Chapter 6
"Dad, must we do this every year. It's getting embarrassing," whined Amber to her father.
"You know," said Jess, "I remember a time when you begged and begged in order to do this."
"Yeah, when I was like five."
"Aren't you still five?"
"Dad."
"I know you're actually seven."
"Dad!" Jess just chuckled lightly at this daughter's indignation.
"Please, don't make me do this," begged Amber again.
"Oh, look. You're up," Jess said, avoiding looking at her pouting face, "Now go talk to Santa." That's right, Santa and Amber and Jess were in the middle of a mall in Hartford at the moment and as always in the middle of a mall at Christmas time, their was Santa, his elves, and an overpriced photograph.
Amber did what she was told, but she didn't do it happily. Huffing she walked up to Santa and sat down on his lap as instructed.
"What do you want for Christmas, little girl?" asked the old man jollily and predictably.
She sighed and said quietly to the man, "I'm just doing this for my dad. I don't believe in Santa anymore."
"Don't believe in Santa. I'm right here, aren't I?"
"Yes you are…and in every other mall across America."
He nodded his head as to say, 'Good Point."
"And," Amber continued, "Being nine and almost a half years old I understand that it is neither scientifically nor reasonably possible for one man to go to every house in one night as well as reindeers to fly, need I continue?"
"That's not something a pinch magic can't take care of. All you need is a little faith."
"Even if magic was real, I have more proof that Santa isn't. For as long as I can remember I've asked Santa for the same thing every year and I've never gotten it."
"What's that?" asked the Santa Claus curiously.
"A mom."
The man had no reply for that.
The Book Launch…
"You're late," said Sarah as Jess, with Amber, walked into the book store the next morning.
Jess checked his watch, "Only ten minutes."
"Ten minutes is still late."
"It would have been five of I hadn't spent time looking for the back way that doesn't exist." Jess looked around the room, seeing how the book shelves were moved slightly to make a large center aisle that had a table he supposed he was supposed to sit at.
"Here's the schedule," said Sarah, handing a paper to Jess, "Doors open at ten thirty. You're going to be hooked up to a mike so that you can be heard on speakers outside so the people in the line can hear. I'm going to give you an intro, then you are going to say a few words about your new book-,"
"I don't have a few words to say about my new book," interrupted Jess.
"Yes you do," said Sarah, handing Jess another sheet of paper, "I wrote your few words about your new book for you."
Jess eyed it over, "Was that last sentence even in correct English."
Sarah ignored him, "Then you are going to read an excerpt from your book. I suggest the beginning of the first chapter or prologue or whatever."
"You didn't even read my book, did you?"
Again Sarah ignored him, "Then you are going to thank the book shop and the good town of Star's Hollow for accommodating this book launch."
"Fat chance," muttered Jess under his breath.
Sarah glared at him, "An after you thank this book shop and the good town of Star's Hollow for accommodating your book launch, Mariano, you are going to answer a few questions from the crowd, which I will have picked out, that have good questions about this book, your last books and your personal life. 'Kay?"
"Okay," he mumbled.
"Good, and then for the rest of the day," said Sarah, pushing Jess into a chair behind the table, "You will sit here and sign books."
About an hour later…
"Oh, Jess," called out Liz, entering the book store, leaving some disgruntled fans waiting outside.
Jess peaked around one of the bookcases he was hidden behind, "Hey."
"Hey," she replied warmly, giving him a hug.
"Who's this?" asked Sarah, walking out from one of the back rooms with a clipboard.
Jess introduced the two, then Liz went to talk with Amber who was reading down the same row Jess had been. Sarah then started her traditional pep talk that Jess didn't need but was forced to listen to anyway.
"…So just smile for the cameras and kiss all the babies and we have this in the bag!" finished Sarah exuberantly, but pointlessly. Jess gave her an annoyed glare, "Oh, just do whatever you want. All your little fangirls, who swoon over the picture of you in the back of the book above the title, 'About the Author,' are going to love you no matter what you say or do…"
"That's more like it," said Jess smirking.
"Go sit down," commanded Sarah dryly, shoving him towards the desk he was to sit at, then added to another man dramatically, "Andrew, prepare to open the doors."
Jess ignored Sarah's defective behavior. "Hey, Am," he called to his daughter, "Where are you."
"Here," she replied from behind a bookshelf distractedly.
"Don't get trampled, okay?"
"Don't plan on it." Sarah was instructing one of the lakies by the door how to regulate how many people came in at a time as another clipped a microphone on an irritated Jess.
A few minutes later the door to the book store was opened and people swarmed in. Jess would never admit it, but no matter how many times he saw it happen, he still couldn't believe it.
Not long later Jess got a coffee and bathroom break as Sarah, who had been busy earlier, was organizing question from the crowd to ask Jess.
"Hey," said a voice suddenly, making Jess almost sill his coffee. He looked up from his hiding place, of course, behind another bookcase, because what better place is there to hid when you're in a book store.
It was Luke.
"Jeez!" exclaimed Jess, "You shouldn't sneak up on a guy like that."
"Sorry," said Luke not really sounding it. There was a moment of silence, "So, this is what a book launch looks like."
"Basically," said Jess in blank way.
Luke nodded, "Well-," he started, but was interrupted.
"Mariano, there you are!" yelled Sarah, coming around the corner to find him, "Break's over."
Jess rolled his eyes and gave Luke a look to say, 'I can't stand her.'
"Wait, is Liz here?" asked Luke as Jess began to walk away.
"You just missed her, she got called away for something. I think she'll be back later."
"I'm waiting!" yelled Sarah somewhere on the other side of the room. Jess sighed and walked off.
Luke gave a sigh of relief. Thankfully Liz had showed up. It would have been just like her to forget or for something else to get in the way, but luckily it didn't this time.
Luke rethought for a second. Maybe it wasn't luck, but rather Liz finally growing up, being responsible, showing consideration and care for her son. Though Luke had not seen the two together yet, Liz had been the only person Jess had told about Amber. Maybe their relationship was a lot better now.
Luke smiled at the thought.
The fan questions started. Luke leaned against a bookcase in the back, watching. He didn't understand most of the questions and answers mostly because they were about novels that he hadn't read or planned to read.
But not all questions were about books…
A girl with short black hair in French braided pigtails holding a microphone she was handed. "You are a single parent, correct?' she asked politely.
"Yes," answered Jess.
"My question is has that fact of being a single father affected or influence your life or writing in anyway."
Jess thought a moment, "My life? Yes, dramatically. My writing…? Well probably. I think it has given me a more rounded point of view. Before I had my daughter all I did was live for myself, it is very different to live and know someone else's life counts on yours."
Luke, standing in the distance, smiled. He understood the difference in Jess now.
A strawberry blonde girl stood up for the next question, "Um," she began and giggled, "Are you involved with anyone right now?" A few other girls giggled in the audience as well.
Jess kept his frustration inside. It was just like Sarah to set up a question like this.
"No, I'm not," he said simply.
"Okay, that is the end of the questions," announced Sarah. If you all could please line up to get the books signed.
"Hey Luke," called Jess over his shoulder as the room was bustling with activity.
"Yeah?" he asked coming over to Jess.
"When you leave can you take Amber with you? I think she is getting bored and hungry."
"That's fine."