Chapter 11
eleven
The next morning, we got straight to work on the next video. I’d wanted to try one of the less extreme options, but Ava reminded me that we had to keep the interest of the audience. So, it was time to draw a challenge from the bucket hat Seth had donated for the cause. My brother had insisted it was his lucky hat and tried to convince me that using it would ensure my safety and survival. Though his heart was in the right place, it didn’t do much to give me any more confidence.
We’d set up the tripod and camera Liam insisted we use to capture the moment of the challenge reveal and did a quick run-through of how it would go. He’d opted out of spending the morning at Savie’s office to partake in such a boring endeavor, and I wasn’t mad about it. Tripp was growing on me, but I couldn’t say the same about Liam. His snarky comments and obvious annoyance with me hadn’t won me over. But he had sent an email congratulating us on a mostly successful launch. Their website traffic had a 55% increase in the first twenty-four hours after the video was posted, but the app downloads weren’t anywhere near our target. I tried not to focus on the negative results with the app, it was still early, but I was disappointed. I didn’t want to talk about the millions of people who’d seen the video. I’d wisely avoided the comment section. Ava had strict instructions not to mention anything she read.
“You only put the ones we discussed in here, right?” I asked as she handed me the hat. “No online dating or anything insane like that, right?”
“Sadie Genevieve Barnes, you just might be the only person who thinks dating is more insane than skydiving.”
“I didn’t say it was more insane or extreme than skydiving. I just want to make sure you didn’t slip anything in here that isn’t on the Take the Leap menu.”
“Like make out with Tripp?”
My heart did a tiny somersault at the mention of Tripp’s lips anywhere near mine. I blinked away the mental image that was already forming, but not before it was seared into my brain. “Well, that is oddly specific, but yes, exactly.”
Ava smirked. “I think you’re secretly wishing I did.”
“Nope. I am pretty sure those types of adventures are not offered by Tripp or Take the Leap. They aren’t an escort service.”
“I’m willing to bet that Tripp would be up for that challenge.”
“Shut up, Ava! Seriously, did you slip anything in here that you weren’t supposed to?”
Sighing, Ava shook her head. “No, I resisted the temptation to include anything in there that might actually improve your life.” She checked the camera one last time and had me move a few inches to the left. “Perfect. Ready?
I rolled my eyes, nodded, and stuck my hand inside the hat. I rifled through the slips of paper and tried to run my fingers over the writing to determine what was on each. While I didn’t want to agonize over each of the adventures, drawing one at random should totally count as one of the challenges. I didn’t do things at random. I needed lists and planning and charts and spreadsheets. I curled my fingers around one of the papers and pulled it out. I handed it to Ava.
“You don’t want to look first?” she asked.
“Nope. I already have no control, why not pass the responsibility of reading my fate to you as well?”
“Dramatic, but okay.” She glanced at the camera and grinned. It was clear she was enjoying this way more than I was. I resisted the temptation to chew on my thumbnail as I watched her unfold the paper. “All right, ladies and gentlemen, for our next amazing Take the Leap adventure, our dear Sadie will be …”
She paused and stared at the paper. She bit her lip and shot me a look that said, are you sure . When I shrugged, she took that for approval and cleared her throat. “A hot air balloon ride! This is so cool. I’ve always wanted to do one of those romantic hot air balloon rides at sunset.”
I rolled my eyes. “Then you go. I’ll wave from the ground.” Once the words left my lips, I wanted to take them back. The thought of Tripp in a romantic moment with anyone other than me sent a thrill of jealousy rushing through me.
“Ha! Like you’d be okay with me and Tripp canoodling in a tiny basket while you watched from below.” We both looked at the camera. She clamped her hand over her mouth. “I mean, these are your challenges, not mine.”
“Well, we’re editing that before you send it over.” I reached over and hit the stop button. “Dude!”
She cringed. “Oops. Sorry, but can we finally admit that you like him and want to kiss his perfectly scruffy face?”
“No. Never.” I denied it, but we both knew that was a lie. Even though I didn’t date much, I got crushes more often than I cared to admit. Window shopping was safe. No commitment. No one to break your heart when they find someone better to drape their dress over.
“Liar. Not that it matters, because you totally don’t like him, but the buzz around the Take the Leap office is that he’s crushing on you. Hard.”
“Really?” I asked with far more enthusiasm than I’d meant. “Why?”
She cocked an eyebrow and smirked. “Again, not that it matters. Right?”
“Right.” It definitely didn’t matter. The butterflies I felt around him would eventually die off. He’d find someone to share his crazy lifestyle with, and I’d go back to pining over fictional characters and Chris Evans.
“Do you want to tell Tripp, or do you want me to send him an email?”
“Tell me about what?” a deep and way too familiar voice asked from the lobby of our office.
Crap. How long had he been standing there? Did he hear the entire exchange between Ava and me? I kind of wished I could crawl under my desk and pretend the last thirty seconds had never happened.
When I turned around, I must have looked like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming freight train.
Tripp smiled and said, “Sorry, I wasn’t sure if the protocol was to knock or just come in.”
“No, no, all good,” Ava said quickly. “Liam mentioned you might stop by to talk through the next steps. I forgot to mention it to Sadie.”
“Yes, you did,” I said through gritted teeth. Could he see the crimson flooding my cheeks? I tried, and failed, to shake off my mortification. In order to save whatever dignity, I had left, I changed the subject. “Ava and I just drew the next challenge.”
“So, what’s next, Sadie?”
“Um,” I said, stuttering, “hot air balloon ride. But we didn’t clarify that one. Will we be tethered to the ground and just going up? Or are we traipsing around the world?”
“That’s up to you,” he said with a wink.
“Tethered.” I didn’t hesitate. After the last challenge, I’d like to at least keep some particle of myself attached to the earth. I’d expected everything after bungee jumping to feel less scary, but I’d been wrong. Imagining myself in a floppy basket while hanging from a balloon made me lightheaded. A hot air balloon ride sounds relaxing and fun, unless you’ve already pictured yourself plummeting to the earth without a bungee cord to keep you at least somewhat safe.
“That sounds like a plan. Let me send Liam a quick text so he can work on getting that scheduled.”
“While you’re here, do you want an office tour?”
He glanced around the open area and nodded. “That would be great.”
I led him through the living room and into the conference room while Ava told him all about the process we’d taken to transform the two-level home into an office and residential area. He oohed and aahed at all the right places and asked polite questions about the decor.
I trailed behind them, trying not to watch him walk. How had I missed how well he wore his jeans? That’s something I should’ve noticed sooner, considering how much taller than me he was. I had a direct line of sight to his perfect posterior. As my thoughts wandered into the inappropriate, I chased them back to reality.
“In addition to being the creative force behind Savie, Sadie also designed this entire space. She picked out all the art and the colors,” Ava said, beaming.
“It’s a fantastic space,” Tripp said as he stopped to admire the abstract painting of the Nashville skyline I’d purchased from a local artist. “I can definitely see your personality in these paintings. The vibrant colors and mixed mediums.”
“I tried to find a good blend of both Ava and me. She’s a fan of the more modern and industrial style, where I prefer what I call the Midwest Granny aesthetic. Florals, pops of color, and a hint of classic. It wasn’t easy, but I love how it turned out.”
I led us into Ava’s office to show him the deep grey walls and photography I’d selected for her. Most people were surprised to learn that Ava, the bright bubble one, leaned into darker colors and preferred a more muted pallet. No one expected me to have the office with the bright pink walls and vibrant Rifle Paper floral rug and curtains I’d had made to match, but I loved the hint of happiness the colors brought to my office. It was a nice contrast to the darkness that usually occupied my brain.
“So, what was it that you wanted to go over?” I asked as we made our way back into the living room. Our office wasn’t big enough for a long tour, and I wasn’t about to offer him a tour of my bedroom.Client tours never ventured up the stairs.
“Well, I was actually thinking we could knock out one of the smaller adventures today. Give you a bit of a break from being pushed out of your comfort zone.”
“And off of bridges?”
“Technically, you jumped,” Ava added helpfully.
“Sure, I did. Anyway, what did you have in mind?”
“It’s a nice day out. How do you feel about hiking or nature walks?”
“Are there snakes? Or bears? Or cliffs?”
“Probably.”
“Then, not great.”
He laughed. “I know a few trails that are pretty tame. They’re even paved.”
“Who’s filming?” I asked. The thought of Liam tagging along and laughing every time I jumped because I heard leaves crunching in the woods made me want to throw up. But I wasn’t too keen on the idea of being alone in the woods with Tripp. Especially if he planned to wear those jeans. But at the same time, I could most definitely imagine spending the entire day enjoying the view.
“Just us.” He pulled the two head cameras we’d worn for the bungee jump from his bag. “Liam said between these and any footage we get on our phones should be good.”
“Let me guess, he’s bored by lame hikes?”
Tripp winced. At least I wasn’t alone in noticing just how miserable all of this seemed to make his young marketing director. “That and he’s stuck at the office working with the social media team to develop a response plan for the comments and feedback.”
I winced. I hoped with every fiber of my being that Liam hadn’t been right about the shift in branding. “That bad?”
“Yes and no,” he said, sighing. “We knew to expect some negative feedback, but the comments seem to be more critical than even Liam expected.”
I glanced at Ava and frowned. We’d just gotten word that our one other client was moving on to a bigger agency, meaning Take the Leap was our last client. This wasn’t good.
“I read some of the social commentary,” Ava said, “and, while I agree, it did lean more negative, there were some positives. Your female audience is pretty significant, and they all seem to relate to Sadie.”
“It’s the male audience that’s been particularly brutal.” Tripp scowled as he said this. “But it’s just the first video, and I know the point is to draw in a new audience, which will take time to build.”
“Agreed,” I said, surprised at my optimism. I really did believe in this campaign and knew Tripp did too, despite Liam’s objections.
Ava said. “Sadie and I planned to spend the day gearing up for the next video and phase of the plan, but I’ve got that under control if you want to go change and get ready. Besides, it will be good to get ahead of the content.”
“Are you sure?” My question was genuine. I didn’t want to leave her to do all the boring work while I was out galivanting through the woods or whatever with Tripp.
“Yes, go. We both know you’d just spend the day looking up hot air balloon crashes.”
Laughing, Tripp asked, “Yes, let’s get away from the internet today. Go put on something comfortable. I promise not to take you anywhere too scary. After all, the goal is to try something less intense.”
But it wasn’t the snakes or bears of cliffs that had me scared. It was being alone with him.