Page 67 of Written By a Woman

Salma already did enough with the whole babysitting fiasco.

So here I was, sitting in my bed, scrolling on my phone on my anonymous account that was filled with romance novels, women reviewing romance novels, and Signe Lange.

That being said, the confidence that people had on the internet would always astound me.

I wasn’t referring to Signe, because her internet confidence was something enthralling. It drew the viewer in, not just because of her beauty, but also because of the way she delivered her content to viewers. Her personality showed through, even though most people made their presence on the internet something fake, like a persona. Not Signe, she was herself no matter if she was at work or online.

No, the people that shouldn’t be as confident on the internet were usually men.

Specifically, men who felt the need to put down others.

There was a trending video, and I had seen a couple of people stitch already with their own sassy rebuttals. It showed a man walking through what looked like a construction site, and he claimed that when he brought dates over, he made them walk through a narrow passageway to ensure that they passed some sort of physical test. It illustrated that he wouldn’t tolerate a woman too big to fit through the tight space.

“I make all the girls that I bring home walk through this,” he started the video, “Because if they can’t walk through this—” and then the video would cut off with someone else calling him a misogynistic prick. Because he was.

What caught me by surprise, however, was Signe’s response to this video.

As soon as his clip ended, her flawless face filled the screen.

“Yeah, so,” Signe cleared her throat while she nodded along as if agreeing with the man, “I make all the guys that I bring home play Xbox just to make sure that they can do this,” She then lifted an Xbox controller and flicked her thumb against the joystick in a very sexual manner, “Because if he can’t do this—” and then her video cut off.

And I threw my head back against my headboard to cackle.

Jesus, this woman was amazing.

I was still chuckling to myself and getting ready to call it a night before my phone buzzed with an email notification, and I adjusted my glasses to read it.

Brandon was cc’d on the email from a potential client in Tennessee, so I wasn’t too surprised to see a text from him before I could check my schedule for the next few weeks.

Brandon: Let’s use this opportunity to update the photos on the website.

I frowned before responding.

Me: If the photographer is willing to go to Tennessee, that’s fine.

I hated getting my picture taken. I was uncomfortable in front of the camera, and no matter how hard I tried to smile, it always came off more like a grimace. Something about posing with a smile felt impossible.

Brandon: Damn. I just called, and their voicemail said they were on vacation for the next month.

I smiled at that, good for the photographer. Sun Steer usually called the same person, since they knew our brand and vision and we had built a comfortable relationship with them.

Brandon: Isn’t Signe good with a camera?

I felt my heart stutter in my chest.

Signe had taken a couple of pictures at company parties and events in the past. She would just take her phone out and start snapping pictures of decorations and buffets and employees laughing and send them over to our marketing department for them to use.

They haven’t used all of the images she’s sent over, but they have used quite a bit for the company’s social media account.

Me: If the camera is attached to a phone, I believe so.

Based on what I saw on her social media account, she had a very good eye for aesthetically pleasing shots. How that would translate to the Tennessee landscape and tractors, I wasn’t sure.

Brandon: She can tag along since she’ll book the flights and hotel anyway.

I didn’t realize Nikhil was expected to go too, so I sent him a message to see.

While I waited for his response, I laid my head against my headboard and tried to calm myself, instead of getting too nervous about the idea of flying in a plane for four hours with Signe. Even with a third wheel there, what would we talk about? Would flying freak her out? Would she take her shoes and socks off as soon as she sat down? Would she clutch her seat as soon as there was a hint of turbulence, like me?

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