Page 21 of My Cosplay Escape
Stacey smiles into her coffee. “It’s okay.”
I pick at the cuffs of my hoodie. “She doesn’t mind?”
“Nope. Teases me a bit when I put on the costume. She’s into different fandoms.”
“And the customers are respectful? No inappropriate touching… or unmasking?”
Stacey looks thoughtfully at me, and I have to physically stop myself from squirming. “Adam has a lot of waivers before people can play. He also has been known to hire some pretty impressive security, who are not in costume.” A crease forms on Stacey’s perfect brow. “It’s easy to spot the potential troublemakers, and they get tighter leashes.”
“But you get hit on?” Goldfish, what is wrong with me? I sound like a creep. I stare into my tea.
Stacey laughs. “Where have you been cosplaying?”
“Adam saw me at Comic-Con. That’s the only time I’ve cosplayed.” Not true. Not true by a million billion times.
“People are pretty shy of gorgeous women towering over them while they’re trying to escape from rooms. I say my scripted lines. I pose for pictures. I get paid a lot of money.”
“How much money?”
“More now that I’m a manager, but let’s see.” Stacey grabs a napkin and scribbles. “My first weekend cosplaying paid for a semester’s worth of books.”
She shows me the figure, and my eyes bulge. “Is Adam a good…” My cheeks redden as I search for the right word. My internal autofill makes my blush spread to my neck. “Boss?”
“He’s a go-getter. Total professional. Sometimes a little aggressive when it comes to bookings. I worked every weekend winter semester. He respected my swim schedule, but if I wasn’t in the pool, I was in my blue skirt and red bustier. Well, unless I was in the leotard.”
“You wear different costumes?” I can’t keep the dread out of my voice. Last thing I need is an excuse to invest in more cosplay.
“Yeah. Adam has the standard version, and then he has the vintage camp version that is more family friendly.” Stacey’s expression softens. “He’s more than willing to buy the costumes, but then he wants a deposit, and it was just easier to get my own. I’m guessing you have just the one?”
She must have misread the panic in my eyes. Still, I shake my head slightly.
“You do have a Catstrike costume?” she whispers.
I nod. “Inspired byNightbat Returns,” I mutter.
Stacey bites her lower lip, probably to suppress her smile. “What’s wrong with that?”
“I grew up with a mother who would tell me to change if my skirt was above my knee, and my cardigan was too tight.” I press my lips together. “She doesn’t know I cosplay. I don’t want to find out what would happen if she did.” Would she blame me for Daniel being a total douche? Or worse, would she blame me for my miscarriage?
“I get it. I wouldn’t exactly want to walk out in that.” Stacey brushes her hair back with a grin. “I mean, I would. Lots of fun, very kinky, but I don’t think I’d want just anyone to know about that side of me.”
“It’s mortifying,” I say. My entire story really is. Start to finish. Cooking up the idea of cosplaying as Cicada Nymph in a minidress and red wig to beat back boredom sophomore year. Agreeing to a doomed marriage that never had a spark of love in it. Accepting I am a pathetic loser and swearing off cosplay forever, only to do it again because my one friend in the world wants to go, and I don’t want to lose that friendship. Potentially gleaning a side hustle from it. And considering it only because the man offering is… what? Confident? Articulate? Intriguing?
“How did Adam find you?” I ask.
“He was recruiting at the pool. Everyone knows swimmers have the best bodies.” She eyes my hoodie. “Do you cross-train? You have great shoulders.”
How can she tell when I’m wearing a hoodie? “I row sometimes.” I leave out the part that it is on a machine.
“Right. Adam pitched his business, and someone outed me. Told him I’d dressed up as Fem Fantastic for Halloween. He got me and Frankie. Vlad and Hector too. They’re polo players. Sweet guys.”
“So everyone knows everyone?” Oh no.
“I mean, now we do. Adam poached Christian, Mike, and Jessica from a drama club.” Stacey smiled widely. “It’s cool that we’re getting a Catstrike. I mean, if you sign on. Adam’s been looking for one for ages. Don’t know why he’s been so picky about it. Frankie and Vanessa have volunteered before, but he likes to rotate them as Cardinal Flame, Fair Play, and Poison Hemlock. Fem Fantastic, too, on the nights when I have a swim meet.”
“What about the guys?”
“Christian and Mike usually play the villains. Sometimes they do Burst and Emerald Broadsword. I think once Adam asked Mike to play Fledgling, but he threatened to quit. Vlad and Hector rotate between Nightbat and Magnificent Man and some of the lesser-known heroes.”
