Page 22 of A Fall to Remember

Miranda sucked in a breath. Once again, Shelby had made her look effortlessly chic. She barely recognized herself. “Are these with a filter?”

“Nope. That’s you. This is where I shine. I have a background in professional photography. That’s how I got my start in social media. There are some tricks of the trade that we use to make people feel comfortable, and while it might feel clunky when I ask you to toss your hair or walk toward me, putting one foot in front of the other like you’re tipsy and trying not to fall off a balance beam, my goal is that every picture we take turns out like this.”

“Well, I’m impressed.” Miranda was. She couldn’t believe how good she looked in the pictures.

“You want to see the video?” Shelby asked. “See, when you sway like that, letting your hands drift to the sky, it opens up your chest and lengthens your entire torso.”

“Who is she? I want to be her,” Miranda teased, trying to get a better look at the screen.

Shelby beamed. A real smile that softened her face and smoothed out all her hard edges. “That’s exactly what we’re going for. I’m glad you get it.”

“I’m not sure it’s really me, but yes, keep giving me all your suggestions. You want me to wiggle my nose twice? Done. Dance like a chicken? You got it.” Miranda chuckled, fanning her arms out like chicken wings. “You’re not exaggerating when you say you’re a miracle worker.”

They returned to their viewing spot. Miranda had a newfound appreciation for Shelby. She hadn’t anticipated that a few simple physical cues and framing the shot could transform her and Half Moon Bay.

She liked what Shelby was capturing so far. But she wasn’t going to cave on the extra makeup or makeup filter. She had to draw the line somewhere. And ultimately, she didn’t want to get too caught up in the concept of being an influencer, regardless of Jim’s pitch about authenticity and Shelby’s ability to make her beloved Half Moon Bay look as pretty as a postcard. This wasn’t her real life or her future. She needed to stay grounded and remember that.

18

JIM

While Shelby filmed Miranda, Jim set up Miranda’s social media profile. It was a shame Shelby had vetoed his clever mom and travel puns, but he wasn’t going to die on that hill. Once Miranda Brown Travels (basic, boring in his humble opinion, but, hey, it got the job done) was officially active across several social media platforms, he worked on the gallery of posts. He added a few of his own captions but used Shelby’s preferred autumnal filter, which gave everything an ethereal, golden glow. After he posted Miranda’s official introductory post, tagged their brand partners, and followed a pre-approved list of other travel influencers, he started on the short videos. For the first video, he cut snippets of Miranda behind the deli counter at the Green Grocer, offering the young girl a pretty package of candies, and clips of her chatting with customers. He set it to a Harry Connick Jr. song. Miranda had mentioned in passing that she loved his music, and it was perfect for the fall vibe they were trying to capture.

Next, he decided to go more playful, and he sliced together a video of Miranda’s failed attempt to introduce Pete to the young woman who had ventured into the store. He captioned it with: “When your mom tries to set you up but doesn’t know how to FaceTime.” He wasn’t anticipating anything to “hit” yet. Building a loyal audience took time and dedication. The goal of these early posts and the weekend in general was to establish Miranda’s personality and let people discover her. He also wanted to run this one by Miranda and get her approval before he posted it.

Miranda returned to her seat just as he finished stitching the video together.

“How did it go?” Jim leaned closer, catching a whiff of cinnamon and honey. Her cheeks were glowing and almost dewy.

“So much better than I anticipated,” Miranda said, scooting her chair so their arms were touching. “I’m shocked I’m saying this, but Shelby honestly did get some lovely pictures, and she didn’t even use a makeup filter.”

“I’m not surprised.” Jim kept his body still. He wasn’t sure if Miranda was even aware that their skin was touching. Maybe if he didn’t move, they could stay like this for the remainder of the parade. “She’s a pro, and you’re mesmerizing. You’re like a magnet. Your energy draws everyone in, so filming you is going to be a breeze.”

Splotches of heat erupted on Miranda’s neck as she pulled away, tossing her hand as if to toss away the compliment.

Jim cleared his throat. “Hey, are you okay with me posting a cheeky video of you failing at that FaceTime call? I got your social pages set up and have posted a few introductory stories and photos, but I thought it might be fun to share something more playful to set the tone.” The music kicked up as a dance troupe sashayed past them with a huge set of speakers being toted in a kid’s wagon.

“Yeah, fun posts, sure,” Miranda yelled over the booming beat, cupping her hand over her ear. “I’m good with whatever. I trust you.”

“Great. You’re sure?” Jim asked again.

“Yeah, go for it,” she said, raising her voice to be heard over the music.

He hit post and stuffed his fingers into his ears to protect them for a moment.

“What do you think of the parade?” Miranda asked after the troupe and their blaring music had moved on.

“It’s a slice of Americana, in the best possible way.” Jim pointed to a flatbed, which had been transformed into a red barn. Costumed cows, donkeys, roosters, and a farmer, complete with overalls and a straw hat, tossed out coupons for a free scoop of pumpkin ice cream and discounts to the corn maze.

“It’s sweet, right?” Miranda pressed her hand to her chest. “I’m sure some people will think it’s cheesy, but I love seeing our community come together like this. The rest of the weekend will be more like this, so I’m glad you’re enjoying it so far.”

Jim was more than enjoying it, especially being around Miranda. His phone buzzed. He checked the alert to see that ten people had shared the video of Miranda’s failed attempt to set up Pete.

Hey, not a bad start.

He scrolled through the comments. There weren’t many, but as expected, the few dozen people who had already viewed the video were “Team Miranda.”

Okay, stop. Is this the cutest ever?