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“That was the best part.”
“I’m sure the trolls are having a field day with it.”
Brianna nodded as she pursed her lips, and her expression told me everything I needed to know about that issue. Still, I wasn’t ashamed about that part, no matter what other people’s opinion of it was. Anya certainly didn’t mind it, and that mattered the most.
Besides, sometimes, moments like that required a bold move. And it had worked out.It fucking worked out beautifully.
“I didn’t think it was going to go this far,” Brianna said. “And I hope Anya isn’t upset. She’s kind of sweet in that dorky, bookish way.” She smiled then grimaced. “Do you want me to take it down?”
I shook my head. “No point in that now since it already has legs.”
“I’m still sorry. The internet is crazy, and I feel so bad about this.”
I stood. “You had no idea how this was going to play out, and I know with your generation, you’re always online.”
She stood too.
I glanced at my watch. I’d been at the store for exactly forty-three minutes, far less than I’d imagined. “Is there anything else you wanted to talk to me about?”
“No,” she said sheepishly. “I just appreciated the chance to work on the float. I know I said that yesterday at the pizza party, but I wanted to say it again, considering all this insanity. It meant more to me than you probably realize.” Brianna took a few steps toward the front door, and I followed her. “My dad said he was proud of me.” She grabbed the door handle and opened it. “He’s never said that about my art.”
“Never?”
“He always said it was a waste of time.” She propped open the door with her side. “But maybe now he’ll start thinking about it differently.”
We said goodbye, and as she left, I kept thinking about all the effects the last twenty-four hours had brought. Yes, in some ways, I was in a total tailspin, having crossed into new territory overnight after winning the contest and starring in a viral video. But things also felt clearer than ever—I knew what my future entailed.
Anya.
After a few moments, I locked up at the store and drove the short distance to The Green Frog. Yes, we made plans to see each other that night, but I didn’t want to wait. I wanted to handle this together, and the widespread nature of this video was making the necessity of that clearer with each passing second.
I parked my BMW in an on-street spot outside the front and bounded up the steps. When I walked in, Morgan and Anya were in the main showroom, sitting in a pair of cozy chairs adjacent to the cash wrap desk. They stood when I stepped foot onto the polished hardwood flooring.
“I hope it’s okay that I didn’t call before I came over.”
“Actually, I was just thinking about how we probably shouldn’t wait to see each other again until this evening,” Anya replied. “This whole thing is out of control.”
I sank into the open chair in the group, and when I did, they followed my lead. “I found out who posted it. Brianna runs an anonymous TikTok account.”
“Brianna? The art student?” Morgan asked.
“She came by the shop and wanted to know if I was upset with her.” I paused. “I’m not.”
“Me neither,” Anya replied. “She’s a good kid. Worked with me on the float last year.”
I started. “Last year?”
“Yep. I hired her and several of her friends, but when I tried to do the same thing this year, they were already taken.”
I pulled a face. “Sorry about that.”
“One more reason to be mad at you.” Anya replied, but she looked like she biting back a smile.
Ah, now that makes sense. The day she stormed off after pizza.
Morgan laughed. “And now as we can see, things changed quite drastically yesterday.”
I took my phone from my pocket and unlocked the screen. Since walking in The Green Frog, a few dozen messages had hit my social media, along with one promising-looking email from a woman who said she was a producer withGood Morning USA.“You know, I’ve been thinking; if we play this right, we can make this newfound fame benefit us.”
