A Little Side of Geek

by Marguerite Labbe

  Chapter Three

  “YOU WANT the original Justice League as Minions?” Morris asked the woman standing before his table. He hadn’t expected a last-minute commission. Most of the attendees had started draining out of the hall an hour ago, but he wasn’t going to dismiss her either. It seemed like fewer people wanted original art these days.

  “Yep, a two-page spread, full color.” Sara dug into her backpack and pulled out a hardcover sketchbook. “I’ve been looking at your stuff for a few shows, but my book’s been tied up with other artists.”

  She set the sketchbook on the table and opened it about halfway to where she’d marked the pages with a slip of paper. “Right here. I like to leave a blank page in between when I’m doing color so it doesn’t bleed into someone else’s picture.”

  “May I?” Morris asked, gesturing to the sketchbook.

  “Sure.” Sara handed over her treasure with a smile of pride.

  Morris turned it to the beginning and flipped through the collection, his fingertips carefully grazing the edges of the paper as he turned. The sketchbook held all kinds of finished pieces in every style from the simple to the incredibly detailed. Some were ink only, others fully colored, most were single-page pictures, though a few were two-page spreads like the one she was commissioning. “You have a really sweet collection.”

  “Thanks. I got started last year. I saw some guy walking around Awesome Con with one of these. He said he’d been doing it for years. He even has a couple themed sketchbooks. It seemed like a really neat idea.” She grimaced. “I love it, though it gets expensive.”

  “I think I know who you’re talking about. I’ve done a few commissions for him. The guy with the service dog?” Morris tended to see familiar faces even though he attended cons from New York to Georgia. Whatever one he could get to within a decent drive that wouldn’t lay him out.

  “That’s him.” Sara closed her backpack and shrugged her arms through it. “Thanks for doing this.”

  “Thanks for thinking of me.” Morris marked the page again with the slip of paper. “When do you want it by?”

  Sara glanced around at the vendors, some of whom were already packing. “I was hoping for today, but the other guy took longer than I thought he would, and it is a two pager. I guess I could wait until the next Chessie Con if you’re going.”

  The next one of Brenden’s shows was two months away. Morris understood the hesitance in her expression. “You local?” Morris asked as he tucked the sketchbook into his bag.

  “Sorta. College Park.” She gave him a conspiratorial smile. “Don’t let my parents know I’m spending my food budget on cons and art.”

  “That’s part of college life.” Morris had blown his semester budget more than once on feeding his own geek interests. His college experience contained as many art classes as he could get away with in between the courses for the education major his parents and advisers had talked him into. His mom appreciated that he was artistic like her, but as an art teacher herself she insisted on a major that would ensure a job after graduating. “I know College Park well, went to school there. I teach a class not too far away on Wednesdays. Give me a week or so. I’ll email you, and we can arrange a meet up.”

  “That would be awesome.” She grabbed one of his business cards and scrawled an email address on the back. “I can’t wait to see it. Half now, half then?”

  That was how Morris usually arranged it, but considering he had her sketchbook, he was sure she wouldn’t renege on him. There was too much money already invested in it. He’d been burned in the past too many times not to have collateral. “If you want, or you can pay me when we meet. Up to you.”

  “Here.” She dug into her back pocket and laid down some cash. “Not quite half, but splitting it will make it less of a bite later.” She bounced off toward the exit with one last backward wave.

  Morris scooped up the cash and put it with a note into the small moneybag. He pulled out his suitcases from under the table and began taking down the prints, humming to himself. All around him, other vendors and artists were doing the same with the exception of the few who’d ducked out early. He’d never understood that. Sure, there were cons where he did terrible, but he’d paid for the table and space, and he wasn’t about to leave that commitment until he’d given it every chance. There had been more than one occasion when he’d had a last-minute sale that made up for the day.

  Today had been a good day. He had a few commissions lined up. He’d made enough in sales to pay back the cost of the table with a little extra. He’d been hit up with the possibility of a collaborative project. To make it even better, he’d had a chance to talk to Theo a couple of times and even meet his younger brother, Lincoln. That alone made his day. Morris didn’t often get a chance to meet guys who flirted with him like Theo. His sister would say it was his fault for not getting out more, but Morris didn’t enjoy meeting strangers unless he was sitting behind his table.

  He had several gay friends among the convention circuit, but nothing had ever come out of those friendships. People outside of his circle often treated his interests and hectic schedule as if they were something he needed to be cured of, to the point where he almost swore off dating nongeeks. Most gay men he met assumed that because of his height he liked to top, when it was the exact opposite. He was a six-foot-three, black, geeky bottom. The struggle was real.

  It wasn’t like he never dated. He did, but it had been a while. Morris was the oddball among the men he met. The quiet artist who more often than not preferred the company of his cat and his pencils. He was usually content with his life. It was only periodic bouts of loneliness that made him question his choice to be a hermit. That and a gorgeous new neighbor who was easy to talk to and adorably sexy on the eyes. Who absolutely should be off-limits, considering the disaster the last time he tried dating someone who didn’t share his interests.

  “Hey, want to meet up for dinner in about an hour or so?”

  Morris turned around at the sound of Felipe Suero’s voice. The cosplayer was dressed as Link in a green tunic and tan breeches. He had an impressive array of accessories, from the ocarina dangling from his belt, to the shield strapped on his arm, to the green hat tilted at a rakish angle. But then, Felipe prided himself on the details, and he’d spend months handcrafting a costume and the weapons just for the joy of walking around a con and meeting people. Now here was one geek who was not shy at all.

  Morris grinned as he straightened from his crouch. “Hey, Felipe, I’d love to. I didn’t get a chance to catch up with you earlier. Who else is coming?”

  “I’m sure Jackie is in.” Felipe pointed toward Jackie’s table, where the quiet redhead was busy rolling up her banner. “She mentioned wanting a few drinks tonight. Brett’s family wants in as well.”

  “That works. I haven’t seen Brett and Daphne in a while. I have to thank their son for saving me a couple times today. Jaydon covered my booth while I grabbed a drink and a bathroom break.” Daphne crocheted geek-themed crafts, and Brett wrote sci-fi novels. They were often at the same cons as Morris, and they, along with Jackie and Felipe, formed part of their unofficial gaming group.

  “That’s what con rats are for, and Jaydon’s been running around here since he was out of diapers. It’s about time he helped out.” Felipe patted down his pockets and the pouch at his waist before he found his keys. “I need to change first before we meet up. Once we decide where, I can figure out what to do. Might not make sense to head home.”

  “Cool costume,” Morris said as he began to break down the wire frame into its individual squares. “Did you enter the contest?”

  “Nah.” Felipe grimaced. “Brenden said I take it too many times. He drafted me to be a judge instead. Which actually worked out because I was able to drum up some new business. There were some great entries. Some kid in a Kylo Ren costume won for the teens; an adorable little Hermione with afro puffs won the kids.”

  “What about the adult?” Morris had seen some a
mazing costumes today and some that were almost nonexistent, especially the older gentleman as Conan the Barbarian in nothing but a loincloth with a gigantic sword strapped to his back.

  Felipe’s grimace deepened. “Abby.”

  Felipe didn’t need to say anything else. Abby Albion and Felipe had been in fierce competition since kindergarten, each of them striving to outdo the other. She would’ve gotten a kick out of him being banned from the competition as much as she would’ve sweated having him on the judges’ panel. “Did you vote for her?”

  “I had to, dammit. Her Alice in Wonderland meets Dorothy from Oz was fucking amazing. I hate her.” He shook his head with a rueful smile. “I should’ve thought of it first. I look awesome in a dress.”

  Better to head off the rant before it got started. “Who else is coming? What about Dakota? You guys still a thing?” Morris asked as he stored the wire frames in their box before turning to organizing his supplies.

  “Define a thing,” Felipe said with a sigh. “We’re still screwing if that’s what you mean. He doesn’t seem interested in anything more. Too busy kissing his brother’s anal ass. It’s a bomb ass, but I still wouldn’t want to kiss it.”

  “Sorry, man.” Morris threw a glance over his shoulder to make sure neither of them were nearby. Dakota and Brenden’s feelings for each other were obvious to everyone who knew them. Well, obvious to everyone but them and their family and, bless him, Felipe. One day all that unexplored sexual tension was going to blow up in their faces. He’d had grave misgivings when Felipe set his sights on Dakota, but Felipe listened to no one when it came to following his own heart. Morris had tried until he’d caught the acid side of Felipe’s tongue one too many times.

  “Nothing to be sorry for,” Felipe replied with a shrug. “I knew the deal when I hooked up with him, and it’s still fun. We’re friends with benefits until someone else comes along.”

  “Good luck with that.” Morris hadn’t been looking, but Theo made him give that a second thought. He’d solemnly sworn never to date a nongeek again, though Morris had to give Theo major points for attending a con with his brother instead of dropping him off at the door. He stifled a groan. He was reading too far into this already. One look at his neighbor, and he got all starry-eyed like an anime girl.

  “That doesn’t answer the question, though. Is he coming?” Morris wasn’t sure if he wanted to sit in the middle of a Dakota-Felipe-Brenden triangle. It all depended on everyone’s mood.

  “Not sure. He’s doing an interview tonight, so if he does meet up with us, it won’t be until later.”

  “On a good note,” Morris said as he closed the lid to his box of markers, “Brenden mustn’t be taking exception to you seeing Dakota again or he would’ve found an excuse to boot you out with all the other attendees.”

  “Nah, he just hasn’t seen me yet.” Felipe looked over his shoulder as if searching for the bald promoter. “I still have to change anyway. What are you in the mood to eat? BBQ? Somewhere nearby, please. I don’t want to head back to Chuck County yet.”

  Morris’s stomach rumbled, reminding him all he’d had for sustenance over the day was a carafe of coffee and a mango juice. “How about the Chesapeake Bistro? We haven’t been there in a while.”

  Felipe’s eyes lit up. “Yeah, that will work. I’ve been itching for some crab cakes. I’ll let Jackie and the Karlins know as I leave and have them send out the word to anyone else who might be interested. Hey, do you mind if I change at your place?”

  “Nope.” Morris dug out his keys and tossed them to Felipe. “Save me a seat.”

  Felipe snagged the keys with a grin. “Will do.”

  “Suero!”

  Felipe adjusted his sword belt and winced as the deep, withering voice rolled through the hall. “There’s my cue to leave. Brenden’s got his boxers twisted up his ass again.”

  “Your tag doesn’t say artist, vendor, or guest,” Brenden continued as he walked up to them with his clipboard clamped under his arm. “You were supposed to exit twenty minutes ago.”

  “I’m going. I’m going.” Felipe held up his hands as he backed away. “Chill out, man.”

  “It’s my fault,” Morris cut in. Brenden glanced at him, his mouth pinched with irritation. “I pulled him in for a conversation and didn’t pay attention to what was going on around us.”

  “Suero’s more than capable of defending himself,” Brenden grumbled, but his expression lightened.

  “I was trying to work on my pickup lines. I’m out of practice,” Morris said as Felipe inched back and then headed for the exit as soon as he was out of Brenden’s line of sight.

  Brenden’s brow arched in disbelief. “You and Felipe? For real? You and that trouble in tights and wigs? I thought he was banging the sense out of Dakota.”

  Morris would’ve paid good money to watch the fallout of that remark if Felipe had stuck around. Brenden glanced over when the comment failed to cause an eruption, and his scowl deepened. Felipe had made a clean getaway.

  “Hell no,” Morris replied. “I’d bore him to tears, and he’d drive me mental. I said practice, not for real.”

  “Ever the peacemaker.” Brenden shook his head and eased his grip on his clipboard. “I repeat, Suero doesn’t need you to run interference for him. I was itching for a good argument.”

  “Well, a bunch of us are headed to the Chesapeake Bistro for dinner, Felipe included. You’re more than welcome to join us if you really want an evening filled with debate and needling.” Morris lifted his suitcase onto the empty table beside him and began filling it up with the boxes that held his prints.

  “Can’t. I have a meeting with the other promoters. I’ll text you if I decide to stop in later for a couple of drinks. Is Dakota going?” Brenden asked, his voice deceptively casual.

  Morris sympathized with the triangle Felipe found himself in and he understood his friend was impatient with the situation, but he had to admit his sympathies were firmly with Brenden. He knew Felipe well enough to recognize his friend wasn’t in love. As for Brenden, it was more complicated. If it was just lust between Brenden and Dakota, just scratching an itch, it would’ve blown over long ago, but there was more to their feelings. And anything more meant involving family. That was a can of trouble that didn’t need to be opened by anyone.

  “Not sure, to be honest. He’s got a gig going right now. But he’s more than welcome to join if you want to include him.” Morris sent a silent apology to Felipe. They could sit on opposite ends on the table if they had to. Their local comic con world was small. They all had to work with one another.

  “We’ll see. I’ll let you know.” Brenden glanced down at his clipboard. “How was the show for you?”

  “Good considering the location. I’ll admit, I had my doubts when you first announced it. The crowd was steady, and there were new faces over the day, always a good sign. It gets a little old when you see the same people circling. The small stuff moved okay, and I landed a few commissions, which always makes me happy.”

  “Good to know.” Brenden made a careful note and set his clipboard aside. “What would you think about doing a larger venue with me? Multiple days, bigger town?”

  “More expensive table?” Morris added. He’d been scaling back on some of the bigger cons. After paying out for the table, hotel, and meals it didn’t always pan out. There were a couple he always went to—Baltimore Comic Con, Awesome Con—because they were local and he could cut the costs. Besides, that was half work and half catching up with friends.

  “That goes with the territory. Bigger venue, more days, more money. I’ve been considering the jump for a while.” Brenden’s eyes lit up. “I’d like to attract a few big names, get a real crowd going, but I wanted to feel you and some of the others out. The ones who’ve been with me from the beginning.”

  “Where would you have it?” Morris asked, intrigued by the possibility. He usually had luck with minimal hassle at the shows Brenden promoted. Brenden’s ways might set some pe
ople on edge, but he got shit done smoothly. “DC and Baltimore already have big shows. I guess you could do Richmond, but that might step on the toes of the smaller cons. Unless you’re thinking of venturing farther out.”

  “I’m looking at Annapolis. I’m hoping to keep some of the costs down since it’s not a huge city.” Brenden frowned in thought. “Though Richmond is still an option.”

  “That’s a thought. Keep me updated.” Morris zipped up his suitcase and glanced around to see what else he needed to do before he rolled out.

  “What show do you plan on going to next?” Brenden asked.

  Morris crouched and began stacking the rest of his gear onto the dolly, going over his mental calendar. “I’ll be at Awesome Con, after that Allentown, then Hunt Valley. It’s getting to be the busy season.”

  “Well, if I don’t see you tonight, I’ll see you at Awesome Con. I’ll be there promoting our next event. You planning on going?”

  “The one in Newport News?” Morris asked as he strapped everything down with bungee cords. “Yeah, I gave Dakota the cash earlier.”

  Brenden frowned as he flipped through the various papers on his clipboard, and then his expression cleared. “Yep, got you down. Thanks, man. You want a receipt?”

  “You can email it, no rush.” After his debacle with taxes last April, Morris was trying to keep everything organized electronically. He was not about to face his sister again with a bag full of receipts and a list of shows on his phone.

  “Will do.” Brenden held out his fist, and Morris tapped his knuckles against it. “See you around.”

  Chapter Four

  HEAT SHIMMERED in the kitchen as steaks sizzled on the grill, ovens poured forth aromas when they opened, and a battalion of pots and pans steamed and crackled. The vapor from the dishwasher in the back added to the humidity, as did the frenetic activity of the cooks. Theo loved it all, the glut of his senses from the clamor. It was like a dance, and he was the choreographer. Some viewed cooking as a science, and though that wasn’t a bad way to look at it, Theo considered it art.