Page 9 of The Emerson Effect
I watch it three times through before I can tear my eyes away from him. The caption simply says, “For her.” My eyes dart back up just in time to catch him winking over the top of that damn frozen cocktail, and my face feels like it’s on fire.
Heris me. I amher.
Is he mocking me? Of course, he’s mocking me. This isEmersonwe’re talking about.
Dragging my eyes away from his stupid face once more, I scroll the comments. There are a fuckinglotof them. Hundreds. I check the time stamp, and it says he posted it two hours ago. Two. It already has over forty-thousand views and all those comments. Mostly women, of course.
Women guessing who he’s toasting. Women tagging me. Tagging a dozen other creators Emerson’s tacked or duoed in his videos. Women offering themselves up as tribute. Making almost abrasively honest comments about what they want Emerson to do to them…in great detail.
I remain perfectly still,not eating my salad,and watch Emerson. I lose track of how many times the video has played as I sit here, stupefied. The tux, the smile, the wink at the end.I don’t think Emerson has ever made a thirst trap video, but damn, his audience is obviously parched for it. The likes and comments jump in numbers as I watch, people making more guesses, people accepting his “marriage proposal.”
I try to watch it again through the eyes of someone who isn’t terminally annoyed by him, and I have to admit, he’s hot. Really hot. With that pitch black hair and those crystal blue eyes…he’s classicallybeautiful. Like a movie star or an animated prince. Shit, he looks just like the prince from “The Little Mermaid.”
My first crush.
I literally shake off the thought like a stranger just walked over my grave. What is wrong with me? This isEmerson.The bane of my existence.
Maybe this is what he means by his handle…The Emerson Effect.
“Ugh, stop it, Twila,” I breathe.
I close the app, determined to focus on my lunch. But that damn video won’t stop replaying in my head. I just wish I knew the motivation behind the whole thing.
What does it mean? Is he mocking me for drunk-messaging him? Should I be angry? Or should I take it as a joke and laugh with him?
I know one thing. Ishouldbe happy he’s making his own original content, for once. But how do I feel about it going viral? And so quickly? Particularly because it’s a video that is quite possibly mocking me?
I need a second opinion.
I reopen the app and pull up the video, which apparently just hit fifty thousand views––thirty-six of them being mine, I’m sure. I send it to Joey in a direct message, then close the app and text her to go watch it.
A minute later, she texts me back a gif of someone fanning themselves.
Joey:That’s hot.
Me:It’s for me.
Joey:What? What do you mean, it’s for you?
Me:Apparently, I drunk messaged him last night. He messaged me back and promised not to call me out publicly if I’d admit what I was drinking when I came up with the bright idea to message him.
Joey:Margaritas! Oh, shit. Hahaha
Me:It’s not funny, Josette!
Joey:It really is.
Joey:What, exactly, did you send to him?
Me:I told him I was glad my video made him wet. And I might’ve called him a douchebag, too.
Joey:Classic. *high five*
Me:No, this is bad, Jo.
Joey:Why is it bad? He didn’t name you in the video. He didn’t screenshot your conversation. And while he might be mocking you the tiniest bit, it comes across as flattering. This is a good thing, T.
Me:How so?
