We were sitting comfortably reading a book side by side for about an hour now. The line was dwindling to only a handful of people, so our time to talk to Tanya would be soon. However, something else was taking my attention at the moment. There was a suspicious man sitting next to us at the seating area who was always fidgeting and taking glances at Tanya signing books. He looked to be in his late thirties. He had a lanky build and short brown hair.
Eventually, I decided to talk to the man. I got out of my seat next to Becca and walked over to the man. I called out to him, "if you want to talk to her so bad, you should get in line already. It's not too long now."
The man turned towards me and scratched the back of his head. He was obviously embarrassed. "Actually, she is my wife. I'm just here to make sure no crazy fans try to do anything bad to her."
I laughed at the misunderstanding, "oh, no worries then. I thought you were a crazy fan yourself haha."
"Yeah, I just worry about her, so I glance over there a little too much. I want her to be safe."
"I totally understand, my wife is over there and I would worry about her too if she wasn't such a good fighter already haha."
"Must be nice, my wife is as fragile as glass. I always have to keep an eye on her. Her personality is naturally like that of a thrill seeker. She wants to go out and investigate ruthless criminals, but she is a defenseless woman! I am barely okay with letting her come out here and do book signings with strangers. Once, she had a stalker who had to be apprehended by the Royal mages! My heart can't take it! I wish she would stay where I can keep a watch on her and guard her."
He mentioned investigating criminals. Does he also know about the investigative journalism that I want to ask Tanya about? I don't want to bring it up because he seems against it, so I'll ask Tanya herself. In the meantime, I'll try to start convincing him that investigative journalism is something we should strive for. I'm worried Tanya won't tell me what I need to know if her husband is against it. This society says a good wife is one that is unquestionably obedient to their husband.
"It can be scary knowing the person you love most in the world is putting themselves in any kind of danger, but sometimes our own fears can become shackles for them. For instance, my wife really wanted to be a Royal mage. I initially told her no way because I thought she was too weak just like you, but then she revealed to me she was actually an intermediate water mage and it blow me away. She had spent the last 10 years of her life diligently practicing her magic because it was her lifelong dream to be a Royal mage.
How could I tell her no when the passion she had was so evident? Maybe you should talk things over with your wife again? It is the job of a good husband to give their wife happiness and sometimes that means allowing them to take on a little bit of risk if it means their biggest dream is fulfilled. I can't even describe how great it felt to give my wife the confidence to go after the thing she always wanted. The smile on her face after I agreed will be ingrained in my memory for the rest of my life. Plus, even dangerous jobs, if taking into consideration appropriately, can be done in a safe manner. As long as you think it through and take extra precautions."
Tanya's husband looked at Tanya from a distance and took a long deep sigh.
"I know…if a different women was trying to do the same thing, I wouldn't bat an eye, but when it's my wife, I'm terrified of the worst case scenarios…"
He was completely lost in thought. I decided it was a good time to end our conversation here. "But that's just my two cents from my own personal experience. It is different for every couple."
I got up and waved goodbye to him. I returned back to the seat next to Becca and started reading the book I had started earlier. After another 15 minutes, the line was empty for Tanya, so we decided it was time for us to talk to her.
Becca and I went over to the table Tanya was sitting at. Becca started the conversation, "Hello Tanya, I have been a big fan of yours for a long time. Could you sign your newest book for me?"
"Of course! I'm glad that you like my work!"
Tanya took the book from Becca's hands and started to sign it. While she was signing, I started my questioning. "I really like your book 'Turning the Tables'. The journalism in the story seemed really accurate to real life. How did you do the research to make it as accurate as possible? Did you talk to someone in the field? Or maybe you even tried to do some journalism yourself in the field?"
Where I asked about journalism, Tanya's eyes opened wide, but then she quickly glanced over to her husband. Once she looked back at me, she hesitantly replied, "I didn't do any research. I made it all up myself."
I could see the sadness in her eyes and from talking to her husband, I know she is at least interested in journalism. I was certain she talked to a professional to make her book better, but she didn't want to say anything because she knew her husband was against her going out to the field.
I used Becca to block myself from the view of her husband and whispered, "me and my wife will be waiting outside behind the store. Tell your husband you need to go to the bathroom and sneak out for a few minutes. We just want to know about your journalism knowledge. Outside, we will reveal our identities. You will know who we are the moment you see us. We don't mean any harm, so don't be scared."
Without saying anymore, Becca and I left the bookstore. As we were walking away, Becca said out loud, "thanks for the signature! Keep up the good work."
We arrived behind the store and started to wait. Going to meet two hooded strangers in the back of an alley is so sketchy that I probably won't do it myself. However, I was working with the fact that I knew Tanya was a thrill seeker. I promised to reveal our identities and said we were high profile people. hoping it would be enough to peek her curiosity.
As I was hoping for Tanya to follow through, I heard footsteps coming our way.