Page 33 of Tell Me I'm Not Dreaming

SILAS

S ilas turns the page and starts chapter ten of book three in The Queen’s Dilemma series.

It’s early morning on Friday, and he’s been reading Bridget’s books since their breakfast date last week.

Thanks to her gift for weaving words into a heart-stomping tale, Silas is close to starting book four.

He hasn’t been able to stop reading. He sees a lot of parallels between himself and Tyberious.

His rapport with Queen Miranda is so easy.

After her wall came down, Silas felt a similar connection to Bridget.

King Rodrick has become a stand-in for Lamar.

And Silas really hates this motherfucker.

He doesn’t see how amazing Miranda is. It’s her fierce protection of the people of Maldornia that makes her such an exceptional queen.

After not being able to sire a child, she’s made her subjects her children, and the country loves her for it.

Maldorian citizens would kill and die for Miranda, and the fool she’s married to can’t see it.

Silas suspects that everyone around Bridget can see her light, but Lamar refuses to.

He knows it’s there, which is why he found someone who didn’t mind dimming herself.

Silas highlights the current speech he’s reading by Tyberious.

“ You are a queen. You are my queen. A queen whose brilliance is only rivaled by her beauty. You rule with intense devotion for your subjects. You love this land and its people. They, in turn, love you. As do I. But my love runs deeper than any citizen of Maldornia. The bottom of the ocean is too shallow to measure the depths of my love for you. You will always have my sword, and you will always have my heart. ”

Tyberious, my man!

Silas grabs his phone to text Bridget.

Silas

Tyberious’s ‘I love you’ speech is definitely in the top two most romantic speeches I have ever read and it’s not number two.

It’s not until he hits send that he realizes it’s half-past four. The last thing he wants to do is wake Bridget up, or worse, piss her off just in case she’s burning the midnight oil and is up writing. To his surprise, his phone buzzes.

Bridget

You are so full of shit, but I appreciate your lies.

Silas

Ouch! Here I am trying to compliment your skills, and you wound me.

Bridget

Lol. I do appreciate the compliment, however far-fetched it is. Okay, quiz time. Are you ready?

Silas

And waiting.

Bridget

What flower did Tyberious give to Queen Miranda before the battle of the Radyn?

Silas

You wound me again, baby. The answer is marigolds, now ask me something hard.

Bridget

Okay, who is Queen Isolde?

Bridget, why are you trying to play me ?

Silas grins as he types his answer. It’s a trick question; Queen Isolde isn’t in Bridget’s books. She’s the main antagonist in Bridget’s friend Aimee’s book series, The Prince’s Journey . And she doesn’t think he knows that.

Silas

Why are you asking me about Aimee’s books?

Bridget

Don’t tell me you read those since you met me.

Silas

No, but I Googled her after I found a picture of you two on your IG.

Bridget

Which picture?

Silas

The one from that convention y’all went to a few months ago.

Bridget

Yeah, that was an interesting day.

Silas

I’ll bet. I plan on reading her books when I’m done with yours. I love the plot. The idea of a man cursed to fight one battle after another to win the woman he loves sounds intriguing.

Bridget

Aims will appreciate you saying that.

Silas

I know why I’m up … because your books are addictive, why are you?

Bridget

Because I have to finish writing these addictive books.

Silas snorts. He loves Bridget’s wit. It’s a nice change from the woman who was unsure of herself and screamed her name at him in the parking lot.

He liked that woman, she was sweet, but he likes this version of her more, confident and ready with a quick-witted comeback.

He assumes her insecurity comes from having been dumped in such a disrespectful way.

While Silas doesn’t know the full details of how things ended between Bridget and Lamar, his leaving her for a younger woman couldn’t have happened tactfully.

Silas wants to encourage sassy Bridget to stay.

Silas

I have a question for you?

Bridget

Yes, Tyberious and the Queen fuck in book six. I’m writing the sex scene as we speak.

Silas

See, I wasn’t even going to ask you that.

Bridget sends the Taraji P. Henson GIF where she’s on the red carpet looking at someone in disbelief.

Silas, in turn, sends her the Aladdin GIF where he holds his hand out and asks Jasmine if she trusts him.

Bridget responds with a GIF of the sister from Get Out repeating the word “No.”

Silas

Damn, baby, we’re supposed to be flirting. Why are you using a GIF from Get Out?

Bridget

So, you weren’t going to ask me when Tyberious and the queen are going to bone?

Silas

No … I mean kind of.

Bridget calls him. He answers the phone and hears her laughter. “I knew it! I bet your pants are on fire.”

“That shows what you know. I’m in a pair of draws.” Bridget gets silent. “Did I lose you?”

“Uh, no. I was just picturing your legs from when you were doing squats a few days ago.”

Silas grins. She sounds shy again.

Nope, you’re not about to close up on me now .

“I couldn’t help but to notice your legs after your kickboxing class,” he offers.

“Which time?”

“Every time.”

Silas hears the smile in her voice when she says, “Thank you.”

“You’re more than welcome. You’re an incredibly beautiful woman, Bridget.”

“Thank you, Silas,” she simpers.

They talk some more, the topics all over the place. They start off discussing their first cars, and by the time Silas’s alarm goes off, they’re talking about how animals use their cuteness to manipulate humans. Bridget uses Ginger as an example.

How did we talk for three hours ? It feels like barely any time has passed .

“I have to get up.”

“Me too. I took a nap in the early evening, knowing I’d have to write into the wee hours. I hope you had enough good sense to sleep before you started book three.”

“I didn’t, but I’ll have some coffee. I’m sure I’ll be fine,” Silas responds.

Silas yawns and shakes his head, attempting to snap out of his sleepiness. He’s on his computer searching for the Melody Lee book. He’s been looking for it ever since Bridget told him about it.

His youngest, Tiffany, comes out of her room.

“Good morning, Dad,” she greets him.

Silas gets up and hugs Tiffany, kissing her atop of her head. “Good morning, baby. You are just the person I’ve been looking for. The Melody Lee book by Mary Jefferson. Do you know it?”

Tiffany is a huge bookworm. If anyone would know where to find it, she would. He would have asked her sooner, but he didn’t realize he was looking for what amounts to the book version of Atlantis.

“I do, and there’s no way you’re going to find it online. Everyone and their mother have tried. One guy in Dayton found a copy at an antique store. That was the last time anyone ever found one, and that was in 2001.”

Shit .

“Did Ms. Jefferson ever write anything else?”

“Nope. Just the one Melody Lee book, why?”

“The woman I’m dating told me it was a book that meant a lot to her as a kid.”

“Really? What’s her name?”

“Bridget Nelson.”

“Wait, Dad. You’re dating thee br Nelson?”

Danielle comes out of her room with little Summer in her arms.

“Morning, baby girl.” Silas hugs and kisses them both.

“Morning, Daddy.” Danielle pours herself some coffee and grabs a bagel.

“Dannie, Daddy has a new girlfriend.” Tiffany takes Summer and bounces the cooing cutie on her lap.

Dannie spits her bite into a napkin. “What!”

“I was just about to get the tea,” Tiffany says.

“What did you say her name was, Daddy?” Danielle asks.

“Bridget. She goes by the pen name br Nelson.”

“Dad, I seriously can’t believe you’re dating br Nelson? I love her books.”

Silas goes into the kitchen to get Summer breakfast. “Since when do you read fantasy? I thought you were all about romance, crime and sci-fi?”

“She has a romantasy series called The Queen’s Dilemma . It’s about this guy Tyberious; he works as the head of the queen’s guard.”

Silas comes back with a bowl of Cheerios, Summer’s favorite. He tries to interject and tell Tiffany that he knows all of this since he’s reading the books, but it’s pointless. When Tiffany goes on a tear about something she loves, it’s best to just let her go.

She happily keeps going. “He and the queen spend a lot of time together and get to know each other. Soon, they fall in love, but she’s married to King Rodrick, who she married in an arrangement between their two allied lands. She doesn’t love him, and he’s an asshole?—”

Silas sees an opening. “Tiff, honey, I know. I’m currently reading the books, and don’t cuss in front of the baby.”

Tiffany leans over and kisses her niece, who giggles. She turns her attention back to Silas and complains, “You cussed in front of us all the time.”

“Yes, and look how well that turned out,” Silas argues.

Tiffany playfully waves away his concern. “Anyway. Have you gotten to the part where the king gets poisoned?”

She doesn’t let him respond before she keeps going.

“Readers are on the edge of their seats, waiting to see if he bites it. I cannot wait for him to die, and for the official countdown to the queen and Tyberious’s wedding. Ms. Nelson told her readers that she’d start writing the countdown to the wedding once King Rodrick dies.”

“Geez, Tiff. Spoilers!” Silas playfully chastises. “I’m on book four. That hasn’t happened, yet.”

“Ugh, Dad, hurry up and get to book five,” she teases.

Silas rolls his eyes. “Dannie, you’re going to have to get Dexter’s mother to watch Summer for a few days next month.”

“Okay. What’s going on?”

“I’m escorting Bridget to a wedding.”

“Wow, that’s huge. You two just started dating, and you’re already attending her friend’s wedding,” Danille says.

“It’s not her friend. It’s her ex-husband.”

Both girls look at him with their mouths’ agape.

“That’s awfully big of her,” Tiffany remarks.

“Is she going for closure?”

“Nope. Revenge. She’s bringing me to get under her ex’s skin.”

“Daddy, that seems awfully childish.”

“I think it’s awesome. Lamar Nelson is a hack, and everyone knows it.” Tiffany bites into a bagel. “Besides, you never wanted to get back at Dexter after how he treated you?”

“I mean, yeah, but I was the bigger person.”

“ Pffftt . Being the bigger person is overrated. C’mon, seriously, what does being the bigger person ever get you?”

“Piece of mind.” Danielle Googles Bridget. “Whoa. She has one hundred thousand followers on IG, and there’s talk about her books being made into a TV show. What does she want revenge for? She already won.”

“Yeah, but her ex’s inability to handle her success is what made him leave in the first place. He shot himself in the foot. She just wants to stick her finger in the wound and twist it a little.”

“It still sounds like she’s doing too much.”

“It’s not like she’s going to poison the cake or anything. She just wants to walk in with the good-looking brother she has a crush on—i.e., me—and make her ex look foolish for thinking he upgraded.”

“I don’t know, it seems like she’s using you.”

That’s my baby, always protecting me . Even when she doesn’t need to .

“ Relax, Dannie bear. He’s an insecure loser who dumped her for a younger woman and convinced himself that he’s the victor. He doesn’t expect her to show up, let alone bring a date.”

Danielle playfully rolls her eyes and laughs. “I can see we’re not going to agree on this, but whatever you do, don’t get arrested.”

Silas winks at her.

“I still think it’s awesome. She’s going to have her own revenge dress moment, and bringing Daddy will just make it sweeter. Men are always threatened by other dudes.”

“Revenge dress?” Danielle asks.

“Yes, not long after her divorce from then Prince Charles, Princess Diana went out in this stunning little black dress. That look was dubbed the revenge dress.”

Silas leans down and reads Bridget’s bio. Summer touches his face, and he kisses her cheek, then pretends to nibble it, making the little one laugh some more.

“Lamar Nelson’s debut book was garbage, but every subsequent book was good. It made fans skeptical that he even wrote them. Dani, open a new tab and Google ‘Lamar Nelson writer.’”

Danielle does as she’s asked, and the family reads some of the reviews for his debut novel on Goodreads. They aren’t good. Not one review is positive. They’re either flat-out disdainful or they’re giving him credit for trying. Silas laughs as he reads the following review:

“You know how you may not have proof of something, but you know it to be true ? I don’t have proof that this dude didn’t have a beta reader or an editor on hand, but I know he didn’t .

Because no one in that field, at least no one worth their salt, would have let this book go out as it’s written, without saying something .

This has to be hands-down the most boring book I have ever read.

I was told that this would be an epic fantasy adventure, but the main character, Jamal, didn’t even leave the earth realm until the very end of the book.

The whole story was just him running errands around his neighborhood until he gathered enough stuff to leave on his quest. Every person he visited gave a long, drawn-out speech about his responsibility to complete the quest. I kept waiting for the quest to start, and I was pissed that he didn’t leave until the last page!

I am not wasting my time with book two. Just read the author’s wife, br Nelson’s books, they’re way better. ”

Tiffany reads along with Silas before she speaks up.

“Word is he and Ms. Nelson started writing around the same time, and her books blew up first. She did everything to put him on, including getting him an agent and a book deal. Folks in bookish spaces say she was ghostwriting the books he released after his debut because they drastically improved. The book he released since their split sucks.”

They go to the reviews of his most recent book, and they’re just as bad as the reviews for his debut.

“He was probably pissed that the bookish folks’ love was for something he didn’t actually write,” Silas remarks.

Danielle turns her attention to Tiffany. “So, this woman built a career and helped her husband build his—even going so far as to write books for him, and he left her for a younger woman and then has the audacity to invite her to their wedding?”

“Yeah. Still thinks she needs to be the bigger person?” Silas teases.

“Hell no! I take it all back, Daddy. I need you and Bridget to go there and make that man regret every decision that led him to that very moment when you two enter the room.”

“That’s the plan, Dannie Bear.” Silas grins.