CHAPTER 3

‘How I wish you could see the potential, 

The potential of you and me.

It’s like a book elegantly bound

But in a language that you can’t read just yet…’

“Hi, guys! It’s a beautiful morning in San Diego and I’m here with the latest updates on ‘Black & White’ trilogy! I must say your feedback up to this point, is absolutely fantastic and I’m looking forward to making lots of progress on the edits for the third book, ‘Crimson Love’. I know a lot of you are anxious for info, so I hope to have an official release date for you as well as a cover reveal by the same time next week. I hope more of you will jump on board and take this romantic trip with all of you, already loyal fans, and with yours truly.”

          Everly grinned and fist-pumped.

“Also, I’ve started an all-new series that I’m really excited about. No details yet though… But I’ll give you the title and let you imagine… It’s called ‘Leather & Lace’. For the rest, you’ll just have to wait to find out what it is. Well, that’s the news for today. On a personal note, I have to make a confession to you all… A few months ago, I discovered a band called ‘Infinite Euphoria’. I know a lot of you are already loyal fans of this amazing band… and now I understand why. Please, don’t make fun of me for being the last one at the party. I’m just happy I found them. So many songs from their first two albums are already on my writing playlists.”

          She paused as her pulse picked up again. She had to calm down or she’d sound like a starry-eyed teenager instead of the mature, professional twenty-five-year-old she was. Then she laughed. She was away from being mature and professional, no matter how hard she tried to be.

“After hearing them on repeat, I must say that the voice of the lead singer, Lennon Stark, is as smooth as caramel but with this rough husky undertone that adds so much depth to his performance. He and his two cousins, who are also part of the band, are creating the perfect musical escape. If I can give the hero in my new series a fraction of Lennon’s charisma, I’ll be absolutely thrilled. So, if by any chance you are as lame as I am and haven’t discovered ‘Infinite Euphoria’ yet, please, go now and check them out on every musical platform. You won’t be sorry. You got my word on this one! Well, guys, that’s all for now… Don’t forget to share, subscribe, and comment this week’s episode! Until next week, remember to free your imagination and let the journey begin!”

          After stopping the recording, Everly played it back. It all looked normal except for the extra flush in her cheeks when she started talking about Lennon. And her eyes were a little too sparkly.

“Baby girl, you’re in big trouble…” she said. “You got it bad!”

          Not really surprising when Lennon’s amazing voice and obvious passion for this work were combined with the body of an athlete and a face that would make any woman’s pulse speed up and her panties drop with just one glance.

          But such perfection was extremely far out of reach… it was ridiculous to even dream. Though dream she did.

          ‘Ah, well…’

          It was safer than wanting a real person. Which was why she was still single and wrote romantic fantasies for a living. She’d tried the whole relationship thing once, and her anxiety had ruined that in no time at all. That was a mistake she wouldn’t make again.

“Ever!”

          Shaking her head, Everly sighed and called her friend, Erik.

“I’ve got a video for you to work on for me,” she said when he picked up.

“‘Perfect, Lyv! Send it over,’” Erik replied.

          He was always so generous and helpful that she almost felt bad asking him to edit for her every week. But he never seemed to mind. He’d always told her that working on her video was to most relaxing and pleasant thing ever.

“I already did. Hey, along with the usual links, I sent a few more for the band I talk about in the video. You know, the one I’ve been telling you about.”

“‘Yeah... I keep waiting for you to move on. Getting any writing done today… or yesterday?’”

“Nope... Besides, Santana just called to talk to me about some promo trips she wants me to take… For the movie…”

          His familiar chuckle made her smile.

“‘Oh, I see it now… So, you’ve been pacing the house and the garden, freaking out instead of working.’”

“Shut up! You’re an awful man!  Just so you know, it hasn’t been that bad… I’m going to start writing now. Let me know when the video is ready to be uploaded.”

“‘Sure thing, Lyv...’”

          But instead of moving into her office to write, Everly put her headphones on and played ‘By My Side’, one of her favorite ‘Infinite Euphoria’ songs. Lennon’s voice washed over her like a current of magic. Shivers ran down her arms and her tension began to ease away.

          Telling herself that she’d be more successful writing if she was relaxed, Everly lay down on her couch and let her imagination wander.

                                                               ***

          The sunshine turned to rain the next day. Everly didn’t mind at all since she always wrote better in gloomy weather.  She reached fifty-thousand words on her new story at noon, so she took a break for lunch.

          After warming up some leftover Chinese food, she checked her book sales and spent some time on social media.  She clicked on a message someone had sent her on the site of the ‘HeartChat’.

          Her heart sank and she closed her eyes for a second. Crude, suggestive words and nauseating images swam before her eyes, poisoning her good mood. Everly sighed and was about to click out of it when something about the profile picture caught her attention.

          The troll’s picture was a man’s chest with a white t-shirt and on it, she could read a phrase that was absolutely gross and obnoxious:

          ‘Lyv’s look makes me hard as a Rock…’

          Her last name was Rock, so the play on words wasn’t subtle.

          Those words written in the same shade of red as the one used for the cover of her new book, ‘Crimson Love’, absolutely sickened her.

          Totally creeped out, Everly hesitated to look at the comments for her latest vlog, but she couldn’t let stuff like this shake her. There were weirdos in the world, and most of them were part of the internet jungle, hiding behind a computer keyboard, or behind a mask, writing creepy stuff, trolling her… She just needed to ignore it and move on.

          There were over five hundred comments on her post, most of them about ‘Infinite Euphoria’. Apparently, mentioning them was a great marketing ploy. Then, she saw a comment that jolted her upright.

          ‘Hey! Thanks for the shout-out. My little sister is a big fan of yours and showed me your video. Glad our music inspires you. Lennon Stark.’

          Everly screamed and covered her face. Then, read the message again and she screamed again… This time louder than the first. Taking deep breaths, Everly read the comment three more times and called Erik. She didn’t even bother to answer when he asked how she was doing.

“Lennon Stark actually commented on my video! I can’t even breathe right now… Can you believe it? I mean… What were the odds?”

“‘Hold your horses! Let me find it.’”

          There was silence on the other end while Erik looked for the comment. While she waited, Everly read the comment twice more.

“‘Wow…! That’s awesome, Lyv!’” Erik exclaimed. “‘Great cross-promotion too.’”

“You know I didn’t mention them to get more relevance. I mention the band because they are so damn good.”

‘So… How are you going to reply?’”

“Reply? Well… I don’t know. I kinda lost my words… Besides, I haven’t even thought about it. What do I say in this case?”

“‘Lyv, you’re the writer. Find your words! You can do it!’”

“Right... Okay… My words… I can do this.”

“‘I have no doubt about it!’”

          She put her phone on speaker, pushed the bowl of Kung Pao noodles out of the way, and opened her laptop again. Scrolling down to the comment, Everly tried a reply.

          ‘Aww!!! Thank you, Lennon. You’re too kind…’

          Then she shook her head and deleted it.

“Just wrote the stupidest phrase… Oh, Erik, I can’t do it. I’m going to sound like an idiot.”

“‘That’s because right now you are behaving like an idiot. Don’t quit already. Look, forget about who he is… Treat him like a normal reader. Pretend he’s just a regular guy.’”

“What? Lennon Stark… a regular guy? No way! Besides, I can’t talk to regular guys either.”

“‘Really? And what am I, Lyv?’”

“Best friends don’t count, Erik!”

“‘Oh, wow… That kinda hurt… Thanks a lot, Lyv.’”

“Come on, you know what I mean. And this guy is… Erik, he’s so beyond me.”

“‘Okay… Come back down to earth. You are going to reply. He may or may not even see it. And you will likely never hear from him again, so stop freaking out.’”

          He was right. So right that a massive depression snuffed out her joy. Erik must have picked up from her silence that his comment had made her feel bad.

“‘Or… you could think of something witty and charming so he’ll respond back. Give him your most perfect line…’”

“No pressure there.”

“‘Think of all the subscribers and potential readers you could get out of this.’”

“All right… Okay, I’m getting off here so I can focus. I have two million words published under my name, but I’ve never felt so much pressure over a few simple lines.”

“‘Look, just pretend you’re talking to me because apparently, I’m just an average Joe… I’m no big deal.’”

“Stop giving me a hard time, Erik Harris! I didn’t mean that and you know it very well. You know how much I value our friendship and how much you mean to me.”

“‘Yeah, yeah… whatever! I’ll be watching for your reply! If I don’t see one soon, I’m going to call you out for being the chicken you are.’”

          After twenty minutes of mumbling words to herself, inspiration struck.

          ‘Hi, Lennon. Thanks so much for commenting. What a small world! I love that your sister is one of my fans since I’m one of her brother’s band. I’d love to send her an autographed copy of one of my books. Maybe she’d even like to video chat sometimes. If so, my email is on my website. Let me know, please. All the best, Lyv Rock.’

          Everly sent it before she could second guess herself. At least, Erik couldn’t call her a chicken. And what was the worst that could happen? Lennon Stark totally ignoring her response and she looking like a desperate fan girl?

          Oh… Right… That…