Zoe managed a laugh at her friend’s joke, and Katherine grinned.
“I appreciate your help, and definitely keep your eyes open, but I get the feeling that a nine-year-old doing armpit farts won’t be my big break.”
“Suit yourself.”
“Let’s talk about something else now,” Zoe suggested. “I’m getting sad.”
“No, come on, don’t be sad. You’re going to get your big break, I’m sure.”
“Yeah, but my career is falling apart, my love life is in shambles, and my landlord just increased the rent on my apartment.”
“Sure, sure, but your hair looksgreat.”
Zoe laughed again and smoothed a hand over her blond hair, which was pulled back in a neat bun. “It really does, doesn’t it?”
“Definitely.” The two friends smiled at each other, then Zoe asked about Katherine’s upcoming trip to visit her new niece, and the conversation moved on.
Once they’d finished eating, Zoe excused herself to use the restroom. While she was there, she smoothed her hair again and tried to smile. Even though things felt like they were falling apart, she was lucky to have a friend like Katherine, and she wasn’t going to let herself ruin lunch by being a sad sack. When she got back to the table, Katherine had her phone out and was looking at something.
“What’s up?” Zoe slid back into her chair.
“Well, I was just scrolling on Insta, and I think I might have found something for you.”
“Is it a nine-year-old doing armpit farts?”
“Not exactly.”
Katherine turned the phone around so Zoe could see. The video showed a man in a white lab coat around Zoe’s age. He had thick glasses that magnified his soft blue eyes, which were the color of the sky at noon. His chocolate-brown hair was artfully tousled and he had the kind of strong jawline that made ladies’ knees weak. He was leaning forward to talk to a young boy of about seven, cracking jokes about cows until the boy’s nerves gave way to laughter.
The caption read, “Hottest Doctor Alive,” and the video had more than two and a half million views. Zoe whistled.
“I mean, it’s a great video, but I’m not sure it’ll help me. I’m sure this guy has a team already.”
“That’s the thing.” Katherine spun the phone back. “I looked through the comments, and, apparently, the doctor doesn’t even have a social media account. He might not even know he’s famous.”
Zoe’s mind began to race a mile a minute. This was perfect. Here was a guy in desperate need of a PR professional. He was going viral, and he didn’t even have a social media account. Obviously, she was going to need to do more digging, but this could be just what she needed. If she could find this guy and convince him that she could help, well… He was exactly the kind of up-and-comer she needed, the kind so blind to the world of PR that he wouldn’t know about Zoe’s history with Carla Vassallo.
Her thoughts still flying, Zoe let out a low whistle. “Katherine, I think you’ve done it.”
“Really?” Katherine beamed.
“Really. But I’m afraid I have to run. PR people are going to be all over this guy, and I need to get there first. Is he in New York?”
“No, it looks like he’s somewhere in rural Vermont according to a few of the comments.”
“Then it looks like I’m off to Vermont.” Zoe grinned and got to her feet. “Will you send me that video?”
“Of course. Let me know how it goes.”
At the counter, Zoe paid for both their lunches, thanked the waiter, then hurried out onto the street. She would have splurged on a cab if she’d thought it would be faster, but her lifetime of experience taught her that the New York subwaywas always quicker. She raced down into the station, tapped her MetroCard, and saw a message from Katherine as she was getting on the train.
Zoe watched the video again, her lower lip tucked between her teeth and one foot tapping against the floor. The video had been posted a day and a half ago and was still getting new views. She scrolled through the comments, then did her own search to make sure the “Hottest Doctor Alive” really didn’t have a social media account.
He didn’t.
By the time she was home, she’d found the contact information of his practice in a small town called Islingburn, Vermont. Zoe could have called or sent an email, but the video had gone up a day and a half ago. Others would already have tried that. No, if she was going to stand out from the other PR professionals trying to land the doctor as a client, she needed to do something different.
The moment she stepped through the door of her apartment, she grabbed her laptop and got to work. A quick Google search told her that it was a short flight or a long drive to Islingburn, but Zoe didn’t have a car, so it had to be the flight. She booked one for early the next morning, wincing at the steep price, but this was going to be worth it. It had to be. This doctor was going to be her big break, whether he wanted to be or not.
