Page 36 of Cosplay & Consequences

She glanced at me from the corner of her eye, giving me a little smirk. “You and your sister seem pretty tight.”

I shrugged a little. “Wasn’t always the case. She could be a real pain in the ass when we were kids, but now I can’t even imagine my life without her or my niece,” I said, giving her my own sidelong glance. She wore dark jeans, a T-shirt from Brayonna’s tabletop game series, Critical Chaos, and a black cropped blazer with the sleeves rolled up. Despite her casual outfit, she somehow still managed to look elegant. “What about you? Any siblings?”

“Nope. I’m an only child. Which explains my diva personality,” she joked. “No, it is just me and my parents. My dad teaches high school English, and my mom is a nurse. I have a few cousins, but they live on the East coast. I always wished I had a sibling though.”

“And then you met Paige,” I joked.

“Yep. Straight-up crushed that dream.” She laughed, and the image of her in that bathrobe and leaning on the doorframe entered my mind. I pushed it aside. This wasn't a date, no matter how much I liked her.

I opened the door for her and followed her into the cafe to see Sebastian, front and center as soon as we walked in. He turned sixty-seven a couple of months ago, but his energy and personality were easily someone half his age. As usual, he wore his three-piece suit with a silk tie and polished shoes. I’ve never seen him in anything else unless he wore a costume for a show. He was leaning back in his chair chatting up the waitress, being the charming devil, no one could resist.

When he saw us, he stood up, throwing out his arms in a grand gesture. “Daniel, my boy!” he shouted, as he went in for a hug. “It is so good to see you, my friend!”

He stepped back to examine me and poked me in the stomach. “I see Jorge has been remaking you into a sculpted god of machismo?”

“He’s trying,” I laughed.

“He’s succeeded,” Jessica quipped. I rolled my eyes, trying not to blush.

“And this must be your lady friend you told me about,” Sebastian laughed and took her hand. “Sebastian Glass, it is so lovely to meet you.”

I smiled as Jessica became tongue tied and stammered out a meek “Hello.”

“Oh dear, I have appeared to have flummoxed her,” Sebastian teased, taking her arm and leading her to the table. He pulled out a chair and gestured for her to sit. “Quick, Daniel, get a dirty martini with a pearl onion.”

Jessica laughed as she sat down in the chair. I could tell she was instantly charmed by him. “I have to admit I’m not a fan of martinis,” she confessed.

“Oh, it’s not for you dear,” Sebastian quipped and turned to mock-scold me. “Daniel! What are you waiting for, where’s that martini I requested?”

I laughed and made my way to the bar where I placed Sebastian’s order, a French 75 for Jessica, and a seltzer for me. From the shelves behind the bartender, I spied my favorite brand of bourbon. It sounded good, but I knew Jorge would somehow find out and punish me. Alcohol was strictly off the list of things I could have. When the drinks were finished, I sighed at my glass of fizzy water and accepted my fate for a tasteless beverage.

By the time I made it back, Jessica and Sebastian acted as if they were the oldest of friends, talking over each other and laughing. I slid their drinks next to them and took a seat across the table watching them chatter with each other. It took a moment before Jessica even registered that I got her a drink.

She looked down in surprise and then gave me her best crooked grin. “How did you know my order?”

“You were drinking it at Kao’s last night,” I reminded her, and her smile got a bit wider.

“Ohhhh. She’s that kind of lady friend,” Sebastian said, raising his eyebrows. “An amazing improvement from Kismet Sizzle.”

I shook my head as Jessica doubled over with laughter. I would never shake that tabloid story. Sebastian never passed up a chance to needle me about her.

“No comment,” I replied, giving him a tired smile.

“Hmm. My boy, you are in need of something stronger than water with a side of fizz,” he said tapping my glass. He turned back to Jessica. “Now, my dear, let’s get back to you. Someone told me you are a fan of The Scotsman, a movie panned by all critics and despised by the general populace.”

“It’s my all-time favorite,” Jessica admitted, beaming.

“You are my type of people,” Sebastian said with a warm smile. “A woman with elevated taste and class.”

“Stop,” Jessica said, blushing beet red.

“Never,” Sebastian retorted. “Well, since you are an avid fan, I must tell you of the time I had to save Adrian Lambert from a bordello in Costa Rica right before the filming of the infamous peacock scene.”

Sebastian regaled us with tale after tale of stories from The Scotsman and several other productions he had been a part of. Jessica sat across from him with rapt attention. Seeing these old stories through Jessica’s eyes and her reactions made them new and fun again.

After a while, I couldn’t pull my eyes away from Jessica. Her smile. The way she laughed without abandon, even snorting upon occasion. The way her mouth formed a thin line when she was impatient and wanted to ask a question. How when she talked passionately about a subject, her arms and whole upper body became animated.

“Daniel! Stop talking! You’re monopolizing all the silence!”