I’ve already gathered that they’re a couple, but I don’t know much more. On our first meeting, we just exchanged names and numbers and brief “where are you froms.”
Salvatore is obviously curious because he asks, “When did you two start dating anyway?” He casually sets the open Fizz Life on my desk. My phone lets out a warning beep. Shit. It’s dying. I walk around the bed to find my charger.
“Over the summer.” Tess hooks an arm around her girlfriend.
“We met at orientation,” Sheetal adds, her English accent thick.
“And you said you’re from Liverpool.” Salvatore notes like he’s trying to remember our introductions from earlier this week.
“Is right.” Sheetal smiles.
Salvatore looks to Tess. “You’re from Georgia, the state not the country. And you…” He’s definitely looking at me—or at least trying to—but I’m on my knees, the bed blocking me as I plug in my phone. “…I can’t remember what you said.”
I’m not surprised. I am unmemorable, and I never told any of them my last name. I don’t think they’ve recognized me, so they could just not be into tabloids or celebrity gossip. It’s a checkmark in the yay I can still be just Willow category. A major plus.
I pop up from the floor. “I’m from the States. Specifically, Pennsylvania. But I grew up in Maine.”
Salvatore meets my eyes. “Yeah, that’s right.” He says it like he’s suddenly remembered, and I’m not sure how I feel about that. On one hand, I’d like to drift into the sea of forgotten people, but on the other hand, I do want friends in London. Or at least acquaintances. Really, I only need one acquaintance. I’m not picky.
Sheetal shuts the door. “Now that your memory is sufficiently jogged, Salvatore. Let’s get to work.”
We start brainstorming different products that we could advertise for the project. Everything from shampoo to laptops. An hour later, we’ve made a snack run and have narrowed it down to three options. Whatever we choose will determine exactly how we’re going to market it and what demographic we’ll be marketing to, so it’s the most important step.
Though, what’s concerning me has nothing to do with this project—Garrison still hasn’t texted or called me back. Not that I’ve been checking. Okay, I have checked. Once or twice. Maybe five times.
I send him another quick text: Call me when you get this. I’m worried about you.
Footsteps from students running down the hall cut into our silence, all of us flipping through various magazines to grab more inspiration.
Tess stares longingly at the door. “I can’t believe I’m doing this on a Friday night.” She sighs. “Please wake me up.”
Sheetal pinches her.
“Ouch…but thank you, babe,” Tess says.
Sheetal smiles and tosses a pretzel in her mouth. “A third-year fella said that this project is legendary for business students. Mostly ‘cause whichever student has the worst marketing plan ends up being a total whopper of the Fall semester.”
A whopper?
Off my confused face, Tess clarifies, “They look like giant idiots.”
Sheetal nods. “Last year, the worst in class created a toothpaste ad. Bright red paste for the holidays.”
“Oh no.” I grimace.
“It was a bloody disaster,” Sheetal says. “Pun intended.”
Salvatore crushes his Fizz Life can and stands up to throw it away. “Let’s just choose from the three we have, they’re not bad options.”
I look at my notebook, our current options scribbled down.
An umbrella
Waterproof sandals
Fizz
“Let’s eliminate Fizz,” Tess suddenly says. “If we choose it, Professor Flynn might dock points because of Willow’s connection to it.”
Wait… She knows?
“Yes, go ‘ed,” Sheetal agrees. She doesn’t seem surprised?
“Um…” I push my glasses up the bridge of my nose. “You all know who I am?”
Tess nods. “Your brother is Loren Hale, so that means your sister-in-law is Lily Calloway. Daughter of the CEO of Fizzle. It’s all on Wikipedia.” Damn Wikipedia.
“We also binged the We Are Calloway docuseries, like, a little towards the end of the summer,” Sheetal says. “But Tess said not to bring it up to you.”
Tess nods. “My mom is a director, and my dad is a location scout. As soon as anyone hears the films they made, I get asked a million questions. It’s just kind of annoying. I thought it might be the same for you, so I didn’t want to make it a big deal.”
That’s actually really sweet. I’m smiling, my cheeks hurting.
Besides the Calloway sisters and their men, there aren’t many other celebrities in Philadelphia. It’s not like LA or Hollywood where you can easily meet other people that go through the same public scrutiny. Paparazzi migrated to Philly because of the Calloways. Finding someone who gets it, even just a little, is a breath of fresh air.
“Thanks,” I say to Tess.
“Don’t worry about it,” Tess says like it really is nothing.
I look to Salvatore, who’s scrolling on his phone. I think he might be looking me up. When he catches me staring, he says, “You can Google me too. Salvatore Amadio.” He spells out his full name.
Sheetal laughs. “Are we about to find out your deep, dark secrets, Salvatore?” But we all brandish our phones.
I do a quick Google search and learn that Salvatore Amadio is the son of two famous Italian actors. He was even in a movie as a baby, but he retired from child acting by the age of four.
Sheetal makes a dejected noise. “Well now I’m proper devoed, like. Me parents are in finance. An absolute snore. I have no famous family or long-lost siblings.”
“You have meeee,” Tess sing-songs and hugs her tight. Sheetal tries hard not to smile, but it’s a lost cause when Tess kisses her playfully on the nose.
Salvatore pockets his phone. “It’s not all great,” he says to Sheetal but doesn’t elaborate.
My cell suddenly vibrates in my palm, Garrison’s name on the screen. Finally.
“I have to take this,” I say quickly and then leave for the hall. It’s empty, but I can hear muffled music coming from some of the dorm rooms.
When I click into the call, my worries just tumble forth. “Garrison, are you okay? Your last video looked like you hadn’t slept in days. And I’m just now realizing that if you were sleeping I probably woke you up and you needed that sleep. I’m so sorry—”
“Willow,” he cuts me off before I spiral. “I’m glad you called and texted and practically shot off a rocket flare.”
Tears prick my eyes. “You are?”
“Yeah. And I’m in one piece. Like you said, I just haven’t been getting sleep. I’m going to make sure I don’t stay in the office past midnight.”
“Promise?” I ask.
“Promise. What are you doing?”
“There’s this group project thing.”
“Right now?” Worry and concern breaches his voice. I know he’s been worried about distracting me, but I’m making time for him in my life. That’s what you’re supposed to do for the people you love.