Page 91 of Talk About… History

The room fell silent as I hit play. Soft music accompanied the footage, giving it an even cozier aesthetic. Occasionally, text appeared on the screen, welcoming viewers to Rockwood Valley and highlighting the destinations from Main Street to the Lakeside and around to some of our town’s best features. It would be our longest video and it took days to perfect, but I was damn proud of it.

Anyone who thought social media management was easy, was insane. It was a constant game of algorithms, trends, and posting at just the right time.

When it ended, Mayor Adams chuckled and looked at his comrades. “I don’t think there’s a thing we can say negatively about what she’s accomplished so far. It’s a hell of a lot more than we’ve managed in years of running this town.”

Someone grunted but offered no words. Mayor Adams bit back a smug smile and turned to me again.

“You’ve definitely earned your paycheck, Avery. I’m damn proud of what you’ve accomplished here, and we’re really lucky to have you on our team.”

“Thank you,” I said but was interrupted by another councilman, his eyes scrunched behind his bifocals as he stared me down.

“Rumor has it that you’ve been doing the same for Whitaker Brews. What’s the return on investment looking like there?”

“We’ve increased profits already. It’s still new but if it continues, we’ll be able to hire more staff in a month or two,” I said, not giving away the specifics because they didn’t need to know every detail. They’d just find another reason to doubt me despite the data.

“Good,” was all he said, everyone else looking down at their notes and not at me. Mayor Adams glanced up, his smile half-apologetic.

“Thank you for the update, keep up the good work, Avery,” he offered. It was essentially a dismissal, so I packed up my things, nodded respectfully at the others, and left.

I may not have completely won over the old alphas that ran the council, but I had impressed them, whether they wanted to admit it or not. I kept that high all the way to Whitaker Brews.

My meeting was late enough that the bar had just opened when I arrived. It was still quiet, but it usually was just a few locals for the first hour or two.

Sidney was sitting at the bar, joking around with Maverick and Nash. Cameron walked in with a fresh crate of beer bottles ready to be stocked.

When they heard the click of my heels on the floor approaching, Sidney turned then immediately gave me a side-eye.

“Oh look, it’s my best friend who ghosted me for all this work she’s doing and the pack she found.”

I opened my mouth to say something, but she burst into laughter.

“I’m just kidding. I get it. However, I demand a girls’ night.”

“How about tonight?” I said, relieved that she wasn’t actually angry. I’d been fairly low contact for years, and now that I was back I’d buried myself in distractions. “I’m free, and the guys will understand.”

“Bet,” she said excitedly. “I’m telling the girls. You’re good with Grace and Hailey, right?” she questioned.

“Definitely,” I agreed as I put my bags behind the bar.

“How did it go?” Nash asked.

I sighed. “Mayor Adams is still firmly on my side but it feels like I’m fighting for respect in those meetings. The last question I got was if I was making a difference here. They’re looking for anything to prove I’m just wasting their time.”

“We’ve been slammed the last few nights,” Maverick said with a growl. “Things generally pick up around seven and then we stay packed throughout the night.”

“I told them that we’ve seen an increase and if it kept up we’d have to hire more help. That shut them up,” I said. “I don’t need their approval, just the paycheck. I know what I’ve done is worth it.”

“Everyone’s loving the live videos,” Nash agreed. “We’ve been going live almost every night because it helps pass the time. One of us can always pop in, answer a few questions, and otherwise, we just keep working.”

“If it keeps up, we’re definitely going to have to hire some new staff like you said,” Maverick admitted almost reluctantly. He would be the hardest to convince he needed to take a few steps back.

We hadn’t been able to hire anyone because we couldn’t afford it, but having a few bartenders to take over and letting the guys focus on the social media page I created and the admin work was the obvious end goal.

They deserved to have time to find packs and live their lives. They’ve stepped up all these years and kept me and Mama afloat. Now it was their turn.

“That’s amazing,” was all I could manage, my voice catching. Cameron shook his head at me.

“You’ve always been sappy, Avery,” he accused.

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