21. Darwin
I’M NOT EQUIPPED to lie to Savvy.
Even if it’s for a good reason and I’m confident she’ll be happy I did, I’ve been on edge all morning.
“Opening day!” she chirps around the toothbrush in her mouth—so it actually sounds more like “openy-ay”—beaming at me in the mirror.
I love seeing her like this: barefaced and happy, dressed in another of my stolen T-shirts while standing at the second sink in my bathroom, the one that was never used until she started staying over. Her hair is damp from the shower we took together, and the bathroom smells like her shampoo and my body wash. Today, however, I’m too distracted to appreciate the warm, casual domesticity as much as I normally do.
Spitting out my own toothpaste, I rinse my mouth and lean over to kiss her temple. “I told the kids they could start at nine. Will you be ready to go in five?”
I know she won’t be. Previous experience has taught me she needs at least thirty minutes to get ready to go anywhere, longer if she recently showered. Sure enough, Savvy’s eyes widen at the question, and she leans over to spit.
“You’re telling me this now?” she groans, gesturing to herself. “I still have wet hair, Dar.”
“I’m sorry. Slipped my mind.”
She sighs heavily. “We’ll have to take separate cars. They really don’t need to be in a full hour early. This is just the soft opening, so I’m guessing only a handful of people will show. Don’t let Luke work the snack bar, okay? He never stops sneaking pepperoni. Put King on there. Oh! And remind Marley about that breaker in the arena, just in case it pops during a game?—”
“I’ve got it, baby.” I nudge her chin up, grinning as I see her annoyance with me melt away. “It’s going to go great. You’ve thought of everything. And if you haven’t, that’s the point of having a soft opening, right? To find out what the issues are before you guys start regular business hours? You have those interviews set up next week too, so you’ll have plenty of staff.”
Biting her lip, she nods, accepting the truth in this. “I know.”
“I’ll see you there.”
Another kiss, and I’ve turned on my heel, heart racing as if I’ve just committed a robbery. Christ, I have no idea how people keep things from their partners. This entire plan has been an anxiety-inducing nightmare. Savvy will be lucky if I keep her birthday gifts a secret after this.
Even after I’ve successfully escaped the house without my girlfriend realizing anything is amiss, the nerves don’t subside. I want to do this, damn it. For Savvy, and for myself. It’s important to me, but that doesn’t make it any easier.
I even considered calling the whole thing off a few times, but the fight two days ago strengthened my resolve.
Savvy deserves a grand gesture. That’s how it’s done in the books and the movies, and virtually every romantic piece of subculture that’s ever been shoved under my nose, isn’t it? When you screw up and hurt the person you love, saying you’re sorry isn’t enough sometimes.
I’m certain she’s put the whole thing behind her and is happy to love me unconditionally until the end of time with no further apologies. But, in five years, or ten, or twenty, when my little tornado looks at me, I don’t want there to be a doubt in her mind that I would move mountains for her.
That starts right fucking now.
Even with all that, however, I’m still anxious as I turn onto the road leading to Galactic Guild. Especially when I see the cars parked along either side of the road for easily a quarter of a mile before the parking lot.
My fingers drum restlessly on the steering wheel as I experience the familiar restless, crawling sensation beneath my skin. I haven’t done anything like this in over a decade, since just after my second book was released. Despite my agent’s misgivings, I realized my publisher wanted more books out of me far more than they wanted someone to sit behind signing tables and show up to conventions, so I started refusing all of it.
I gave the odd interview, sure, but the rise of my success correlated with the worsening of my symptoms, and I engaged with readers less and less. Now, with a new series beginning to take shape, I need to do better. One event won’t change that, but it’s an attempt, a start, and the fact it will benefit Savvy too?
I’m going to do this.
When I reach the parking lot, it’s apparent why there are cars lining the road. The parking lot is completely packed, with a line of people stretching around the entire building and out of sight beyond a line of parked cars. All of them are clutching books. Some near the front have folding chairs and are sharing bags of chips.
Christ, all this is for me?
I feel like I can breathe again as I drive around to park beside the dumpsters. Thankfully, there’s no one back here. As I step out of the car, though, a metal door along the back of the building opens, and Marley pops her head out.
“Did you see that line?” she gushes, practically bouncing as she steps out of the way to let me into the back hall.
“Yeah, I saw it,” I confirm gravely, rolling up the sleeves of my dress shirt as I follow her toward the lobby. A strange sense of calm has settled on me, and it’s almost more unnerving than outright panic.
This should be harder, shouldn’t it?
Marley flicks her hair over her shoulder. “I told a bunch of the guys at the game shop that I got to help you with this, and they didn’t believe me. Sexist dickwads. Anyway, they’ve been sitting outside in the heat for four hours, but I’d really like to see the karmic justice taking place. So, I was thinking I’d give you a signal when they get to your table, and you could write ‘Marley is your queen’ in their books.”
“I’m not doing that,” I tell her flatly, just as we emerge into the lobby.
The windows have been tinted, but I can still hear the rumble of excited voices and see the vague shadows of people moving around. There’s no time to lose my shit, though, because a tall, dark-haired young woman is walking toward me. Scowling.
“I wasn’t sure you’d come.”
Raven sniffs, crossing her arms. “I’m helping for Savvy. Not you.”
I let out a hard laugh. “I figured. Thank you nonetheless.”
She stares at me for a moment. “So, you’re serious about this? Her?You’re not just looking to have your ego stroked?”
Lifting a hand to our current surroundings, I smile tightly. “If you’ve Googled me, even once, you’ll know that this isn’t a thing I do. I think it’s fairly obvious my ego isn’t a priority.”
Raven doesn’t argue with this, but her expression is pinched. “You must think I’m a bitch for icing her out after I found out she was seeing you.”
I hesitate. “I think you’ve been there for her for a long time, and it’s difficult to see someone you care about do something that’s bad for them. Given our history, I can’t exactly blame you for being angry.”
Raven nods, stepping back. “Okay, then. Don’t think this means I approve of you.”
“I wouldn’t dare.”
“You’re on probation, for probably the rest of your life. Which might be shorter than you think, by the way. Savvy sometimes forgets to turn off the burners when she finishes cooking.”
Noted.
Raven retreats, off on her mission to retrieve Savvy, and I feel lighter. My agent managed to assemble a last-minute team to manage the event and set up the birthday party room for the signing, but Raven, her boyfriend, Luke, Marley, and King will be the only ones on hand to make sure that Galactic Guild doesn’t crumple under the weight of hundreds of new customers.
It’s one hell of a trial run. For me, and the business.
One of the event staff approach. “We’re ready for you, Mr. Wilder.”
Savvy arrives about forty-five minutes after we’ve started.
She slips into the room, face pale, and watches from the doorway as I finish signing a complete set of my books for a trio of readers, who are excitedly telling me their thoughts on the casting for the show. I meet her eyes over their heads and feel myself grin.
As soon as I’ve thanked them for coming and they’ve headed out, I hold up a hand to stop my PA from sending in the next group, and Savvy walks around the back of the table.
“What did you do?” She laughs, a little hysterically. “The arena is booked for games all week, the arcade is packed, and there is a line around the building to get in here. There isn’t a single birthday party spot open for the next six months.”
I turn, pulling her to stand in the space between my legs. “Are you happy?”
“I mean, yeah, but—” Another mad giggle, and she shakes her head. “I can’t believe this, Dar. We’ll have to open another location at this rate.”
“You will,” I correct. “I’ll always be here to support you, but this is your thing, Savvy. You brought this place back from the dead, and I’ll sit here signing books all month if that’s what it takes for it to get the attention it deserves.”
At this point, her knees seem to give out. I pull her onto my lap, kissing her gently.
“I love you,” she whispers, shaking her head. “I can’t wrap my head around this. You didn’t have to do this for me.”
I swallow the lump in my throat. “It’s not just for you. It’s for me, and… it’s for Stone too.”
She stills, and I know why. We haven’t discussed her father, not since she asked me for help with his ashes. Neither of us have broached the subject of how he would feel about our relationship.
Savvy blows out a long, shaky breath. “I think he would have been proud of me.”
“He absolutely would have been. He was flawed, but he loved you, and he loved this place. Seeing you take something so important to him and make it better than he ever could? Nothing would have made Stone prouder.”
Savvy wipes her eyes, sniffing. “We should talk about this some other time so you don’t have to sign books while holding your sobbing partner in your arms.”
“I would do that.”
“I know you would, but I should try to maintain some dignity in front of future customers.” She laughs, kissing me again before getting to her feet. “You’re the sweetest grump in the world, Darwin Wilder, and I love you.”
Before she moves away, though, I catch her hand in mine. “I have one more surprise for you.”
Savvy’s eyebrows knit together when I nod to a large cardboard box in the corner. My heart lodges in my throat as she crosses to it and opens the top, staring down in confusion at the metallic contents.
“Take it out,” I encourage gently, and she does.
It’s a trophy. The base is a rough stone, giving way to a laser tag gun that’s pointed skyward. On the base, engraved on a black plaque, are the words “The Stone Cup”.
Savvy’s expression is unreadable as she looks over at me. “Is this…”
I nod. “I found a metal-work company that specializes in memorial pieces. When you mentioned continuing the annual laser tag tournament, I thought it would be appropriate. There’s a carpenter coming next week to build a special case for it behind the desk.”
She isn’t saying anything, though, and for the first time since I had the idea, I feel a flicker of apprehension. Still, I stay quiet, watching as Savvy bends to settle the trophy back inside its box. When she turns back to look at me, her eyes are shining. “It’s perfect.”
Emotion tightens in my chest. “Yeah?”
She nods. “Yeah.”
It’s another five minutes before I’m ready to resume the signing, but my little tornado stays close. She offers to take over for my PA, darting in and out of the room for the next hour, bringing in books and chatting happily with people in line.
“Wow, you’ve got the coolest boss ever, huh?” asks a guy in one group, and before Savvy has even opened her mouth, I’ve corrected him.
“She’s my partner, actually.” I smile, shaking out my aching right hand as I open his book. “Would you like it made out to you?”
He nods eagerly. “Yeah, thanks. I’m Caleb. This is so cool, you’re my favorite author. I can’t believe you’re from around here.”
I write out his name and sign mine, but before I can slide the book back to him, Savvy’s hand slaps down on top of it, stopping me. She glowers over the table at the man.
“Have you ever been here before, Caleb?”
He blinks at her and grins nervously, obviously taken aback by the animosity. “Uh, yeah? A few times. I live close by.”
Bemused, I look between them. “Uh?—”
Savvy holds up a finger to silence me, her eyes narrowed. “When’s the last time you stopped by?”
The guy swallows, glancing at me then back to Savvy. “A few months ago, maybe? I can’t remember.”
“Ever use the bathroom?”
“What?” His face has gone bright pink, and his friends are exchanging curious looks behind his back. “I, I think so? Probably?” An uncomfortable laugh follows this pronouncement, and Savvy’s lip curls.
I’ve never seen her look so murderous.
“You think so, huh? Create anything special in there?”
Caleb gapes at Savvy like a fish, opening and closing his mouth.
Without another word, my little tornado pulls the book out from under my hand, opens it, and rips out the title page I just signed. As Caleb and I watch, she takes the bright-blue pen held loosely in my hand and scrawls something below the copyright information. I lean over to see.
Caleb’s Caca Lies Here.
Beaming, she shoves it back at him. “Thanks for stopping by, Caleb. You might want to consider adding some fiber to your diet.”
Face now alarmingly red, Caleb’s eyes flick to me, clearly hoping for support. When he receives none, he takes his book and backs away. Savvy’s leer doesn’t falter until he and his friends have left.
“Are you going to tell me what that was about?” I ask her mildly as I offer the next group filing in a polite smile.
“Oh, nothing important.” She sighs happily, bending to kiss my cheek. “The universe is just so awesome sometimes, don’t you think?”
I watch her walk off, pink ponytail bouncing, and adoration swells inside me.
“Oof. I know that face.” It’s one of the new group that have spoken, a guy about my age, wearing a T-shirt with my book cover on it. “Have you bought the ring yet? I’m a jeweler, so I can get you a killer deal.”
Goddamn, the universe really is awesome.
I smile up at him as I take his book. “Where do you work?”