by Alexa Davis
She did a little turn and planted her feet as she had before. She popped her hip and placed her hand on it, flipping the little switch with her thumb as she did so. I held my breath for the briefest moment while everything was still, and just as her eyebrows shot up, the wings opened with a satisfying “whoosh.” C.J. tilted her head to one side, and while she said nothing, I could see her scolding me in her head from the look on her face as she stared me down.
“I know, I know, the pause was a little longer than anticipated. But, it you throw a head toss in there, it will be seamless.”
“Or, you could fix the timing.”
“Or I could fix the timing. Don’t move, I can get to the springs just fine if you leave the wings open.” I knelt behind her and adjusted the tightness of the timing springs, and closed the wings for her to try them again. The second time, they sprang open without a hitch, and she used the tiny motor in the belt of the costume to close them in a fairly smooth motion. I made a mental note to check the motor and make sure it had enough juice for the convention, and to pack extra batteries just in case.
C.J. agreed that not only were they lighter, but the new brace/bra top made her breasts look fabulous. I couldn’t disagree. She looked delicious, from the mahogany wig to her glowing toes. She wasn’t just dressed like a character, she embodied it.
“It feels amazing,” she confessed as we hung all the bits and pieces of her costume up wither on the mannequin or right next to her. “I’m scared I’m going to forget something and lose the competition over some stupid misplaced item, or because one of my boots stops lighting up or something.
I showed her the satchel I had already started, with batteries, wig taming tools, extra insole foot cushions for the hours she was about to spend on her feet, a bottle of Aleve, and a bottle of water.
“They say it’s good to be prepared, so I tried to think of anything you might need while we’re at the convention center. I figured you could add, like, makeup and hair stuff on your own, I wouldn’t even know where to begin with all that.”
Immediately, C.J. started rifling through her cabinets looking for appropriate hair and makeup products to add to the bag. In the end, my “emergency kit” was heavier than the damn wings had been, with theater makeup, more water, an extra red wig in case she changed her mind, feminine hygiene products, because they were good for nosebleeds and smear-free sweat removal (who knew?), and protein bars. The last made me the happiest, glad to see she was open to solid food of some kind, even if it was low-calorie.
“Well, are you ready for a celebratory dinner of kale shake and flavored water?” I mocked as I helped her wrap the costume and put it inside the extra-large garment bag. She gave me a grin, and surveyed the room one more time for any pieces we might have missed the dozen times we already went over the list.
“We are good,” she sighed. “This is so simple with help. I might have to chain you to my bed and make you stay forever.” I knew she was teasing, but the more time I spent with her, the easier it was to see myself here, and not on the ranch. I busied myself with getting everything in the duffel bag in an organized way, and set it on the floor below the garment bag.
It seemed so innocuous, hanging there, as though it might have shirts and suits in it, the grey, drab fabric did nothing to announce the craftsmanship of what it held. Looking at it, I got another idea and started brainstorming. If Carina was going to make a brand out of being C.J. Rivers, it was time for her to have the tools and art that a professional deserved.
Chapter Seventeen
Carina
The wings felt so much better with the changes we’d made, I almost wanted to wear them into Gamercon. But I had obligations to fulfill that required me wear what one or more of the game developers hosting the party wanted from me, so even though I felt it was ready to be seen, I had to wait to share my biggest project with the world. I glanced at Jackson, humming to himself as he put together another shake for me. Admittedly, I let him do it because his tasted better, but I worried it was because he was adding things I wasn’t supposed to have, like anything that tasted good.
He’d been in town for just a day and had settled in so easily it was like we’d always lived together. It felt strange thinking about before he’d arrived, and what I was going to do once he left again. I had interrupted him emailing Stanford, and it was a sharp reminder that I wasn’t the only reason he was in California. I wanted him to stay. I’d wanted him to stay from the moment he asked to help make my costume easier to wear. He didn’t change the look, he didn’t ask me to cover up more or wear less, he just asked if he could make what I had already done better for me.
I texted Shelby and sent my schedule so we could coordinate makeup and maybe a few minutes together between signings and panels, which we both had been asked to do in our relative fields of expertise, if that was a word I could even use for my gaming. I laughed to myself.
Jackson was a technology and gaming expert. He was crazy good at the games we played, and had earned one degree already in computers, before the one he was looking to finish at Stanford. It occurred to me that I could make him a few good connections at the convention. I mentioned him to Shelby, who was better connected with the guys than I was, since I hadn’t dated nearly as many of them, and told her what little I knew of his history and what he’d done for me before we’d even met. She replied that it was the sweetest creepy stalker thing she’d ever heard. I wasn’t used to being ready this far ahead of a convention, and I wondered what to do with Jackson. I stuck my head out into the living room, where he and Stiles the cat were hanging out on the sofa and channel surfing.
“Did you bring any ‘going out’ clothes with you?”
He glanced down at his shirt and back up at me. “Is there something wrong with what I’m wearing?”
“No, but did you bring anything you could wear to a club? We’re a little ahead of schedule, and I thought you might like to see the California nightlife. I don’t know if I’ll be much up to it after the convention, so…”
“I did not bring clubbing clothes. So, how about you show me the mall life in California, and we can go to the club tonight.”
“Perfect. Let’s head out and get you something. I might have to get something for myself too. I get pretty stingy with my money sometimes, and I think today is a good day for splurging.” I grabbed my keys and kissed Stiles goodbye, picking him up and holding him even longer when he growled at me, low in his throat. “Bye, baby kitty.” I looked up at the sound of a sigh.
“He hates that.”
“Right now, maybe. But he’ll be all lovey again when it’s dinner time. It’s the only payback I get for feeding him and cleaning his litter box. He owes me.”
I drove to the The Grove, my nearest mall, navigating LA traffic with my usual combination of aggressiveness and wild abandon that had poor Jackson clinging to the door handle and glancing at me out of the corner of his eye.
“You skerred, boy?” I taunted him as I lurched into a parking stall that wasn’t too far a walk from the front door of the mall. He glared balefully at me and leaned against the car door for a moment before getting out.
“Do you always drive like that?”
“You drove in from the airport, weren’t there other people on the road with you?”
“Yes, and I spent half the drive yelling at them and flipping them off, you crazy woman.”
I giggled and let him hold the glass door open for me while I stepped into the air-conditioned interior of the Nordstrom store and made a beeline for the men’s section.
“Would you prefer me to wait and watch you try things on, or go shopping for myself and meet up with you in a little while?”
He held up a finger and grabbed a nice tee shirt and a pair of black designer jeans. “I’ll come with you. This should fit fine.”
I scoffed. “Typical male. All right, I’ll try not to take too long, but you, ah, you set the bar a little high for speed shopping.”
He shrug
ged. “Let me pick yours out too, and we can go sit at the Nordstrom’s coffee bar and get fancy coffees and talk loud so people make fun of my accent.”
I laughed louder than I intended and bumped him with my shoulder. “Okay, you can pick, but I will be trying it on, and I claim first right of veto.”
“Uh, no, I don’t think so. You get to dress up all the time. I never get to dress you, but I have a few ideas.”
I rolled my eyes. “No naked clubs in town, in case you were wondering.”
“That’s fine by me. I won’t even dress you like you’re Amish, even though I thought about it for a minute. Trust me. I got to see all your clothes, remember? I think I know what you like.” He pointed at a chair by the dressing room. “Now go wait.”
I sat down, watching pretty teens who were skipping school go back and forth between the racks and the dressing rooms, and I realized how old I felt compared to them. I got my first clue that Jackson was coming back when I saw a girl who couldn’t be more than seventeen, biting her lip and staring at him from under her false eyelashes. He was completely oblivious to it, too excited to see my reaction to his choices to even see the girl watching him, which only made me smile bigger.
“Okay, I got something black, something red, and something blue, because I thought it would go with your eyes.” He handed me the hangers. “Try the blue first, it’s my favorite.” I winked and leaned up to kiss him on the cheek.
“I could get used to this.”
He laughed and blushed a little. “Well, I’ve never had a model of my own to dress. I had a hard time not grabbing more.”
He grabbed my ass as I walked away, and I glanced in the mirror to see the irritation on the blonde’s face as he took over the chair I’d been sitting in and pulled out his phone. I tried on the blue dress, just as he’d asked. It was a little big, but considering it was a size small, I couldn’t be mad at him.
“Jackson? Can you come here, honey?” I called out as I slid out of the slinky, stretchy dress. He knocked on the door and I opened it a crack, slipping the dress out to him. “If this comes in an extra small, I’d really appreciate it. This one is a little baggy in the front, and I don’t’ think we need to share my nipples with the world.” He paused as if he was thinking about it, and I shut the door in his face.
I tried on the other two dresses while I waited for him to come back, but he was right, the blue dress, with its drape neckline and clingy shape had been my favorite too. Obviously, he knew I wouldn’t be afraid of color, and the pale blue even looked silver as it moved under the light, looking subtle, and rich. I loved it. But, I wasn’t going to get my hopes up while I was stuck in dressing room in only panties; they might not have one that would fit me. I cursed my more successful friends, who could afford not to shop off the rack.
I heard a cowboy whoop and knew he’d found what he was looking for. I giggled at the sound and glanced in the mirror. My eyes were bright and my cheeks were flushed. “Good God” I thought to myself. “You’re no better than the twit checking him out in the mirror.” I took a deep breath and released it, and watched the color fade from my cheeks until I no longer looked like a half-naked fangirl.
He slung the dress over the door and I tried it on. It fit like a glove, shimmering as I moved and flashing silver alongside the blue depending on how I turned. I knew I had the perfect silver strappy sandals at home to go with it, and I was dead set on getting it, so I refused to look at the tag.
I opened the door to go show Jackson, who was standing right outside the door with a shoebox in his hands.
“I wasn’t sure if you had shoes that matched. This is what took so long to get back.”
I lifted the lid and inside were sandals nearly identical to my own. I held out a fist and he bumped it with his own. “Those are awesome, to be honest, but I have almost exactly the same shoes at home, so I’m going to pass on those today. But, they would have been what I wanted, if I didn’t already have them. I’m impressed.”
“Shit, I knew I’d seen these before, I just figured I’d seen them back home and remembered them for some reason. Well, cool then, let me pay for that dress while you get changed. He held out a hand for the dress. I slipped it off and handed it to him, while his face split in a grin, then I shut the door in his face and quickly got my clothes back on. I had never had a guy buy me things before. It made me wish I’d just said “yes” to the shoes.
We still had time to kill, so we drove over to Santa Monica and wandered around the aquarium for a couple of hours. He was thrilled to see the seahorses and touch the little ball rays, then we stopped for something to eat at a brewpub on the way back to LA. I conceded and ate the salad Jackson ordered for me, after he pointed out that it was less vegetables than I was used to grinding up in my blender and “pouring down my gullet.” I had to google “gullet” after that, but I got his point.
We ate, then as a nod to his rural upbringing and obvious fear of not being the driver, I handed him my keys to drive the rest of the way home. It gave me time to text Shelby and tell her our plan for the night, in case she wanted to accidentally bump into us before Gamercon and meet Jackson under less stressful circumstances. Besides, the couple of girlfriends I’d mentioned him to had acted like I was trying to get raped and killed. It would be nice for me to have a friend on my side if he decided I was worth visiting again.
She replied to my text quickly suggesting we catch dinner with her and her boyfriend, and another couple, Cassidy and Liz, but I still had to fit into that costume over the next couple days, and even an extra salad was calories I didn’t need. I told her I’d talk to Jackson and get back to her, since we weren’t a couple, and I didn’t want to make him too uncomfortable introducing him to my best friends on basically our second date.
We walked in the door and he went looking for Stiles to say hello, and I hung up our club clothes. I walked into the living room, to Jackson lying shirtless on the bed he’d pulled out, with his hands behind his head as he watched me.
“We need to talk,” he said, without moving.
“Okay.” I stood with my arms folded and a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach.
“Well, come here,” he sighed as he rolled over on his side, still facing me. I sat on the bed and he tugged me closer, so I was on my back next to him and his arm was across my chest, pinning me down. He snuggled closer and pressed his face into my hair. “I think we should try to make this work,” he sighed again and stroked my shoulder.
Chapter Eighteen
Jackson
“I’m, I’m sorry, what?” She caught her breath and held it, and I stumbled on with my under-planned speech.
“Yeah, see what I did there? We could’ve talked for hours, skirted the issue, had some more sex… Not that I don’t plan on us doing that anyway. But, for real. I want to see if we can keep this up. I get asked to help people, all the time. I’ve never had this much fun, or enjoyed being a part of someone else’s goals, as much as I did yesterday. I want to spend more time with you, all my free time, to be exact. I want to buy groceries with you and cook, and force you to eat real food, and…” She pushed up onto her elbow and faced me, and my voice trailed off.
“Wow.” She breathed deeply. “So, you want to meet my friends, and help me build costumes? Maybe even work in the industry, in tech? Or, you just want to keep coming out and visiting and giving me hot sex, which I am happy to receive, by the way, and see where it goes?”
“I sound crazy.” I started to pull away, but she grabbed my shoulder and held me on the bed.
“No! I just want to be clear, because I feel the same way, I think.”
“I can keep coming out to visit, or keep coming to see you from Stanford, if they take me. But, those courses? I can do them online, I mean, c’mon, most of what I have left is a thesis anyway.” I boasted.
“So, you could stay here.”
“Or we could get another place together, but I think staying here is good at first.”
“
How long have we been talking? I mean, how long have we known each other?” She grabbed her phone and I could see her scrolling through her texts. I smiled a little. She’d saved all my texts.
“Almost three months. But in my defense, one of my favorite gamer buddies dated his wife for a week before they were engaged, and they were married after three, so we’re still on the fringe of normal.” I watched her check things off on her fingers.
“I really like you, Jackson. I care more than I thought I would, and some things have been a lot easier and more natural than they should be at this stage.”
I nodded. She had been as easy to be around as an old friend since the moment I had arrived. A very hot, sexy, fuckable old friend who I wanted to cook for and shower with, who would never look at another guy again… so, not really an old friend so much as the woman I wanted to spend the foreseeable future with. I kept that part to myself.
“Well, in that case, I have a couple of friends I’d like you to meet. Shelby and Cassidy are really, really, nice, and they help me with my costumes. Shelby even does make-up for movies. Cassidy helps me with sewing. If you think you can handle it, we can meet up with them and their significant others tonight. Shelby invited us to join them for dinner.”
“Would you eat?” I raised an eyebrow at her.
“Hell no. But, I would drink a diet soda, or a single glass of wine, and pick off your plate. Jackson, they know me. They probably invited us to make sure you get something to eat.” She sat up and looked at me, wide-eyed. “Did we just decide we’re dating?”
“Yes. Yes, we did. You having second thoughts already?”
“No. Are we telling anyone?” She looked overwhelmed, and I suddenly wished I could take it all back until after Gamercon. I had wanted to get it out of the way, so it was one less thing to think about.
