Page 69 of Stacked
At least the interview went well—great, even.Good Morning USAwas a friendly show, with hosts who were excited to have us on and banter that made it feel like we were just having a conversation between friends. Anya handled it well too, despite being nervous and keyed up. She even managed to tell a few jokes that landed well for a show like that.
The rest of the day passed in a blur, as we fielded more calls about appearances, and I tried to get back to the final decisions needed for the bookstore renovation. Javier even thought we might be able to open in mid-August instead of Labor Day. Funny how fame suddenly made people eager to please me, ready to bend to my every whim.
I needed to check myself about that and make sure none of this went to my head. It had come quickly, and it could leave quickly. I was smart enough to understand that and smart enough to realize how fickle people could be.
No matter what, I didn’t want to be that way with Anya.
The connection we had felt genuine, and that impression only grew the more time we spent together. We might have come together under some unlikely circumstances, but the moments we shared always seemed so natural and real.
I supposed that was why I felt so bad about having avoided her question right before the interview, about having given her a noncommittal answer. Elusive wasn’t a usual descriptor for me, and I hated being that way with her. Anya deserved better, and anyone would have said that.
I wrapped my arm tighter around her. Maybe I could figure this out—maybe I could make this work out fine. I could scratch the itch Hudson had created. No problem. Any opportunity at his venture capital firm didn’t necessarily have to interfere with my plans and hopes here in New Burlington. We could make this work. I could make this work.
I will. Somehow.
Anya stirred and turned. “Hey, you’re awake.”
“Yep. Seem to have trouble sleeping lately.”
“Too much excitement.”
“Yep.”
“I keep thinking we don’t deserve it. That I’m going to wake up and be sad to find out this was all a dream.”
I kissed her. “You did great yesterday. First of many.”
She laughed. “I doubt that.”
“Plenty of other outlets want a piece of our time.”
“I know, but as soon as things get back to normal, I’ll feel a lot better. It was fun today, but that doesn’t mean I’m comfortable with it.”
I kissed her again, this time deeper and longer. When she broke away, she moved against me. “Hey, what was that about in the store earlier?”
“Which part?” I asked, despite being able to guess what she meant. Still, maybe I could throw her off a little.
“When Frank asked if you liked living here. You had a weird response.”
“It wasn’t a weird response.”
She put her palms on my chest and pulled back as if that would help her see more of me in the bed. “I could tell something was up. And you can tell me what it is.”
I ran my fingers through her hair, fanning it out on the pillow. “I have a lot on my mind, that’s all. Javier thinks we can speed up the opening and that he can knock out some of the final renovations this weekend and next week.”
“Really?”
I nodded. Technically, this was a true statement. Javier was one of the many people who’d blown up my phone in the last few days, and he was adamant about doing whatever he could to speed up the opening. In his opinion, capitalizing on the momentum of the viral video was vital and achievable. I also knew he wanted more money for his extra work, but I was willing to pay it because I could see his point.
“So, I’m going to be busy the next ten days or so.”
“You are?”
“Getting the place open ahead of schedule is a big thing for me.” I shifted away from her in bed.
“I’m sure it is,” she replied. Her tone was neutral instead of encouraging.
“Does that upset you?”
