Daisy motioned her closer and people parted to let her in. She made eye contact and smiled at Teri, who had been listening in and Daisy didn’t even know it. Her nerves ratcheted back up and she was thankful for that extra layer of deodorant this morning.
Felicity tripped into the circle. “Thanks! Okay, so I just got a message that one of our panelists is a no-show.”
The people within hearing distance gasped. Once again, Daisy was grateful for Quinton. If he hadn’t taken Jason, EveryDayGlam! would be the one getting the dirty looks.
Felicity pushed her glasses up. “Would you mind filling in?”
Daisy worked not to glance at Teri, wondering what she thought about the presentation. “What’s the topic?”
“It’s super easy. It’s a Q&A. Any question is game.”
Daisy was scheduled for two other panels this weekend. Other than that, she had hours in the signing room. And being on another panel was a great way to market herself. “Sure. I’d be happy to help.”
Felicity bounced on the balls of her feet. “Thank you so, so much!” She flipped around. “Okay, everyone, Daisy will be in the Aspen room in five minutes. Please let us through.”
There was a collective groan before people began to move.
“She will be at the signing desk later this afternoon.” Felicity took Daisy’s hand. Someone grabbed Daisy’s other hand, and she turned to find Mom toting the laptop bag and grinning with pride. Daisy squeezed her fingers, thankful for her support. She really was the world’s greatest mother.
With Felicity leading the way like an Amazon warrior princess, it didn’t take long before Daisy was at the bottom of three steps that led to a platform. There were five chairs set up, four of them full. On the far end sat Brittany. She looked tiny compared to Ledger Price, who did videos about surviving in the forest with just a pocket knife and a few pine cones. Daisy’s stomach sank. Thankfully Brittany hadn’t seen her yet.
Felicity cupped her hand around her earpiece and stepped to the side. “I’ve got her here. Yeah, give us a few minutes.”
Daisy smoothed her sticky palms down her hips. She could ignore Brittany’s online comments and the way she bashed Daisy’s station time and again—for the most part. It was easy to let water roll off your back if you weren’t standing in the rain. But being face-to-face with Brittany always left Daisy sick to her stomach. Brittany wasn’t any less mean or confrontational in person, and her abrasive personality created awkward silences. Since Daisy worked to not engage with the toxic woman, she often left looking like she’d been run over—even though she chose to stay on the side of the road and let Brittany run herself into the ground.
Mom nudged her up the steps.
“I can’t,” Daisy hissed. “Brittany’s up there.”
Mom moved so she could see around Daisy. She squinted. “That’s her, all right.”
Daisy placed herself in Mom’s line of vision for fear that she’d melt Brittany right there with her death stare and throw the first stone.
“This is a good opportunity for you to practice what you preach. Show your viewers what it means to let your beauty shine through. They’ll notice the difference between you two and they’ll see the light you spread into the world.”
Daisy cringed. “Why do you have to go all ‘Mommy is right on me’ right now?”
Mom laughed. She had a good laugh, deep and throaty. When she was little, Daisy tried to imitate the sound when she laughed, but Quinton told her she sounded like Santa Claus, so she gave it up.
Mom hugged her tight. “You can do this.”
Daisy nodded, her chin bouncing against Mom’s shoulder. “Okay. I’m going.”
The first step was the easiest. Each additional one that took her closer to the empty chair on the end, and therefore closer to Brittany, grew in difficulty. She tucked her hair behind her ear. She’d worn it down in big curls today, and after seeing Brittany’s tumbled braid, she was glad.
A stagehand gave them each a mic and had them say “test” into it once. Right behind him came the moderator, who introduced himself and shook their hands. He faced the crowd and called the room to attention, explaining that anyone with a question should line up behind one of the mics. They’d go for an hour and then he’d call time.
People scrambled for a line, making Daisy smile.
“Hi. My question is for Daisy. How did you and Beck meet?” The girl flipped her hair over shoulder. She couldn’t have been more than fifteen.
Daisy lifted her mic, careful to keep her voice low enough not to cause feedback. “Beck is my brother’s best friend. I’ve known him since we were children.”
“Next question,” prompted the moderator.
“Hi, I’m Kierra, and my question is also for Daisy. Now that Beck’s makeover is done—” The rest of her question was drown out by catcalls, whistles, and applause.
Daisy grinned. “I’m glad you’re all happy with the results.”
The moderator motioned for them to simmer down and for the woman to repeat her question.
“Are you planning to make him a permanent part of your channel?”
Daisy tipped her head, considering. “I’m not opposed to having him on there more, but he has a job and will probably leave the country soon.” Boos and groans filled the room. “I know. I wish he would stay too.”
Her gaze darted to her mom, standing at the bottom of the stairs. Her eyebrows lowered. Daisy hoped the next question was about restoring an antique flamethrower—heck, she’d take a question for Brittany to get the spotlight off this topic.
“Daisy,” the woman at the far right mic addressed her. “It looks like there’s something going on between you and Beck off camera. Can you confirm this for your fans?”
The whole room took in a breath, hovering on the edge of the question, waiting to fall into joy or misery based on her answer. This wasn’t exactly how she wanted her parents to find out about her new boyfriend, but she couldn’t lie to a room full of people. She hated lying to one person. This simply had to be done. She faced her mom and lifted the mic. “Yes, Beck and I have been seeing each other.”
The crowd screamed and cheered. Her mom? Not so much. She folded her arms and gave Daisy a we’ll talk about this later look.
Okay, so not telling her mom was a bad thing. Telling her in front of a room full of people was worse. But dating Beckett was not a bad thing. He was good and gentle and happy and being with him was as natural as breathing. Mom would just have to understand all that.
“Hi, my question is for all of you. What would you say is the key to your success?”
Brittany had her mic to her lips before the woman finished her question. “I think being authentic on camera is the key. Nobody is perfect. No one is nice all the time.” She looked pointedly at Daisy. A few snickers came from the crowd.
Daisy’s muscles tightened in a weird fight-or-flight response to Brittany’s answer. It was weird, because there was no reason to run away and she certainly wasn’t going to fight Brittany on or off stage. Especially not with Teri in the audience. She doubted KPaka would want to partner with a woman involved in a catfight. There were dozens of phones up, recording every moment of this event. Of all people, Daisy knew how quickly a video could go viral.
Staying true to her don’t engage a dragon philosophy, Daisy smiled sweetly and shrugged her shoulders. It was the best noncommittal move she had. There was no sense jumping in to defend herself—her actions spoke louder than her words ever would.
The next person in line stepped to the mic. “Daisy, what message do you want viewers to take away from watching your channel?”
This was an easy answer. “To be their best self and let their beauty shine through. Like Brittany said, no one is perfect, but if we’re trying our best in life, then we are beautiful. It’s a standard my mom instilled in me at a young age.” She smiled at her mom, hoping to win a few points back after not telling her about Beckett. Mom’s small smile said she’d succeeded.
<
br /> “So you want every young girl to look just like you?”
Daisy whipped her head back to the woman at the mic and her accusatory tone. She hadn’t moved like she was supposed to after asking her question and stood with folded arms, tapping her foot. Upon closer inspection, Daisy could see the 45-degree swoop to her brown eyeliner. A swoop Brittany swore took five years off a woman’s face.
While Daisy could ignore or dodge Brittany’s attacks, not answering this question was not an option. She lifted the mic. “Not at all. I want each girl, each woman, to find her inner beauty. I want to inspire them to stand out because of their individual light and talents.”
“I disagree,” said Brittany.
Of course you do. Daisy just managed to keep her smile in place.
“My mother used to say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.” She pulled her braid over her shoulder like a queen draping herself with a cape. “I’m not handing out my beauty secrets so women can pick and choose which ones they think will work best. They watch my channel because I have the training and the knowledge to back up what I say. My tips work for everyone.”
Daisy almost swallowed her tongue in her efforts not to break apart everything Brittany just said.
First of all, she acted like her mom came up with the phrase “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.” That saying has been around for centuries.
Second, Daisy had just as much training—if not more—than Brittany.
Third, Brittany’s tips didn’t work for everyone. If Daisy used half the pinks and corals Brittany did, she’d look like a yam.
She worked to keep her face neutral as she turned back to face the crowd. As her eyes scanned those seated, she found Teri. It was almost easy, because she was one of the few women who weren’t wearing makeup. Daisy expected to see her frowning or at least impassive at what Brittany had to say. Instead, she was nodding.
Nodding along with Brittany.
That was just not right.
Daisy had sort of an out-of-her-own-head moment. She could see the people on stage and the crowd, but things were clearer, slower, giving her time before the next question to change her answer or add to it. She recounted her words, looking for a place to edit. Like she could splice in a new sentence or two. No, she’d said what she believed and would let it stand.
Time sped back up and the next question was asked, this one for the cookie guru in the middle.
Daisy crossed her ankles and angled her knees. She’d done and said the right thing, but something felt very wrong—like a paradigm shift in the universe. She didn’t like the feeling, because it also came with a sense that she’d lost.
It was because she’d had to deal with Brittany. That must be it. Daisy turned her attention back to the panel and learned all about why she shouldn’t grease a cookie sheet if she wanted thick cookies.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Beckett awoke to his phone played “You’re a Mean One” from The Grinch. Better to take the call when he was half asleep than when he was fully able to be annoyed. “Morning, Dad.”
His dad squinted at the screen. “Are you still in bed?”
Why, oh why did his parents have to be tech savvy? He’d give anything for a stubborn old man who insisted on posting letters that Beckett could toss without reading. “Yeah, Dad.” He checked the time. “It’s seven thirty here.”
“You should be up and going. Attack the day.”
Since all he had planned was answering the list of questions Vivian sent him for their post-makeover segment and taking the orphaned puppy for a walk, he didn’t feel like attacking anything. “Did you need something?” He ran his hand through his short hair and down his beard. It was time to buzz it. After several days, he found that he liked the shorter beard. There was something refined and dignified about it.
“Your mother wanted to talk to you.” The screen flashed to the ceiling and then the back wall, where it stayed.
Beckett closed his eyes to keep from getting motion sick. “Then why didn’t she call me?”
“Because you don’t answer my calls,” his mother said, coming onto the screen.
Because all you do is complain about Dad. Not that he could blame her. Unless you did something Doug’s way, you weren’t doing it right.
“You look respectable.”
“Thanks,” he deadpanned.
“But I must say that your recent activities have cast a dark shadow on the family.”
By family, she meant the two of them. “I can’t imagine how.”
“This whole makeover was ridiculous.”
“You just said I look good.”
“But did you have to lower yourself by being on that silly makeup channel?”
“Lower myself?” Beckett kicked his legs free of the blanket and sat up. “Mom, Daisy’s channel is amazingly successful.”
“It’s amateur at best.”
“No, it’s lucrative and she’s accepted as a leader in her field. She’d done more for FreeWater than all our other fundraisers combined.” His parents contributed yearly to the foundation—bragging up their son’s commitment to bettering the world and taking a nice tax break too. He meant to dig at what they’d done—meant to let them know Daisy was the better person. He could tell because when he talked to his parents, he was often angry and always felt like his hands were dirty. When he was with Daisy, he was lighter, lifted up by her natural grace and the way she saw the best in people—even him.
Mom cleared her throat. “I called to warn you not to fall into her shallow world.”
Beckett scoffed. He’d had enough. “You are such an elitist.” And he hated that he could see himself in his mom. Hadn’t he thought the same thing when he first arrived? Hadn’t he brushed off Daisy’s channel as makeup and hair and no substance?
“Us? Ha! We are real and we deal with real issues—not finding the best fit in a polo shirt.”
“Mom, Daisy’s not like that. I mean, she talks about those things, but that’s her job. It’s not who she is at her core. Did you even watch the whole episode where she talked about feeling confident in a job interview and asking for what you’re really worth out of life?”
“Corporate drivel.”
Beckett’s hands shook, he was so angry. This is why he never went home—why he left home in the first place.
“Beckett, dear, putting yourself on the internet cheapens you and what you really stand for. You’re meant for more than this little life Daisy leads. Don’t let her trap you in that town. Beauty always fades.”
“Thanks for the advice, Mom. I gotta go attack the day.” He said a quick goodbye and hung up the phone.
In the silence, the walls began to close in on him. He needed to get out of the house, needed fresh air. He never did well being cooped up inside—always running and playing as a kid. Even as an adult, he preferred jungles to an urban jungle.
In a flash, he was on the front porch, taking deep breaths of cool morning air. He could use a big dose of Daisy, but she was off at the conference again. Those things were crazy busy. She hadn’t gotten home, contented but tired, until midnight last night.
Tonight was the big dinner with her parents. He turned back to the house, determined to put things in order. He could also walk to the grocery store and pick up ingredients. He’d call Quinton and find out what they needed.
With every small task he completed, a bit of the wanderlust the conversation with his mom inspired faded away.
But in the back of his head, his mom’s words loitered like uninvited guests. “Don’t let her trap you.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
EveryDayGlam! Beauty Tip
Have you ever had someone tell you that you look tired? Usually, that means that your skin looks tired. It may sag around your eyes or your mouth may turn down. To refresh your skin and your face, gently massage your face with an ice cube. Yes, an ice cube! The cold temperatures will tighten your skin and close your pores.
Daisy flitted ar
ound the kitchen, waiting for her mom to bring up her reservations over Beckett’s ability to be a decent boyfriend. She had pre-planned an answer for every argument she could imagine Mom might have.
Mom hadn’t brought up Daisy’s confession bomb after the panel—probably out of mercy. Daisy fielded more questions about Beck and about her and Beck, a few about her channel, and some about makeup tips. Brittany hadn’t let up her snide attacks against Daisy or her channel. By the time they signaled the end of questions, Daisy’s emotions needed first aid. She hated that Brittany could get under her skin—hated that she gave her the power to do so because it made her feel weak.
Thankfully all that was behind them for a whole year. Tonight was about celebrating their successes.
Beckett and Dad were outside at the grill. She couldn’t hear what they were talking about, but they seemed to get along okay. No doubt Mom had filled Dad in on the situation so at any moment he could go off too. Which made it even harder for Daisy to concentrate on making hummus—which wasn’t all that hard at all.
Vivian and Jason arrived with Jell-O salad and a package of store-bought brownies.
“Oh, Vivian! Mint fudge brownies are Quinton’s favorite,” Mom gushed.
“I didn’t know.” Vivian practically tripped over her own words. Her broad cheekbones turned a beautiful shade of pink.
Daisy hated watching two people who wanted to be together stay apart. There had to be a way to help them get over this hurdle—or as Beckett would say, walk around it.
The sliding back door opened, bringing in the smell of charred meat and roasted hot dogs. The men brought in two platters of freshly cooked food. Dad stopped to kiss Mom on the cheek. Beckett winked her direction and Quinton offered a small wave to Vivian. Jason threw himself into Quinton’s side and grinned up at him.
“Hey, how’s my new vet tech?” Quin asked.
Jason swiped at his nose. “Good.”
Dad pulled the chair out next to him and motioned for Jason to take a seat. Everyone else found a place around the table and Dad offered grace.
EveryDayLove!: A MyHeartChannel Romance Page 13
