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The chances didn’t seem great. She all but hid behind people at the tailgate party in her efforts not to be within a few feet of me, and when I ran into her at the office unexpectedly, she just stared at me without a word. Of course, I didn’t say anything to her, either. I couldn’t. The music blaring caught my attention, and I went in search of the computer or radio someone had obviously left playing when we headed to the race. But then I discovered it wasn’t something someone left on by accident. It was Merry, hanging out in her office and humming to the music as she swayed back and forth, staring at the tablet in her hands.
I’d seen her look at her tablet, checking over things and adding to the platforms, countless times by then. But it was different seeing her do it with the music streaming around the office and her wearing nothing but little shorts and a tank top. It was like seeing a completely different side of her, a glimpse into a more real version of her that few probably got to enjoy. I wanted to say something to her. Anything. But I knew if I stepped even one foot into that office or she got any closer to me, I wasn’t going to be able to control my actions. I couldn’t let that happen again.
34
Merry
The complex went back to normal on Monday, and everything was business as usual by Tuesday. I’d finally been working on the social media platforms long enough that real data was coming in. Sometimes it was difficult to explain that to businesses when I first started working for them. They wanted to see immediate and astonishing results they could easily measure. They seemed to think a couple of tweets and a blog post or two would instantly transform their visibility and make them more appealing. While that was possible, they really couldn’t expect everything to go viral and become the next internet sensation.
It really didn’t work that way most of the time. Of course, if it was a brand-new company that never had any social media presence before, the difference between nothing and how they would interact when things got up and going was noticeable. And if something caught on exceptionally well, there could definitely be a noticeable spike instantly. A really impressive campaign, a well-placed post or retweet that got the attention of somebody influential. Those could mean massive things for a company. But usually they didn’t last long. A big jump in popularity and traffic was great, but what really mattered was sustainability. In order for a company to find and maintain success in the long term, they had to keep up with the traffic and maintain their hold on the attention and interest of customers.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t always easy. With a world that had become more and more reliant on technology, people were accustomed to having endless amounts of information and entertainment right at their fingertips. They didn’t have the patience to keep up with something that wasn’t keeping them fully engaged and offering benefit at all times. Which was why the long-term numbers were more important than any sudden short-term successes. I’d been working on the Freeman Racing campaign long enough to be starting to get those details, and things were looking good.
But that didn’t mean letting up. We had to keep pushing, keep giving it our all. I was so invested in what I was working on, I didn’t even realize how much time had gone by since getting to work. I didn’t know it was already time to take a break for lunch until my brother showed up at the door. We’d both been busier than usual recently with work and even living together, we hadn’t been able to sit down and spend as much time together. So, we made the plan to eat lunch together that day. When I looked up and saw him, I glanced down at my phone.
“Is it already time for lunch?” I asked.
“It was time for lunch about an hour ago,” he said.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” I said. “You should have come and gotten me. I’ve been so wrapped up in getting these numbers and interacting with the fans, I didn’t even realize time was going by. You must be starving. What do you want to eat today?”
“Don’t worry about it,” Brandon said. “I figured you were probably lost in the land of virtual people, so I got you covered.” He held up two large box lunches and a half-gallon of sweet tea. “How does a picnic sound?”
I let out a sigh. “It sounds glorious. Let’s go.”
I walked out into the hallway and saw he already had the picnic blanket out of the trunk and waiting. Leaning down to pick it up off the floor, I followed him outside and into the heat. As hot as the afternoons were, I would much rather be out in the fresh air than stuck inside any day. We walked right to the field and settled under my favorite tree. Brandon handed me my box, and I eagerly opened it, taking out the egg salad sandwich he’d chosen for me.
