Stars Dancing [Dreams-To-Lovers Romance]

"Phhheeeewwww," I let out a long breath and hauled myself outta bed, sun shining bright outside. But it was later than I'd thought, so no time for a shower or coffee. I just threw on slacks and a cardigan over my tank top, quick brush of the teeth, hair in a messy bun, and out the door for Nanna's.

It was Thursday morning, and my gran expected me at 7:00AM sharp, so I hustled down the quiet streets of Cheyenne in the cool, crisp air. There were a few porters hovering past and some dog walkers here and there, but mostly it was calm and peaceful which meant I could book the fifteen blocks to Nanna's townhouse, so I got there in the nick of time.

She was already opening the door as I climbed the steps.

"Morning, Sam, you look tired."

Yes, Nanna calls me "Sam," short for "Samantha." You remembered that my name wasn't "Ayela," right? That's totally a pen name and Discord handle. Which I had no trouble distinguishing from my real life identity.

Right, Nanna, thanks for the reminder that my name is in fact "Samantha."

"Morning, Nanna. Smells good, as usual." I stepped across the threshold and into memory. The aromas alone were enough to take me back to comfort and peace and family, but the cozy house plants and kitty named Roxie were my childhood all over again.

I'd gone to live with Nanna permanently after my parents passed in a starliner accident, and she'd been everything you could've imagined in a grandmother: warm, loving, supportive. Even though she was grieving herself. My grandfather died when I was seven, and we had no other family: just me and Nanna. And we were a lot alike.

Both of us were introverts who'd rather stay in than risk a crowd, and she loved books and stream dramas as much as I did. Oh yeah, Nanna loved my web serial, and it hadn't gotten super steamy yet, so that was cool. I planned to write really sexy stuff in the future, but those bits would be labeled for people who wanted to skip them. You got it, I was hoping Nanna would jump right past those chapters.

The smells of breakfast drew me to the table where a coffee carafe was waiting. I didn't hesitate; I poured a mug and drank it down black. Ummm. Perfect. Biscuits with butter followed as Nanna pulled the giant omelette outta the cast-iron skillet and cut it in half: one for me, one for her. The creamy cheddar melted against the spicy sausage on my tongue followed by the bite of green onions from Nanna's small backyard garden.

Yum. The tastes of home, comfort, and family.

"Thanks for breakfast. It's amazing, as always, Nanna."

"I'm glad you still want to come around, Sam. I'll cook breakfast anytime you want dinner too, so when you're tired after watching those kids some night, just say the word, and we'll have pancakes and links with maple syrup. Or French toast, cinnamon, and powdered sugar."

"Stop! You're gonna make me want even more!"

"That's the idea, honey, that's the idea. So, how's everything with Moons Dancing? Don't think I didn't notice all those new Followers and the jump in your views. What happened, Sam?"

"You know what Discord is, Nanna?"

She shook her head.

"Here," I explained, pulling out my pad and showing her Flopper's feed.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

"Oh! One of those thread platforms like Shreddit where everyone's just mean to everyone else? Is it a book place? You go beat on each other's books for attention?"

I roared with laughter. Shaking my head, "I honestly don't know what it is yet, Nanna! But, no it's not just for books. I mean, this one is all about Flopper, but I'm in this other one where it's a ton of authors chatting about nothing all the time."

No, I didn't voluntarily open Special Streaks since I didn't really want my grandma to read about GingerBollox and feet fetishists.

"But, it's a place where you can meet people and coordinate. Anyway, you'll never guess who I met in the Flopper group!" I clicked on my DMs, and the names popped up.

"HC?" Nanna questioned.

I smirked at her, waiting for it to sink in. She looked back at me, perplexed. I grinned, raising my eyebrows, and her face widened.

"WHAT?! HC, as in HC Maron? Sam? Really?"

"Really!" I squeaked, overjoyed. "Can you believe it, Nanna? And he's paying me to beta read his prequel book Shapeless Poetry. It's so good, and you know I'd read it for free! I mean, who gets to read their favorite books for free? Much less get paid to do it? So, I get to chat with him—"

"HIM?! HC Maron is a MAN?"

My whole being shook with laughter as I wiped tears from my eyes, nodding agreement.

"Yeah, totally a dude. I thought I was talking to a middle-aged red-headed lesbian, but then I got this song, and he said it was him singing it—"

"He sang you a song? Sam! He's gotta be your father's age—if he were still alive— and doesn't he know you're gay?"

It was minutes before I could stop laughing enough to explain that HC was married and well aware of my age and preferences.

"Then why is HC Maron singing you songs, Sam? What is this about?"

"He was being silly, Nanna." Then I stopped and thought about it a second. "And, well, I think he likes talking to someone who knows his characters and feels connected to them. It's like we were automatically pals because I've thought of Ariel and Holly as my friends for years. They're the gals I took comfort and encouragement from in all those hard times, so I'm just naturally at ease."

My voice came out softer than I anticipated. "I think I like talking to him too," and I remembered what Nanna'd just said about HC being around my dad's age.

I held back the tears, but Nanna caught the look on my face, and her eyes screwed up too. That's right, we were both sympathetic criers.

"Did you tell him about your mom and dad yet?"

I nodded. Moving my head up and down was all I could manage 'coz I didn't want to cry. I took another sip of coffee, pushing the emotions back down where they belonged: in a lock box deep inside, only to be let out when I was writing my story.

"Well, then, Sam," Nanna started, voice soft and low. "I'm glad HC Maron found you and befriended you. Moons Dancing is something special, and if you can find people who will stand by your side and help you get it in front of the people who need it, then I'm all for this Discord— wait a minute! I think I've heard of this! Is Discord the one Cheryl Bowman's grandson got involved in?"

"Hot dog! I think it was Discord. Oh my, Sam, be careful. Jake Bowman met a woman, fell in love, and traveled all the way to Praxis 11 to meet her. They spent a week on vacation together having the best time. He was thinking marriage, long-term thoughts, but you know what happened?"

I leaned in, ready for the dish.

"His last night, she roofied him."

"Roofied him? That's still a thing people do?"

"Heck, yeah, real as daylight. He was out cold, so she used his bio-scans to unlock his pad and sent all his credits to her bank account. Then she took off for spheres unknown. I dunno if the Prison Guild ever caught her. Last I heard there were numerous, layered bank accounts, and the trail went cold, so you gotta be careful. These people do this professionally. They're experienced at baiting people and robbing them blind."

When I considered the credits HC had forwarded me for the beta reading and imagined all of that disappearing in a blink of an eye, my stomach went sour. Rhoda at the park had been right: don't ever tell anyone on Discord your real identity.

I nodded in affirmation, resolute. "Right. Stay away from Discord except for promoting my book and making professional connections."

"You got it, honey. Use it, but be smart, and you'll do fine, I'm sure. Did you want another cup of coffee before you head home?"

So we lingered over coffee, and I ate another biscuit with honey. The morning passed by all too quick, and when I headed back to my apartment, I didn't need the sweater anymore. There was a pep in my step and a lightness in my heart that I always felt when I left Nanna's, so that carried over to what came next.

Funny stuff on Discord, of course.