpressed with my decor. It will all work out. How bad could it be to live with someone who bothers to clean up after himself?

 

Roll for Initiative is currently available on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited. 

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