AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“It’s a Tik-Tok somebody from Susan’s marketing team put out,” Artie explains. In the video, there’s a girl going on about a book launch event before the camera zooms in on several posters.
My heart leaps with a mix of hope and disbelief as I stare at the poster for Susan’s book launch. The image of her smiling face, now plastered on walls throughout the city, serves as a bittersweet reminder of what we’ve been searching for all these months.
I turn to Artie, who stands beside me, his eyes shining with a renewed sense of purpose. It’s her, it’s really her.
“Artie, is this…is this real?” I ask, my voice trembling.
He nods, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “I set up a Google alert for Susan’s name, just in case,” he says, his voice filled with relief and disbelief. “I never expected it to actually work.”
Ollie joins us, his eyes widening as he takes in the sight of the poster. “Is this for real? Susan’s book launch?” he asks, his face showing both disbelief and joy.
I can hardly contain the emotions surging within me as I respond, “Yes, Ollie, it’s real. Susan’s book launch is happening.”
We exchange a glance, an unspoken understanding passing between us. We have a lead, a chance to finally reconnect with Susan and bring her back into our lives.
“We have to go, find her, and be there for her,” I say, my voice firm with determination.
“What if she doesn’t want to come back?” Ollie says.
“That’s a possibility we have to keep at the back of our minds. Having said that, she still deserves to know our feelings.”
Ollie looks down at himself and then at us. “We’re going to stand out like sore thumbs at the event.”
“I don’t particularly care,” I say.
Artie strides forward. “Well, a little grooming never hurt anyone.”
“What do you have in mind?” I ask.
“Oh, nothing too over-the-top—just some new clothes, and Ed, that beard looks a little too wild.”
I rub my chin. “Hey,” I protest.
“I can barely see your face through all that,” Ollie says, shaking his head. “It really has to go.”
“Fine,” I say reluctantly. Anything for Susan.
The book launch is two weeks away so we spend the time between now and then getting our clothes fitted. Our wardrobe is mostly thick mountain wear and flannel for the mellow summer, and I suppose that won’t do at a romance book event. We even go down to the barbershop and have our facial hair trimmed and our hair cut.
On D-day, I gel my hair away from my face. My reflection peers back at me nervously. My brothers don’t look any different.
“It’s crazy. It feels like we’re about to ask Susan out on a first date,” Ollie says.
“I suppose in some ways it does feel that way,” I muse.
We make the three-hour drive to Manhattan, getting an early start. The event isn’t till six, but we arrive an hour early just to be on the safe side, and sit down in the coffee shop across the street, watching the staff set up the bookstore with streamers and balloons. From the looks of it, they’re expecting more than a hundred people. Most of the store has been filled to the brim with chairs. There’s a desk set up at the front and a stack of books. There’s a big poster of the cover of Susan’s book on the wall behind the desk.
Artie nudges my side. “I’m glad she didn’t lose inspiration.”
I follow his gaze to the cover that sports a lumberjack girl, her arms folded over her chest as she stands in front of three guys who are all looking at her with nothing but plain adoration. Like Susan, she has blonde hair, and like us, the guys all have brown hair. It reminds me of one of the shots from our intimate photoshoot, and I almost chuckle at the thought of Susan having to explain this particular idea to her team.
Did she think of us then? Have we crossed her mind at any point?
The store starts to get crowded as the time approaches. Artie, Ollie and I digitally RSVPed to the event, so we find our names on the list easily.
The usher looks us up and down in disbelief before he lets us through.
Ollie frowns. “What was that casual judgment about? Does anybody else feel uncomfortable?”
