Elly gave a sigh. “Oh, okay. I’ll just tell a certain blond coworker of mine who is currently downstairs that you won’t be able to help her after all. She asked after you and is working alone until six….”
Dennis’s computer chair was still spinning when Elly made it to her bed. He was Snarky Teenager’s problem now. She flopped down onto her soft turquoise-and-teal bedspread, the pillows flying to the floor. There was no other way around it, she told herself, as wild sleepy thoughts ran through her mind, she just had to talk to Keith. That was how grown-ups in a relationship acted. She just needed to ask him straight out, and deal with the answer, as much as she would rather push it under the rug and continue on in ignorant, kissy bliss.
In her absorbing dreams, Elly saw Keith stripping a tree of its bark. One handful at a time, he was peeling the tree like an orange, throwing the shattered bark pieces onto a pile of ornate cupcakes. Elly was standing beside him, staring as he pulled down this perfect tree, handful by handful. I love him, she thought. I love him, I do. The last strip of bark pulled away to reveal something gold and shiny underneath. Then Keith opened his mouth wide and began eating the cupcakes with a terrifying ferocity. With a muffled cry, Elly dropped into sleep.
Chapter Sixteen
Elly tried to subtly stick her nose out the car window. She couldn’t be sure, but she was almost certain that Dennis was stinking up the backseat. It smelled terrible. She looked over at Keith, who was making a disgusted face. “I’m going to open the windows,” he said.
“But it’s like a billion degrees out there,” argued Dennis. Keith gave a shrug and opened the window closest to Dennis. “Hey!”
They were on their way to the annual Star-Fan Convention, which apparently was held every year at America’s Center Convention Complex in downtown St. Louis. They were definitely not talking about how Keith had stood Elly up earlier that week. She couldn’t help but steal glances over at him as they drove, trying to gleam some understanding of what was going on. Keith looked over at her with a wink, and Elly gave him a small smile. She knew nothing. Dennis’s handful of papers snapped in the wind and he read to them with joyful abandon. “Star-Fan convention is the third largest multimedia sci-fi and fantasy convention in the United States. It started in nineteen sixty-eight with a handful of comic book artists, and has grown to feature more than two thousand vendors and host over thirty thousand people each year. Costumes are encouraged and encompass all pop culture, science fiction, comic book, and fantasy lore.” He looked up. “We should have worn costumes.”
“No,” said Elly and Keith at the exact same time. They looked at each other with skepticism. Elly grinned. Even with the smell seeping up from the backseat, today was turning out to be more than tolerable. The warm sun blazed through her car windows, illuminating Keith’s brilliant deep-blue eyes. He was a handsome driver, she noted. He was handsome in just about everything he did.
Dennis coughed loudly to break the moment and continued. “There are over twenty-nine hundred hours of programs, presentations, demonstrations, signings, photo opportunities, and contests, in addition to the private conversations with heroes of film, literature, comic books, and gaming.” He gave a sigh, sounding like a lovelorn teenager. “I’m hoping to get a signed copy of X-Dragons, edition nine forty-six and get my World of MageCraft box signed by the booth girls.”
Keith wiggled his eyebrows at Elly. “I wouldn’t have invited you along if I knew there would booth girls.”
She squeezed his hand. “I’m hoping to find an orc, myself.”
“Why would you want to find an orc?” asked Dennis, annoyed. “They are disgusting, half-bred murderers who eat humans.”
“I didn’t mean that, I meant….”
“Elf?”
“Elf, that’s right.” Elly was just thrilled to hold a conversation with Dennis that didn’t revolve around dishes or his computer game. She turned around to face him. “So, what is the difference between an elf and an orc?”
Dennis gave her a huge smile, launching into a nerd-propelled diatribe. Her heart danced happily. He was happy. Maybe for the first time away from the computer, he was happy. This was progress. Even though it wasn’t easy, this was progress. She would get Dennis to open up to her. Then she could fix him.