Reality Stars in Fantasy

It was a typical Monday afternoon in the office when my boss stopped by my desk.
“Would you like to play in an all-girl D&D game?” she asked.
“Of course!” I said. How fun would that be. I mean, no offense to my all-male current group, but I wouldn’t mind a side of estrogen with my initiative.
“Excellent!” she answered. “You’ll make a great DM. I’m really looking forward to it!”
I’ll make a what?
“Umm, Lulu,” I asked, following her to her desk. “Might I remind you of the last time I tried DMing? Or better yet, feel free to read the transcripts from my therapy sessions.”
Lulu giggled. “I think you might be over-thinking this a bit.”
“That’s part of my problem! When I get three or more people around a table, I start obsessing over menus and playlists and napkin rings! That, coupled with the fact I’m terrified of ruining everyone’s good time, makes me a terrible Dungeon Master. I’ll probably need to go on sick leave.”
“We’re playing on Monday afternoons,” she said, walking off to a meeting. “Clear your schedule.”
“But I don’t want to be a Dungeon Master!” I shouted.
How often is that heard around offices in corporate America?
It was no use. The invites went out. “3G Official Weekly Team Meeting.” (3G meaning Girls’ Game Group.)
“We should paint a sign and hang it over the conference room doorknob when we play!” the ex-cheerleader and ceaselessly-spunky Marcella cheered.
“With our logo on it!” Tolena suggested. She’s someone I’d want in my adventuring party in real life because she’s usually pragmatic. She’s also a mother, so I know her pockets would always be filled with Handi-Wipes and Oyster Crackers.
“We have a logo?” The quiet and secretly hilarious Hilary asked.
“I’m having the design team work one up,” Lulu said.
Their enthusiasm was contagious. I even cheered for the logo. But listening to them chatter made me feel worse. Their first-ever brush with D&D would be under my tutelage. Isn’t that a lot of pressure for a new DM?
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