Own it. Be proud of it. The words wound through her like a shot of adrenaline. She didn’t want this taken from her. Her anxiety had already stolen so much from her in her life. The Miz Poppy business was hers. If she walked out, she risked giving up what she’d worked so hard to create for herself. She wasn’t going to let the NOLA Vibe steal her name, this thing she’d made. Miz Poppy wasn’t a separate person. She wasn’t her cooler, more interesting twin. Hollyn was that person. No one else could step in and do it better. Her shyness was just a layer that made it harder to see the real parts of her. It didn’t make them any less real. She needed to go out there, be the person she was, tics and awkwardness and all and own it. “I am Miz Poppy.”
Fitz patted her shoulder and rocked back on his heels. “Damn straight you are. Say it again.”
“I am Miz. Fucking. Poppy.”
He laughed and got up from his crouch. “There you go. You got this.”
She stood and gave him a hug. Her body was still trembling with nerves, but the determination stirring deep within her was starting to take over. “Thanks. I think I’m tired of needing pep talks. I’m designating you the last one I’m going to need.”
“I’m honored.” He stepped back and held up his fist for a fist bump. “I’ll see you out there. Make me some money.”
She laughed and bumped his fist. “Eye always on the bottom line, huh?”
“Always.” He gave her one last grin and then headed out.
When she was alone again, she vowed to stop looking at her phone and hoping to see Jasper’s name. He had made a promise to her that he’d be here, and he’d broken it. He’d been right. She deserved better than that. She turned off the phone and dropped it into her bag. She was going to have to do this without him. It would be good practice.
She was going to have to get used to that. Even if Jasper got back in time, he was only coming back to pack his stuff and tell her goodbye.
She tossed her bag on the floor and went out to join the group. It was almost showtime.
* * *
Twenty minutes later, Monique was standing in the storage room with Hollyn. When Hollyn had broken it to the group that Jasper couldn’t make it, the group hadn’t looked surprised. Barry had just nodded, a grim set to his jaw, like he’d been expecting the day to come. “All right. Stick to the plan. We know how to do this without him.”
The others nodded in agreement.
The solemn acceptance made Hollyn’s chest hurt. But there was nothing to be done about it at this point. The crowd was waiting. Because of Jasper’s absence, they’d had to shift around how Hollyn was going to be introduced. Antonio was going to do her intro. Monique was going to give her the cue to walk out.
Monique leaned against the doorframe, the door open, and looked her way. “Almost time, lady. You ready?”
For the first time all night, Hollyn could confidently nod. “I’m ready.”
Monique gave her a proud smile. “Good. Let’s kill it.”
The lights of the bar went dark. A roll of anxiety went through Hollyn. “What’s going on?”
“They’re making your reveal dramatic,” Monique whispered and took Hollyn’s hand. “Come on.”
Monique led her out to the area behind the stage. The NOLA Vibe had gotten on board to sponsor the show tonight and had set up a large, black backdrop for the stage with their logo on it. The bonus was that it provided a place to act as a backstage area.
Monique gave her hand a squeeze. “Here we go.”
A spotlight flipped on, a circle appearing on the backdrop, and Antonio’s voice came through the microphone. “Welcome to the Hail Yes Improv show and Miz Poppy reveal party!”
The crowd cheered, and the sound of so many people made Hollyn’s stomach flip over, but she breathed through it. She wasn’t going to run now. For better or worse, she was getting on that stage.
“We have a great show planned for you tonight,” Antonio went on. “Start getting drunk now. We’re better looking and more talented through beer goggles.”
The crowd laughed.
“But you’ll need no inebriation for tonight’s special guest. Stone-cold sober you’ll be able to see how wonderfully talented and fun she is. You’ve known her as her cartoon avatar. You’ve met her through her well-written posts and have gotten to see her snarky side in her words. She’s the lady who tells us where New Orleans’s best-kept secrets are. She’s that best friend who makes sure you know the cool stuff first.”
Hollyn could feel her face burning, but she couldn’t help the smile that touched her lips. Monique playfully bumped her shoulder into Hollyn’s. “This woman sounds pretty awesome.”
Hollyn gave her a grateful look.
“It’s my honor,” Antonio went on, “to give you lucky people the privilege of being the first to meet the real Miz Poppy. Please welcome to the stage Hollyn Tate.”
The crowd erupted with applause and Monique nodded at her. “It’s your time, honey. Enjoy it.”
Hollyn took one last deep breath and then stepped from behind the curtain. The lights and the number of people froze her in place for half a second, but then her brain kicked in and made her feet move forward. She had a smile pasted on her face, and she could feel her nose scrunching in a constant twitch. No way was she going to be able to squelch the tics for these minutes onstage. But people were clapping and everyone was looking at her and she had to keep moving. She got a flash of blue hair in the audience and her gut twisted. Billy Blue. Her competitor. Of course he’d be here. But she forced his presence out of her mind.
When Antonio took her hand and guided her toward the mic, she caught sight of a few familiar faces in the front row. Cal, clapping hard, and Andi with her hands cupped around her mouth, shouting “Woo!”
They both looked so enthused that Hollyn couldn’t help but laugh. Knowing not everyone out there was a stranger helped. She stepped up to the microphone and tried to get her heart to stop racing. She was onstage. As Miz Poppy. Holy shit.
The crowd quieted after a few seconds, and she cleared her throat. The sound was loud in the mic and she cringed. Her tics followed the cringe, adding a few more seconds to it. Panic started to well. She gripped the mic. “Um, so hi. I’m Miz Poppy.”
The crowd responded with more claps and sounds of encouragement. People were taking photos with their phones. Some dude in the back yelled, “I love you, Miz Poppy!”
That made her laugh and forget the nerves for a second. “Thanks. You seem nice, too.”
The crowd murmured with quiet laughter.
She wet her lips and forced herself to not look down at her feet. “First, I want to thank the Hail Yes group for inviting me as a special guest tonight. Y’all are in for an amazing evening.” She swallowed past the dryness in her throat, trying to focus on what she wanted to say instead of what people were thinking about her tics going crazy. “I’ve been doing these reviews for a while now, and I’m often amazed at the level of talent our city has. But it’s a special experience when I feel like I’ve stumbled upon some hidden gem, people on the cusp of greatness. That’s what you’re going to see tonight. Talented actors who will leave you laughing and feeling better about the world when you walk out the door. Because what greater gift can anyone give us than the ability to take a break for a while, to laugh—at them, at ourselves, at the world?”