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She pulled on a fitted T-shirt and a pair of jeans. Clothes she’d never dare wear in the office, even on casual Friday. The thin spots in the seat and along the legs were familiar and comfortable.
She grabbed the remote and sank onto the bed. She could watch TV. Maybe catch one of the new movies on Pay-Per-View. Maybe find a way to run into Brandon, see if he was still looking for a weekend distraction.
No. She flipped through channels, not registering anything. If he was what Blue-hair and Bodysuit implied, he’d already found a replacement. Which was fine. One-night stand meant he was welcome to find whomever he wanted, as was she. It was easier than dealing with men put off by how much time she spent on the road when it came to long-term commitment.
Then again, none of them are Brandon. Who’d probably forgotten about her since this morning.
She snarled at herself and stood, chasing away the circular thoughts. It wouldn’t hurt anyone if she wandered with the crowds for a little while, and the ambient noise might override her teasing thoughts.
She slipped on her walking shoes, grabbed her key, and left her rambling reason behind. As she stepped into the hallway, the crowd gathered in front of the elevator made her wince. Squeezing into a tiny box with that many people looked like a one-way ticket to claustrophobia. She headed for the stairs instead.
She stepped into the lobby, still not sure what she was doing. The line to see Brandon and his co-cast wasn’t as long as it had been. Before she could talk herself out of it, she took a spot at the back.
“Excuse me.” A man a few inches shorter than her, wearing a black polo shirt stretched over broad shoulders and a round belly, stepped in front of her. “Your badge needs to be visible.”
“My... badge?” Molly stared back, trying to keep her expression neutral.
He wore a lanyard with a brightly colored card at the end, proclaiming his name wasDeath Demon. Or maybe that was his title? She should have guessed it would be like any other convention in that regard. Even though so much of what she’d seen already was unique, of course they’d need people to prove they’d registered to get in.
“Right. Sorry. I left it in my room,” she said.
“You’ll have to get it. I can’t let you stand in line without it.”
“Sure. Totally understand.” She wandered away. It was a stupid idea anyway. What was she planning to do? Wait for an hour, so she could stop in front of him and say,hi? If she was going to spend her free time here, she should see the whole show. Work on that pitch to prove this was a viable market for their clothes.
The compulsion to talk to Brandon wasn’t ready to give up on her as quickly as she wanted to push it aside. She stopped a few feet back from a group of people scattered on couches, chatting and laughing. She only needed a badge for an hour or two...
“See something you like?” One of the girls looked at her, eyes narrow and lips pursed.
“Does one of you want to loan me your badge for two hours?” Molly spat out the question before she could have second—or was it third at this point—thoughts. “I’ll pay you twenty bucks.”
“It only cost forty to get in,” someone said.
“I’m not giving you my badge. Total scam.” The way they were grouped, it was difficult to track who was talking without giving herself whiplash.
“I will.” The first girl crossed the distance between them, holding out her badge.
“Andie.” Someone’s warning cut through the noise.
She glared at the guy. “It’s not like we’ve decided what we’re doing next. Besides, now I can afford that plushie in the dealers’ room.”
Molly handed Andie the money and hung the lanyard around her neck. “I’ll be right over there.” She nodded at the autograph line. “Feel free to stalk me the entire time, and I’ll give it back as soon as I’m done.”
Andie pocketed the money with a snort. “He’s not worth it.”
“Excuse me?” An edge slipped into Molly’s question. She should dial that back.
“Nothing.” Andie dropped back into her seat. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Molly took her place in line again, giving the security guy a big grin and flashing the borrowed badge when he approached. She slowly crept forward with the rest of the group. Andie stood at the edge of her sight, her expression growing more impatient as the time ticked away. Every once in a while, Molly tried to send her a reassuring wave.Wow. This is taking forever.
Her heart dropped into her shoes when she reached the front of the line. What was she supposed to say? She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, while the actors took pictures with the person who’d been in front of her. And then it was her turn.
Brandon’s eyes grew wide when she stepped forward, a smile quickly spreading on his face. “I didn’t know you were a fan.”
She couldn’t help returning the pleased look but made sure to tuck away most of her giddiness. “I didn’t realize you were famous.”
He grabbed a small poster off a nearby stack that sported the cartoon characters she figured were him and his cohorts. “No more than you are.”
