I study what is now evidently my outfit. Tight black pants are accompanied by a black silk shirt that only buttons up to mid-torso, leaving my chest on full display. All of this is then topped off with an elaborate red satin cloak that looks like it will go down past my knees.
“I’ll wear the costume, but please tell me we aren’t LARPing.”
I should probably draw the line somewhere, right? Who knows where River might take things if I don’t…
River laughs. “Don’t worry. I wouldn’t do that to you, boo.” He winks. “Not yet anyway. I’ve gotta slowly ease you into it.”
I cross my arms. “No, thank you.”
He grins. “We’ll see.”
Galactic gods, I have a feeling my fate is already sealed.
I am not an actor, and LARPing sounds a bit ridiculous to me. No doubt, I’ll make a fool of myself. But I’ll make a fool of myself any day if it makes River happy.
The things I’ll do for love aren’t quite what I imagined before meeting River. On every level, he’s flipped the script on me—and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
We get dressed and River appoints himself my hair and makeup artist for the evening.
“Babe, you cantotallyrock a sexy Vardox vibe. We just need to accentuate some of your finest assets.”
I sit quietly as he works on me, and I rather enjoy having him style my hair. His touch grounds me like no other, and I lean into it like a cat seeking attention.
“Now, for the pièce de résistance, I’m going to apply black eyeliner.”
“Why?”
He stares at me like I’m a few solar panels short of a spaceship. “Because you look superhot with it. Duh.”
I preen a little at that. “Well, if you insist.”
River smirks. “I do. You’re going to be the sexiest Vardox out there!”
He applies the eyeliner with steady hands, and once he’s done, he steps away so I can see myself in the mirror.
“Am I good or am I good?” he crows.
There’s no doubt about it. My husband is multitalented. Even I’m impressed with how good I look.
“You’ve got that mysterious brooding vibe down, babe. The eyeliner just takes it up a notch.” He sighs dreamily. “Gorgeous. You’re giving David Tennant inFright Nightrealness. So damn sexy.”
Evan had helped me achieve a similar look as part of my marriage proposal dance number for River, and I remember how much he appreciated it then. Clearly, he’s been thinking about how to re-enact it. Hmm. I may need to ask Evan to teach me how to do it myself so I can surprise River on my own…
Convention goers decked out in their finest costumes swarm the ballroom—Captain Starblades and Lord Vardoxes of all sizes, shapes, and genders circulate around us. River spends a full minute just staring open-mouthed at it all. Then he turns to me, tears in his eyes.
“This is really happening, right?”
I wrap an arm around his shoulders and kiss his cheek. “It is. Everyone here loves your stories and wants to pay tribute to their favorite characters.”
River leans into me. “This must be what Lady Gaga feels like when she gets up on stage and sees her adoring fans. But these aremylittle monsters. Talk about a rush.”
As is often the case, I don’t fully understand what he’s talking about, but I just go along with it. “Do I need to worry that all this fame will go to your head?”
He laughs, a bright and joyous sound. “Nah. I mean, I share the stories for free, after all, so despite the fame, it’s not like I’m going to be amassing a ridiculous fortune anytime soon.”
“Hmm,” I muse. “Perhaps you should consider charging for your work. I think there are plenty who’d pay for it.”
“I thought about it when I found out how popular my series was among extraterrestrials, but I figured they wouldn’t have Earth money to pay…” He trails off and then his eyes widen. “But wait! If you help me create that account for saving Intergalactic Standard Currency, they could pay me there, couldn’t they?”
