Page 81 of Cosplay & Consequences

Brayonna reached out and took Bennet’s hand, giving him a rare moment of affection. “Well, despite all the bad things that happened, he was committed to the date. And I mean like, completely dedicated. I stuck around, because I wanted to see exactly how bad this date could be. When we ended up in the ER, he refused to get treated until I got my stitches and held my hand the entire time because of my fear of needles.”

Bennet gave her hand a little squeeze. “Yes, and I figured there was no way our second date could be worse. The odds were totally in our favor.”

“He’s right. Our second date was almost boring,” Bray agreed with a nod.

“I mean the snake that bit me wasn’t even poisonous,” Bennet added.

“The sex was great though,” Bray said, finishing her drink and signaling for another.

Danny stood there flabbergasted. “Please tell me you got additional life insurance before the third date.”

And I began to laugh-snort again.

I originally planned to commute to the San Domingo Comic Con since it was about an hour’s drive, even in the worst traffic. However, Paige somehow managed to either finagle or threaten her way into securing two hotel suites. The first day of a con always brought absolute chaos, with everyone in cosplay racing around. Since my poor Fiona cosplay had fallen apart, I decided to stick with a basic outfit: jeans and a nerdy T-shirt from my closet.

Danny was stuck in his room for most of the day with a rotating group of entertainment reporters interviewing him for the show. Paige stuck with him doing her assistant job, but gave Faye a temporary reprieve of her life imprisonment to enjoy some of the con with me.

The contrast between Mission Verde and San Domingo Comic Con felt like night and day. SDCx2 easily outshined Mission Verde as the bigger and more popular stop on the con circuit, making Mission Verde seem puny by comparison. Then again, SDCx2 didn’t stick to one specific genre. Over the next few days, multiple movie trailers would premiere, covering everything from comedies to blockbuster science fiction films. Of course, the only event I cared about was on Saturday, when Danny would officially take the stage as the new Tyrst’an for Valley of the Red Tyrant.

By the time Faye and I were done with con activities, I returned to the suite to find Danny collapsed on the bed, face down in the comforter.

I kicked off my shoes and leaned over to kiss the top of his head. “Long day?”

He let out a groan and rolled over, propping himself up with his arm. “A repetitive day. The same questions over and over again. Juilliard. Kismet. Soap Opera. Meh. How do I feel? By the end of the interviews, I wanted to rip out my spleen.”

“I like your spleen where it is.” I crawled onto the bed and snuggled up to him. “Though right now I’m so hungry I could eat one and wouldn’t feel guilty about it.”

His arms wrapped around me and his lips pressed against my forehead. “I know we said we’d go out to eat, but–”

“We’ll get takeout or room service,” I said, shaking my head. “I don’t care.”

“You sure?”

“Your girlfriend is a book nerd. I’m more than content to be an introvert and stay here instead of going out.”

He let out a happy sigh. “You’re the best. By the way, they have The Scotsman on pay per view.”

I laughed. “Sounds like the perfect evening.”

“Not a ‘meh’ evening?” he teased.

I chuckled. “Definitely not a ‘meh’ evening. Not at all. Are you excited about going up on stage Saturday?”

He shrugged, and his smile went flat.

“Seriously?” I asked. “You’re not excited?”

“I feel like everything after the trailer is almost anti-climactic,” he admitted.

“Everything?” I teased, cocking an eyebrow.

He gave me a warm smile. “Everything about the job. This right here? This is more exciting to me.”

“Nice save,” I said, giving him a peck on the cheek. “Good job picking me over work. Though I expect I’ll barely see you when you start shooting.”

Danny chuckled. “Shooting starts in about four weeks, and it’s being filmed on the Warner Brothers lot. That might take up most of my day, but any time I’m free from the set, I’ll make sure we spend it together.”

I shifted, so I could look into his eyes. “Promise?”