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Lucy’s demeanor changed faster than one of the blinding flashes she just tested. She was engrossed in the equipment with a hyper-focused look upon her face.
“Jake, stand on the X so I can take a few tests shots for lighting, please,” Lucy requested. She sat taller in her chair, clicking once, twice, three times, adjusting settings as she went along.
It could have been the bright flashing from the umbrella, the stark overhead lighting or the frosty vibes I was picking up on, but it was going to be difficult for the next hour and a half smiling, posing and pretending with adoring fans while Lucy documented it all.
There was no time to talk now, but I wanted to put her at ease.
I needed to.
Even though I couldn’t tell exactly why.
Taking pictures withfans was one of my favorite things to do. It went beyond the fact that these people used their hard-earned money to chat with me and get a photo. The experience for them lasted no more than a minute or two, but the memories held much more longevity.
Without the fans (who were the best out there), I’d have a pretty sad job. So, to make it the best experience for them, I played along, trying to recreate the reality they sought.
There were couples, single women and men, families, groups of best friends, parents with their children and kids whose parents watched from the sidelines.
Today was pretty on par with how a typical day went. I had yet to do the popular prom pose with a lady, but the majority of folks today were families.
Those were always the most fun. There was something that tugged at my heart a bit with seeing kids dressed up as their favorite superheroes while their parents supported them and usually dressed as the sidekicks.
They made for the best photos too; the kids were always unphased by my celebrity status, which more often than not was rather humbling, and quite funny.
It was the parents that would say something to get them hyped up like, “Billy, look it’s Koil! TherealKoil!”, where the kid would follow it up with a demand to see my superpowers in action. When I would tell them I only used them when they were needed in an emergency situation, they’d scoff and I had one little boy turn to his dad and say, “The Koil we took pictures with on the third floor had more powers than this guy.”
Immediate apologies sputtered from embarrassed moms and dads, but I told them it was nothing to be sorry for.
Trying to put myself in the shoes of a five-year-old, I’d imagine it would seem pretty lame to meet the guy who played a superhero, but wielded no powers in real life. I’d be disappointed too.
Before I knew it, I had finished up with the last fan. Even though we had a set schedule, time was irrelevant at these cons. Too many variables played a part in slowing things down and I couldn’t tell you how many times I’d been late to a panel or a meet and greet.
Glancing at my watch, I was surprised to see we had stuck as close to the allotted time as we could.
And now that I had a moment to breathe, I had plans of my own.
Lucy stood and stretched, rotating at her waist twice. She had turned and had her back to me as I approached.
I caught Meryl over the top of Lucy’s head. She had just tucked her phone in her back pocket. I knew the idiosyncrasy: it meant I had less than twenty seconds before she’d pounce on me like the March Hare who was late for a very important date.
I cleared my throat; I didn’t want to startle Lucy, but the clock was ticking. She spun around quickly giving me a tight smile.
“Join me for dinner tonight?” I felt rushed and as fast as the words left my mouth, I knew they were disjointed and blunt. “At the hotel restaurant; there’s a bunch of us that hang out afterwards and I’d like it if you’d join me—us.” Shit. That was the most awkward invite known to man. There was an inherent need to not make her feel pressured, so I threw the fact that other people would be there as well. But would she take that as an intimidating atmosphere and decline?
I wasn’t one to overthink, but as the seconds passed by, so did my reeling thoughts.
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea…” she hedged.
“Please?”
She bit her lip in indecision.
Meryl had rounded the equipment and, in an attempt to give me the slightest iota of privacy with Lucy, she rounded up JJ and Nick. It didn’t matter; I’d be peppered with an interrogation before we reached the elevators.
“Which one and what time?” she caved after a moment. I couldn’t help but feel like the sigh that accompanied her rushed acceptance was because she just wanted to appear nice before standing me up or if she felt Meryl’s oppressive presence as well.
Telling her the info, I was pleasantly surprised to see her tapping it into her phone.
“So, I’ll see you at nine?” I confirmed.
