Page 69 of The Overdue Kiss

Comments cycle through too fast to read. I squint, watching the number of viewers start to climb.Holy guacamole. I’m already at five hundred viewers.

“Why don’t you talk about how you are the library hero?” Des asks, sinking into the beanbag next to me and nearly toppling over. “Maya battled against the president of the historical society—and won. You should have seen her. She was amazing.” He twists in his seat and repeats the last word on a sigh.

Ahh!Now it’s eight hundred viewers.

“Des... there’s like a ton of people watching this right now.”

“That’s normal, right?” He shrugs.

“I mean, maybe for someone else.”

I grab his hand, my eyes wide. Another cluster of hearts float up the screen.

“I like it when she holds my hand too,” he says, sending the comments into a tizzy.

“How are you so calm?” And why does it feel like my heart is about to beat right out of my chest?

“It feels like one of my zoom classes. Actually, it’s easier when I don’t have to see everyone staring at me.”

“Oookay. We are going to end this early. This is absolute madness.”

Des nods. “Chris told me that bookish girls go crazy for bikers. I didn’t believe him.”

I nearly faint when the numbers jump to over fifteen hundred viewers. Where are they coming from? And is that a biker influencer chatting in the comments?

“One second.” Des leans closer to my phone, his long lashes even more prominent on camera. “Before you go, Maya could use your help with our library here in Rocosa. If you’d like to send in donations to help with improvements, we would appreciate it. I’m sure she can provide a link or something.”

“Yeah. Sure.” I nod, watching the numbers tick up.

“Goodbye,” he says.

I shut off the live, still panting. “What. Just. Happened.”

“Did you go viral? I couldn’t tell.”

“I thinkyouwent viral. I’ve been doing this for years and I get about a hundred viewers on a good day.”

“Then set up that link before everyone disappears. Maybe we can get enough to pay for the new frames for the historical wall you’re putting together.”

“Good thinking.” I start typing, my fingers moving quickly across the keys as I set up a donation page. “And Des?”

He glances at me as he starts to stand.

“You are amazing too. Thank you.”

“Just keep thinking about what we discussed earlier. You and me, okay?”

“I will.”

They say it takes a village, and it’s true, especially when it applies to overhauling a library. The sheer number of people coming through the doors today astounds me.

At this point, I think I’ve introduced myself to every resident in town.

I lean back in the desk chair and stretch my sore muscles, taking a well-deserved break. The number of hours I’ve spent on the renovations has sent me into overtime. Yet there is still so much to do. Closing my eyes, I try not to think of how much money I need to raise to update the lighting upstairs. Money I don’t have.

“Wake up, sleeping beauty.”

With a scream, I startle upright and nearly tip over sideways on the floor.

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