The Blind Date by Landish, Lauren (suggested reading .txt) 📕

I’m not like that. That’s over the line, trying to hurt people for no good goddamn reason.”

Riley’s lips press together like she’s searching for words. “Once upon a time, you lashed out at me.”

“Riley.”

“No, hear me out. This isn’t about the past. We’re good, but listen . . . you lashed out because you were hurting, but ultimately, it made you learn something about yourself. You realized what you’d done, became a better person, and yeah, you’re still more pessimistic than the average grumpy bear, but you grew from that. What if that comment is that person’s a-ha moment?” She points to one of the rude comments about her shallow lifestyle. “I don’t have to react to it, respond to it, or even be involved, but what if just posting it is their turning point where they look at the words on the screen and realize what they’ve become?”

“But some people are just inherently that way, you know? They’re never going to change, don’t even want to.”

Riley laughs bitterly. “Oh, I know. Some of these people post every single day on my posts, always negative, always trolling. And that’s on them, not me. They’re responsible for what they put out in the world. But they come back for some reason, and I can only hope that one day, my message of sunshine will sink in.”

I’m quiet, thinking through what Riley’s saying. I can’t imagine being that . . . good. I don’t consider myself a bad person at all, but if there’s a spectrum of bad to good, Riley’s fallen off the good end and floated up into sainthood.

“I didn’t end up this way overnight, and I’m not expecting you to understand right now. When I first started, I’d sweat over every post. I thought every word was make or break, that I had to create new content every twenty-four hours, and that everyone had to love me. I spent hours trying to learn the ‘secret’ but what I’ve figured out is, there isn’t one. People want to see people like them, be inspired, and feel like they’re a part of something bigger. They want to find meaning and joy in their typical day, and that’s what I help with.”

“I remember times like that when River and I were working on FriendZone. All these apps made it look easy, and we knew we had a winning idea, but getting from conception to launch to success, it felt like everyone knew how to do that but us.” I think back to those times and mentally compare them to the BlindDate launch, which has been so much better even if it’s not perfect. We learned, and we’re doing better.

“Exactly. And the progress at first was frustrating.” She’s talking about her own, but I nod, knowing how hard River and I had it too. “For me, I’d put hours into a photo, staging and taking hundreds of shots and then using just the right filters to try and make myself look my best. Then I’d post and get nothing but slimy guys who wanted nudes or phishers attempting to troll me.”

“And now?” Admittedly, I’m still seeing a lot of that in these comments. There are way too many versions of ‘hey, baby’ and ‘let’s collaborate’ for my liking.

“Now, I know that what I do isn’t for everyone. The people who see me, feel my message resonate, those are my people. My Sunshiners. The people who leave vitriol like this” —she points to a comment about her nose, of all things, which is cute and freckled and perfectly fine—“those are not my people. That doesn’t mean I don’t try to change them, but all I can do is keep being me. Maybe they’ll come around, maybe they won’t. But if one person smiles because of something I post or volunteers because they saw me doing it, or even if someone buys a mascara because I did and they find a product they love, it’s all worth it.”

Wow. Looking at her, I realize why Riley Watson was able to make Riley Sunshine a success. Yes, she’s positive. Yes, she’s smart and beautiful and has all the things people can point out and go, ‘She’s got it.’ But what really makes Riley successful is that she’s somehow tough and determined, but at her core, she’s a truly sensitive soul.

“That’s a lot to handle.”

I mean for her. She’s amazing, so much so that I’m basically blinded by her brilliance.

Riley closes her laptop, setting in on the table to take my hands. “Noah, I’m not going to think less of you if you don’t want to do this, go full reveal. I can’t do what you do, that’s for sure. I could never, ever do all the stuff that you do. So you don’t have to be a part of what I do, either. It’s okay.”

She’s giving me an out. Not of this thing between us but of this corner of her life. I’m just not sure I want it. I know how important her posts and being authentic are to her.

She’s right—she would never make it in the corporate world, and I gave up on the entrepreneur life. But this?

I won’t give up on this. I want Riley, all of her, and if that means being a part of Riley Sunshine, so be it.

“I want to tell the whole world about us. I want to shout it from the rooftops and write it in the sky. I want everyone to see the smiles I give you, and even more, the smiles you give me.”

Riley eyes widen in hopeful surprise, and then she gives me one of those bubbly smiles that make her look like the happiest angel in existence. “Think you’re ready?”

“If you are.”

Riley squeals as she climbs into my lap, straddling me and covering me with sweet, soft kisses all over my face. I grin, loving it, but in the instant before her lips meet mine, I have to ask myself . . . am I ready?

I bury that down, instead asking through Riley’s kisses,