Chapter 18
Wednesday
Idon’t know whether it’s the time zone, my lack of sleep, or a combination of both, but every cell in my body is resisting the effects of this Silent Night, Shaky Morning iced blended coffee drink that Chloe insisted I try to help wake me up.
My eyelids are so heavy that I’m considering grabbing the black tape off the camera stand in the studio and using it to stick them to my eyebrows. Even my lungs can’t seem to get enough air from the yawns I try to stifle. Everyone else seems to look fresh-faced, including Alexander.
He’s clean-shaven again, revealing the scar on his jaw and the dimple in his cheek, glowing under the TV studio lights. The scratch on his right cheek, a result of an overzealous fan clawing at him when we arrived in Times Square, is barely visible on the monitor.
God, I need an Erica in my life.
I get why Alexander wanted to shave his beard off.
He’s shedding the look that holds so many negative memories and connotations for him.
But seeing him there on the screen, freshly shaved, waiting through the commercial break for the second half of the interview, brings back the same swirling nausea in my stomach that I had during the TV interview where he denied the truth about the leaked video of us kissing in June.
It's a different studio. There’s a different setup. He’s in a different outfit.
My mind tries to overrule my body, to settle my stomach, but the fact that Connie and Paul are standing alongside me, next to Caryn and Chloe, does little to quell my desire to run back to the hotel and bury myself under the covers.
Alexander’s gaze drifts past the camera toward me, just before the show returns from break. The dimple in his cheek deepens as the smile across his face widens. It’s the same smile he wore when we agreed to take things slow.
He’s right. We can’t change the past, but we can write a new beginning.
“Damn, look at him,” Chloe says, pointing not at Alexander, but at the model we’d picked to serve the Brewed drinks to the host and Alexander.
He’s a striking Colombian guy, with green eyes, olive skin, and a buzz cut.
The black T-shirt he wears, emblazoned with the Brewed logo and one of their taglines, One cup away from tolerating humanity, highlights his bulging biceps as he passes Alexander one of the Coal Brews.
I smile at Chloe and cock an eyebrow.
“And we’ve been told you’ll be releasing a physical version of your cover It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year exclusively in Brewed stores from December 1 and online via your website today.” The host reaches for a mock-up sleeve of the seven-inch vinyl.
Alexander attempts to fake sip from the cup, but the right sleeve of his camel-colored aviator jacket gets caught on the chair, almost sending his drink flying from his hand.
“I’m so excited, I can’t even hold my drink straight,” he laughs and readjusts himself.
“But on a serious note, I’m really excited about this because all the profit from these records will be going to support the amazing work that RAINN does.
So please, if you can,” Alexander turns and looks directly into the camera, “preorder a signed copy from my website today, or get one in store on December 1.”
In the blink of an eye, the segment is over. Paul and Connie look pleased as someone from the TV crew removes the mic pack from Alexander’s jeans pocket and the mic from his jacket. He quickly takes a photo with the crew and their Brewed cups before leaving the set.
“Everyone happy?” Alexander rubs his hands together as he steps over the camera cables.
The hordes of girls outside bang up against the window, a bunch of cardboard signs held in their hands. We Love You Alexander. Morganites Forever. Alexander quickly waves at them before turning back to Connie.
“It’s like you’ve picked up right from where you left off.” She pats him on the back.
“Alex, you remember Chloe and Caryn.” I reintroduce them to him.
“Thanks for everything you’ve done so far. I’m looking forward to spending some time with you this week,” Chloe says, before dissolving into a puddle of water when Alexander goes to hug her.
“I’m so sorry.” She blushes as she notices her makeup on his jacket.
Caryn rolls her eyes at the whole ordeal, which makes me smirk, and briefly exchanges pleasantries with Alexander before putting her leather gloves back on.
“Can I get a photo please?” the model in the Brewed top asks Alexander while passing me his phone.
“Sure.” Alexander nods and puts his arm around him.
Alexander’s head barely comes up to the model’s shoulder. The model’s hand slides down toward Alexander’s ass as I go to take a photo. Rob leans in and moves the model’s hand back up, but not quickly enough to stop the pang of jealousy from hitting me straight in the chest.
It seems everyone is fawning over or wants a piece of Alexander today.
I pass the phone back and walk off set toward the car. Alexander falls in beside me, while everyone else walks in front, and I fill him in on the next stop, where he’ll be the barista for the first activation event.
“Don’t think I didn’t see you getting jealous there,” Alexander whispers in my ear.
“I know. I wish he’d slid his hand over my ass,” I say, elbowing him in the ribs.
The plan had been to keep the various activation events at the Brewed stores across the US low-key, both for security reasons and to capture genuine shock on people’s faces when they were served by Alexander.
But one of the hosts on The View let slip that Alexander would be at the Brewed on Fifty-Ninth and Broadway at three this afternoon, and now, not even two hours later, we have the NYPD outside the store, managing the influx of people trying to get inside.
“This is great.” Caryn’s eyes light up as we pull up by the subway exit in the SUV behind Alexander’s car. “Make sure you capture all of this, as well as the content inside.” She taps her leather glove on Pedro’s leg.
The social media guy from Brewed barely looks old enough to be working at the company.
He wears a baggy white T-shirt sporting the Supreme clothing-line logo and blue stonewash jeans, seemingly all the rage with the Gen Z and Alpha generation at the moment, judging by the attire of the crowd outside the car window.
I open the car door and am instantly met by the piercing sound of screams, something I’ll never get used to. I follow Caryn, Chloe, and Pedro into the store, fighting my way through the crowd, which has overtaken the entire sidewalk and spills out into the street.
Once in the store, which looks eerily similar to how it looked when we shot the commercial here, the chaos subsides slightly.
But there are still two dozen people in line, their phones all held up and pointed toward Alexander, who’s kept his Ray Bans on.
His breathing is short and shallow. Lucy and Erica stand next to him, blocking everyone while they help him regulate his breathing.
I question for a second if we should be here or whether we should have gone with one of the other thirty locations in Manhattan instead, but then I recall what Alexander said to me on the flight here. I need to confront my past, not avoid it like I used to.
I step toward Alexander as Chloe comes over with the store manager, and I pray under my breath as she introduces the manager by name.
“Alexander, this is Marcelo, the store manager.”
Alexander straightens his back, removes his glasses, lets out a sigh, and shakes the guy’s hand.
“Nice to see you again, Marcelo. Thanks for letting us use your store again and sorry about the chaos outside. How are Ernesto and Paulina? Are they here again today?” He turns his head to scan the store.
“They’re at school today, but they’re great.”
Marcelo’s mouth is agape and even I’m impressed by Alexander’s ability to remember the store manager’s kids and their names. It’s a personal touch that warms my heart, sending my body temperature up and making me want to take off the jacket Alexander lent me.
“Where do you want me?” Alexander slides his arm over Chloe’s shoulder and walks toward the counter, where three young female baristas wait in line.
He’s already tinkering away at the coffee machine, being shown the ropes, by the time I get to the far end of the store. The social media influencer Jools Lebron waits on the couch patiently.
“Great to meet you.” Jools offers her hand when her assistant introduces us.
“The honor is all mine.” But instead of shaking her hand, I bend and kiss her ring.
“Look at you. Very mindful. Very demure.” She flicks her blond hair back over her shoulder, a braided plat falling down the right side onto the top of her high-cut black T-shirt.
I feel myself blushing and I’m instantly transported back to all the viral videos from 2024 that I had watched a thousand times.
Jools became the moment that year with her very mindful, very demure, very cutesy line.
Even Alexander had seemed excited when I ran through all the influencers we’d gotten for the activation events and saw Jool’s name.
It was something I’d never seen, given how famous he is.
“I hope you haven’t been kept waiting too long. Can we get you anything?” I offer.
“We’re good, thank you.” Jools reaches into her Louis Vuitton clutch, pulling out her lip gloss and applying it.
Before I know it, we’re all set up and ready to go, Jools in position at the counter while Alexander waits by the coffee machine to make Jools’ order.
“Welcome to Brewed, what can I get you?” the barista asks.
Pedro, Lucy, and Jools’ assistant are all on their iPhones, capturing the moment.
“Can I get the Hot Messpresso please?”
“Sure, anything else for you today?” The barista’s cheery disposition is almost as sickeningly sweet as the lemonade I had at lunch.
“No, thank you.” Jools reaches for her phone.
“That’ll be six ninety-five when you’re ready.”
Jools taps her phone on the card reader.