The convention was packed, people crowded around the booths or walked in groups talking animatedly. Although they were there for Edward L. L. Moore's new book, Charles had had several people ask him questions about his own personal life. Thanks to his impromptu appearance on the morning show, everyone wanted to know if he was back together with Pauline. He avoided answering anyone and directed them back to the new book Empirical was promoting.

By lunch he was exhausted, so when Edward left the table, he snuck away himself, slipping through a door to the stairs. He closed the door behind him, leaning against it with his eyes closed for a moment enjoying the silence. He became aware of slight noises slowly, the rustle of fabric, heavy breathing, soft wet sounds. His eyes snapped open when he heard a quiet moan, he knew that sound, knew the voice it belonged to. He looked down to the platform below; there she was, a man pressing her up against the wall of the stairwell. An older man. A man that wasn't him.

He was furious and hurt, but also embarrassed to have caught such a private moment. Clenching his fists, he climbed up the stairs as quietly as he could and exited the stairwell to the floor above.

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Liza pulled away, turning her face toward the stairs above them.

"What's-" he started.

"Shh," she interrupted, "I heard something," she said, looking around nervously.

"We are in a stairwell..." he said dryly.

She glanced at him and extracted herself from his embrace, straightening her clothes. "I should go," she said turning to go.

"Wait," he said as she made her way up the stairs to the door.

She stopped, glancing down at him, she smiled slightly, "I'm sorry," she whispered as she resumed her climb.

She stepped back onto the convention floor, but couldn't shake the feeling that someone she knew had seen her in the stairwell. She looked through the crowd, searching for everyone she knew. Kelsey was still at her booth for Millennial, she found Lauren mingling in the throng of people, Diana with her. Where was Charles? Empirical's booth was empty.

"Shit," she said under her breath. Of course it would be Charles to stumble upon her in a weak moment. She had to find him.

Not wanting to go back into the stairwell, she made her way to the elevators. Unsure of where he would be, she pressed the UP button and waited anxiously. When the doors finally opened, it was empty. She sighed in relief and stepped inside. She tapped the number of the floor above and waited for the doors to close. As the elevator ascended, her stomach knotted. She had no idea what she would do or say. Apologize? No, she hadn't done anything wrong. They weren't a couple. Explain? How? She couldn't explain what just happened to herself, let alone to Charles.

She sighed, rubbing her forehead as the elevator came to a stop. She had no idea what she was doing and decided it would be best to talk to Charles later. She reached out and pressed the button for the lobby of the building so she could grab lunch. Maybe a drink. The Pam-Pam event was after lunch and she would definitely need a drink to get through that.

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He had had enough of the convention. The crowd, the questions, Moore's comments about the women in cosplay. Finding Liza in the stairwell had been the last straw. He had immediately taken an elevator to the lobby and left the hotel.

Now he was hiding in his office, the lights off, blinds drawn, scotch in his hand. He didn't normally drink during working hours, but he didn't plan on working for the rest of the day either. He couldn't even if he wanted to. All he could think about was Liza. Every time he closed his eyes he saw her, pressed up against the wall. He took a drink. The image didn't go away. He slammed the glass down on his desk, the liquid sloshing around inside.

He pushed himself up from his chair, moving away from his desk to pace. Why was she always choosing someone other than him? First Jay, now this seemingly random man. At least Josh was her own age, he could understand that. Yet if she was suddenly attracted to older men, why wasn't she with him? He knew there was something there, they had almost gotten together before Pauline showed up.

He stopped pacing. Pauline. That was it. Liza was avoiding him because of Pauline. He sighed, a small laugh escaping his lips as he made the realization. Why hadn't he thought of it before? Knowing what he needed to do, he quickly left the office.

He called Pauline and asked her to meet him at a cafe down the street from the office. When he arrived, he sat at the counter, watching the door. He ordered a coffee and waited, sipping at the hot liquid. She finally entered the busy cafe ten minutes later. His coffee finished, he stood to greet her. She reached to embrace him, but he stopped her.

"We need to talk," he said holding up a hand.

"You sound serious," she said, trying to smile.

"I am. We are not getting back together. I've helped you promote your book, it's become a huge success for you, but I'm done."

"Charles, I-"

"No. I have spent most of my life pretending. I won't do it any more," he said, stepping around her.

He knew he was being curt, but he knew if he let her, she would drag things out. He had said all he needed to say. Nothing she said or did would change his mind.

"There's someone else isn't there?" She called out.

He stopped at the door and looked back at her, "Yes. There is," he said and walked out the door.

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Liza walked into the changing room for the Pam-Pam event, nodding to the other women in the room. She changed into her costume, her back to the room, hating how small everything was. At least the event is inside this time, she consoled herself. She remembered how cold and uncomfortable she was the first time. Remembered how Charles had rescued her from Moore and given her his coat. Stop! That was not something she wanted to think about. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. She turned around to wait with the others until it was time to head to the stage.

When it was time to go, they lined up in order, Liza at the end. They walked onto the stage one at a time, the crowd cheering for each one as she appeared. When the announcer called her name, Liza started to walk out onto the stage. She made it to the edge of the curtain before she turned around and left. She couldn't do it, didn't want to do it. She didn't like being objectified or the fact that she was forced into it by her job. She went back to the changing room, changed back into her clothes, leaving the costume on the floor. She left the hotel, taking a cab back to the office.

She logged on to her computer, opening her email program. She opened a new message, adding Diana, Kelsey, and Charles as recipients. Holding her breath, she began typing a message.

Please forgive me for not doing this in person, but I need to take a few days for myself.

I feel I need to reassess my career choices and decide what I want to do with my life.

Being forced to be objectified was not something I thought would be part of my job,

nor is it something I am comfortable with. I am not sure if I want to continue to work

for a company that would ask such a thing of their employees. While I am not submitting

my two weeks notice, I fully understand that I could be terminated for walking out of an

event.

Thank you,

Liza

She clicked send, releasing her breath, and shut down her computer. She grabbed a few items from her desk, in case she was fired, then walked out of the office and headed home.

As she drew closer to her building, she saw a figure standing in the shadows. She slowed her steps, a feeling of dread forming in her stomach when she recognized him.

"It's not like you to run from your problems, Liza," Charles said when she finally reached her door.

"I'm not running," she said, exasperated. "I just need some time."

"I saw you today. In the stairwell," he said, his voice low.

She closed her eyes, "I'm sorry. I really don't want to talk about this right now," she said, placing a hand on the doorknob, "Please," she said, looking at him, her eyes pleading.

"Fine," his tone was clipped, eyes hard as he turned away from her. She watched him walk away, her head dropping as soon as he rounded the corner. She pushed open the door and made her way up the stairs to her apartment.

She walked in to silence, Maggie must have been out for the day. Liza was thankful for the quiet, she didn't feel up to talking to anyone at the moment. Instead she ran herself a bath and poured a glass of wine. She let the heat melt away the day, laying in the tub until the water was cold.

She climbed out, pulling on a t-shirt and sweatpants and wrapping up in her fluffy robe. She poured another glass of wine and settled on the couch with her laptop. She was busy typing when Maggie came home several hours later.

"You're home early," Maggie called as she walked into the apartment.

"Yeah," Liza said, not looking up from her screen.

"Want to talk about it?"

"Nope."

"Ok," Maggie said, coming over to the couch and sitting down, looking at Liza's screen. "What are you doing?"

"Finishing my book."

"Your book? When did you start a book?" Maggie asked, surprised.

"A few months ago. I wasn't sure I would ever finish it or do anything with it, but I've decided to try and publish it. I'm tired of living a lie," she said, taking a drink of wine.

"How much of that have you had?" Maggie asked, nodding at the wine.

"Enough."

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Yes."

"Ok. I won't stop you. I hope it works out the way you want it to."

"It's not about that any more. I mean, I want things to work out with a positive end, but really I just want the lie to be over. And with a book, I can put everything out there. Maybe help others in a similar situation. Ageism is a thing, the only way to change it is to show how it affects people."

"Well, good luck," Maggie said, getting up from the couch, "Don't stay up too late."

Liza smiled at her as she left the room, heading to bed. Looking at her empty wine glass, she reached to fill it, thought better of it and got up for a glass of water instead. Settling on the couch again, she re-read the last paragraph to refresh her memory and began typing again.

It was dark when she reached the final word of the last sentence to finish her novel. She stretched, flexing her fingers as she yawned. Exhausted, she clicked 'Save' and shut down her laptop, setting it on the coffee table before standing. She stretched again, working the kinks out of her legs before making her way to bed.

The next morning, she slept in, enjoying the comfort of her bed. She finally woke to the smell of coffee and the sounds of Maggie making breakfast. She reluctantly climbed out of bed, pulling her robe on as she walked out of the room.

"Good morning sleepyhead," Maggie called from the kitchen. "I thought you were going to sleep all day."

"Ha-ha, no, I was just enjoying not having to get up. Also, it was late when I went to bed. BUT, I finished it," Liza said with a smile, pouring herself a cup of coffee.

"Wow, that was fast."

"Yeah, I was pretty motivated. I still have to look it over today for any edits that might need to be done before I let anyone else read it, but it's all written down."

Liza sat on a stool at the bar, wrapping her hands around her coffee mug as Maggie filled her a plate of hot eggs and potatoes. Liza dug into her food while Maggie cleaned up the dishes.

"Hey, would you mind going shopping with me today?" Liza asked between bites.

"Sure. What are we shopping for?"

"I need a new suit. One that says I'm forty, but I still have a life."

"I think I can manage that," Maggie said with a grin, "Now finish your breakfast."

An hour later they were browsing through a sea of colors and styles, trying to find Liza the perfect suit. When Maggie held up a shiny silver set, Liza was unsure.

"It looks too flashy," Liza said, tipping her head.

"Try it on," Maggie said, grabbing a blouse to go with it.

Liza sighed, taking the suit from Maggie and heading to the fitting room. Once she had the outfit on, she stood fidgeting in front of the mirror, twisting and turning.

"Get out here, let me see it," Maggie called through the door.

"I don't know if I like it," Liza said, stepping out.

"You look amazing. I think it's perfect. You just need to relax. You said you wanted to stop living the lie, so you need to let go of it, don't be afraid. You know who you are, own it."

Liza stood in front of the mirror, looking at her reflection. Maggie was right, she couldn't give in to her fear. A lot of things could go wrong, but at least she would be coming clean from her lies. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and looked at herself again.

The suit did look good. The fit flattered her form and the color was neutral, but the shine gave it the extra bit she was looking for. She turned to Maggie, smiling.

"You're right. This is perfect."

The cashier wrapped the suit for her, carefully folding it into a box. They left the shop and headed back to the apartment. When they arrived home, Maggie went to work on her latest project while Liza carried her laptop into her bedroom and hung up her suit. She worked on editing her book for the rest of the day. She took breaks to eat and stretch her legs, but she was determined to have the book finished so she could deliver it in the morning.

"If you plan on rocking that suit in the morning, you need to get some sleep. I don't think that color goes well with 'tired,'" Maggie said from the door.

Liza looked up, a tired smile on her lips. "I know. I'm almost done."

"Ok. Let me know how it goes," Maggie said, turning to go.

"I will."

Liza skimmed through the last few pages, changing things as she found them. When she was done, she hit 'save' and then copied the file to a thumb drive so she could take it to the office to print. After the file finished copying, she shut down her laptop and set it aside. She got ready for bed, setting her alarm for an hour earlier than she would normally, she wanted to arrive before anyone else.

She woke up feeling nervous. She wanted to put her truth out there, stop living the lie, but she had no idea how anyone would react. Specifically, she had no idea how Charles would react. She sighed, climbing out of bed and going to make coffee. She slipped into her new suit, appreciating the shiny silver fabric, and decided to leave her hair loose with minimal make-up. She dropped her thumb drive into her purse and left the apartment.

When she arrived at the office, she went straight to the copy room, using the computer there to print. She plugged in her thumb drive, set the proper print settings, held her breath, and clicked 'print.' As the pages slid slowly out of the printer, she stepped out to make coffee. The office still appeared to be empty, but she went ahead and started both pots. When the regular pot was finished, she poured herself a mug and walked back to the copy room.

The first copy had finished printing when she returned, so she pulled it from the printer, stacking the pages neatly. She found a large binder clip to hold them together and jotted a note on a sticky note to put on top. She checked the status of the second copy and decided to deliver the first while she waited.

No one passed her as she made her way to Diana's office. She glanced at her own desk, it was just as she had left it. She let herself into Diana's office, tidying her desk a bit before setting the first copy of her book on top. She made sure Diana would see it as soon as she walked in then went back to the copy room.

Finding the second copy was finished, she pulled her thumb drive from the computer, returning it to her purse. She stacked the papers just as she had the first copy, closed her eyes for courage, and left the copy room.

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Charles had spent the last two days in a fog. He tried to throw himself into his work, but he couldn't stop thinking about Liza. He had taken to hiding in his office, staring at his bookcase.

This morning he came in early, hoping to get some work done. There were several projects that needed his approval and he hadn't been able to concentrate enough to look them over. He was startled when the door to his office burst open and Liza walked in.

"Liza," he started, surprised.

She glanced his way, shocked to find him sitting at his desk. Her steps faltered for a beat, but she continued to her destination. She set the large stack of papers on his desk.

"Read this," she said, turning to go.

He glanced down, and back up at her quickly, eyes wide, "When did you-"

She turned back at the door, looking him in the eye, "I didn't run away," she said and left.

He sat, staring at the door for several moments after she left, dumbfounded. Finally he looked down at what she had placed before him. He noticed a sticky note attached to the top page with a simple 'This explains everything' scrawled across it. He traced a finger along the words, trying to absorb their meaning.

He cleared his desk, deciding everything else could wait. He removed the binder clip from the pages and started reading. He was a few pages in before he realized, this wasn't just a story, this was Liza's story. Her life was in these pages. He went back and started over, reading from the beginning with a new appreciation for the words on the page.

He was shocked to discover her true age and her family, but was too riveted by the story to give it much thought. He was startled when his phone buzzed, a text from Diana, Did you know Liza wrote a book? He typed a quick reply, Yes, reading it now. He went back to reading, shifting in his chair to get more comfortable. He was determined to finish the book today.

He could hear her voice coming off the pages, the raw emotions tearing at his heart. He found he couldn't put it down and wondered briefly if she had felt something similar when reading Pauline's book. Except that Liza had written in a way that kept the identities of everyone else hidden. She kept the focus on herself, her thoughts and feelings with only brief references to the situations. Knowing her as well as he did, he could guess at who most of the people were, but he appreciated her tactfulness.

It was well past midnight when he finally finished. He had skimmed over the parts that were obviously about Josh, but he felt he had a better understanding of Liza and the choices she had made. She had sacrificed her career for her family and her husband had failed her. When she tried to start over, the world had slammed doors in her face. He felt ashamed when he realized he would have turned her away as well had she revealed her true age on her resume.

He ran a hand down his face, setting the manuscript aside. He had learned a lot about Liza, but he had also learned things about himself. He wanted to talk to Liza, to apologize for his behavior, but it was late and he needed to sleep. Tomorrow would be a long day, he had to make an appearance at an event for Millennial and he was sure there would be more questions for him to avoid. He sighed, collecting his things and heading home for the night.

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Liza was unsure if she should really be here or not. She hadn't heard from Diana or Charles since dropping a bombshell on them. Yet, here she was, because Kelsey said she needed her to be there. And in this area, Kelsey was her boss, Millennial was her imprint, Liza was merely her assistant.

She was just starting to relax, talking to some people she had met, when she glanced up and saw Charles walk into the room. Her smile froze on her face as his gaze met hers. He seemed just as startled to see her, smiling at her awkwardly before wandering off to mingle in the crowd. Liza excused herself from the group she was sitting with and stepped out onto the balcony.

She was looking out over the city, when she sensed someone coming toward her. Her stomach knotted, but she forced herself to stay where she was. She didn't turn when he approached, but she could smell his cologne. She closed her eyes, breathing it in.

"I read your book," he said quietly.

She waited, holding her breath, her heart racing.

"I, um..." he paused, taking a breath to collect his thoughts. "Liza, I'm sorry. I have treated you unfairly and I am sorry," he took a step closer, "Will you look at me please?"

She turned to face him, her eyes searching his, unsure of what she would find.

"That was for the convention. I never should have asked that of you. As for your book..." he trailed off, raising his eyebrows at her. "That was unexpected. I wish you had told me sooner, though I honestly don't know how I would have reacted."

"And now?" She asked timidly.

"Now I understand why you've done everything you have. Why you keep pushing me away. And I'm here to tell you it doesn't matter. My feelings for you haven't changed."

Liza looked at him, eyes welling, a smile bursting from her lips.

"I'm done here," he said, nodding toward the party, "if you'd like to go somewhere else."

His eyes were dark and her heart skipped a beat as he offered her his arm. She took it, her whole body thrumming.

"Very much," she said, a shiver going down her spine as he smiled at her.

He lead her to a door that would take them out of the building without going back in to the party. They made their way back to the lobby and outside, where he called a car for them. When the car arrived, he helped her into the backseat before climbing in himself. He gave the driver an address and leaned back in the seat, putting an arm around Liza to pull her close.

She molded herself to his side, reveling in the feel of him. His breath was warm on her cheek, she turned to face him, sucking in a breath as the intensity of his gaze burned through her. Her eyes dropped to his lips, licking her own instinctively.

The car stopped suddenly and the driver announced they had arrived. Liza shook her head, looking around, they were at a hotel a few blocks from where they had started. Charles paid the driver and stepped out of the car, turning to offer her his hand. She took it, pulling herself out of the car and onto the sidewalk next to him. He threaded his fingers through hers, smiling down at her as they walked into the lobby. Charles greeted the clerk at the front desk, took the key he was handed and lead them to the elevators.

There was a family waiting to go up as well, they smiled politely, Liza silently cursing that they would have to share the elevator. When the doors opened, they all climbed in, thankfully the family wasn't staying on the same floor. Charles stood behind her, his hands on her shoulders, discreet, but possessive.

He kissed the top of her head, then leaned close to her ear, "A few more minutes won't kill us," he whispered, his breath tickling her ear. She smiled, relaxing against him.

Their floor was first, when the doors opened, they stepped out, nodding to the family as they exited. Charles headed to the left and Liza followed, stopping a few doors from the elevators. He opened the door and held it for her, letting her enter first.

As soon as he closed the door, she pressed herself against him, backing him into the door. She slid her hands behind his neck, pulling him down to her. He groaned as she crushed her lips against his, demanding more. He complied, wrapping his arms around her, lifting her off the floor. She mewled, digging her nails into his neck as he carried her to the bed.

They tugged and pulled at each others' clothing, their lips only parting to remove her shirt. She looked up at him, hair disheveled from her fingers, eyes wild, chest heaving. The sight of him ignited a fire inside her, her whole body burned.

"Are you sure?" she asked him, her voice husky.

"Yes," he growled, capturing her mouth with his own.

He pushed her back against the pillows, pressing them together, skin to skin. She moaned at the contact, her fingers sliding down his back. He settled between her hips, a low moan escaped his throat as he felt her heat. She rolled her hips against him impatiently, her nails scraping against his back. He shifted slightly, adjusting himself before sliding into her. Her startled gasp turned into a moan as he filled her.

He held himself up on his elbows, pinning her between them, he pulled back and slammed into her. She arched into him, matching his pace. She dug her fingers into his shoulders, holding on to him as she cried out, feeling the world fall away from her. She distantly heard him cry out her name before he collapsed next to her.

She turned to look at him, her breath still coming out in ragged gasps. She smiled over at him, reaching out to run a finger down his cheek. He opened his eyes, looking over at her as he propped himself up on an elbow.

"Hey," she said softly.

"Hey," he said smiling down at her.

"Sorry, I was...impatient."

He chuckled, "I noticed. It's ok, we've got time," he said leaning down to kiss her.

She smiled into the kiss, enjoying the moment. He was right, they had time now.