body pressed against hers. Everywhere they touched was on fire. He could feel the heat burning through him.
Leslie’s irises flared. She tilted her head up toward his. All he had to do was dip his chin just a little and he could capture her mouth with his.
A large man entered the narrow hallway. “Excuse me,” he said.
Tag didn’t want to move, but he had to in order to let the man get by to the men’s room.
He’d been so very close to kissing her. Once again, he told himself, it was too soon, He wondered if it wasn’t too soon to let her know it was a possibility. He wanted to give her something to keep in mind on her dates. Not that he wanted her kissing her dates. But if the opportunity came up, how would she feel about kissing Otis as compared to him?
“We’d better get back to our dates,” Leslie said.
Tag nodded and moved out of the way, allowing the big guy to move past them. He cupped Leslie’s elbow and guided her down the hallway until they reached the end of the corridor.
“You’d better go before me,” Tag said.
She nodded and took off across the room.
Tag followed a few seconds later. When he arrived at the table, Otis and Twyla were grinning. “We just had a great thought,” Otis said and cast a quick glance in Twyla’s direction. “We are just around the corner from Greater Austin’s Comic Con. They stay open until ten o’clock. Let’s go.”
Tag really didn’t want to go, but when he looked at the pained expression in Leslie’s eyes, he smiled. “Great idea. Let’s do it.”
For the next three hours, he, Leslie, Twyla and Otis walked around the convention center, bumping into numerous versions of Thor, Spider Man and nearly naked women dressed as Princess Leia or Wonder Woman. It worked out well for Tag, because he got to walk with Leslie, while Twyla and Otis bonded over a life-size Tardis parked in the middle of the convention center. They snapped photos of each other in front of the big blue box, and with other cosplay characters, having the time of their lives.
Tag leaned toward Leslie. “Having fun?”
Leslie tilted her head to the side a little. “Actually, I am.”
Tag frowned. “Really? I didn’t think this was your scene.”
“I didn’t either,” Leslie said. “But I find it fun watching other people enjoying it so much. Who knew I’d be a fan of Comic Con? I definitely need to read up on my comic books, watch my action movies and catch up on Dr. Who, if I decide to see Otis again.”
Tag nodded toward Twyla and Otis. “You may have some competition in Twyla.”
Leslie smiled. “They do seem to be getting along quite well, don’t they?”
“They have a lot in common, starting with their clothing,” Tag said.
Leslie glanced down at her sleek gray slacks and soft white blouse. Then she looked at Tag’s dark jeans and white button-down shirt. “We don’t really fit in here, do we?” she said.
“Not really,” he said. “We might be considered boring compared to the others in the convention center.”
“That’s okay,” Leslie said. “But I do like the bright blue Tardis dress Twyla is wearing. Royal blue is one of my colors.”
Tag leaned back and stared at her. “Seriously? I only ever see you wearing gray.”
She grinned. “That’s my professional look.”
“And when are you not professional?”
She shrugged and grinned. “When I’m wearing my PJs at home.”
“Now, you have me curious,” he said. “What do your PJs look like?” His groin tightened at the thought of Leslie in her PJs.
“That’s my little secret,” Leslie said. “It’s one of my guilty pleasures.”
“Was is something between you and Randy?” he asked, maybe a little jealous of his best friend and ghost.
She shook her head. “No. I started buying crazy pajamas after Randy passed. It helped to make me happy when I was at my saddest. Emma bought me my first pair. It had a pattern of rainbows and unicorns. It had a logo on it that said, ‘If you can be anything in this world, be a unicorn. Be proud of being different.’”
Tag looked around the convention center with a smile. “I think we have a lot of unicorns in this room.”
“Yes, indeed, we do. And they are all proud of their individualism. Next time we come, we’re dressing up.”
“We?” Tag’s eyebrows rose.
“Being here brings something important to my attention,” she said.
“Brings what to your attention?” he asked.
“That we don’t play enough.”
Tag