Page 87 of The Anaconda Downstairs

An idea struck me. “Hey, let's make our own video. Show everyone how we're really celebrating tonight.”

Kelsey's eyes lit up. “I'm down to clown.”

I pulled out my phone and gathered everyone around. With a deep breath, I channeled all the confidence I'd gained over the past months.

“Hey, Besties.” I chirped, grinning at the camera. “It's Mz. Besties' Bestie, Penelope Quinn here, coming at you live from the most super after the bowl party where we're celebrating not one, but two massive victories tonight.”

Kelsey jumped in, throwing an arm around my shoulders. “That's right. Not only did our amazing Mustangs just win the Bowl, but our body positivity commercials are taking the world by storm.”

Of course because Kels was actually joining in, the chat exploded. Her fans were plenty used to me showing them shots of her rehearsing or at a concert, but she rarely actually got on camera to address them herself. But tonight meant something really important and her fans understood this kind of message better than any other ones in the entire world.

“So here's to victories on and off the field,” I said, raising my glass to the camera. “And remember, Besties. The only opinion about your body that matters is your own. Keep loving yourselves.”

I panned the camera around, showing the joyous faces of our friends and family. “This is what real celebration looks like,Besties. It's about love, acceptance, and being surrounded by people who lift you up.”

Everett appeared behind us, wrapping his arms around me and snagging the phone out of my hand. “And it's about knowing that you're perfect just the way you are.”

He pressed a kiss to my cheek and handed the phone to Kelsey, indicating she should flip the camera to the one on the back to point at us.

“Hey, Besties. Kelsey here,” she said into the camera, “I think Everett Kingman has something he wants to say.”

She pointed the phone at us, and I got a tingling feeling that started in my scalp and worked its way all the way down my arms and legs, giving me goosebumps. So much of my life was on video, online, but this felt as if it was something that actually should be recorded for posterity, and I didn't even know what was happening.

Everett waved to the DJ, and the music faded. A hush fell over the crowd. Kelsey kept the phone trained on us, broadcasting every moment to who knows how many viewers.

“Pen,” Everett began, his voice soft but clear. “Can I tell everyone how we first got together?”

“Uh...” I dropped my voice hoping the entire internet and all the people in the bar couldn't hear me. “You mean in your brother's basement?”

He chuckled and shook his head. “No, I mean the thing you asked me to help you with.”

Oh. A couple of months ago, I was ashamed as all get out that I had to ask someone to help me learn how to find a date. Now I didn't see that as something embarrassing.

I smiled and looked around, then right at the camera. “Oh, ha-ha, that. Yeah. I asked Everett 'Love Guru' Kingman for dating lessons.”

A titter went through the crowd, but I didn't feel like I was being laughed at. They were all just enjoying the beginning of this story. It was a doozy.

Good thing Kelsey was circling us with the phone, capturing every angle of this moment like she was a freaking professional camerawoman.

Everett smiled, his eyes never leaving mine. “I was so conflicted. Here was this amazing woman asking for my help, and all I could think was how much I wanted to be the one you were learning to date.”

A collective “aww” went up from the crowd. I could imagine the flood of heart emojis on the live stream.

“But you were off-limits,” Everett continued. “You were my brother's fiancée's assistant, someone he felt protective of. And I... I was scared. Scared of my feelings, scared of messing up our friendship.”

“I didn't know you were scared.” I looked around the crowd again. “Of anything but snakes.”

He shook his head and shivered. “I will get you for that later.”

“Can't wait.”

He cleared his throat and continued. “I always thought falling in love would be like lightning striking—one big, unmistakable moment. That's how it always seemed to happen to the men in my family. But with you, Pen, it was different. It was a thousand little lightning strikes, each one illuminating another reason to love you.”

He was being so incredibly sweet, and I didn't even know why, but tears welled up in my eyes hearing him tell me all this.

“Every lesson, every conversation, every shared laugh—they were all strikes of lightning. And before I knew it, my universe was lit up by you. You taught me that love isn't always a sudden crash of thunder. Sometimes it's a slow-building stormthat leaves you soaked to the bone before you even realize it's raining.”

And then, to my utter shock, Everett dropped to one knee. A collective gasp went up from the crowd.

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