Page 42 of Romancing the Grump
“Not busy at all,” I say. “What’s going on?”
Parker looks around the lobby. “Come up to my room with me? I want to change my clothes, and if I don’t pee in the next five minutes, I’m going to explode. But then we can talk up there.”
“Sure.” I wait in silence while Parker finishes checking in, wondering what on earth could possibly have her so out of sorts. If she wants to talk to me, I’m guessing it’s Appies related, but I’m still so new, I have no idea how I could help.
Five minutes later, we’re upstairs, Parker’s suitcase is open on her bed, and she’s riffling through her clothes. She pulls out a pair of jeans and an Appies jersey and tucks them under her arm, then pulls her phone out of the pocket of her leggings.
“So, you remember the TikTok video I showed you last week? The one about Nathan?” She hands over her phone before I can answer. “Take a minute and scroll through the hashtag while I change.”
I only watch a few seconds of the first #TameTheBroodingBeast video before I gasp. “Oh gosh,” I say out loud. The video is even worse than the one Parker first showed me. The woman in this video is wearing an Appies jersey, Nathan’s number on the front, and her language is overtly sexual, bordering on graphic. I quickly scroll to the next video, butit’s hardly any better. Even the ones that aren’t graphic are still pretty objectifying, and all of them are getting thousands and thousands of views and likes.
“Parker, this is terrible,” I say when she walks out of the bathroom.
She frowns. “I know. It’s really blown up. On the one hand, I can’t stop people from creating whatever kind of content they want. On the other, the Appies are supposed to be family-friendly, and this hashtag has gotten way out of control.”
“So, what do we do?” I don’t even hesitate to saywebecause this feels like an Appies problem, and even after a few short weeks, I feel like an Appie—like I’m a part of something that matters. If there’s anything I can do to help, I want to do it.
Parker drops onto the bed beside me, and I hand over her phone. “We find a way to fix it,” she says. “To kill the hashtag.”
“Okay. How?” I don’t know enough about social media to even understand what tools she has at her disposal. She already told me she’s removing tags that link to the official Appies platforms. What else can she truly do?
“I have to give them something better,” she says. “Somethingelseto be excited about.”
“Create a new trend,” I say, following her logic, and she nods. “Like what?”
“Actually, this is whereyoucome in,” Parker says. “If you’re willing.”
“Of course! Anything. What do you need me to do?”
She bites her lip as she pulls her legs up under her so she’s sitting cross-legged on the bed. “Maybe let me explain before you sign on completely.”
I narrow my eyes. “Go on,” I say slowly.
She leans forward, propping her elbows on her knees. “All these videos are talking about taming the brooding beast, right? But what if he’s already tamed? What if Nathan had a girlfriend?”
I frown. “But hedoesn’thave a girlfriend.”
“True,” Parker says slowly. “But it wouldn’t take much to convince the internet that he does.”
She gives me a knowing look, and I suddenly understand exactly what she’s suggesting. A hot flush spreads across my chest, and I take a steadying breath.
“It wouldn’t take much,” Parker continues. “Just a few intentional appearances. Maybe some footage of Nathan holding hands with a woman or getting a congratulatory hug after a game. We’d only have to leave a few crumbs. I really think the fans would do the rest of the work.”
I swallow against the knot in my throat. “And the woman in all those appearances—you’re thinking that should be…me.”
Parker’s smile turns hopeful. “You guys really would make the cutest couple. I swear, the fans would eat the two of you up. But listen, I don’t want you to have to lie. It’s just about the power of suggestion.”
“No, I get it,” I say. “This is exactly what happened with my sister and Flint. After seeing what they went through, I understand how optics work.”
Parker frowns, like she doesn’t quite know how to process what I’ve told her. She knows my brother-in-law is Flint Hawthorne, but I’ve never told her that Audreypretendedto be his girlfriend before they got together for real.
“Wait, it wasn’t real at first?” she asks.
I grimace. “Sorry to burst your bubble. They’re totally in love now, if that matters.”
She seems to think on this for a moment, then sheshrugs. “Logan and I faked it for a while, too. Not for social media purposes. More because of some family drama. But that totally triggered us getting together for real.”
I huff out a laugh. “Seriously? Does anyone just start dating anymore? Why does it feel like we’re all living inside a rom-com?”
