Page 87 of Book Club Confidential

“Worse.” Her gaze moved forlornly to the water. “They use that zoomed-in image with the overlay text: Influencer’s secrets revealed. Then they write about whatever new gossip they have on any content creator.”

Tessa felt nauseous. A story would die down the moment something new came around. But memes? Those were forever. “I’m so sorry.”

“Commenters on those posts like to make up secrets and list them under my ass.” She slid her eyes to Tessa. “No matter how compelling the post’s content, the response circles right back to my most humiliating moment. It’s as if the world is personally attached to my bare ass.”

“Let’s talk about the fake secrets,” Tessa said, thoughts whirring. “Maybe you can turn this around by participating.”

Kate delivered her most bland expression, mouth closed and silent.

“I’m serious. Surprise them by commenting that at least one of the secrets is actually true, then let the crowd fight to figure out which one.”

Kate scoffed. “Why on earth would I do that?”

“To change the story,” Tessa said. “To steer the crowd. People will think you’re being a good sport, which might motivate some of them to want to protect you. Instead of being just another unrelatable influencer, you become relatable. And in this instance, you’re also an underdog. People love to rally for the underdog. Plus, this gives them something else to talk about.”

Kate slouched. She tugged at her muumuu, fanning the fabric away from her lap. “Someone said I hide a little man under my skirts, like the Harry Potter villain hosting Voldemort under his hat.”

A loud laugh burst from Tessa without warning, and a nearby dog barked.

Kate’s lips curved slightly. “I hate when people are funnier than me.”

Tessa patted her arm. “You couldn’t control what happened, but you have the power to change the narrative.”

Kate sighed. “I did get three new followers today,” she said. “Two are from your former office. Millie and Nina left me private messages of support. They told me to ask you to call them.”

Tessa smiled, chest warm. “They’re good people. Speaking of controlling narratives, I need to tell my side of that story soon, before the rumor mill at Hello, Marketing sets the record for me.”

Kate angled on the bench, eyes serious but kind. “How’s your dad doing?”

“Good.” Tessa took a moment to relish the words. “He seems happy, and Devin’s helping with everything he can around the house. He cooks and cleans, rakes leaves, and clears gutters. He’s applied for full-time positions at all the places I suggested and at least two dozen others. I think he’s doing too much, trying to prove himself to us when he doesn’t have to, but I appreciate the joy it brings Dad to see him looking so healthy and well.”

Kate’s fair brow puckered. “So Devin really has changed?”

Tessa shrugged. Did people change?

She certainly wanted to believe so. She was changing, wasn’t she?

Chapter Twenty-Three

Tessa wallowed on her couch the next morning, awakened by the long-held habit instead of an alarm. She’d visited her dad and brother the night before and broke the news about quitting her job. Although they’d supported her decision to leave Hello, Marketing, Tessa’s feelings of failure had set in hard. She drove home reminding herself of all her brother had been through, and that he looked better each time she saw him. If he had survived multiple life implosions and come out on top, she could surely survive this too.

Devin had even scored two interviews with business owners he’d met on their afternoon out together. Tessa, on the other hand, hadn’t submitted a single résumé as she’d promised herself she would. Insecurities she hadn’t realized she had rushed to the surface and stopped her from taking the next step. What if no one else wanted her, and she’d walked away from her only possible source of income? What if her quest for a better life had completely wrecked her chances at one?

She pushed the thoughts aside.

Meanwhile, the mental and emotional toll of having no job and no purpose felt astronomical. She hadn’t expected it to be so hard just to get moving, get dressed, or take a shower. For the first time in her life, she found it much easier to become one with the couch.

Tessa hadn’t been this directionless since her middle school summer breaks. Even then, she typically took on a personal challenge. Learning to ride a skateboard, for example, or making enough money from her lemonade stand to buy a ten-speed bicycle. The least her uncooperative body could do was catch up on sleep instead of waking repeatedly during the night, then at 6:00 a.m. for no reason at all.

She had, however, made progress on a book series she’d kept on her to-be-read pile for months. Though she found it hard to get behind the heroine throwing away her reliable, predictable life to fight the evil dictatorship. And suddenly the hunky hero was looking like the dunce supporting her crash-and-burn choices.

Tessa stared at her ceiling. She still needed to contact dozens of former clients to explain her absence, so they wouldn’t think she’d abandoned them. That appealed to her even less than showering or getting dressed.

She pulled a pillow over her face and screamed into the fabric.

Her phone rang, and she reached and swatted at the table until her fingertips found the device. A peek at the incoming caller sat her up too quickly, and her head swam.

Grant.