Page 43 of The Princess and the Paparazzi
He blinks a few times, as if hearing my voice from a great distance, and holds up the pointer finger of his left hand while he finishes typing with the right. Finally, he notices me standing there with the coffeepot. I smile.
“Thanks, Kenna.” He smiles and takes a sip of the coffee. “Sorry, I was deep in it. Did you say something?”
“Yeah.” I lean closer, trying to see his screen. “I was asking what you were working on.”
He angles the screen down toward himself, trying to hide it.
“It’s not … porn, is it?” I gaze sideways at him and flutter my eyelashes in mock horror.
I’m expecting him to blush brighter than a Jersey tomato, but he seems entirely unfazed by my ribbing.
“That would be difficult.” He pushes the screen upright again and studies me for a moment, like he’s making a decision. “I’m not even online. See?” He rotates the screen toward me to show me. I lean in to look. It’s obviously a word document. A play? There’s some sort of character names and dialogue.
“Let me guess,” I say. “You’re working on your screenplay. The next great blockbuster …” I hadn’t pegged him as the type, but it wouldn’t shock me. Thank goodness he doesn’t know who I really am. He’d probably want me to read the thing. Pass it along to my “people.”
“No, nothing that ambitious.” Noah shakes his head. “Do you know anything aboutDungeonsand Dragons? It’s aDNDCampaign Module for an adventure based onA Midsummer Night’sDream. I’ve always loved the play so much. Big fan of the bard. I’m sad I can’t be more involved with the production here this summer, but maybe next year.” He fiddles with the Velcro on his leg brace. “Although, maybe I should stay away from the theater altogether, considering what happened.”
“Right.” I pop the coffeepot back on the stand and come around the counter to sit next to him.I just gotta hear this story. And then I want to read the campaign module. OMG.
“Tell me the story again about your leg?”
“Oh, come on, Kenna, don’t play dumb. I know the whole town was talking about what a pathetic klutz I am.”
“Not true. Nobody told me a thing.”
“Chelsea didn’t tell you?” Noah looks doubtful.
“Chelsea’s not much of a gossip,” I say. This much I’m pretty confident about. Chelsea is Dean Riley’s girlfriend, and I’ve met her a few times at the theater. She’s an arty type. A little aloof, and kind. But not the sort to idly spill the tea.
“There’s not much to tell,” Noah says. “I was helping Chelsea drag out all the props in the high school theater. To be honest, I was kind of trying to impress her. But that was silly, of course. She only has eyes for Dean Riley.”
“They go way back,” I nod knowingly. This much I know. Dean’s talked about Chelsea a lot. Like he kind of won’t shut up about his childhood sweetheart and how ridiculously small-town-romance happy they are. It’s like theHallmarkchannel.Gag.
“Anyway, I was carrying this really heavy set and not watching where I was going, and next thing I knew, I fell off the stage. Broke a leg. In the theater. Go me!” Noah raises his hand in a halfhearted cheer. “Really put a lid on all my summer plans.”
“Right,” I nod sympathetically. “Tell me a little more about the campaign module you’re working on? Who’s it for? Is it just your students, or do you have, like, people you meet up with regularly or something?”
I’m feeling a little excited. My heart is racing, like I’ve had too much coffee. But of course, I haven’t had any. I avoid the stuff because it gives me palpitations and makes me sweat. Apparently, Noah also has that effect on me.
Noah studies me for a moment. “I didn’t know you were intoDND, Kenna. How am I just hearing about it now?”
“Oh, you know,” I say, fanning myself with a menu. “I dabble. I watch stuff on YouTube.”
“Really.” Noah smiles conspiratorially, and his voice drops an octave. “Which channels are you into, Kenna. You can tell me.”
There is something about Noah’s voice when he says “you can tell me” that sends a heatwave through me. Now I’m blushing, and I can’t make it stop.
“I dunno,” I lie. “Just stuff. Nothing specific.” I busy myself with a rag, wiping down the already clean counter.
“Well, I am hoping to use this campaign module in my classroom next year. But we’ll see. I’m really focusing on introducing world-building to my students. They’re all into the whole fae thing right now. In my version, Titania is super badass. Like you wouldn’t want to mess with her.”
“Do tell.” He has my attention now. I’ve been rallying to make my version of Titania a little more Ember and empowered.
“Who do you picture playing your version of Titania, then?” I ask.
“I hadn’t thought about it,” he says smiling, “but you know, that’s a really good question. I guess subconsciously, I might have been thinking about Lorelei Dupont’s Ember character in the Titanium Man films, knowing that she’s playing the role of Shakespeare’s Titania this summer. I do wonder what she’s going to do with the role.”
Yasssss!
