Chapter 197
Summer tapped on the Messenger app with a mixture of anticipation and dread. Her screen lit up with a barrage of congratulatory messages that should’ve warmed her heart, but today, they felt like just another reminder of the facade she had to maintain.
Craig: [Congrats, Summer! National finals? You’re not just a Parkside High School Prodigy Class student. You’re a star.]
Allison: [Hats off to Queen Summer for making it through to the next round.]
Jenny: [I’ve got champagne on ice. Let’s celebrate your victory tonight.]
Lily: [I’ll swing by and pick you up.]
As she scrolled through the well–wishes, Summer’s grip on her phone tightened. Inhaling. deeply, she began replying to each message, her fingers dancing over the touchscreen with practiced ease. No matter what, she had to keep up her image at the company.
After responding to her squad sisters, she finally shot a message back to her manager Craig.
Summer’s manager had always had high hopes for her. As soon as her competition results. were out, he’d been on the ball, lining up PR moves to hype her up online.
[Craig): Oh, and post a Tweet later with a screenshot of your national competition ranking. I’ve got the PR accounts ready to give you a boost.
Summer got the drift immediately and shot back a quick ‘OK.‘
[Craig]: I’m in talks with a reality show director about a spot on ‘Country Comfort.‘ It’s
broadcast live. If you get on it, your popularity could skyrocket.
Summer’s eyes widened, a flicker of excitement betraying her cool exterior. [The one produced by Walker?]
[Craig]: How’d you know? It’s still in the planning stages. Even I only heard about it because I know someone who knows Walker.
With fingers flying, Summer replied, [My brother mentioned it to me.]
[Craig]: The one who sings?
[Summer]: Yeah.
Craig stroked his chin thoughtfully. If her brother was in the music scene, that could explain it. [Well, if I can’t snag this opportunity for you, see if your bro can get you on the show.]
Walker was a titan in the reality show world, a Midas touch for talent, and a notorious perfectionist. Craig knew about Walker’s new project but didn’t have much hope of swaying the producer to pick Summer. So, he had been leveraging her competition success to solidify her public persona, hoping to increase her chances with a little heat and popularity.
Chapter 197
Meanwhile, Summer’s thoughts turned to Leo, and her expression clouded with complexity. Leo was notoriously aloof, even to his closest friends, and they weren’t exactly tight–especially since she had managed to rub him the wrong way in the past.
ountry Comfort‘ was bound to be a hit, and Summer knew she had to be a part of it, no matter
what.
Quickly, she messaged Craig back with a decisive. (I understand.)
After ending the chat, Summer felt a sense of calm washing over her. She glanced at her competition scores on her phone, and a self–deprecating smile curled her lips. It was just a small contest, yet it had her all worked up. She really shouldn’t be so easily flustered.
