Follow Me Darkly (Follow Me #1) - Helen Hardt Page 0,72

but also a work of art. I’ll use this to my advantage, as Braden suggested. It’s a chance for me to put my talent as a photographer out in the world.

If only I had a photography studio where I could manipulate the lighting.

Of course, studio shots can sometimes look sterile.

A photo in my apartment would be more personal, but again, I have a lighting issue.

This requires some thought.

I go to my bathroom and touch up my hair and makeup until I’m satisfied. Not bad. Not bad at all.

My contract is for three posts featuring the Cherry Russet lip stain. What do I love most about it? It’s dark enough for a dramatic effect at night but neutral enough for everyday wear.

Casual, formal, and dramatic—perfect.

I’ll begin with casual. I look good, so I leave the apartment and walk outside. It’s not the greatest day for an outside shoot, so I walk a couple of blocks to Bean There Done That. I peruse the setting. Lighting is good, especially if I can get a table where the sunlight shines in opposite. I quickly order a cinnamon mocha latte and find a table that works.

I don’t have an assistant to hold the phone for my “selfie.” This is all on me. Good thing I have a lot of experience taking influencer photos.

I take about ten selfies—smiling, serious, even feigning laughter in one.

And that’s the one I choose.

It’s spontaneous and lively. Perfect for my casual theme. I do a few quick edits until I look as good as I’m going to.

Now for the copy. I almost always wrote Addie’s copy unless the client writes it. I understand Addie’s voice.

I’m not Addie, and I don’t want to be.

I must find my own voice, and my own voice will be authentic, not fake.

What to say?

How do I feel about the lip stain?

I love it. It’s my go-to. And that’s all I need.

Love my Susanne Cherry Russet lip stain. It’s my go-to for every occasion. Perfect for a casual afternoon! @susannecosmetics #sponsored #lips #lipgloss #kissproof #kissablelips #youknowyouwantsome

Hmm. Five hashtags is a little much. I delete #kissablelips. I add Bean There Done That for my location. Perhaps they’ll see the post and want me to do one for them. I actually like coffee.

My heart races as my finger hovers above the Share button.

I analyze the post once more. Perfect photo? Check. Decent copy? Check. A nice mixture of marketing and fun hashtags? Check.

I swallow, gathering my courage.

And I hit Share.

Within a minute, comments appear.

Gorgeous on you! #orderingnow

Love the color!

You look so happy!

Totally getting this for my wife.

More and more of the same. Emojis, too.

Until—

@realaddisonames #fuckyou

Chapter Forty-Eight

Delete.

Easy enough.

Until—

@realaddisonames #youllneverbeme

I’m tempted to leave that one and let my followers see who Addison truly is, but I delete it as well.

I wait for her next move.

Nothing. At least for now. If it continues, I’ll simply block her, though I hope it doesn’t come to that. She said herself that I’m the competition now, and it’s always a good idea to keep an eye on the competition.

Then a comment that takes my breath away.

@bradenblackinc You’re gorgeous. See you tonight.

My face splits into a wide grin. We didn’t make any plans for tonight, so I assume he’ll call me with the details. I continue reading comments as quickly as they appear while I finish my latte. I’m so into the comments that I jerk when my phone dings with a text. It’s from Eugenie.

Perfect! Love the post. I want to see another tomorrow and the last one over the weekend.

I text her back.

So glad it works for you. Will do.

My next post is formal.

Hmm. Would Eugenie be willing to wait until the weekend when I’m at the opera gala with Braden?

I hastily text her back, and she agrees.

Good.

I have the perfect idea in mind for dramatic as well. I’ll pose by Braden’s window looking out over the moonlit harbor. That means I’ll need to be at his place over the weekend. Since we’re going to the gala, we’ll most likely end the evening at his place. No problem.

I check my watch. Maybe Tessa can meet for a drink and I can tell her all my news. Hmm, still about an hour before she gets off work. I know the perfect way to kill some time. I fire up the laptop and do some searches.

“Addison Ames” “Braden Black”

Lots of hits, but all recent and all articles where they’re both mentioned but not together. I skim through several, but I’m looking for what happened eleven