Chapter 37
37
Sybil
Emi adjusted the neckline on my dress. “You sure about this?” The studio lights illuminated the Good Morning, Des Moines host talking about an upcoming basketball tournament.
I shook my head and slid my hands down my hips. “Nope. Am I about to make a fool of myself?”
Emi took both my biceps in her hands. “This is good. I’m proud of you. Did you tell your family?”
I shook my head. “Not yet. Their allergies to social media have come in handy this week.” The breath I sucked in was slow, and my leg shook from nerves. Kieran and I had spent the second day at the cabin brainstorming what to do, and I’d contacted the authorities, though it was unlikely much would come from that, and he’d had the idea to use the media attention to my advantage. I looked at the set and the cameras—it didn’t look much different from when Kieran and I were together, but he wasn’t with me this time.
The PA leaned in close. “It will be a few minutes and then we’ll get you set.” She clipped the microphone to my dress and wrapped the cord around back. I held my fingers close to my palms to keep them still until Emi handed me my phone, which was illuminated with an incoming text.
Kieran: You’ll do great. I’m sorry I can’t be there.
He’d had to take Joe to a doctor’s appointment, and I started tapping out a reply.
Kieran: Don’t kiss anyone during this segment, though. That’s our thing.
I pulled Emi toward me and planted a kiss on her cheek as I snapped a selfie to send him.
Sybil: Too late.
Kieran: No fair but I’m glad she’s there with you. Granddad and I are watching in his doctor’s office lobby. Can’t wait to see you come on!
Emi rested her chin on my shoulder as the basketball segment wrapped up. “Your fake boyfriend is kind of sweet, isn’t he?”
“Yeah,” I said as a photo came through of him kissing Joe’s cheek. I pressed my palm over my mouth to stop the laugh, but my body relaxed as I pulled my hand away.
Kieran: Turnabout is fair play.
“He really is.” I pressed the heart button and zoomed in on the photo, looking closer at their faces side by side.
“Only you would randomly hook up with a guy, end up paying him to date you, and then have him actually be a really good guy with a fun family.” She tipped her temple to mine. “You really are lucky.”
The PA motioned for me to join the host on set, and Emi squeezed my arms again before taking her seat to watch.
Once the cameras were rolling, I thought I’d be nervous again, but it was like Kieran’s text had been a drug or something.
“You may remember our next guest. We first met her along with her boyfriend of Joe’s Donuts after they won the lottery. Today she’s here to talk about something much less sweet: scams. Welcome back, Sybil.”
“Thank you,” I said, trying to ignore the camera and focus on her.
“You recently shared that you’d made a large donation to an organization helping to support local shelters and food pantries.” I saw a screenshot of my post on the monitors and felt the blood rushing to my cheeks. “Tell us what happened.”
“Well, I wanted to use the money for good. I’ve had so many people in my life who help in the community—Kieran and his family, my mom and sister…” I pressed my hand on my knee to stop it from shaking. “And I wanted to, too. This organization approached me and it looked great—instead of helping one organization, I could help lots, and so I gave them the money.”
They’d sounded genuine on the phone and looked legit in person, and I didn’t figure it out until it was too late. “It turns out, they were scamming me.”
“That must have been difficult to learn.” Maria nodded, her expression sympathetic.
“It was,” I said. “I felt embarrassed about making such a big mistake and being tricked. I felt horrible that the local organizations that I thought I was helping wouldn’t get the money. And I still feel that way. I wanted to hide out and not talk about it.” I cut my gaze over the host’s shoulder to where Emi was standing. She gave me a thumbs-up with one hand and in the other held my phone with the picture of Kieran and Joe on it. The sight of it, and knowing he was watching, pushed me forward. “But, with some help, I realized hiding wouldn’t solve anything, and maybe this was a chance to help other people. It’s embarrassing to admit you’ve been tricked, but I hope this helps someone feel better about coming forward. I hope they won’t make the same mistakes I did.”
“According to the Federal Trade Commission, two point six million people reported fraud or being scammed just in the last two years. We’ve asked Allison Kent from the Iowa Fraud Council to join us and share tips to avoid being scammed.”
The camera switched to the brunette seated next to me, and I let out a breath as she shared five tips, things I wished I’d known sooner but definitely didn’t consider. I glanced again at Emi, who still held out the photo of Kieran and Joe. “And if you’re in doubt, please contact us,” Allison said as the information for the IFC showed on the screen.
The host turned back to me. “Sybil, we appreciate you telling your story. What will you do next?”
I’d come up with this idea while Kieran and I sat on the floor of the cabin, with takeout from a diner in the nearest town and a bottle of wine we picked up at a gas station between us. I’d rarely seen him so relaxed, and maybe that was a little the fire and the bad wine, but I had a sense maybe it was me, too. He’d told me he thought my idea was good and helped me work out the details. I gave the host a quick smile.
“I’m in a lucky position to have more money to donate. And I know not everyone has won the lottery, but every bit helps. I’m giving to the Pennsylvania Street Shelter, but here are five great organizations that could use your help and have a great track record for service to the community.” I remembered Kieran kissing me after he told me he liked the idea, not a kiss meant to lead to something, but a soft kiss in the firelight that I felt in my toes, a kiss I felt in my spine now as I sat straighter. “Please join me in supporting legitimate organizations that do so much for the people we love and the people we haven’t met yet.”
Emi was hopping up and down as I walked off the set a few minutes later. “You did great!” She wrapped me in a bear hug.
“Thanks,” I said, hugging her back until the PA stepped up to remove my microphone pack. Emi handed me my phone, and I had a bunch of messages.
Kieran: Granddad told everyone in the lobby that was his future granddaughter on TV. You did great. Perfect.
Marcus: Great job, Syb!
Deacon: Is Allison Kent single? I might be into older women. Also, you were awesome!
I beamed, sending emojis back to everyone and following the PA through the maze of hallways to the greenroom.
“How do you feel?” Emi asked as we stepped outside, pushing through the glass double doors. “Think it will make telling your mom easier?”
I nodded, but my phone buzzed in my hand, and I saw a text from her.
Mom: I’m so proud of you.
Unbidden, tears filled my eyes, and I stopped walking. “I guess she saw the segment,” I said, handing Emi the phone.
Mom: Please come home so I can hug you, and give you cookies, and make plans to annihilate those people who took advantage of my baby.
Mom: But mostly, I’m proud.
“She never watches TV during the day,” I said, and Emi shrugged. Even to my best friend, I couldn’t admit that I wasn’t sure of the last time my mom had been proud of me. “I wonder how she even knew to see this.”
Sybil: I was going to tell you about it tonight. I’m surprised you were watching in the middle of the day.
We strolled to Emi’s car. It was a used Honda CR-V with a bumper sticker we couldn’t get off that read “I’d Rather Be F _ _ _ ing” and a sketch of a fishing pole. “It did feel good to talk about the shelter, and I think the advice they gave was good. I think it was maybe not a horrible idea.”
“It was a good idea. Most of your ideas are good,” Emi said, walking to the driver’s side. “Give yourself more credit than ‘maybe not horrible.’?”
I’d heard that before, but on the heels of the interview, it was easier to believe. I paused again, climbing into the car, to see another message from my mom.
Mom: Kieran told me you were going to be on the show and sent me a link to watch it. I’m so glad he did.
My face warmed again, but it wasn’t embarrassment this time. And really, it wasn’t just my face, because he had to know what it would mean to have my mom say that to me in the wake of this happening.
“I have another idea,” I said, closing the door. “Something I want to do for Kieran. Tell me if you think I can pull it off.”