"This is Wednesday," Xander said, motioning to Jessi.
She stopped her scowl and forced a smile at the manager.
When they entered the main bookstore, she stopped. The scope of Xander-mania was beyond anything she anticipated. Xander was everywhere, from posters on the wall, stacks of books he'd allegedly written, even a red carpet entrance flanked by adoring female fans and photographers. She knew he was popular enough for her cousins to watch the show, but this was pure madness!
No one paid her any heed. She was quickly cut off from Xander by the adoring masses and forced to push her way through the crowd to follow him. They went to what had been a Nook sales stand in the center of the store and was blocked off for him. The counter was stacked with books, and there was a single chair behind the stand for him to sit and sign.
It took twenty minutes for him to weave his way through the crowd to the autograph table. He sat, and the store employees made an attempt to organize a line for the customers. Jessi wasn't certain if she should be laughing or horrified by the fawning women. Everyone within a few meters of Xander melted. There were several beautiful women; he'd likely not need her help finding women the rest of the week.
Which irked her for reasons she didn't want to speculate about. Women looked at her in resentment as she pushed her way through. A store employee planted a hand in her chest when she tried to move into the secured area where Xander was.
"I'm his assistant," she snapped.
"You and every other desperate woman here," he replied.
"No, really -"
"Back of the line!" a woman barked at her. "I've been waiting -"
She rose on her tiptoes to wave at Xander even as another woman shoved her back. For a moment, she thought he was going to let her hang at the mercy of the hungry women waiting to get a piece of him.
He met the gaze of the store employee and lifted his chin. The employee turned to her and waved her through.
"'Bout time," Jessi mumbled as she took up standing behind Xander.
"You're welcome."
One woman broke down in hysterics.
"How can you deal with this?" she asked, staring at the horde of women. The store was packed, the line outside extending for a few hundred meters along the mall.
"Easy."
She followed his gaze. The first woman up was most certainly a model.
Never mind, she said to herself, watching the woman melt in front of Xander.