Page 38 of Ink & Ambition

When I glance over at Alex, he’s grinning at me but not just for show. The pride shines on his face and it motivates me to keep going.

“Margot and I are super excited to start this podcast and connect with all you viewers slash listeners out there. You guys really came through already! We had hundreds of submissions on our website this week.”

“Be sure to go in and add more questions after this episode if you’re trying to be featured on our next one,” I add with a smile. It is starting to get easier to just sit and chat with Alex. We do this all the time, it shouldn’t be so different now.

Alex claps loudly in excitement and Nathan waves his hands up as if to say “Don’t do that.” Alex frowns. “Oh, was that loud? Sorry, guys. We’re still learning all this stuff,” he says, sheepishly.

“Let’s jump right in, shall we?” I say, pull up my notecards and bringing the conversation back in focus. “Our first question is sent in from Kelly B.”

“Thanks, Kelly,” Alex says with a wink to the camera. He really can be a ham when he wants to be and it’s all the better for me. If girls on campus want to get a personalized shoutout from him, they’ll be more inclined to tune in.

“Kelly asked ‘How do I get a guy to notice me?’ Alex, take it away.”

“The answer is simple, Kelly,” Alex says, folding his hands onto the table in front of us. He’s really a natural at this. I can’thelp but be mesmerized as he continues. “You gotta be yourself.” He stops talking and a pit forms in my stomach. It can’t just be that? I resist the urge to raise my eyebrows at him, to urge him to say something more.

Alex takes a deep breath then speaks again. “And when that doesn’t work, you gotta make yourself unbelievably hot.”

“What!” I burst out, not able to control my reaction. “That’s terrible advice!”

Alex laughs. “No, it’s not. There’s no better way to get a guy’s attention than to be the hottest girl in the room. Trust me, I fall for it every time.”

“You just want girls to walk around dressed to the nines with pounds of make-up on their face twenty-four/seven?”

“I didn’t say that,” Alex says, his grin lingering. “I just said you gotta be hot. But listen, hotness can come through looks, but it can also be through personality. Being the hottest girl in the room could just mean you are exuding confidence like no other. Being confident is hot as fuck.”

For a moment, I’m shocked by his answer. He somehow took an insanely pig-headed perspective and turned it into an actual piece of good advice.

“Do you agree?”

With a grin, I nod. “I like it. You hear that ladies, confidence is key. According to Alex Prescott.” Glancing over in his direction, we share a look that saysWe’re killin’ it.

“In fact, that’s how Margot and I met. She confidently told me to fuck off.” Alex comments and shoves me playfully.

“It wasn’t quite like that,” I respond with a smirk before looking into the camera. “But more or less, yeah.” Then it’s my turn to wink.

I can’t believe it but I actually think I’m having fun.

Alex and I answer two more questions and the banter continues effortlessly. We actually sound like we have beendoing this kind of thing for years. Before we know it, it’s time for the last question.

“And now, even though this is an advice podcast, we wouldn’t dare let our listeners and viewers down by not also giving them what they want.” I say, side-eying Alex. I know he’s most excited for this part. “We got a record number of questions asking about specifics on Alex’s life so here we go. Our last question, from Phoebe A.”

“Thanks, Phoebe,” Alex says with a wink again and I can’t stop my eye-roll this time.

“‘Tell us something that no one knows about you’. There ya go, Alex. Let’s hear it.”

Alex puts his hand on his chin in a pondering motion. “Something about me…” He continues to rub his chin dramatically. “Hmm…”

“Sometime this century, Alex.”

“Okay, okay. Something about me is…I hate olives.”

I pause. For a moment, we’re both completely silent. Then I snap out of it.

“You hate olives?”

“I hate olives.”

“And that’s a big secret?”

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