Your Princess is in Another Castle (36 page)

“Yeah, we’re still together,” says Chris. 
“Although she went on a ski trip with some friends recently and suffered through a horrible incident that caused her to lose a toe to frostbite.  So it’s been a struggle for me lately, but we’re working through it.”

“I understand
,” says Jimmy.

“
Ah, the joys of having all male friends,” says Sabrina.

“Darlin,’
” says Seth, “I could always make a few phone calls and then you could spend every day of the Comic-Con in your hotel room watching a marathon of The Real Housewives with some newly acquired galpals if you preferred.”

“Point taken,” says Sabrina.

“Speaking of the Comic-Con,” I say, “why don’t we head on over there?”

“
Absolutely,” says Jimmy, “but could I have a quick moment with you in private first?”

“Sure,” I say.  Jimmy and I
move away from the rest of the group.

“So
, Chris gave me an abbreviated version of all that happened,” says Jimmy.  “He also said that you were turning your experiences into an autobiographical novel.  I’d like to read it when it’s finished.  But what I really want to know is what happened to you during the Dawnless Day.  I suspect you didn’t tell Chris the full story of what went down during your darkest hours, and I’d understand if you didn’t want to tell me, but I’m curious.”

There’s no point in lying to Jimmy.  With his kn
owledge of Tolkien lore he’ll always be able to see things for what they really are, just as Frodo was able to see the true visages of the Nazgul while wearing the One Ring. 

“What I didn’t tell Chris,” I say, “or anyone else aside from Sabrina for that matter, was that i
n addition to my bad boy experimentation I stayed up late one night reading the novels Twilight and New Moon in one sitting,” I say. 

“Those
books about the sparkly vampires and the women who love them?  By Gandalf’s beard, man!  I mean, I knew that you were going to face the sea of darkness
and all therein that may be explored, but Twilight?  So, the night is indeed darkest just before the dawn.  You might want to leave that particular anecdote out of your book, though.  I’m just saying.”

Chris is explaining to Seth and Sabrina that J
immy was likely simply confirming that the events he prophesized would occur had indeed taken place as we return to the group and board the elevator. 

“My goal at the Con
,” says Chris apropos of nothing, “is to confront one of those G4 Network hostesses like Olivia Munn with a bombardment of elementary-level questions regarding geek culture that she’ll fail to answer.  Hopefully, someone will catch the incident on video and upload it onto YouTube, exposing the poser hostess to the world as the fraud that she is.”

“
I’m hoping to meet some Jill Valentine and Claire Redfield cosplayers and become part of a Jill sandwich,” says Seth.

“I’ve already succeeded in my goal,” says Ji
mmy.  “Although, there’s nothing wrong with being an overachiever.”

“
On a saner, more abstinence-minded path, I’d like for Neil Gaiman to autograph a Sandman trade for me,” says Sabrina.  She takes my hand.  “And I already know what my beloved wants.”

“You do?” I ask.

“I do,” says Sabrina.  She smiles at me.

We exit the elevator into the lobby and
Sabrina jumps onto my back and kisses me on the cheek.  I give her a piggyback ride through the lobby.

“How’d you know?”
I ask, letting Sabrina down as we reach a revolving door.

“
Well, I’ve been sneaking peaks of your book here and there for awhile, now.  And I remember in the first chapter the narrator talks about wanting the kind of girlfriend who likes public piggyback rides.”

As I hug Sabrina, I see the hotel desk clerk roll his eyes at us.
 
One of those couples
, he thinks.