“I don’t know. Looks like somebody got their dessert.”
The smirk. He could try to be innocent, but so far, ourget-togethers had mostly ended in fireworks. I wasn’t complaining. As long as I got to see that handsome face, it’d be a perfect evening.
“Yes. I’d love another date, even if our clothes stay on.”
“Whoa. I didn’t say that.” He gave my package another pat. “I’m finding it hard to keep my hands to myself.”
“I’m finding it hard. Period.” I couldn’t help but snort. “Okay, that sounded cheesy, even to me.”
When he wrapped his arms around my torso, squeezing me in a bear hug, I melted. The sex was great and the kissing top-notch. Sometimes, a man needs to be held. Simon’s superpower must be reading my body language. His embrace was exactly what I craved.
A few minutes later, we left the alley holding hands. We had yet to part ways, and already I imagined our next encounter.
BIG FEELINGS
“Okay, kiddos, let’s thank Mr. Cowan for talking with us today.”
The twenty second-graders on the floor clapped. All but Franklin. No matter how much I tried to convince him, he’d never think superheroes were cool. I was going to make it my personal mission to convert the single holdout. I’d break him and turn him into a future customer.
“Alright, my kangaroos, let’s follow Mrs. Thatcher to lunch.”
Mrs. Chessa helped the kids off the floor, ushering them from the reading corner to the door. Years ago, I had been one of those kids sitting on a pillow as Mrs. Chessa read us stories from her favorite books. It was amazing to see that little had changed in two decades. More so, I was surprised the librarian had hardly changed since she called me a “tiny terror.”
I cleaned up the books, a mixture of classic stories and superhero books, all filled with pictures for the kids to follow. I tried getting out of my beanbag chair, finding it far more difficult than I remembered. When jumping to my feet didn’t work, I clumsily rolled off the side before getting upright.
“That was painful to watch,” Mrs. Chessa said.
The librarian had a sarcastic streak. It meant she was one of my favorite people in the school. She joined me as I moved the cushions into their boxes, ready for the next class to arrive. It was hard to remember years ago how big the space had been. No bigger than a classroom, I remember loathing the library.
“Are you ready for the convention?”
I wanted to say yes. Despite checking items off the list, it seemed there was always more to do. I hadn’t lost sleep over it, but it steadily took more and more time out of my life.
“I think so? But there’s so much work.”
“You amaze me, Jason.”
I scratched my head as I dropped my eyes. “Thanks.”
“I mean it. I remember you as a kid. You hated the library. You were worse than Franklin.”
I chuckled. “Yeah. I won’t tell you what I called you when I was a kid.”
“Wicked hag?” She put her hands on her hips. “I still resemble that remark.” Her hair, pure white, had been tucked into a messy bun. The dark purple dress looked like something you might find the goth kids wearing. I used toimagine at night, she’d fade into the forest, only to return the next day, demanding I read.
“I’m sorry. I was a brat.”
“It’s okay, I own being a hag.” She poked me in the chest. “I’m darned proud of it.”
Mrs. Chessa spun about, her dress flaring out. She could be thirty or three-hundred. Something about her had a timeless quality. Even now, I still believed she lived in the forest.
“I’ll have you know…” She stopped spinning, giving me a slight curtsey. “The week leading up to your convention, the school has agreed to theme each day. Superheroes. School colors. Capes and cloaks. Of course, I’m most excited for supervillain day.” Her eyebrows waggled. “What would a wicked hag wear?”
“Thank you so much.” I couldn’t believe how much the town stood behind this event. Even as my chest swelled with pride, I could feel the expectations I put on myself get heavier. “I’ll admit I’m nervous. This is the kind of thing they do in the city. I honestly don’t know if we… ifIcan pull it off.”
“What’s the worst that happens?”
“I make a fool of myself? Sometimes, I think I should leave it to the professionals. I could just encourage people to go to Boston to see the spectacle.”
