Chapter 11 San Diego Comic-Con #2
AJ’s castmates were wheezing. Ian and Em guffawed as if their lives depended on it. The sour look on Geoff Chandler’s face was sublime. AJ shrugged at him innocently.
Then she glanced at Noah, who looked so handsome and irritated and…smitten. He was probably just playing along, but AJ couldn’t look away. She held his gaze and said shyly, “Gotta save something for the reboot, right?”
If she’d wanted to shut down the panel in one line, that was it.
It took ten minutes for the hysteria to ebb, after which Geoff Chandler fired off a few more self-serious questions in Em’s direction. Then the panelists stood for three ovations, and it was over.
As they trooped off, AJ felt Noah’s hand at her elbow. “That,” he said low, “was so fucking—”
“AJ Graves,” said Dave, jumping between them. “Way. To. Go. That guy was a fucking troll.”
Noah’s hand dropped to his side as Xiaobo chimed in from behind. “The worst.”
AJ laughed, mostly to hide that she was about to murder Dave for talking over Noah.
“Seriously, though, you really were good out there,” said Toni, taking Dave’s spot beside her. Then she added quietly, “You always were. I never should have said otherwise.”
AJ’s eyes instantly filled. “Water under the bridge.”
Toni gave AJ’s arm a squeeze, then headed to the rear of the pack. AJ exhaled, blinking rapidly.
Dave nudged her arm. “See?” he whispered. “The cons really are magic.”
As a staffer shuffled them toward their signing, AJ found herself back in step with Noah. She glanced up at him. “What were you saying before?”
Noah shrugged as if he couldn’t remember. Whatever impulse he’d had, he’d shelved it. Were his symptoms increasing? AJ pushed the thought aside as he said, “Looks like Ian and Em took off.”
AJ checked over her shoulder. “No rest for team Hydraulics.”
Noah caught her eye. His whole face shone with pride. “I loved watching that.”
AJ beamed at him. This was happiness. Them, together, in an industrial hallway. As they walked side by side, her entire being flowed with sunshine.
When they arrived at the signing, Risa was also in a good mood.
“Last signing!” she said brightly, as she hauled a copy crate of Rho headshots to their table.
The room tipped, and AJ’s glowing triumph slid into cold horror. “Right,” she managed.
She had been so focused on getting through the panel, it hadn’t fully hit her.
This was their last stop on the circuit.
Her eyes flew to Noah’s face. This was the last time she was sure to see him.
“You good?” he asked, studying her.
AJ nodded, wrenching her gaze away and busying herself with her headshots. Noah did the same, then excused himself to use the restroom before the signing began.
In his absence, AJ felt hollow. It’s okay, she told herself. It’s good. She’d dreaded the cons. Soon she’d be free, and she and Brian would set a date and move in and start their life. Her real life.
So why did she feel so sick?
Risa plunked down in Noah’s empty seat, scrolling her phone. “I cannot wait for this to be over.”
“Seriously,” said AJ automatically.
“You must be so excited,” said Risa. “Remind me, what’s your sweetie’s name again?”
“Brian,” said AJ.
“Ha!” said Risa. “You’ve got Brian and Byron. Say that ten times fast.”
AJ did not find this amusing. Risa did not notice.
“I have to hand it to Lord Byron,” she said, still skimming her email. “He does great at these things, and they haven’t been nearly as catastrophic for his appeal as I thought.”
AJ looked at Risa in confusion. “I thought that was why he was doing this,” said AJ, fighting to keep her voice even. “You know…connect with the fans. Get grassroots support.”
Risa glanced up at AJ like she was out of her gourd. “Hell no,” she said. “The last thing he needs is more fringe. His biggest fans are coastal elites and complete weirdos. I was totally against this, but he insisted.”
She scooted forward. AJ wasn’t sure what she had done to encourage Risa’s confidence, but she wasn’t fighting it. “He would have passed up a GQ cover to attend Comic-Con if I hadn’t been able to move it.”
“Really,” said AJ.
Risa nodded, sitting back. “For some reason, he was really passionate about doing this.”
“Right,” said AJ, heart hammering.
Risa sighed. “That said, I’ll be glad to see the end of these. I’ve put away my weight in Auntie Anne’s this summer. At least when the Byron promo kicks in, I’ll be back in the land of Chopt.”
AJ was spared having to fake an interest in Chopt by Noah’s return. Risa slid off his chair, giving AJ a wink. “Good talk.” Risa retreated to the back of the booth.
Noah placed a water in front of AJ and took the seat beside her. “Hey.”
“Hey,” said AJ too quickly.
For some reason, he was really passionate about doing this.
AJ didn’t dare think—but it had to be said: none of these events would have been half as high profile—or as lucrative—if Noah hadn’t been present. And if these appearances had not, in fact, been his publicist’s suggestion, then…
Slowly, AJ looked up at his face, pulse in her ears. When he saw the intensity of her expression, he smiled tentatively.
“You okay?” he asked.
AJ searched his brilliant eyes, trying to read him. “Why are you doing this?”
He gave her an odd look. “Doing what?”
“The cons.”
Noah drummed his long fingers on the table. “I told you, grassroots support.”
AJ’s eyes bored into his. “No other reason?”
Noah swallowed. “And because I want to.” He looked at her cautiously. “Why?”
AJ shrugged, her heart pounding. “Just curious,” she said, leveling her eyes at him. “Figured I’d ask, since it’s the last one.”
“What if this didn’t have to be your last one?”
AJ and Noah jumped.
Oona and Otto had somehow slipped past security and were now before them in full Arho gear.
The muscle in Noah’s jaw worked as he turned from AJ. “Come again?” he said gruffly.
Oona matched his surliness. “What Otto means to say is that folks are thrilled that you two are back, and there is massive interest in a potential Blue Con later this year.”
“A Blue Con?” said Noah more genially.
“Yep,” said Oona—they were now speaking Rho to Rho. “A con purely devoted to Into the Blue. I guess if you wanted to invite your aunt for an Astronauticals crossover chat, that would be okay.”
AJ suppressed a smile at this. “Good to know,” said Noah.
“You wouldn’t have to do anything except show up,” said Oona. “And we know you guys don’t, like, do this out of the kindness of your heart, so, FYI, the money in private cons is, like, good.”
Like how good, AJ wanted to ask.
“Please say yes!” said Otto.
“I’m sorry,” said Risa, emerging from the back of the booth. “But that won’t be possible. Noah’s fully booked this entire fall.”
“I can make it work,” said Noah with a swift glance at Risa. “Unless—Age, can you?”
AJ’s heart flipped. “Yes,” she said, before she could stop herself.
“Great,” said Risa in a voice that sounded like death as she trudged to the back of the booth.
“S-so you’ll consider it?” stammered Oona, whom AJ had never seen look uncool.
Noah nodded. By now, their castmates had taken notice. As Otto and Oona pitched the idea to Xiaobo, Dave, and Toni, Noah flipped over his headshot and scribbled his agent’s email on the back, the faintest trace of a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
Relief coursed through AJ. It wasn’t over yet.
So much for getting on with her real life.
This wasn’t sustainable, she knew. She knew it couldn’t last.
But in the grand scheme, what was one more con?
When all was said and done, AJ left San Diego with $210,000, and considerable upsides.