Manic Monday, Inc. by Melissa Storm

Author:Melissa Storm [Storm, Melissa]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kensington Books
Published: 2021-08-03T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 26

Nichole and Caleb made good progress before she needed to head over to the shelter to help Bridget man the pet photo event. They registered him on the NaNoWriMo website and added the details of his project. The organizers of the program suggest novelists attempt to complete 50,000 words by the end of the month. On the site, they showed how adding just 1,667 new words each day would help participants achieve that goal by month’s end. She and Caleb chose to increase his daily goal to an even 2,000 words since he believed his book would end up longer than the minimum. Even though he’d already written several chapters before enrolling in the online challenge, Caleb had estimated that he’d need another 60,000 at least to reach those famous last words.

The end.

“I’m going to make you proud,” he promised before saying goodbye. “You won’t regret helping me.”

She hoped he was right. It would feel so good if she coached him to success, but if he failed to reach his goal, it would be as if she’d failed herself. What had once seemed so simple, now felt like an enormous risk. How would she ever look him in the eye again if he gave up partway through?

“Don’t do it for me. Do it for yourself,” she said, and then he hugged her. The moment passed quickly, just a fast squeeze before he let go as if suddenly remembering himself.

Still, Nichole found herself smiling for the rest of that day.

* * *

“What are you so happy about?” Bridget teased as they changed out the photo backdrop for a Chihuahua wearing a devil costume—tiny pitchfork and all.

“What?” Nichole asked, keeping her eyes on the work in front of her rather than meeting her friend’s eyes. She’d been thinking about that hug with Caleb, how it had lit her from inside, how he’d confessed to having a crush on her.

Well, now, what was she supposed to do with that? Truth be told, she probably had a little crush herself. That didn’t mean anything had to come of it. No, they both had bigger things to do with their lives. Love would have to wait . . . if it were ever to happen at all.

Bridget clucked her tongue. “You don’t look like the Nichole we all know and love without your usual scowl.”

“Sorry to disappoint you,” she murmured as she secured the mural painted with flames against the homemade frame for their backdrops. Hazel had wanted to keep all the photo sets strictly rated G and at first refused to paint the hellscape Bridget requested of her. Funnily enough, it proved to be one of the most popular backdrops, especially for people who brought in their cats to pose.

“I like seeing you happy,” Bridget said with one eyebrow lifted. “This wouldn’t have anything to do with my brother, would it?”

She swallowed hard. The last thing she wanted was her friend’s scrutiny, but she was terrible at lying in response to a direct question.

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