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CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
ANYA
I had one rule in life—trust your first instinct. I hadn’t always lived by it, and there were plenty of times I discarded it, but after the mugging, it became my mantra. My instincts were right most of the time, and I needed to trust them. Doing so would help me, not hurt me.
My instincts told me to remain calm. They said that I—we—had the power to decide how this moment was going to play out, and how it was going to affect our lives. If we stayed in control, we’d be able to preserve the last sliver of power that remained.
We just had to keep our wits about us.
Not that it was simple or easy to do. This reaction wasn’t typical for me, wasn’t part of my usual emotions. In fact, I would have said it was out of character for my usual modus operandi.
But going viral online was different.
The internet wasn’t a real place. I’d always said that. Whatever happened there was happening virtually, in a matrix of screens and computer code. It wasn’t real life, far from it. Navigating my daily life was complicated enough without putting extra emphasis on the comments and opinions of people I’d never meet face-to-face.
So, I did my best to go about my normal business. I needed to get to the store, and Robert said he had some errands to run, so we agreed we’d continue with the plans we already had for the day. He left my house around eight, and we decided we’d meet for dinner that night at his place after I shut down The Green Frog at six. After he was gone, I jumped in the shower and got dressed, the whole time still thinking about what had happened in the last twenty-four hours.
Viral video aside, it was a head spin.
Yes, I was disappointed that we hadn’t won the competition. The prize money and the prestige would have gone a long way toward helping the store, and it was going to hurt telling Gwen that we hadn’t succeeded.
Hooking up with Robert was the exact opposite of that. Being with him was a good thing—an excellent thing. For the first time in years, I felt warm and optimistic, as if being vulnerable and open with him had reconnected parts of my soul I’d long thought were dead. I felt lighter and happier.
So, despite what was happening on my phone, I swept my hair into a French pin, pulled on my camel-colored silk tank dress, slipped on my tan loafers, and headed to the store. I was the only person scheduled that day, and I welcomed the quiet I knew would come from working the day after a major summer holiday.
I wasn’t alone for long.
Morgan showed up at the store about fifteen minutes after I opened, bursting through the front door in a pair of black leggings, strappy athletic top, and Adidas sneakers. “Thank God you’re here.”
“Where else would I be?”
The door clattered shut behind her. “I don’t know. You’re not answering your phone.”
“It’s in my purse in the office.”
“You haven’t checked it?” she asked as she crossed the small showroom space.
“Not in a little bit.” I held up my hand. “Trust me, I’ve seen the videos.”
Her shoulders relaxed as she reached the cash wrap desk. “Good, you know about that.”
“My phone practically melted from all the notifications. Robert’s did too.”
My best friend’s jaw slackened. “Oh. You’ve... you’ve seen his phone?”
“He stayed over last night.” I grinned, knowing she’d get the implication of my expression. “And it was really good.”
“Like, how good?”
I laughed. “Like, three times good, let me put it that way.”
Morgan gasped.
“Don’t act so shocked.”
