“Can I get a photo, Mom?” Lucas asked.
“Can I get a photo, Mom?” I asked.
“Boys and their heroes.” She winked before reaching into one of the many pockets on her costume and pulling out her phone. “Go on, both of you.”
We waited patiently for him to finish signing an action figure of his character, and as soon as the floor cleared, we ran over. This might very well be the closest I ever came to a real superhero. With the white mask hiding his face, itwas hard to describe the man. Handsome and thick, but I wanted to know how much of that was him versus the padding in his costume.
“You’re my hero,” Lucas said.
“Funny,” Chris said, “you’remyhero.”
Lucas’s face turned red. If I were his age… heck, even now, I wasn’t sure how much my heart could take before I dropped dead. When Chris struck his signature pose, Lucas followed suit. Fine, I did it too. Lucy laughed while she snapped photos.
When she finished, I reached out to shake the actor’s hand. “Thanks for coming. I can’t tell you how much this means to me.”
“You’re the guy in charge?” I nodded. “My ex was prepared to beg for me to show up. Then I heard it was the town’s first convention. We can’t let Boston have all the fun.”
He bumped fists with Lucas. “Am I going to see you at the contest?” If Lucas nodded any faster, his head might fly off. “Good.” He pointed at me as he leaned closer to Lucas. “Make sure this one gets his suit on.”
“What suit?”
Lucas just about exploded. “Mom has something for you.”
Lucy took Lucas by the hand. She said nothing as she gave me an eyebrow waggle. As I wrapped my arm around Simon’s waist, I could see him checking out Chris. He might be a handsome bear, but he wasn’tmyhandsome bear.
“Don’t worry, you win the best-dressed hero award.”
I yelped as he gave me a swift smack on the ass. “Don’t speak yet. We have one more surprise for you.”
I rested my head on his shoulder as we walked. The crowd didn’t pay us any attention as they swarmed the actor’s booth. If the day ended this very moment, I’d consider it a success. I almost cursed the idea of moving away. I had needed one reason to stay and as I looked around at the people of Firefly, it was more than I could have hoped for.
Simon, the boyfriend, he was a bonus reason.
NO KISSING BAD GUYS
“How excited are you?”
I turned, trying to keep my cool. “I’m about to pee myself.” To my right, my best friend wore a unicorn horn and wings on her back. Amanda’s StarPony costume was exactly what I expected. Did she abandoned her couple’s custome with Jon as a subtle jab at my love for the comic.
“If you ruin that costume, Lucy will kill you. If you make Lucy angry,I’llkill you.” Amanda didn’t bother hiding her lusty feelings for Simon’s ex-wife.
Lucy swore my costume was the same one used by Sentinel during the Centurion Movie. The purple and black leather looked great on screen, but in reality, nobody could stop crime in this. I didn’t care how much I had to suck in or that I couldn’t sit down properly. By God, I was going to live in this outfit.
I turned back in my chair, eyeing the man to my left ashe munched a multicolored snow cone. When we suggested the costume contest, I assumed it’d be me and Gladys or Bonny making up arbitrary scores. I tried tempering my emotions as I smiled at Chris Wilde. Nope, that was my creepy stalker face.
“Thanks for coming. It means the world to me… to Firefly. We’re not a destination for movie stars.”
He slurped the liquid from his snow cone. “This is the best con I’ve ever been to.”
“Are you serious?”
“I can’t wait to show Micah Breen the statue I found of him.”
“You mean…theMicah Breen? That played Sentinel?” In the presence of Hollywood royalty, I had two modes, star-struck or creepy fanboy. If I kept it up, I’d drool, and by next week, I’d have a restraining order in my mailbox.
I’d risk it.
“I like conventions that aren’t swamped. It gives me a chance to hang out with the fans and talk. The big conventions are dull. I sign a bunch of posters, smile for the camera, and repeat. If you decide to do this next year, let me know.”
