No amount of success lasts forever.

You can be on top of the world at one second and be knocked to the ground the next. Things happen. Trends shift. If you don’t adapt and change with the world, the world will leave you behind. It’s a principal in all business but it’s sad to see it happen with your own eyes, knowing that you can’t do anything about it.

Melanie Rose is bright-eyed and smiling right now. Her fans are here. Her adoring readers have rushed out here on a cold, Friday night just for the chance to see her. Melanie lives for nights like this but the lines on her face are a bit stiffer than previous signings at bookstores.

I’ve seen crowds shut down streets in her name before.

Tonight, however…

We might not be here for very long.

Trix and I sit on either side of her in indigo t-shirts and gray pencil skirts — our coordinated cheerleading outfits to match the book cover’s color scheme. Melanie threw on her little, black dress, as usual. And strappy shoes. That’s another way I know she’s feeling this night on the inside somewhere.

She only wears the strappy shoes when she feels like dirt.

“Oh, my god!” A woman rushes our table. “I’m so excited! I’m your biggest fan!”

Melanie grins at her. “Aww, thank you so much.”

“Can you make it out to Jeanie?”

The woman sets her book down — but it’s not the new release stacked up on tables all over the bookstore. It’s one of her first bestsellers. The one Melanie can’t ever seem to outrun no matter how hard she tries.

“Oh, sure,” Melanie says, keeping her face.

“I don’t think I’ll ever find a better book boyfriend than Nathaniel Scott,” the woman swoons. “Will there be a sequel?”

Melanie scribbles her name with a short dedication for Jeanie on the title page. “I have no plans for one, no. But I have a new release—”

“It’s the most anticipated book in my book club!” she shouts. “They told me to tell you that. They said, you tell that Mel Rose to stop dicking around and write the damn book.” She cackles loudly.

“Maybe someday.” Melanie holds up the book. “Thanks for coming. I appreciate it.”

Jeanie snatches it out of Melanie’s hand and admires the fresh, new dedication inside. “Oh, thank you! Thank you, thank you!”

She skips off with her book clenched to her chest, passing by stacks upon stacks of Melanie’s new book.

Melanie exhales hard as soon as she’s out of earshot but she keeps her smile going for the next person in line.

That’s another truth in the business world. Sometimes, you can have an idea so great, create something that resonates so much with so many people, that it will be all they’ll remember you for. It doesn’t matter what you do. You’ll never replicate that success again.

I look at Trix and she nods, thinking the same thing. Tender loving care for Melanie, coming right up.

Soon, and quickly, the line dies down. People pass by the table, passively glance over, and keep walking to the coffee shop across the store. Someone will trickle by here and there but they just so happened to be here at the right time while they were shopping. Their lucky night. I didn’t even know this was scheduled…

Melanie flicks her strappy heel, gently kicking the support bar beneath her folding chair.

A man stops in front of the table holding a large bouquet of red roses wrapped tightly with a pink ribbon.

“Delivery for Ms. Rose,” he says.

Melanie’s face lights up. “Oh, another one!” She reaches for them and the man hands them off to her. “Thank you, kind sir.”

He nods and walks off.

“Another one?” I ask.

She buries her nose in the bright red petals and inhales. “Yeah, I get these every so often,” she says. “I haven’t told you?”

I shake my head. “No.”

“Is there a card?” Trix asks.

Melanie turns them over in her hands. “Here,” she says, sliding the small, white envelope from the ribbon. “But it won’t have a name. It never does.”

I peel the envelope open and yank the card out. “You look adorable tonight. Love, your SA,” I read. “SA?”

“Secret admirer,” she translates as she smells them again.

Trix leans in to catch a whiff. “How many bouquets have you gotten?”

“Six,” Melanie answers. “One a month for the last half year.” She fingers the ribbon. “Always a dozen with a one-inch ribbon. A different color each time. The last one was purple. Green before that.”

I turn the card over, searching for evidence. “And you have no idea who’s sending them?”

“Nope. None. But whoever it is knows my schedule, where I like to have lunch, my home address…”

“Melanie.” I stare at her. “Don’t you think you should report this? This person is stalking you.”

“They couldn’t do anything without a name or a face.” She sets them down on the table beside her. “And even with that, you can’t get a restraining order unless you can prove harmful intent and so far, all I’ve received is a bunch of roses now and then. Perfectly harmless. Chicago cops would probably just tell me to take it as a compliment anyway.”

Trix glances around with wide eyes. “They could be here right now...”

“Most likely.”

I nudge her arm. “Maybe it’s Robbie.”

“Pfft. Please.” She rolls her eyes. “That man couldn’t find my clitoris without a spotlight, there’s no way he’s tracking me around like this. No, this guy is smart and cunning. An obsessed fan, perhaps.”

Trix chuckles. “That didn’t end so well in Misery, Mel.”

“Hey, if this ends with me getting to lay around in bed all day while some devoted schmuck brings me food in exchange for smutty love stories, I wouldn’t mind. Sign me up. No more bills. No more taxes. If he’s moderately attractive and has a stable wi-fi connection...” She holds up her hands in surrender. “No cliffhangers. No cheating. Guaranteed happily ever after.”

“What if it’s a woman?” I ask.

She smirks. “You know, you’d think that would change my mind but I’ve done far stranger things for free food.” She looks forward and her head instantly falls. “No,” she groans. “No. No. No. No—”

I look up at the man approaching the table. Brown hair, cleft chin. Leather jacket and jeans.

Robbie. Speak of the devil.

“Hello, ladies,” he says as he approaches. “You’re all looking very nice tonight.”

“What the fuck are you doing here?” Melanie spits.

He holds up her new book, gray and indigo cover and all. “I came to get my copy signed.” He sets it down in front of her. “I am your biggest fan, after all.”

“Yeah, I doubt that.” She eyes the room. “Please tell me this place has a security team…”

“Or, you could just sign the book,” he suggests, nudging it a little closer. “Wouldn’t want to make a scene over nothing, Mel.” He nods at the bouquet. “What’s with the roses?”

“They’re from a secret admirer,” Trix says with suspicious eyes. “You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you, Rob?”

“Flowers aren’t my style,” he says, shaking his head.

“Strange,” Melanie says. “I didn’t realize drawing a penis on the bathroom mirror telling me to come and get it, baby was considered a style.”

He winks. “It worked, didn’t it?”

Melanie snaps the book open and scribbles on the title page. “For Robbie,” she says aloud. “Thanks for all your support. Your pal, Mel Rose.” She slams it and holds it out to him. “There. You can go now.”

Robbie takes it and flicks it open. “Hey, Robbie,” he reads, grinning wide. “Eat a dick and die. Mel Rose. Aww, that’s cute. You drew a frowny face and everything.”

Melanie feigns a smile. “Bye-bye!”

“Not so fast.” He holds up his phone. “I paid for a selfie, too.”

Her smile drops.

Robbie bends back over the table and holds up his phone. “Say cheese, Mel,” he says, lining up the photo.

“I hate you,” she says as the flash blinds her.

“Perfect.” Robbie inspects it. “Now, that’s a Christmas card.”

“Go. Away.”

“Relax. I’m on my way out.” Robbie looks to me and Trix again and bows his head. “Ladies.”

“Bye, Robbie!” I say with a wave.

“Love you, Robbie!” Trix adds.

“We miss you.”

We both blow kisses at him and he returns a wink before disappearing into the nonexistent crowd.

Melanie groans. “I need new friends.”

Trix pats Melanie’s back.

I turn in my chair. “I’m heading to the ladies’,” I say. “Be right back.”

I stand up and head toward the restrooms in the far corner. I check over my shoulder, making sure Trix and Melanie aren’t looking before hopping between the bookshelves and rushing toward the exit to catch up with Robbie.

I step outside, quickly looking from left to right in search of that familiar leather jacket. I spot him down the block just seconds away from hailing a cab.

“Hey, Rob. Wait up!”

He hears me and stops, instantly throwing his hands up as I catch up to him. “Hey, I was nice,” he says, defending himself.

“I know.” I cross my arms to shield the cold. “You were. I just wanted to say thank you.”

“It’s her big night,” he says with a shrug. “And from what you’ve undoubtedly already deduced, it’s not as big as she wanted it to be. I can read a room, ya know.”

“Not about that.”

He pauses, studying me for a second before cracking a smile. “You went back to Judy’s,” he figures out.

“I did.”

“Did you try the cross?” he asks.

“I…” I hesitate. “Yeah, I did. A little. Sort of.”

Robbie nods with respect. “Well done, Nora Payne,” he says. “You did what I couldn’t do.”

“Couldn’t?” I ask.

“I guess I’m what your people would call a prude.”

“You?” I lean closer. “Prude?”

He turns up his hands. “Life’s complicated enough. I like to keep the bedroom simple. Melanie, on the other hand… she had her moments of panic. Won’t get into it now — but I’m happy for you! You look good.”

“Thanks.” I smile. “I’m feeling pretty good about it.”

“That’s all that matters.” He smirks. “So, what’d she say?”

“Say about what?”

His brow piques, hinting at something dirty.

“Oh.” I exhale, remembering. “Yes. You were right. She thinks about you.”

Robbie takes a smug breath, filling his lungs to the top. “Yeah, that’s the stuff worth living for,” he muses.

I tap my foot to spur some extra warmth. “How did you know I’d cave and ask her?”

He laughs. “Because any man who marries one of you marries all of you. I had to spend way too much time with you three. Now, I’m a perceptive young chap and I picked up on your personalities real quick so I can basically predict within a one-percent margin of error how you’ll react to most situations.”

I blink. “That’s creepy.”

“Yeah, that’s me.” He nods. “But, on the bright side, when shit hit the fan with Melanie, I knew that she’d be okay because she had you guys to take care of her. I never got the chance to tell you before but I appreciate everything you did for her then.”

I tilt my head. “That’s sweet.”

“Yeah, that’s me.” He smiles. “Take care of her tonight, will ya? She’ll need it.”

“We will.”

“See you around, Bubbles,” he adds, raising his bandaged hand to his forehead.

“Bye, Robbie.”

He performs a quick salute before he continues on down the sidewalk with his book by his side.