Page 38 of My Cosplay Escape
“What did you do this weekend?” Long Legs asks, and I swear her legs grew longer as she spoke.
Say it. Say you went to your own escape room dressed as Nightbat and snogged Catstrike.I’m melting with embarrassment, like plewds of sweat are stippling my forehead over an entire tier of palpable mortification, but I keep my eyes on Adam.
“I was in LA,” he says. “Meeting up with some of the contacts I made during my internship this summer. You next, Hoodie.”
Goldfish, who the heck did I kiss in a dark alley?
I pull down my hood sheepishly. “Hi,” I squeak. “I’m Sarah Miller. I’m a business major. I worked this weekend.”
“Where do you work?” Long Legs asks. Jeez, she’s pushy.
“I—” I falter. In a parallel universe, I say it.I work for Adam, actually. In fact, why don’t we talk to the professor now, because you probably shouldn’t TA one of your employees? And by the way, did you come down late Saturday to catch the last round of escapes? Because I made out with a Nightbat who I would have sworn was you.
“I work at Fit Gym 24,” I mumble.
Long Legs snorts.
“Yeah? Do you teach classes?” Adam asks good-naturedly.
“I mostly staff the Kids Club.”
“Ouch,” Long Legs murmurs.
* * *
I text Gwen in my Lyft to work.
Me: I’ve hit a massive speed bump. Like, caught air and landed in a ditch on the side of the road. Adam is my TA. I’m never going back.
Gwen: WHAT? What do you mean you’re not going back?
Me: I don’t know how it could be any worse. He doesn’t recognize me. I probably kissed a married pervert of a man last Saturday night. I’ve got a loser nickname.
Gwen: What’s your loser nickname?
My cheeks flush, and I have to do a face palm.
Me: He called me Hoodie.
Gwen: Oh, babe. That’s adorable. They only give you nicknames if they love you.
Me: How can he love me? He’s only just met me. And I’m like worse than a second-class citizen. He’s my TA!
Gwen: He’s a student. You’re a student. I really don’t see the problem.
Me: You don’t fall for someone you TA.
Gwen: Did you spend the first twenty-two years of your life under a rock? Have you never heard of hot-for-teacher fantasies? Did you even have sex with your ex-husband?
Me: Of course we had sex. He knocked me up. Shotgun wedding. Remember?
Gwen: But after that?
Me: He said having sex with a pregnant woman was gross. So, no.
Gwen’s texting goes super quiet. I know she’s trying to think of how to even respond to that.
Gwen: Oh, Saire.
