We grabbed our first round of shots. Carlos held his glass up. We all followed suit, holding our glasses up in the air.
“To a kick-ass Dragon Con!” he yelled, causing the rest of the bar to cheer along with us. For some reason in that moment Ciara’s face entered my mind. I downed the shot as quickly as I could, hoping the strong tequila would numb all my senses.
“You okay, honey?” I felt hands touch my back. I turned to see Jason standing behind me. “Nia told me what happened. I noticed the look on your face just now.”
“I’m okay. Or I will be.” I forced the best smile I could.
“Just know you are with family now. We might be as crazy and weird as hell, but we are all family.”
“Damn right!” Carlos exclaimed, chiming in. He had obviously overheard what Jason said to me. “We are fucking weirdos. Cheers to being fucking weirdos!” Again, the crowd erupted in cheers. Carlos handed me another shot. I tapped his glass with mine and downed the second shot.
Nia tapped Jason on his shoulder. “I think that you have an admirer.”
Jason turned around to see a petite white girl with a terrible nurse outfit on staring at him. He quickly turned back around toward us.
“Tell me she didn’t see me.”
“Sorry, buddy, but she’s headed this way.” Carlos laughed.
The nurse walked over and tapped Jason on his shoulder. He rolled his eyes as he turned around to her.
“Um, well, hello there.” The nurse was obviously intoxicated, as she slurred her words. “I love your costume.”
“Thanks.” Jason smiled while trying to turn back around, only to have her grab his arm.
“I was wondering if I could maybe buy you a drink.” We couldn’t help but laugh as she attempted to flaunt her breasts, which were five seconds away from popping out the too-little costume.
“Um, thank you, but I’m already set.” He tried to turn around again, but it didn’t work.
“My name is Miley. What’s yours?”
“Umm, Jason.”
“Jaaaysooon. That’s a hot name for such a hot guy.”
“Riiight.” We couldn’t help but chuckle at the blank stare Jason continued to give the woman. “Look, I’m sorry, but we were just about to leave.”
“Oh, going to another party?” The nurse perked up, fearing she was about to lose her sexual chocolate.
“Um, not sure. Well, nice to meet you. Bye.” Jason started to walk away. We took our cue to follow. We couldn’t make it down the stairs before laughing uncontrollably at him. He was, however, not amused.
It was the night that wouldn’t end. Nia talked some guys dressed as Spartans into buying us drinks. Two guys wearing togas asked us to dance with them. The dance took a turn for the worse when they started humping on Nia like dogs. Carlos quickly intervened, just pulling her away. We laughed it off, knowing that was just a part of the craziness of Dragon Con. We headed to the main ballroom for the rave that was about to start. A steampunk band was playing as people drunkenly danced to the music. I looked to my right and saw a storm trooper dancing with a fairy. I let the techno music take me away. I danced, never letting go of my drink, which I was, at that point, just nursing.
I noticed two girls, a redhead and a blonde, who were dressed like slutty versions of the Sailor Moon and Sailor Mercury characters. They were dancing together. The liquor in me made me decide to join them. I began to grind against the girls, who welcomed me with open arms. I didn’t know what came over me, but I took them both by the back of the head and pushed them closer to each other, and without any hesitation they began to kiss. Carlos, Jason, and many other guys in the area stopped dancing to watch the show. The two girls stopped kissing, and then the redhead grabbed my face and pressed her lips against mine. The blonde didn’t want to miss out, so she grabbed my face and kissed me as well. Before I knew it, I was engaged in a triple kiss with Sailor Moon and Sailor Mercury.
I pulled away finally and looked over at my friends, who were all just shocked at what they had witnessed. They all started clapping their hands. I brushed them off, and we continued to dance the night away.
Chapter 3
I could hear the water running, but I didn’t want to open my eyes. I finally forced my eyes open and saw Nia dressed in her Princess Tiana costume again. I looked over at the clock on the dresser.
“You are not seriously up this early,” I said, noticing that Cree was still dead to the world.
“I gotta get to the lineup for the parade. I didn’t want to wake you guys. Especially you, with your drunk ass.” She laughed as she picked up her frog. “I’ll be back afterward, and we can get ready for the big event.”
I soon realized it was the big day. I was finally going to see Ursula in the flesh. Nia left the room, and I turned on the TV. The host hotels had a channel reserved for Dragon Con TV, and it showed nothing but highlights from the weekend, along with panels and exclusive interviews. At that moment it showed people lining up for the parade. I could tell it was a madhouse outside. Something that used to be just for us had now become a favorite for Atlanta residents as well. They no longer had to take their kids to Six Flags to see characters. They could watch a parade filled with characters from cartoons and comics, one with everything Disney, with everything Spartans, and, of course, with Ghostbusters, Star Trek, and Star Wars characters.
The intro for the interviews came on. I gasped as Ursula appeared on the screen. She was being interviewed in the bar that we were in just the night before. She talked about how excited she was to be at Dragon Con and how she couldn’t wait for the panel later on that day. I couldn’t believe she was standing in the same area I’d been in a few hours earlier.
“Oh, look. It’s your girl.” Cree sat up in her bed and wiped her eyes.
“I really hope I don’t make an ass out of myself today.”
“You will be fine. She’s going to call you onstage, just like my Les did for me.” Cree climbed out the bed and headed to the bathroom. Deep down I prayed she was right.
Nia returned to our room two hours later, after the parade. We talked about how good she had looked on TV. Cree and I had already had our showers and were putting our makeup on for the panel. It didn’t take us long to get in our Greek goddess attire. I put my dress on, and it fit like a glove. The fabric was nice and cool, so I knew I wouldn’t get too hot in it.
“I got this for you.” Nia handed me a bag. “I knew you didn’t have time to go get it, so I got it for you.”
I pulled out a gold headpiece and an armband and necklace for my costume. I hugged Nia. My outfit was now complete. The curls of my black wig hung perfectly on my shoulders. I put the gold earrings I had on and gave myself one more once-over. I almost didn’t recognize myself. I was no longer Temple. I was Athena.
The fourth row wasn’t an option for this panel. We arrived extra early and were in line with only a few older women, who were obviously fans of Ursula’s earlier work as the Amazon. I watched as the line swelled with people, most of them wearing T-shirts with her picture on them. People asked to take our pictures and complimented us on how well we matched the actual show. We knew we had it in the bag. The only other people in costume were men dressed as Greek gods. The women there were mostly in Amazon outfits. We were the only Greek goddesses in the line that we could see.
They ushered us in, and we snagged seats in the second row, behind the disability chairs. We were second row, center, and it was perfect. We went over our questions in our heads again. I could feel my body tensing as the time came closer. I was shaking when the moderator walked out onstage. The moderator announced each man first. Cree had a very confident look on her face as Les walked out onstage.
Nia grabbed my arm when Kirk ran out, holding his hands in the air. “Lord, that man is fine.”
I could feel the heat rising off her body. Kirk was the sexiest, with his long blond hair and wicked smile. He oozed sex appeal, unlike the other two men, who were gorgeous but didn’t sell se
x the way that Kirk did.
I held both of my friends’ hands as the moderator called Ursula’s name. The crowd went wild as she walked out onstage, waving at everyone. I was in shock. She was literally a few feet away from me. I felt like I was watching a slow-motion video. She was flawless, just as I had imagined. Her black hair was straight and hung off her shoulders. Her British accent threw me a bit, owing to the fact that she never talked with a British accent on any of the shows she was on. It was sexy.
The moderator called for questions. We all stood up and headed to the question podium. Just like the day before, the first questions sucked. One obvious lesbian told Ursula that she was her first crush. Ursula talked about how it made her proud to have helped so many lesbians find their way.
Nia walked to the front. We quickly got the attention of the panel. Ursula leaned in.
“I think I see three goddesses,” she said to her costars.
“Wow. Three very beautiful goddesses, if I say so myself. Is Atlanta my lucky city?” Kirk said, flirting and causing the crowd to swoon. We all were blushing.
“It certainly can be.” Nia came back with this witty response, causing the crowd to clap. The panel loved it. We couldn’t believe that came from Nia’s mouth.
Nia asked the panel what their favorite episode was. They all responded. Afterward, Cree walked up to the question podium.
“Wait, is that Lexi now a goddess?” Les looked closely.
Cree nodded. “Yes, it is.”
“Wow! You have to be the best fan ever.” He smiled at her.
“I try.”
“No, you succeeded.” Les bowed his head to her.
She asked the panel how difficult was it having the cast changes for two of the lead characters.
I felt my body tensing up as the mic was handed to me. Out of nowhere Ciara’s face popped into my brain again. I suddenly went blank. I couldn’t remember my question. The crowd finished clapping for Cree’s question. All eyes were on me. I looked directly at Ursula, whose eyes were on me.
“Well, hello there, Athena.”
She knows who I am. I felt my hands shaking. The microphone suddenly felt heavy in my hand. I forced myself to raise it to my mouth. Thoughts of all the things that Ciara had said to me about coming to the convention flooded my mind. I could see her with that bitch in my head.
“Hello, Ursula.” My voice trembled. “I just want to say that . . .” I couldn’t say any more. Emotions filled me, and I started to cry. Cree and Nia both held on to me as I struggled, and I finally got it out. “I am sorry, but I just want to say that you have been the biggest inspiration in my life since I was a child. If it wasn’t for you, I never would have come into my own as the powerful woman I am. Well, that I usually am.”
The crowd cheered. Some stood up, feeling the same way I felt about her.
“I thank you, love, and I am so glad that I was able to touch your life with my work. As an actress, that’s all that we hope for. But I have a feeling that you would have come into your own and been the beautiful and powerful woman I see in front of me right now, anyway. You rock!”
I broke down crying again as the crowd cheered. Ursula stood up and clapped for me as I walked back to my chair. I was filled with emotion. It wasn’t the moment I was going for, but it worked just as well. The panel ended with the cast thanking us for our support. We sat there as the crowd dispersed. I had finally regained my composure.
“I can’t believe I broke down. I’m such a dork.” I put my hands over my eyes.
“It’s okay. She loved you. I know it,” Cree said.
“No. Les loved you,” I responded. “He acted like you were the only person in the room.”
Cree paused for a moment, then said, “He kinda did, didn’t he?”
“Okay, we need to get over to the Walk of Fame so we can get our autographs,” Nia said, trying hard to keep us on schedule.
I shook my head. “Are you crazy? Didn’t you see what just happened? I don’t want to know what will happen when I am standing right in her face.”
“Girl, please. You have to be cried out by now. And it’s good, because it’s fresh on her mind,” Nia replied.
I couldn’t get Ursula’s face out of my head. I had made a complete fool of myself, and I wasn’t looking forward to doing it again. I was sure I would want to jump right off the top of the Marriott if I did one more foolish thing in front of her.
“Okay, how about we go to the Walk of Fame and see the guys first? Then, if you are cool after that, we can go into the VIP room where she is. You know she won’t be in the same room with the guys. She’s too big of a name.” Nia patted me on my back.
I agreed. I could warm up with the men from the show and then work my way up to Ursula.
One of the good things about the convention was the Walk of Fame. Nearly all the celebrity guests spent the time they were not in panels in a large room, meeting and greeting the fans. For a fee, you could get autographs, and some even allowed you to take photos with them. The good thing was that you could just walk up to them and speak for free.
We made our way through the madhouse to the floor that held the Walk of Fame. We flashed our badges and walked into the busy room. Celebrities and their handlers were posted at tables that went around the whole room. The more popular celebrities were right up front. A large banner with Les, Mason, and Kirk on it hung on a wall. Their table was surrounded by women squealing at their beauty.
“Okay, so what’s our plan of attack here?” Nia was fully focused on the goal of getting as close to Kirk as she could.
“I say we gorilla those bitches out of the way and get our men.” Cree rubbed her hands together.
“Let’s just get in line. It’s already seven, and the room closes at eight thirty. Plus, once they see us, I’m sure they will at least chat with us.” I looked at the line, which was moving faster than expected.
We walked up to the line, only to realize that the majority of the women weren’t getting anything signed.
“Oh, look at Les. He’s so gorgeous.” Cree melted.
“Please look at Kirk. That smile.” Nia was in heat, as well. As much as I loved the guys, my mind was elsewhere. I would be no good until I met Ursula.
“It’s our goddesses!” Our mouths dropped when Kirk stood up and acknowledged us in the line. “Don’t they look lovely?” The crowd cheered in approval.
We couldn’t believe what was happening. Two girls gave us dirty looks as we walked up to the table. The two guys were fixated on us. Mason greeted us and thanked us for being such loyal fans. He asked us questions about our costumes. While Les and Kirk mentioned how attractive we looked, Mason kept it on a strictly platonic level.
“So what are your lovely names?” Les asked.
Nia took the lead. “I’m Nia, and this is Temple and Cree.”
“Cree, you were an absolutely amazing Lexi yesterday,” Les said. He couldn’t take his eyes off of Cree. “And today you are just as amazing.”
“Why, thank you. You’re pretty fantastic as well,” Cree replied.
I watched as my friends flirted in moderation with their favorite actors. I noticed the others watching the way things were going down with them. Some women had frowns on their faces, wishing they had received more than a thank-you when they met the guys. Suddenly the handlers were snapping photos of us and the men, because they wanted pictures with the Greek goddess cosplayers for promotional purposes. Others crowded around, snapping photos of us for their large collection of Dragon Con cosplay photos, which everyone had at the end of the weekend.
Not only were the guys total hotties, but they were beyond down to earth as well. Instead of having us leave once the photos had been taken, they asked us to hang around. This was something out of a dream: we were hanging with people we watched faithfully every Sunday night, like we were actual friends. As much as I was enjoying the moment, I still had something else to do, and time was running out.
“Excuse me,” I said.<
br />
I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned around to see a well-dressed white woman in a pantsuit standing behind me. She looked much more official than anyone else I’d seen, even more official then the facilitators of the convention.
“Aren’t you the girl who got a little emotional at the panel earlier?” she said while typing on her iPad.
Mortified, I just nodded my head.
She smiled. “Oh, trust me, it’s quite all right. We’ve seen much worse.”
We’ve? Suddenly my heart began to race. She had to be working with Ursula.
“Thanks. I just wasn’t hoping to make a total ass of myself,” I admitted.
“Oh, you didn’t. In fact, someone would like to meet you.”
My heart was now working in overtime. The woman just smiled and nodded her head, already knowing what I was thinking. I tried to remain as calm as I possibly could. Not only had Ursula noticed me, but she had also sent someone to actually come and get me.
“Let me just let my friends know,” I told her. Before she could respond, I had walked back over to Nia and Cree, who were sitting in chairs behind the guys as they signed autographs for other people.
“Um, seems Ursula wants to meet me,” I announced.
“Oh my God!” they both squealed in unison.
“Go. Go. Go! Text us, and we will meet you when this plays out,” Nia said and hit my hand, totally excited by what was happening.
I showed off my overly excited face to them one more time before taking a deep breath and turning around.
The short walk seemed like it would never end. The bigger names, like William Shatner, John Barrowman, and Stan Lee, had been put in a separate room to keep the crowds in better control than they were in the regular room.
Les Tales Page 3
