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She smiles a little nervously. “I guess I won’t complain too loudly about good publicity over pancakes.”
I move over to the bench seat that she’s sitting on and pull out my phone. “Just say hey or something and wave when I introduce you. If you want to do more than that, just give me a time and place and I’ll come to you. I’d love to do a series of interview questions for your next book.”
She laughs and Emery perks up, taking it in. “I don’t think I’m ready for an interview about my next one yet. My characters still aren’t behaving as they should be, so maybe in a month or two.”
That’s not surprising. Maya is notorious for pushing release dates back, but her fans don’t mind because every book does its best to break you before making you feel all the feels. There’s a reason she’s my favorite.
I hold up the phone and lean in close to her. We’re both smiling as the video starts to record.
“Hey ladies, this is BookDragonMaddie here with my fave author, Maya Hall.”
She waves into the camera, and I continue. “I had to let you all know that I finally met her and got her signature. I didn’t even have to kidnap her and keep her in my basement for a week.”
I turn and grin at her before saying, “Go pick up her latest book,The Mirror Between Us, and tell your friends how it broke your heart before stitching it back together. This lady deserves all the praise and five-star ratings you can give her. Maybe she’ll getBroken Wingsout just a little faster so we can all gush about it.”
I stop the recording and move back to the other side of the table. “Is that really all the time you put into those videos?” she asks.
I shrug. “Sometimes it’s more, but mostly, yeah. I just talk. Sometimes I have to retake some video, but people like real. They want to feel like they’re a girlfriend of yours. Scripting it doesn’t help much when the goal is being genuine.”
“My publicist says I should start a ChitChat, but I just can’t imagine doing it. I couldn’t produce that much content. You have more than a thousand videos, don’t you?”
“Twenty-three hundred last time I checked. But I was doing it for money, and I’m not so consistent anymore. It’s more of a hobby now that I have other things to pay the bills.”
I glance at Emery, and I catch Maya grinning. But she doesn’t say anything about the glance. “Madison, it was wonderful to meet you, and Emery, it’s always a pleasure, but I need to get going. I still have work to do onBroken Wingsand another signing to go to tomorrow.”
“Whenever you want to push any of your books, please, please, please message me. I will happily devote many videos to your books.”
“I’ll make sure to do that,” she says as she gets up.
Then she walks away from us. How did I just sit down and have a normal conversation with my favorite author? I just made a video with her, and she might even do interviews with me before she releases her next book. It wasn’t weird or anything.
“I feel like I’m in a dream,” I mutter, and Em puts his arm around my shoulders.
“It’d better be a good dream,” he says.
I nod. A good dream? No, this is a fantasy. “Is this what life is like for you? Do you get to just hang out with your favorite actors or authors whenever they’re in town?”
He shakes his head. “It was pure luck that I knew Maya.”
“Well, I’m glad that lady luck was on our side this time. It’s weird that she’s just a normal person. She’s not some kind of genius who sits on a pedestal with a golden laptop.”
“Madison, everyone’s a normal person.” He’s got that serious look on his face again. “They all have their struggles and problems. They all have things they love and others they hate, even if the public thinks otherwise.”
I sigh and lean against Em’s shoulder. My life has changed so much in less than a month. I wonder how much it will change over the next year.
Chapter 40
Madison
“Oh my God. Your billionaire boyfriend knows Maya Hall? How is that even possible?”
Mimosas are what we’re drinking this morning. Both of us have things to celebrate about, and neither of us has anyone else that really gets it.
I take a sip of mine. Sweet and bubbly, it’s the perfect celebratory drink. “I don’t know, but I think I’m in love, Tessa.”
“You’ve been in love with Maya Hall for years. That’s nothing new.”
I shake my head and set the champagne glass down. “I think I’m in love with Em.”
