3.
February 07th, 2020
With my legs shaking, I stopped in front of Gallan. “H…he…hey,” I all but whispered, because that was all I was capable of in that moment.
“Hi.” He smiled down at me. “Are you hurt?”
I shook my head a little and pushed my glasses up my nose. “No.”
“Great, that’s good.” He flinched a little after saying that, and I realized that he was just as nervous about this impromptu encounter as I was.
Shane cleared his throat a little too theatrically, but Gallan didn’t acknowledge him. He instead chose to keep his focus on me.
“Umm, so…uh,” I stuttered, and felt beads of sweat running down my spine. “So, uh, I’m a graphic novelist, and…uh, I…” I licked my lips out of extreme anxiety.
He raised a brow as a silent urge for me to continue.
I swallowed and shifted on my feet again. “I’m…I recently published my third comic, and I…” I sighed, completely exasperated with myself, and then decided to just…do it. So, in my haze of determination, I shoved the copy of The Ice Bearer at him. Like, I actually slapped the book on his chest. I don’t know why I did that, but the bird had already left the nest, so all I could do now was watch its demise with horror in my heart.
Gallan looked at his chest, and then slowly clutched the edge of the book. He gently pulled the copy from me, which resulted in our hands to brush ever so slightly. I pressed my teeth over my bottom lip when a strong, unnamable sensation coursed through my body due to that split-second action.
“The book…I mean, the comic, is inspired by you, and is also dedicated to you,” I said to him, and then wrung my hands together to prevent them from trembling.
He looked at me with a brilliant smile. “Wow, really?” His eyes sparkled beautifully against the afternoon light.
His reaction helped me relax a little, and my lips spread into an easy smile. “Yeah. It took me more than a year to get it ready.”
Gallan looked impressed. “That’s outstanding, seriously.” He glanced at the comic. “I’ve read loads of these as a kid, but this art, and the vibrant coloration – it’s something I’ve never seen before.”
Be still, my drooling heart.
“Thanks.” My face and neck flushed at his compliment.
He grinned at me. “No, thank you for creating something so unique, and for having me as a muse. It’s an honor, truly.” He then looked at the book again. “Zaira Khan…” he said my name in that husky baritone of his, which resulted in goosebumps to blanket my entire body. “Did I say it right?” he asked as our gazes met again.
I swallowed and nodded. “Yeah.” Way to sound like a Chihuahua, Zaira.
But Gallan didn’t seem to mind my voice failure. Not one bit. “That’s a beautiful name.” He then offered a hand for a shake. “It’s so nice to meet you, Zaira.”
Oh Lord… The way he pronounced my name – it enthralled me; it almost hypnotized me.
I mustered all my strength and shook his hand, only to feel out of breath when the warmth of his skin soothed my otherwise cold palm.
“Thank you for being so kind and supportive about this,” I said to him. “I was nervous out of my mind.”
He chuckled. “Don’t worry about it. I’m still trying to process the fact that someone wrote an entire book inspired by me.” He didn’t let go of my hand, but instead, squeezed it a little.
I blushed. “You have millions and millions of fans around the world. I’m sure they’ve done things way better for you than create a comic.”
He shook his head and finally let go of my hand. “Maybe, but what you did is very special. I can’t wait to read it.”
My breath hitched in my throat, and a minor wave of panic took over.
Gallan sensed it, and chuckled before taking half a step towards me. “Hey, relax.” He placed a hand on my shoulder. “I’m sure the book is great.”
“Uh…”
He laughed. “Relax, Zaira.”
I released a slow breath and managed to smile at him through my glaring nervousness. “Sorry.”
He nodded. “It’s fine, and your reaction is understandable. You’ve worked hard on this book, and expect the best of results. Don’t worry, I’ll get back to you as soon as I’ve finished reading it.”
My eyes widened. “You will?”
He smirked. “Hell yeah.”
“Thanks. My email and social media details are mentioned on the very last page.”
He winked at me. “Aye-aye, ma’am.”
I grinned. “Thank you once again.”
He nodded. “You got it.”
“G.” Shane placed a hand on his arm. “We gotta go.”
Gallan sighed. “Sure.” He looked at me with a smile. “I gotta head to a work meeting. I’ll be in touch, though. Thanks for making my day with this.” He brought the book up to his face and waved it at me.
I chuckled. “I think it’s the other way around, but you’re welcome.” I waved at him and Shane, and swiveled on my feet before walking away.
I had only taken my seventh step, though, when I heard Gallan say something to Shane that pinched at my heart and clogged my throat.
“Take care of this.”
“You got it, boss.”
My lips parted, and my tears freefell.
Take care of this.
He’d lied.
He’d acted in front of me.
Gallan didn’t care about my dedication towards him; he didn’t care about my book.
He was already getting rid of it…
Take care of this.
I glanced up, and found Kenzie looking sadly at me. She’d heard, and even seen Gallan hand my book over to Shane.
“Oh, Z…” She wrapped her arms around me when I fell against her. “I’m so sorry. I’m sorry I pushed you to approach him.”
I sniffed and placed the side of my face on her shoulder. “It’s not your fault he’s an inconsiderate asshole.” A wave of sorrow washed over me after that, and I began crying harder right there and then in my best friend’s arms.
“Screw him, babe. You’re worth a million Gallan Underwoods,” she said.
I closed my eyes and sobbed against her, because truthfully, there was nothing else I could do, nor wanted to…
