Page 62 of The Anaconda Downstairs

I was smadsausted. All the way to my core and back.

In that moment, looking at these two women who had become more than just colleagues, I made a decision. To let someone else help me for a change. I took a deep breath and said, “You're right. Everett and I are... it's more than just dating lessons now. I... think I'm in love with him.”

The admission hung in the air, and I braced myself for their reactions, wondering if I'd just made the biggest mistake of my life. Who says something like that? Who admits to falling for a guy who was so much more than a ten, he was like an eleventy-hundred?

The silence that followed my admission felt endless. I watched as Kelsey's eyes widened, a mix of surprise and something else—was that joy?—flickering across her face. Neith, ever the professional, merely raised an eyebrow, her mind no doubt already racing with the PR implications.

“Oh, Pen,” Kelsey breathed, reaching out to squeeze my hand. “I had a feeling. That's huge. I'm so happy for you.”

I nodded, feeling simultaneously lighter and more terrified than I had in years. “I've never felt like this before. But it's all very new. That picture was taken before we... got together. I don't want to drag Everett or the Kingmans into this mess.”

Neith leaned forward, her expression serious. “Penelope, I understand your desire to protect Everett, but we need to consider all angles here. People have already seen the picture of you two together.”

“Neith's right,” Kelsey said gently. “Plus, take it from someone who's dated a Kingman in the public eye—they're tougher than they look.” She grinned, some of her usual spark returning. “And they look pretty tough to begin with.”

Despite everything, I found myself smiling back. “I just... I don't know what to do. I'm supposed to be the social media maven here, and I, well, this is why I hid behind a secret handle for so long. I barely know how to be in the public eye. How do we handle this?”

“Well,” Neith said, slipping into strategy mode, “we have a few options. We could get ahead of it, release a statement about your relationship before Odin has a chance to twist it.”

My stomach clenched at the thought. “I don't know if I'm ready for that.”

Kelsey nodded understandingly. “What about a joint statement from the two of us? We could challenge Odin's narrow view of health and body positivity, without necessarily addressing your personal life.”

“That could work,” Neith mused. “We could also reach out to other influencers, create a united front against this kind of attack.”

As they bounced ideas back and forth, a whole new feeling washed through me. It was warm and calming. Gratitude. HereI was, facing what felt like the biggest crisis of my career, and I wasn't alone. It was a novel feeling, one that both comforted and terrified me.

My phone buzzed, and for the first time in a long time, I dreaded looking at it. Expecting it to be Everett, I was surprised to see Jules's name pop up on the screen.

“Guys, hold on,” I said, interrupting their discussion. “It's Jules.”

I opened the message, and despite everything, it tugged a smile from me at its contents:

Saw Odin's skibidi fucking Ohio video. Gathering the Take Up Space Network as we speak. We ride at dawn, b*tches. #BodyWarriors

“What is it?” Kelsey asked, leaning over to peek at my phone.

I read the message aloud and Kelsey burst out laughing. “God, I love that girl. Odin should be afraid. Very afraid.”

Neith raised a finger. “I'm guessingskippityfucking Ohio is bad? And the Take Up Space Network?”

“I don't know about the Ohio part. I think that state is kind of nice. The Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame is there.” Kelsey shrugged. “But the Take Up Space Network is a group Trixie started with Marie Manniway and Sara Jayne Jerry for plus-size celebrities to support each other. I'm in it. Just haven't done much with it yet.”

I nodded, confirming Kelsey's answers, a wave of emotions washing over me.

“This is perfect,” Neith said, her eyes lighting up with possibilities. “Having them on our side could be a game-changer.”

They went all in discussing how to leverage the Network's support. Jules knowing about this meant that soon, the wholeKingman clan would be in on it. The thought was both terrifying and oddly comforting.

I'd spent so long feeling like I had to face everything alone, and now, suddenly, I had not just Kelsey and Neith in my corner, but potentially an entire network of body-positive influencers and the infamous Kingman family too.

“Pen?” Kelsey took my hand again and squeezed. “You're good with all of this, right?”

I looked up, trying really hard to hold back the tears, mostly ones of gratitude. “Yeah, I'm just... processing. It's a lot, you know? Going from trying to hide everything to suddenly having all these people ready to fight for me.”

Kelsey's expression softened. She reached out and squeezed my hand. “This is what having people in your corner feels like, and I'm sorry if I never made you feel that way before now.”

Oh cheez its. Those tears pricked at the corners of my eyes, but I blinked them back. Now wasn't the time for crying. We had work to do.

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