“This is an opportunity,” he adds.
I pause. “Opportunity?”
“Yeah,” he says easily. “When one door closes, another one opens. You just have to decide which one you’re walking through.”
I chew slowly, considering that. “I mean… I’m working on it. It’s just slow going.”
Grey leans forward, interest sparked. “What are you working on?”
I hesitate, suddenly aware of how small it sounds out loud. “It’s nothing really. Just something on the side. It won’t pay real bills.”
“Try me.”
I glance at him. “You’re not allowed to laugh.”
“I wouldn’t dare. I know what that’s like,” he says. “You can tell me. Promise.”
And the thing is—I do trust him. I always have. Grey has been a constant my entire life. The kind of person you fall back on without worrying whether they’ll be there.
“Fine,” I say, exhaling. “I’ll tell you my secret if you tell me one. Deal?”
His mouth curves into a slow grin. He reaches across the table and hooks his pinky around mine.
“Pinky swear.”
I shake my head, smiling despite myself. “You’re ridiculous.”
“Spill it,” he says. “What’s your top-secret plan?”
I roll my shoulders, settling into the booth. If I’m going to say it, I might as well own it.
“Virtual assistant to the movers and shakers of social media,” I say, a little embarrassed. “Helping content creators manage their platforms. Scheduling posts. Engaging with followers. Growing their audience. A lot of people are good at making content, but terrible at the backend stuff. Analytics, strategy, consistency.”
I warm as I talk, words coming easier now. “I’ve been studying trends, algorithms, engagement patterns. There’s a real need for it. I could work remotely. Build a client base. Scale it into something real.”
Grey listens, his eyes steady on mine. Not a hint of amusement on his face.
“But,” I add, softer now, “it’s not exactly a guaranteed paycheck.”
I trail off—and that’s when I notice the faint wrinkle between his brows. The look he gets when he’s thinking too hard.
I’m not sure whether he thinks it’s brilliant… or I’m off my rocker.
Grey
Kari finishes explaining her idea, and it’s a good plan. A really good one. She’s always been good with numbers, good at systems, good at seeing how things fit together when everyone else just sees a mess.
Even when we were kids, she was the one figuring out how to sell extra lemonade, or how to combine her babysitting money with creative bargaining to get more bang for her buck. She thinks she’s floundering right now, but all I see is someone recalibrating.
I can see how much I could use someone with her skills. When I finally get my gym off the ground, I’ll need strategic reach to get and keep the kind of clients I want. Strategy. Someone who knows how to build something online without it getting lost in the noise.
As much as I rely on Fans Only right now, it’s not what I want to be known for. I don’t want my livelihood tied to my body, to people consuming me without seeing anything deeper. I want to help people feel strong. Capable. Comfortable in their own skin. I want substance, not flash.
The silence stretches just long enough for Kari to misread it.
“You think it’s silly, don’t you?” she asks, trying not to sound disappointed.
I shake my head immediately. “No. Not at all.” I lean forward. “It suits you. Have you picked up any clients yet?”
