Page 73 of Book Club Confidential

“They’re BookTok girlies!” Kate said, gaze fixed on her phone screen. “One owns an indie bookstore in Chesapeake!”

“Who?” Hallie asked, holding the door to the rooftop for them to pass.

Kate extended her phone to reveal her screen and pressed a palm to her collarbone. “The people I met outside. And it’s a romance bookstore.”

Hallie’s lips turned up at one corner. “Your people.”

Kate nodded, tears threatening to fall. “My people.” Her cheeks reddened, and she turned away from the room, wiping gently at the corners of her eyes. “Do you know how many of those book accounts I follow? Dozens. I adore them! They’re so unapologetically themselves. Completely unconcerned about whether or not what they read is trending. They just like what they like, and somehow they all found one another, and I found them too. I never miss a book review. Now, a few of them found me.” Her voice cracked. “They liked the content I’ve posted about our book club, our personal challenge, and the books they saw on my shelves in the background. They get me.”

“That’s great,” Tessa said gently. “This is wonderful news. Why are you crying?”

Kate groaned. “Why do I feel so ridiculously fake, even in this wonderland?”

Hallie craned her head for a look around the crowded rooftop bar. “I don’t know. This all seems pretty badass. And you’re here, just like everyone else. Seems like you made it to me.”

A man in striped silk pajamas pedaled by on a unicycle as she spoke.

Hallie lifted her palms, as if to say, See! Bad. Ass.

A collection of women in iridescent white bodysuits twisted themselves into knots on glass pedestals above the crowd.

Kate straightened abruptly, dropping her hands to her sides. “I can do this.”

“Yes,” Tessa agreed. “You absolutely can. And we’re right here if you need us.”

“It’s been a tough couple of weeks,” Kate said, accepting a flute of something bubbly and pink from a passing tray. The little tag on the glass’s stem held two words. Drink Me. And she did. In one graceful motion, she threw back her head, and the contents disappeared, swallowed like a shot.

“Wow. Okay.” Tessa took two glasses from another passing tray.

One glass for herself. The other she passed to Kate.

“Thanks,” Kate said. She sipped her second drink. “I’ve been thinking about my job more than ever since we decided to be our own heroines, and I realized I’ve wanted to make big changes for almost as long as I’ve been doing this. I never expected the whole wealthy Southern charm to take off, but it did, and it’s been grueling to keep up. All that perfection just isn’t me. And I kind of hate portraying it online. The expectation is unreal and unfair. It’s a completely false narrative and likely damaging to young girls. I don’t want that.” She took another sip. “I want to encourage everyone to be themselves, even if there’s no polish and whatever they’re into seems a little weird.”

Hallie hiked her eyebrow. “Weird is the best kind of awesome.”

“It’s also a far cry from anything I’ve put out there before,” Kate said. “And I’m terrified my new content is going to flop. I can’t make a living doing this thing I love with a modest following. It’s go big or find another source of income.”

“Breathe,” Tessa said. “For now, just concentrate on this moment. You waited a long time for it. Absorb every detail. Tomorrow you can go back to worrying.”

Kate released a shaky breath. “Right.” She wiggled her body slightly, as if she could somehow shake off the fear and worry. “Carpe diem and all that. God, I make a terrible main character.”

Hallie lifted a small cutout caterpillar from a nearby table and placed it beneath her nose like a mustache. “You used to be much muchier.”

Kate barked a laugh. Her weary expression turned to humor as she made a swipe at the mustache. “I will shove that caterpillar right up your—”

The bass dropped on a song from their UVA days. Hallie cackled, and Tessa couldn’t stop herself from joining in.

Kate finished her drink and scanned the room. “All right. Let’s go make some memories and remind people I’m worth following, no matter what I wear.”

Hallie hooted, threw her hands in the air, and headed for the dance floor.

Chapter Twenty

An hour later, Tessa felt warm despite the temperature. A combination of delicious themed drinks, dances with friends, and a number of large strategically placed rooftop heaters made sure of it. All around them, influencers posed and snapped pictures or went live as streams of color-changing LED lights pulsed in time with the music.

“Water!” Hallie yelled above the beat. “Food!”

Kate gave a dramatic thumbs-up, then headed away from the gyrating crowd. Tessa and Hallie easily followed.