“Right.” Otis rubbed his arm.
“His manager is Emily Arlington.” ?I tried to stare him down, which was hard cause he was a whole head taller than me. “Emily is part of the selection committee for the contest.”
Otis shook his head. “How do you even know stuff like that? You really need a life, Nora.”
“It means I still have a chance.”?
He winced. “I don’t think so. Tickets sold out last week.”
My heart threatened to break through my chest. Two people dressed as hobbits were just about to leave the shop.
“Hey, you,” I shouted, rounding the counter and blocking their way to the exit. “Are you going to the convention?”
They both stared at me a little frightened. I couldn’t blame them.One of them nodded.
“How much for the tickets?”
Chapter Two
Buffy is the greatest show in the world.
John Kater is really not hot.
Two margaritas can be greatly improved by a third.
“A hundred and fifty dollars. Can you believe it?”?
We parked Otis’s car outside the Rockwell Convention Center, the beating heart of Middleton’s social calendar. From wedding receptions to furniture expos, it had seen it all. Today, it was bursting with lanky teens, die-hard Trekkies, and the occasional Bronie.?
Otis surveyed the crowd with a mix of fascination and mild horror.
“You really didn’t have to come,” I said, grimacing at the wall of people ahead.
“And let you have all the fun by yourself?” He hooked his arm through mine, and I picked up the pace.
Finding our destination didn’t take long—cardboard cutouts of John Kater popped up every few meters, pointing toward the far end of the hall.
“I will pay you back for the tickets.”
Otis waved me off. “Please. My treat. You becoming famous will do wonders for my dating pool.”
I leaned my head against his shoulder for a second. “Once I meet Ryan Gosling, consider yourself engaged.”
The knot in my stomach tightened with every step. This was it. I’d rehearsed my words, lined up my plea. No turning back now.
The crowd thickened, eventually congealing into a misshapen line. It was mind-boggling how many people were willing to wait just to get a glimpse of John Kater and their books signed. Otis leaned towards me. “Now may be a good time to tell you I’m doing it.”
The world worshipped him like the second coming of Kurt Cobain. And now that he was engaged to Hollywood’s newest Bond Girl? They were on every magazine cover, every Buzzfeed list—smiling like actors in a toothpaste ad.
Otis leaned closer. “Now might be a good time to tell you—I’m doing it.”
“Doing what?” I said, rising to my tiptoes to look over the crowd.?
“The audition, Nora Rose.”
I was almost certain I could spot Emily between two cosplayers.?
Otis was suddenly quiet. When I turned, he stood with arms crossed and eyebrows raised.
