“I’m a beaver.”
Sadie palmed Furry Guy’s arm. “Oh, my boyfriend’s such a joker. His sponsor is setting up a few tables away, and they wanted to keep his identity a secret until the con started. Unfortunately, his cosplay costume got a little damaged in shipping.” Did the guy not understand she was trying not to look like a loser?
“Oh, yeah, right. I’m messing with my sweetie.” Furry Guy draped his arm across her shoulders and pulled Sadie closer. Oh, she was going to need Clorox and a few hours of serious scrubbing to get off whatever sticky substance just touched her.
Fighting the urge to flinch away, Sadie smiled. “Yeah, he does love to tease.”
With his free hand, Furry Guy extended it to Buck, shaking his hand. “My name’s…Clifton.”
Clifton? First, dude is dressed in something that needs a hazmat team, then he breaks out a name like Clifton? It couldn’t have been Jaxon or any other plethora of better names?
Buck slowly shook his hand. “Nice to meet you. Maybe you could do me a favor? Convince Sadie to meet me tonight at seven at that new seafood restaurant in the heart of downtown. My treat, and we’ll talk business, okay?” He sauntered off with Cinnamon on his arm before either Sadie or Clifton could respond.
Sadie waited a healthy amount of time, just long enough to make sure Buck wasn't watching, and nearly fell trying to get away from Clifton. "Okay, one: no, I'm not meeting him. Two: your work here is done. Thanks, and I'll be seeing you."
“Nope, don’t think so. You owe me.”
“After meeting that slime, you’re going to hold me to it?” She rubbed the back of her neck. “Didn’t you have that thing dry-cleaned? My neck is sticky.”
“Look, a deal’s a deal. I’ll see you tonight at the restaurant.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “Why would you waste a favor on making me go?”
The guy shrugged. “My gut says you should go.”
Her arms dropped to her side, and she leveled her gaze at him. “No way. I don’t even know what you look like!”
“Well, show up at seven and you will.” She could hear the grin in his voice.
Sadie did have to admit curiosity was pricking her, but she wasn’t that curious. Shaking her head, she said, “I’m not going.”
“So, you typically grab strangers, offer favors, and then conveniently back out. Must be nice.”
Sadie glared at him. Would it be murder or justified homicide if she strangled him in the middle of the convention hall? Better yet, rodent control? Surely the judge would rule in her favor this time.
He continued. “You owe me. Now, if you want to be the one who backs out, I can’t stop you, but that’s your character. At least I can say I was the better person.” With that, Clifton Beaver-suit trotted away, leaving Sadie gaping after him.
Well, crud. She was better than a six-foot beaver-weasel, but she also didn't want face time with Buck. She grumbled as she strode behind her booth and plopped down in one of the two provided butt-numbing metal chairs.
Fine. She'd meet both the jerks at the restaurant. Maybe after dinner, they’d walk down a dark alley together and someone would shank them.
Okay, so not Clifton. She’d been rude and mean, and the guy had done her a favor. What was wrong with her? If nothing else, she’d show up at the restaurant just to give the guy an apology. She at least owed the man that. Maybe she could even help him bury that suit.
Chapter 3
“Sadie!”
At the sound of her name and the familiar Louisiana drawl, Sadie looked up and smiled. “Poppy!”
Her friend did a combo jiggle-jog to Sadie and pulled her into a hug complete with swaying back and forth. Like Sadie, Poppy Boucher had befriended chocolate, and now she sported a little extra weight too.
“Did you think I wouldn’t come support you at your very first comic-con?”
Since Poppy’s divorce, she’d become a little less dependable and a whole lot more sensitive. Saying anything that could be even remotely taken as negative would most likely end with her in tears.
“I’m just surprised,” Sadie replied.
“A good surprise?” she asked, leaning back.
