As Austin approached, all talk of Randy stopped abruptly.
Now, as we walked into the party, Austin offered me his arm. "For effect."
I pushed unpleasant thoughts of Randy away. "Are you still trying to win that costume contest?"
"Always," he said with a twinkle in his eyes.
The party was held at the small ballroom of the hotel across the street from the convention center. The event, and part of the conference, was sponsored by the network that produced Jamie. The network had spared no expense on atmosphere, swag, or decorations.
The Jamie theme music played, welcoming us in as if we were attending a Highland gathering. We were each handed a swag bag—a tartan tote filled with goodies I planned to explore later. I slid it over my shoulder. Finally, swag! The bag was heavy. I hoped there was a mug in there.
The room was decorated in full Jamie fashion, with the Sinclair's plaid colors, even the plaid itself, on full display on the tablecloths, napkins, and banners. Posters of the show hung around the room. A dessert buffet was set up at one end of the ballroom, opposite where Sam and Connor were greeting guests in a receiving line.
The buffet was stocked with platters of cupcakes decorated with fondant buttons painted with Jamie's plaid, Scottish shortbread, and platters of cookies of all kinds. We were each given coupons for two alcoholic drinks. If we wanted more, there was a no-host bar. Soda, tea, and coffee were never-ending.
Cam, Jeremy, and Dylan headed to the bar. Austin and I followed them.
"Do you want to get in line to see Sam and Connor?" Austin asked.
"Later," I said.
He eyed his friends skeptically as they each presented their two drink coupons to the bartender and loaded up. "I hope they're not serving scotch."
"Head still bothering you?" I teased.
He grinned. "I'll stick with beer today."
I got a glass of wine. He got a beer. The guys found a table in the back of the room, away from the crowd surrounding Sam and Connor.
Dylan leaned into Jeremy and said over the music, "Is it just me, or are we severely outnumbered, gentlemen? I haven't seen so much estrogen in one place since…" He paused and shook his head. "I was going to say since we raided the girls' dorm in college. Remember that?"
Cam's face lit up. "Epic."
Austin rolled his eyes. "Ignore them."
"I will," I said.
It wasn't long before the three of them got up to "mingle."
"Good luck to them," Austin said when they were out of earshot.
"You don't have much faith in your friends' abilities," I said. "Haven't they been trained by your matchmaker?"
He looked surprised. "Oh, aye. But with Connor in the room, no one else stands a chance."
You do, I thought. But instead I nodded my agreement, looking away before he could read my thoughts.
The evening officially began with a welcome by Sam and Connor.
"You can see by the cameras all around that we have quite a few of the networks and local stations represented," Connor said. "And our own network crew is here as well. In case you didn't hear, they're filming a promo for the upcoming season of Jamie. You'll be wanting to catch their eye if you want to be on camera. No guarantees, of course. But your footage might be shown in the run-up to the new release this winter."
A round of applause nearly drowned him out.
"I'd like to introduce you to the PR genius in charge of the project. And us." He indicated a woman standing next to him. "This is Sheila. She keeps Sam and me in line."
The crowd laughed.
"Get on her good side, give us a great sound bite on how much you love Jamie, and you might be featured in the promo."
The audience waved and broke out into applause. Women held their phones up, filming and snapping photos.
"Now, on to business. This is a casual gathering, isn't it, Sam?" he said.
She nodded. "Yes, it is. But first, we have a bit of business. Some of our fans have gone to the trouble of re-creating absolutely beautiful costumes from the show. We'd like to bring them up here now so everyone can see them."
She motioned to some costumed women standing nearby. "First, we have our housekeeper, Mrs. Mac." Sam brought her up, followed by several others.
"Blair and Austin—Elinor and Jamie— we saw you earlier, but come back up here one more time," Connor said.
Austin and I looked at each other. I shrugged. Austin took my hand and led me to the front of the room, to a fair bit of buzz. The women admired him. I saw the way they looked at him. If Connor hadn't been in the room, Austin would have been the center of attention.
As we took our place next to Sam and Connor, Connor whispered to Austin, "How are you enjoying being Jamie? Like the attention?"
"You can have it, man," Austin said out of the side of his mouth, smiling to the crowd at the same time.
Connor laughed. "Aye. It's a mantle you can never take off."
"All of the costumes are lovely, of course," Sam said. "But these are the most detailed, most intricate, most exact replicas I've seen anywhere." She hugged me.
"Aye," Connor said. "But it goes beyond the costumes. Look at this handsome fellow." He put an arm around Austin and mugged for the crowd. "He could be me own brother, even me twin."
Sam nodded and leaned close to me. "I agree completely. My double isn't too bad, either." She asked me, "Is your resemblance to me why you decided to play Elinor?"
"Only a little," I said. "I'm a huge fan of both the books and the show."
We accepted our share of applause before returning to our seats. On the walk back, we were stopped by a woman wearing a Jamie Pacific Northwest Celtic fan club T-shirt. She had a fan club president pin on her lanyard.
"We have a booth at the Highland gathering this summer." She pulled a business card from her purse and handed one to each of us. "We'd love to have you both come as Elinor and Jamie."
I glanced at Austin and opened my mouth, about to decline.
"I don't need your answer yet," she said. "Think about it. Check your calendar. How do I get in touch?"
Austin handed her his card. "You can reach both of us through me." He was charming and sweet the way he took the pressure off me.
"Do I get one of your cards?" I asked when the woman left.
He handed me his phone. "If I get your number. I don't want to be made a liar."
"You're terrible," I said, entering my number and taking his card. I glanced at the card. "You have a card made just for your cosplaying?"
"To hand out at my workshop."
I nodded just as we were approached by the president of the rival fan club. And so it went. Women stopped to admire our costumes and talk as waiters floated through the crowd handing out appetizers.
I still had the impression I was superfluous. The women were polite to me, but Austin was the center of their attention. And I might say, with some jealousy, that his matchmaker had taught him well how to charm, flirt, and flatter. So much so that although he took a few appetizers, he never got to eat them. He ended up setting them down as he posed for picture after picture with the women.
Being in so much less demand, I was able to actually eat my appetizers, taunting him by making a show of how delicious they were. Dylan even brought me a tiny cupcake and piece of shortbread, which I devoured with relish.
Sam and Connor floated out into the crowd, going from table to table talking with fans. I admired their easy manner. All the glad-handing had to be taxing. They'd had a long day already.
It might have been my imagination, but I began to pick up on tension in the crowd. Women were checking their phones and frowning. Texting.
Sheila pulled Connor aside and said something to him that made him unhappy. His face clouded. He was so genial and easygoing. It was hard to imagine what had upset him. Sheila didn't look happy, either. Their posture changed. They looked like co-conspirators, whispering to each other secretively.
I was caught by a mic being suddenly
stuck in my face.
"Sheri Carmichael," the woman said. "Host of Northwest Mornings. And this is my producer."
Everyone in the Seattle metro knew Sunshine Sheri Carmichael. She'd been a local celebrity for years.
"I'm doing a special segment on Comicon, and particularly Jamie, on Monday." She smiled. "You and your boyfriend have to come on and talk to me! You're simply so adorable, the audience will eat you up!" She whispered to me, "Austin has been my guest many times. He owes me an interview whenever I want one." She ran her gaze up and down him with obvious appreciation. "He and his friends are famous for their app. And for each being one-fourth of Seattle's Hottest Bachelor."
She sighed. "How do I not know about you? Are you one of Austin's matches?" She clasped her hands together, excited. "Now that will be a good story! A wonderful success for Pair Us. A fellow cosplayer for Austin. Ashley must be pleased with herself."
"No—"
"No?" she said, not letting me get a word in. "He found you on his own? Even better!" She nodded. "Austin will jump at the chance to be on the show again." She glanced at him again. "He's delicious. How do you keep your hands off him?"
She laughed at the surprised look on my face. "Of course! You don't. Smart woman. Keep your eye on him, especially in this crowd. These Jamie fans can be determined when they want something.
"My producer will get your contact info and give you the details for Monday's show. Austin!" She waved to him and broke into his crowd of admirers, leaving me stammering my contact info to her producer.
"I'm not sure—" I said.
"Don't fight her," the producer said, looking weary. "Sheri is a force of nature. What Sheri wants, she gets. She'll keep at you until she wears you down. Look at your schedule for Monday and get back to me. We'll see what we can do to accommodate it."
While we were talking, Sheila walked off from Connor and whispered to Sam. Sam nodded. Sheila headed to talk to the sound engineer running the music.
The buzz and murmur spreading through the audience grew louder. The tension was rising.
Someone handed Connor a mic.
"Ladies"! Connor said. "And gentlemen." He nodded to the few men in the room. "Brave gentlemen." He laughed, acting as though nothing had happened to upset him. "Sheila tells me we've had quite a few requests for Sam and me to do the dangerous dance scene you all love." He flashed the audience that teasing, intimate look of his. "For those of you in the panel earlier, you know we were asked for it then, too. And respectfully deferred. Or maybe deflected is a better way of saying it.
"So. Since we never like to disappoint our fans—Sam? May I have the honor?"
Sheila and a couple of the waiters cleared the small dance floor.
As Sam and Connor took the floor, Austin managed to break free from his admirers and come up beside me. "Did Sheri corral you into doing the show on Monday too?"
"Too?" I did the heavenward gaze. "Pushover."
"I owe her," he said. "How did she twist your arm?"
"She has her ways." By using you, I wanted to say. And truthfully, the thought of seeing him again so soon wasn't unpleasant, to put it mildly. Fortunately, I didn't have to work on Monday. "I have to warn you—Sheri has the wrong impression. She thinks we're dating."
He lifted one eyebrow. "You corrected her?"
"I tried," I said. "But she wouldn't listen. She walked off before I could explain."
"Sounds like Sheri," he said. "She has the angle she wants. We'll set her straight on Monday."
Sam laughed as Connor took her in him arms. "I hope I can remember the steps. It's been a while."
Dressed in their modern clothes, they began the seductive dance. It really was like a courting ritual.
I sighed and whispered to Austin. "What a beautiful couple. They really look like they're in love, don't they?"
Austin gave me a funny look. "They're talented actors."
"You can't fake that." I nodded toward them. "They're a couple in real life."
He looked stunned and almost sorry. Which made no sense.
Before he could respond, Connor and Sam's dance ended to applause that drowned out anything Austin could have said.
"Well," Connor said, looking around at the women in the crowd, "if you think you're going to get away with making Sam and me dance and not join in, you aren't as smart as I give you credit for.
"You all know it wouldn't be a gathering at the Sinclair's castle without Scottish country dancing. Austin!" He scanned the crowd for him. "There you are, mate. You told me you play the bagpipes. Did your granda teach you to dance, too?"
Dylan answered for Austin, "He did."
Austin scowled at his friend.
Connor waved Austin up. "Come on out on the dance floor and join us. Let's show them how it's done."
When Austin hesitated, Connor said, "Mate. What are you waiting for? Bring Elinor's twin out here and join us."
Austin appeared momentarily petrified. He looked helplessly at me.
"I love to dance," I said, amused by his nervousness. "I'm not sure I'll be any good at Scottish dancing. But I'm game."
Austin relented. He offered me his hand.
Connor waved us up next to him and Sam. "You know how this is done?" he said to Austin.
Austin grinned at him. "Aye."
Connor nodded. "The four of will show the audience how it's done first. Then we'll invite everyone up." Connor turned to me and demonstrated the basic steps.
I did my best to follow him.
"Excellent," he said. "You're a fast learner."
"Many years of dance lessons," I said.
"Very good. Ready?" Connor said.
I nodded.
Connor pointed to the guy running the sound. "Music, please."
The soundtrack to the gathering country dance scene blared out, powerful and upbeat. It was impossible not to smile while dancing to it. And if you weren't dancing, you couldn't resist tapping your foot and clapping along.
Scottish country dance is a bit like square dancing. Austin was actually quite good—at both dancing and leading. He and Connor got into a bit of competition. Sam and I laughed when we realized what they were doing. Sam, of course, knew the dance. I did my best.
The ladies cheered and whistled as the camera crews zoomed in.
"All right now. That's enough of us showing off," Connor said. "Everyone come out here and dance!"
Before I knew it, the dance floor filled. Many of the women were from the local Celtic societies and knew the dance.
"Gentlemen!" Connor said to Jeremy, Cam, and Dylan, who were about the only other men in the room besides the cameramen. "You can't leave these lovely ladies with so few partners. I cannot handle them all single-handedly, fine a dancer as I am."
The guys sheepishly joined the floor. Their matchmaker must have taught them at least a little of the basics of dance. They didn't step on too many toes.
But Austin was divine. I was soon lost in his smiles, the merriment in his eyes and the room, the joy in the music and the dance.
I lost track of time. As we joined hands with the dancers around us, laughing and forming a circle, dancing to the right and then the left, I couldn't remember being this happy in a long time. Nigel was as far from my mind as he'd been in months. I hoped that I could finally get over him and stop imagining returning to him. This new world, the one I'd found today, wasn't a bad place to be at all.
We must have danced at least three Scottish dances before Connor called it quits and left the dance floor to mingle with the rest of his fans, the non-dancers.
As soon as Connor left, so did Sam. Within minutes, the dancing stopped completely. Austin took my hand. As we wove through the crowd to join the guys at the table, I heard murmurs of discontent and shock. Hushed whispers, indignant and upset. Quick, furtive glances at Connor. Pitying looks at Sam.
"She's not as pretty as Sam," I heard a woman who was looking at her phone say.
Her friend said, "Not at all. Actress an
d model! Ha! Blond, bland, and vapid."
As we walked through the crowd, I brushed a lock of hair that had fallen out of my intricate hairstyle out of my eyes. And, I don't know, I must have had a piece of lint or something on my fingers. Or maybe a bit of mascara or an eyelash fell into my eye. All of a sudden, my right eye started watering. And I mean watering. To the point I began to sniffle and it must have looked like I was crying.
Austin paused. "What's wrong?"
"Something in my eye." I blinked, but I couldn't get it out.
"Here." He pulled me out of the crowd to an empty space and positioned me neatly against the wall. "Am I going to have to nurse you now, doc?"
His nearness rattled me. I couldn't see him well through my watering eyes. But I smelled his cologne. We were both warm and flushed from dancing.
"Let me see," he said. "Tip your head up." He braced himself against the wall with his bandaged hand and leaned down to look into my eyes. "Ah. There's the culprit. You have an eyelash in your eye."
"A single eyelash is causing all that trouble?" I said, sniffling.
He cleared his throat. "It's a heavily mascaraed one."
"Or false," I said. I'd augmented my lashes with a few false ones.
"Well, it can't be very true if it's causing you this much trouble."
I laughed and blinked, trying to get it out.
"Hold still," he said. "It's in the corner of your eye. I think I can get it without doing too much damage."
I blinked again as he pressed against me and leaned into me almost as if he was going to kiss me. So close I felt his heat. He smelled like all the things I love in a man—tantalizing cologne and a fresh, physical male scent. Pheromones—gotta love them. Pure, raw chemistry and animal lust. My heart fluttered madly. I held my breath as his finger gently slid along the rim of my eye.
"Got it." He held the lash on the end of his finger for me to see.
"Troublemaker." Ostensibly I was referring to the lash. But was I? Or did I mean him?
I looked up into his arresting green eyes, hoping against my better judgment, and almost against my will, to see lust and longing shining in them. Hoping the desire I was feeling wasn't obvious. Or one-sided.
Almost Jamie (The Jet City Kilt Series) (Volume 1) Page 11
