While Marco explained the towing and insurance process to Maya, I moved to the trunk. There were two large suitcases, both looking worse for wear from the crash. I pulled out the first one. It was heavy, and I figured it probably had her clothes. I lifted it with one hand and set it aside. The second one had a tag that read Phoenix Con with little hand-drawn flames around it.
Phoenix Con. The convention. Damn.
Curious, I unzipped it slightly. Instead of clothes, I saw bright fabrics, wigs, and what looked like armor pieces. Cosplay supplies.
My mind immediately went places it probably shouldn’t have gone, standing on the side of a mountain road.
“That one too,” Maya called, walking over. “I’ll need both, please.” She stopped, seeing which suitcase I was holding. Her face went bright red. “Oh. Um. That one. Uh, that’s not important. We can leave that one.”
“Phoenix Con?” I read from the tag.
“It’s nothing. Just convention stuff.”
I lowered my voice and pretended I hadn’t already peeked at its contents. “Is it the cosplay you mentioned?”
“Maybe. Possibly. It’s not important.”
I grinned. “Maya, are you embarrassed about your cosplay?”
“No! I never have been before. And it’s nerdy and you’ve never seen me in costume and I probably look ridiculous.”
“I highly doubt that.” I loaded both suitcases into the truck bed while she protested. “I want to see them.”
“Geoff.”
“Please? I showed you my gaming setup. Fair’s fair.”
She covered her face with her hands. “It’s nothing like your gaming setup. This is mortifying.”
“No, this is adorable.” I wrapped my arms around her from behind, resting my chin on top of her head. Marco was tactfully focused on hooking the car up to the tow bed. “Come on. I bet you look amazing.”
“You’re just saying that.”
“I’m absolutely not. I’ve been wanting to see your cosplays since you mentioned making that armor set last year.”
She peeked up at me through her fingers. “Really?”
“Really. You put so much work into them. Of course I want to see you in full costume. You’ve only shown me pictures of the process.”
She groaned, but she was smiling. “Fine. But if you laugh,” she balled her hands into tiny fists, “I’ll have to join Tank’s team for a few rounds.”
“I won’t laugh.”
“Promise?”
“I promise.”
We said goodbye to Marco who gave me a knowing look that I steadfastly ignored, and continued into town. Calamity Creek was picturesque in the winter, all snow-covered roofs and smoke rising from chimneys. The main street was decorated with fairy lights that stayed up year-round, and through the windows I could see the mix of human and monster residents that made the town unique.
“It’s charming,” Maya said, pressing her face to the window. “Like something from a movie.”
“Wait until you see it in spring. Everything blooms at once thanks to the local coven of witches. It’s incredible.”
I parked outside the real estate office where Maya needed to sign her lease. “Want me to come in with you?”
“Would you? I mean, if you’re busy or have plans to see other people, I understand.”
“Maya, I’m never too busy for you.”
