“Okay, okay. I’ll fill out the form.”

“Nah. Don’t do that. I’ll draw you tomorrow morning. You can trade me those bagels you were talking about and we’ll call it even.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Conrad snagged an appetizer from a passing server. I grabbed one too, some sort of little toast thing that was prettier than it was tasty. Knowing the food was likely to be sparse, Conrad had promised us pizza after the event, he and Alden only too happy to show off their neighborhood spots.

“I’ve got another drawing to do on the train back too,” I said to Jasper. “Bruno emailed a little while ago.”

“Bruno wants a drawing?”

Things had been…interesting with Bruno since the homecoming party. Not strained exactly, but not entirely back to normal either. However, it seemed to have more to do with my decision to sell the car than with coming out, as in each message he made a point of asking about Jasper and he’d said he wanted to play a round of cards with us next visit.

“A buddy who has everything has a birthday apparently. Bruno thought he’d get a cartoon-style drawing done as a T-shirt—”

“Merchandise.” Jasper’s eyes went wide. “That’s it. That’s the next step to your empire.”

“He’s certainly your best hype man.” Conrad took a sip of something bubbly. There was an open bar, but I wasn’t tempted to join the line. I’d meant what I’d told Bruno. I liked myself more sober, and besides, this was the sort of night where I wanted to remember each moment.

“He is.” I tugged Jasper closer. The whole public boyfriends thing was easier now, and there were a ton of other same-sex couples at this thing, holding hands and dancing and hanging out in clumps with friends, exactly like us.

“Conrad. Your whole department is looking spiffy.” An elegant older woman flanked by several younger people strode toward us.

“Thanks.” Conrad tweaked his collar. The entourage made the woman look important, but the way Conrad, Alden, and Jasper straightened told me this was the Odyssey boss, the one who made gaming dreams come true. I let go of him so he could pay attention if destiny was calling.

“Excellent work on this set. I hear great things from your department head,” she enthused, making Conrad turn even more pink as he made introductions for the rest of us. She had a broad smile that seemed especially wide for Jasper. “So nice to meet you in person. Excellent costume choice.”

“It’s my favorite character.” Light danced in his eyes. He might be good at playing it cool during a game, but he was clearly starstruck with the Odyssey creator, and it was cute. This was the moment he’d been waiting for, and I was so happy for him that I had to resist the impulse to cheer.