“What do you think of MnM?” she asked.
“The jury’s still out, but so far it’s been pretty good.”
“What do you think of Jo?”
“She’s amazing and funny and cute as hell, and I love being around her.”
“Right back atcha,” said Jo from directly behind him.
Felix jumped. Jo was smiling down at him with her backpack slung over one shoulder and her tote bag over the other.
“How long were you there?” Felix asked.
“Not long,” Jo replied, sliding into the seat next to him. “Jury’s still out on MnM?”
“Yeah,” Felix said, a bit disheartened. “My last game wasn’t nearly as fun as playing with you or watching this morning. But I did make it to level three.”
Jo gasped with delight. “Congrats! You’re officially a pugilist. Do you need help leveling up?”
“I’d like to try it myself first, but thank you for offering. I’ll let you know if I have trouble.”
Jo clapped for him, and Felix felt a rush of pride.
“Sorry the game wasn’t great,” she said, a look of concern washing over her features. “That happens sometimes at cons. Not as much character interaction playing with strangers, and the hard time limits can stifle creativity. Was there anything memorable that stood out?”
Felix smiled. “Probably when I attempted to stab a ghost, and it turned out to be an illusion. The GM said I ran right through it, ate shit, and dropped my sword. I was already in a Scooby-Doo mindset, so imagining it in that old seventies animation style was fun.”
“See, if Veena had been there, she would have given you so much shit for that,” she said, and then her eyes flashed with realization. “Wait, we haven’t signed up for a game together. Let’s come a little early tomorrow to make sure we find a table.”
“Absolutely,” Felix agreed. “Grax and Veena are a good team.”
Jo grinned and leaned in. “I think so too.”
Felix met her halfway and kissed her. Sweet and simple. Easy.
“Gross,” said Aida.
“Get a room,” Trey added.
“Way ahead of you,” Felix said with a wink.
15
Felix held a T-shirt against his torso.
“Yup, that’s the one,” Trey said.
“Yeah?” he replied. “Not ‘Things Are Getting Dicey’?”
“It’s too generic,” Trey said with a shake of his head. “Get the fighter one.”
“Maybe I’ll get the dicey one for Jo, though. I think she’d like the pun.”
“She does own more dice than anyone I know. When Aida and I helped her pack for Kansas, we filled an entire box with dice. Those sons of bitches get heavy.”
Felix chuckled and found a dice shirt that looked Jo-sized. He paid for the shirts, ignoring the twinge in his stomach at spending the money. It would be fine, he told himself. Sharing a room with Jo meant this trip would be significantly cheaper than he’d anticipated. And it would be worth it, to see the look on Jo’s face when he surprised her by wearing an MnM T-shirt.
He and Trey continued to wind through the sprawling exhibit hall, where big-name companies and an official MnM merch booth were nestled alongside independent artisans, authors, and game developers. The two of them set a leisurely pace, stopping to admire everything from art prints to handmade tote bags, from gaming accessories to jewelry. And dice. So many goddamn dice.
Felix picked out a new, cheap dice set for himself, since he only had the one set of yellow dice Jo had given him. Trey splurged on a large d20 made out of moonstone for Aida and bought himself a hammered silver tankard with a hinged lid he could open and close with his thumb. He also made Felix take pictures of him with all the replica movie swords he could get his hands on. He texted every single one to Aida.
Eventually, after looping through each aisle, they started back toward the gaming hall to catch the last hour of the Legendary event.
“Thanks for showing me around,” Felix began, trying to find his way to a topic he’d been wanting to bring up. “I appreciate you helping me feel a little less lost.”
“Don’t mention it, man,” Trey said, gripping Felix’s shoulder as they passed through the exhibit hall doors. “I’m usually only good for one or two games anyway, so it’s nice to have someone to wander around with.”
Bless you, Trey. That was probably the best opening Felix could have hoped for. “You only play occasionally, right? Not with the weekly group?”
Trey nodded. “Yeah, just at cons a couple times a year.”
“With a catboy wizard.”
“Catfolk,” Trey corrected. “Catboy is a very different thing.”
“I’ll take your word for it,” Felix said. “So… you play for Aida? To make her laugh?”
