The One That Got Away

“I’m coming to comic con by the way. I know Chris better than you; you do not want to be alone with him and his creepy friends,” Enzo shouted above the sound of the TV blaring.

“Thank you Enzo; so solicitous of my welfare,” Monique mocked as she pressed her suitcase closed.

“You joke I know; but I really am,” Enzo said appearing at the door. For a moment their eyes met and something passed between them. Monique reared back in surprise.

What was that?

She thought in surprise. She and Enzo had never thought of each other…in that way. For as long as she’d known him, he’d been in love with Emily, lost in her love…She frowned with worry. She didn’t want things to get complicated between them. Enzo had been as much her friend as Emily had been. They were the double E duo; her partners in crime. She didn’t want that to change because Emily was gone. That look though, might signal that it just might be at an end.

*****

Oliver was sitting at the back of the tour bus he and the boys had hired to take them around town; fidgeting with his hair and light gray sweater. ‘It feels like everyone is staring at me…’ Oliver thought, when in reality no one was paying any attention to him. ‘Don’t worry, you look like a normal guy, going to a normal place, where normal things happen.’ Said another voice in Oliver’s mind trying to comfort him. But that wasn’t true. Oliver was about to attend his most important marketing tool, Comic Con, while launching his baby that he hoped people would love. If he tanked at Comic Con, he tanked at life.

He was cosplaying as L from one of his favorite anime’s, for the first day of Comic con; Death Note. People had often told him that he looked like the character, especially in recent years; just look really tired, smack on a sweater, look slightly insane and there you go. It was a look that went well with jet lag.

Oliver was excited, about the many cosplays, all the art, the stuff he was going to buy, and of course, his own panel. It was on the final day of the con and he was nervous as hell. Thankfully Ty would be there to do the heavy lifting as far as fielding questions and being charming. But Oliver was the face of his brand; he would need to be there on stage to nod and smile. It was nerve wracking.

They drew up at the convention center and Oliver could see the long lines. He wondered if Chris’ friend from the East Coast had arrived yet. He knew she was a friend of Chris’ sister, who had died in the line of duty but not much more about her. He made a mental note to ask Chris if she was coming with a friend. Baby steps in these dating streets. It was always better to start with someone you knew. Or someone, who was known by someone you knew. Not that he knew Emily’s friend, but Chris did so same difference.

Oliver got off of the tour bus and clutched the strap of his brown leather bag. ‘Well, here I go.’ He thought uncertainly. Oliver was mentally preparing himself not to freak out while walking to the building (which meant looking down and muttering “you can do it!” and “I’m super chill!”) when he suddenly crashed into someone. “Hey, watch where you’re going!” He heard an angry voice say.

“O-oh, I’m sorry I-I didn’t me-mean to.” Oliver stuttered out.

He opened his eyes to see a short guy with jet black hair and eyes and a clear olive complexion. ‘Oh great; Fonzi’ Oliver thought with a mental raised eyebrow. The man was such a caricature of an Italian it wasn’t even funny. The other man opened his eyes to glare at Oliver but his expression shut down when he got a good look at him. The other man stood up and offered his hand to the platinum haired man. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to snap. My name’s Enzo.”

“I-I’m Oliver. No, it’s my fault… I wasn’t watching where I was g-going….” ‘Damn it Oliver, you will stop stuttering in front of this untouchable wannabe?’ Oliver mentally mocked himself. He looked at the black haired man and realized he was cosplaying as Light from Death Note. “Light.” Oliver said. Enzo smiled. “L.” He gestured to Oliver’s clothes. They studied each other curiously, oddly enough it didn’t seem uncomfortable. Suddenly a young woman, about the same age as Oliver from the looks of it, came up from behind Enzo, put her hands on Enzo’s shoulders, shook them, and said, “So are we just going to stand out here and wait for rain, or are we going to go buy stuff and enter contests?”

Oliver frowned slightly. He knew that voice even if the person it was attached to was currently wearing a red wig and a cat suit. That chocolate skin, the way her voice caressed his skin like the lightest silk, the gentle swell of her hips…he could never forget her. For a moment he thought he might be imagining things but then he looked into her blue contact lensed eyes, which widened in shock. Monique…His eyes cut to Enzo, the man she was with. Of course a girl as attractive as Monique was taken… whether she was currently, technically still married to him or not. She was apparently cosplaying as Natasha if Oliver wasn’t mistaken.

 “Oliver. As I live and breathe?” she said sounding kind of mocking. Enzo was looking directly into Oliver’s eyes, well trying anyway, Oliver looked away, suddenly uncomfortable thinking that he was Monique’s boyfriend.

“Monique…fancy meeting you here,” he replied. It was truly the last place he’d have expected to find the uber cool Monique. Video games were not her thing.

“Well, yes, it seems to be a rather small world,” Monique commented practically filing her nails. “What are you doing here?”

“I could ask you the same thing,” he replied.

Monique shrugged, “Meeting friends.”

“I take it you’re thee Oliver? Ex husband?” Enzo asked with a smile. Oliver simply glared at him, wanting to snarl that it was none of his business. He took a breath instead.