Page 44 of Emeric

“I hope. I’m nervous no one will come.”

“There’s already a crowd inside. You’re not giving yourself enough credit. Look at what you’ve accomplished.”

He ducked his head, but not before I caught his smile. “You have to say that because we’re together.”

“I absolutely do not. Can’t I be proud of you and thrilled about what you’ve done? You’re living a dream, Syl. Not many can say they do what you do.”

Just then, two women walked past, whispering to each other as they glanced our way. They were so excited, one of them tripped, but luckily didn’t fall.

When they were inside, I leaned close and said, “Your fans are waiting.”

“They might not be here for me.”

“You can’t be serious. One of them almost fell over because she was watching you, not where she was going.”

He glanced my way, that small smile still in place. “I hope you’re right.”

“Let’s get inside.”

We entered the store and met the owners. Sylvan talked with them while I brought in the bins he’d packed. The signing wasn’t for an hour, and people were already starting to gather, some near Sylvan, some near the other author, who looked excited to be here as well.

By the time Sylvan had his table set up how he wanted it, there were two lines to the door and beyond. I was so happy for Sylvan. Even though he said his first signing wasn’t a success, I thought it was in a way. He met Jordan. That meeting led to other ones that changed the course of his life.

I didn’t miss the way Sylvan’s hands shook as one of the store owners took a moment to speak to the crowd and thank them for coming. The store even had a food truck brought in. They already offered coffee and light snacks. It was a smart way to keep people around to shop and meet both authors.

“Syl,” I whispered, putting my back to the line, blocking him from their view. I gently laid my hand on his and waited for his eyes to meet mine. “If at any point you need a break or want to get up, just knock twice on the table, and I’ll think of a reason to pull you away. They can blame me and not you.”

“You’d do that for me?”

“Of course. Are you ready to start? There are a lot of people here to meet you. I knew you’d be a hit.”

He let out a breath, his shoulders relaxing, and his body releasing the tension it held. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. I’d kiss you, but I don’t want to cause a scene.”

Sylvan leaned across the table and pressed a quick kiss to my lips, making my grin the biggest in the room. There were even some “Awww” sounds behind us. I didn’t bother turning to look. The only person my eyes should be on was the one right in front of me.

Too bad Oleander couldn’t have been here today. Vail was filling in at Untouchable, a club not too far from here. Dana had to take care of the kids since Cat wasn’t feeling well. Oleander went where Vail did, even though the club had top-of-the-line security. Oleander wouldn’t have it any other way.

One of the bookstore owners announced that everyone should have their books out and if they didn’t bring one, there were plenty for sale from the store and the authors. Sylvan had brought some of his own because the store only had certain titles on hand. The store encouraged him to do so. The owners wanted their business and the authors to succeed.

I stood off to the side as person after person stepped up to Sylvan’s table to have their books signed and get pictures with him. If the person came here alone, I offered to take the picture. It worked well.

The readers complimented him and his books. They talked about their favorite characters and asked what he was currently working on. Each one felt like they were a personal friend of his. He didn’t rush them, no matter the size of the line. To him, every person there deserved his attention.

This was my first time being at something like this. I didn’t expect people to bring him gifts. Some were handwritten notes. A reader brought him a quilt they made using his book covers. He had tears in his eyes for that one. I didn’t blame him. It was beautiful, and he was incredibly touched. I’d never seen anything like it.

What I didn’t like was when someone clung to him. It was one thing to get a photo, but quite another to cozy up to him and hang on like he was their boyfriend. I was close to stepping in a few times, but he was a pro at moving them away. That didn’t stop me from glaring at them as they left.

I wasn’t sure how much time had passed when the line became only a few people deep. My phone had stayed in my pocket on silent for the event. If anyone needed to get ahold of me, they knew where I was. They could call the store if it was urgent. No one did, thankfully. By now, my hotel ran well, except when there was a reason for it not to, like plumbing issues, rare angry customers; the list went on.

“Oh my god,” Sylvan whispered when the last person left, and he relaxed into the chair. “How am I this exhausted when I hardly moved?”

“You worked nonstop, that’s how.”

“Which reminds me… I’ll be right back.” He got up and rushed to the bathroom at the back of the store. There was a reason I didn’t drink much this morning. I didn’t want to keep leaving Sylvan. That was on me though. Not once did he ask me to stay or say he needed me next to him. I wanted to be here.

I caught the other author standing and stretching from the corner of my eye. Sylvan wasn’t the only one ready for the event to be over. They could have taken a break halfway through, but both decided to power through.