in my bag and shifted it on my shoulder.
"Yes, actually," I said crossing my arms against my chest. If he thought I was going to tell him so he could show up he was wrong.
He smiled, amused at my vagueness. "Okay. Well, go to your panel then. I hope I see you again soon," he said.
I gave him a noncommittal nod and then stepped back into hall. I swear I could feel his eyes locked on me as I walked away. I didn't want to turn around to see him, but I did. He was leaned against the wall, hands in his pockets, smile in place as if he had been sure that I would look back. I hated that he'd been right.
After an afternoon apart, me to a lecture on publishing and Lily to cover model Bingo, we met back up to converge on the goody room and gorge out on free books and swag. We moved down the rows of tables covered with lollipops and bookmarks. I even got a pizza cutter with a hot model on it. A pizza cutter. Unique. I wondered if the hot model would make me feel guilty when I was eating my frozen pizza.
"We're going to need an extra bag for the plane ride home," Lily pointed out as we both filled our bags with free stuff. She was right; I had so much to carry. And I hadn't even gone to the signing yet where I planned to drop a pretty penny on books. It was worth the extra baggage fee. My bookcase at home was going to look amazing.
"So do you really want to go to that bar hop thing tonight or do you want to go and see the city. I don't want to miss out on doing a little sight seeing while we are here," I said.
"Actually, I was going to talk to you about that," she said. She was using that sweet, sugary voice that she pulled out when she wanted to convince me to do something she was pretty sure I wouldn't want to do. I braced myself.
"What?" I asked throwing her a stern look. I had known Lily since the first grade and I knew how she worked. She was up to something and the moment I declined any part of it she would poke and prod and guilt me until she got her way. She was such a bully.
"Well, you know that guy I met last night, Miles? He asked me out to dinner," she said. Oh. Well, that wasn't what I expected. I briefly wondered if I was brave enough to explore the city on my own or if I should wait.
"Oh, he seemed nice," I smiled as I threw some lip balm into my goody bag.
"He is. And he's not bad on the eyes either," she arched a knowing eyebrow making me laugh. "Anyway, so I told him we'd have dinner with him and his brother tonight," she said quickly.
"Whoa. Hold up. You told him what?" I asked. She shrugged and grabbed up a penis shaped sucker to examine.
"He has a meeting with his brother and asked if I wanted to meet him for dinner. I told him while I would love to go to dinner with him that I was here with my best friend in the whole wide world and I couldn't possibly think of deserting her on our vacation," she said eyeing me with a sweet innocent pout. I scowled at her. "And since he had that meeting I suggested that we could all go together. That way everyone was happy."
"I'm not happy," I pointed out. She waved her hand dismissively.
"It'll be fun, Quinny. I mean, you've seen Miles. You know his brother has to be good looking too. And what's the worst that could happen? You get a free dinner and look at handsome men. There are worse things, friend," she said matter-of-factly.
"And I assume this has all been confirmed?" I asked.
"We're meeting them at the restaurant at seven," she smiled sweetly.
"I hate you," I growled.
"You love me," she challenged.
"That's up for debate." She was my best friend and I did love her, but sometimes her whimsy was like living on a merry-go-round at top speed and never knowing how to jump off. I usually just held on and tried not to get sick. God love her.
"Trust me, Quinn. We're on vacation. Let's go out and make the most of it. It'll be fun."
Famous last words.
"I CANNOT BELIEVE that you are dragging me on a blind double date in a strange city. Only you would do
"Yes, actually," I said crossing my arms against my chest. If he thought I was going to tell him so he could show up he was wrong.
He smiled, amused at my vagueness. "Okay. Well, go to your panel then. I hope I see you again soon," he said.
I gave him a noncommittal nod and then stepped back into hall. I swear I could feel his eyes locked on me as I walked away. I didn't want to turn around to see him, but I did. He was leaned against the wall, hands in his pockets, smile in place as if he had been sure that I would look back. I hated that he'd been right.
After an afternoon apart, me to a lecture on publishing and Lily to cover model Bingo, we met back up to converge on the goody room and gorge out on free books and swag. We moved down the rows of tables covered with lollipops and bookmarks. I even got a pizza cutter with a hot model on it. A pizza cutter. Unique. I wondered if the hot model would make me feel guilty when I was eating my frozen pizza.
"We're going to need an extra bag for the plane ride home," Lily pointed out as we both filled our bags with free stuff. She was right; I had so much to carry. And I hadn't even gone to the signing yet where I planned to drop a pretty penny on books. It was worth the extra baggage fee. My bookcase at home was going to look amazing.
"So do you really want to go to that bar hop thing tonight or do you want to go and see the city. I don't want to miss out on doing a little sight seeing while we are here," I said.
"Actually, I was going to talk to you about that," she said. She was using that sweet, sugary voice that she pulled out when she wanted to convince me to do something she was pretty sure I wouldn't want to do. I braced myself.
"What?" I asked throwing her a stern look. I had known Lily since the first grade and I knew how she worked. She was up to something and the moment I declined any part of it she would poke and prod and guilt me until she got her way. She was such a bully.
"Well, you know that guy I met last night, Miles? He asked me out to dinner," she said. Oh. Well, that wasn't what I expected. I briefly wondered if I was brave enough to explore the city on my own or if I should wait.
"Oh, he seemed nice," I smiled as I threw some lip balm into my goody bag.
"He is. And he's not bad on the eyes either," she arched a knowing eyebrow making me laugh. "Anyway, so I told him we'd have dinner with him and his brother tonight," she said quickly.
"Whoa. Hold up. You told him what?" I asked. She shrugged and grabbed up a penis shaped sucker to examine.
"He has a meeting with his brother and asked if I wanted to meet him for dinner. I told him while I would love to go to dinner with him that I was here with my best friend in the whole wide world and I couldn't possibly think of deserting her on our vacation," she said eyeing me with a sweet innocent pout. I scowled at her. "And since he had that meeting I suggested that we could all go together. That way everyone was happy."
"I'm not happy," I pointed out. She waved her hand dismissively.
"It'll be fun, Quinny. I mean, you've seen Miles. You know his brother has to be good looking too. And what's the worst that could happen? You get a free dinner and look at handsome men. There are worse things, friend," she said matter-of-factly.
"And I assume this has all been confirmed?" I asked.
"We're meeting them at the restaurant at seven," she smiled sweetly.
"I hate you," I growled.
"You love me," she challenged.
"That's up for debate." She was my best friend and I did love her, but sometimes her whimsy was like living on a merry-go-round at top speed and never knowing how to jump off. I usually just held on and tried not to get sick. God love her.
"Trust me, Quinn. We're on vacation. Let's go out and make the most of it. It'll be fun."
Famous last words.
"I CANNOT BELIEVE that you are dragging me on a blind double date in a strange city. Only you would do