Page 32 of Cosplay & Consequences

His smile widened. “You know, he’s going to be here tomorrow attending the convention.”

My eyes practically popped out of my head. “He is?!”

He nodded in response. “He was a last-minute addition. He’s doing autographs and photos as it’s the thirty-year anniversary of The Scotsman.”

“How did I not know this! I knew it was the thirtieth anniversary, but…. Oh, I’m so signing up for that,” I declared, reaching for my phone to book a ticket.

He smiled and tapped his fingers on the table. “Or you can join me for lunch tomorrow and meet him.” He offered.

I froze. Was he serious? “Oh, I couldn’t.”

“Don’t be silly,” he said, inspecting a piece of broccoli. “The Scotsman was one of his favorite movies that he worked on. I insist you meet him with me.”

“I wouldn’t want to impose,” I said, shaking my head. Inwardly, I was torn. On the one hand, this mess between me and Daniel kept getting more complicated. On the other hand, I would get to meet one of my favorite actors and talk about my favorite character in all of film.

Daniel made the choice for me. “You wouldn’t be imposing. In fact, it would make his day. You’re coming. I won’t take no for an answer.”

I grinned at him like an idiot.

“I’m taking that as a yes,” he said, pushing his half-eaten plate away.

By the time I was done with my meal, I was warm, full, and looking at Daniel in a new light.

“I don’t know how you got into the owner’s good graces, but I’d say it was one hundred percent worth it,” I sighed, my heart and stomach feeling full and content.

“He’s a good man. I had him cater a few meals at the studio when footage got deleted, and we had a nightmare week of reshoots. The crew was frazzled, and the cast was completely overwhelmed. A cast meal from Kao’s was just what everyone needed to reset. Plus, it didn’t hurt that his wife is a big Minutes fan.”

I could see why people liked Daniel and why Bray told me to give him a chance. He had a genuine concern for others and tried to take care of them. A rare trait in most people, and in my experience, even rarer in actors.

The plates were taken away, and a waiter brought out a small pot of green tea and poured it for us. As I took my first sip of the tea, I realized Daniel’s eyes were on the table and focused on the small cup. He couldn’t look me in the eye. I then remembered the second part of why we were here.

“Now that you’ve buttered me up, why don’t you ask me that favor?” I said, giving him a smile, trying to ease the moment of tension.

He grimaced. “Knowing what I know now, I feel horrible asking you.”

“Let me guess. MaxFlick is threatening to fire you. They want me to bring all the book lovers on board, or you’re toast,” I guessed.

He blinked a few times, and frowned. “Is it that obvious?”

“Other influencers talk. You're not the first person who's ever been put in this position. Although productions often go directly to the influencer with a cash offer,” I said with a shrug. “I call it silent sponsorship.”

He sat there for a moment or two, and I could almost see the gears turning in his head. “Have they done this before with you?” he asked.

“Yes. It was a couple of years ago. MaxFlick didn’t like the fact that I hated Brandon in the role of Tyrst’an. They offered me money. They also offered to change the credits in the show so that my grandmother would get a ‘created by’ credit instead of the ‘in cooperation with Brickstone Publishing’. It would have meant a percentage of the show profits and recognition for Nana Richards, however, I still thought Brandon was a horrible pick. I turned it down. My parents agreed. We didn’t want to put my grandmother’s name on the show unless it was done right.”

Daniel let out a long whistle. “Wow. That had to be a hard decision for you.”

I nodded and took a long swig of my cocktail. “And you ending up on my show yesterday? There were some hijinks there. Your publicist called me with you as a replacement before my original guest even cancelled.”

“I had no idea,” Danny said, now scowling. “I know Britta can be ruthless, but….”

He trailed off, shaking his head.

I let out a rueful chuckle. “The pawns rarely know- “

He smiled and finished the quote with me: “-they’re the ones being sacrificed.”

“Fiona when she first betrayed Yelena,” he said. “Right before she stabbed her husband.”