#Viral Marketing Ideas

[creativeadagencyadzze]

Unleash the Power of Viral Marketing Ideas: Creative Strategies to Go Viral

In today’s rapidly evolving landscape of digital marketing, maintaining a competitive edge is paramount. Harnessing the power of viral marketing stands out as a potent method to enhance brand visibility and broaden your audience reach. Within this blog post, we will delve into an array of imaginative and groundbreaking viral marketing ideas that hold the potential to catapult your brand to viral stardom swiftly. Regardless of your experience level as a marketer, these ideas are curated to spark creativity and engage your specific target audience.

Guerrilla Marketing with Stickers

Sticker marketing is a low-cost and highly effective way to create viral buzz. Consider creating eye-catching stickers with your brand logo or a witty message related to your product. Distribute these stickers strategically in public places or at events where your target audience frequents. Encourage people to take pictures with the stickers and share them on social media with a dedicated hashtag. This simple yet powerful guerrilla marketing tactic can quickly gain momentum and make your brand go viral.

Flash Mobs and Live Events

Organize a flash mob or a live event related to your brand or product. Flash mobs are unexpected and often entertaining, making them a prime candidate for viral content. Ensure that the event is visually captivating, and don’t forget to capture the moment with high-quality videos. Share these videos on social media platforms, and encourage participants to do the same. The excitement and intrigue surrounding live events can generate a massive social media buzz.

User-Generated Content Contests

Leverage the creativity of your audience by hosting user-generated content contests. Encourage your customers to create content related to your brand or product and share it on their social media profiles using a specific hashtag. Offer enticing prizes for the best submissions to motivate participation. User-generated content not only spreads the word about your brand but also builds trust among potential customers.

Interactive Social Media Challenges

Social media challenges are a fantastic way to engage your audience and make your brand go viral. Create a fun and interactive challenge that encourages users to participate and challenge their friends. Ensure the challenge is easy to replicate and visually appealing, and don’t forget to include your brand or product in the challenge somehow. As the challenge spreads, so will your brand’s reach.

Memes and Viral Content

Memes are an integral part of internet culture, and creating a viral meme related to your brand can be a game-changer. The key is to make it humorous, relatable, and shareable. Memes have the potential to spread like wildfire across social media platforms, reaching a vast and diverse audience.

Influencer Partnerships

Forming partnerships with social media influencers can greatly amplify your viral marketing endeavors. Start by identifying influencers within your niche or industry who share your brand’s values and boast a substantial following. Collaborate with these influencers to craft content that showcases your product or service. By teaming up with influencers, you can expand the reach of your content, making it accessible to a wider and more enthusiastic audience..

Controversial or Provocative Campaigns

While this approach should be used cautiously, a controversial or provocative campaign can create a buzz and go viral quickly. However, it’s essential to strike a balance and ensure that the controversy doesn’t harm your brand’s reputation. Thought-provoking campaigns can spark discussions and generate significant media attention.

Conclusion

Viral marketing ideas can be a game-changer for your brand’s visibility and success. By implementing creative and innovative strategies like guerrilla marketing with stickers, flash mobs, user-generated content contests, social media challenges, memes, influencer partnerships, and even controversial campaigns, you can capture the attention of your target audience and make your brand go viral.

Remember that going viral is not just about getting attention; it’s about creating meaningful and shareable content that resonates with your audience. Stay authentic, track your results, and adapt your viral marketing strategies to the ever-changing digital landscape to achieve long-lasting success. Embrace the power of viral marketing, and watch your brand reach new heights of visibility and recognition.

[sparkleshopstore]

https://sparklestoreusashop.etsy.com

[twow]

i get not finding the grimace shake meme funny like its personally not my kind of humor either but calling it astroturfing is genuinely so insane to me. no fast food company on earth is going to come up with a marketing campaign where the punchline is that eating their food kills you.

[godblooded]

my dudes they’re filming terrifier 3 in the si mall and the tax place i went to had a bunch of mannequins they’re using for it. what i’m saying is: if you’ve never seen terrifier watch it, fucking great franchise made right here where i live.

[amnglobal]

City of Baltimore (AMNG) Scan this code below on the flyer with your #smartdevice to go directly to the submissions form for our weekly #Monumental Mondays newsletter and partner programs. Deadline for next issue is 08/18/2024.

Read details at amnglobal.com

We urge you to submit your entries before August 18th, 2024, at midnight (Est) to ensure that they are included in the next newsletter. Here are some key points to keep in mind when submitting your entries:

Entries should be brief and to the point.

Include any relevant details, such as dates, times, locations, and contact information.

Contributions should align with our community values and mission.

This is your chance to share your business’s happenings or initiatives that you are passionate about. Whether you’re promoting an upcoming #charityevent, showcasing a new #businessprogram or activity, or announcing a significant milestone, we want to hear from you.

Starting a new business is a monumental achievement, and we want to support you by giving you a platform to share your journey and successes. Don’t miss out on this chance to connect with a broader audience and gain more visibility for your endeavors.

So, take action now and submit your entries before the deadline closes. We look forward to receiving your submissions and sharing them with our readers.

#befinanciallyfree

Thank you for your contributions and continued support.

Source: amnglobal.com

[isubhamdas]

How I Achieved Marketing Success Without High Costs?

A Fresh Start in Sports Marketing

When I first dove into sports marketing, I faced a big challenge: limited budget. High costs seemed like an inevitable part of the game. But I refused to accept that. I needed to think outside the box to succeed without breaking the bank.

Crafting a New Plan

I began exploring creative and cost-effective strategies. My focus shifted to building strong relationships and leveraging community support. Instead of spending big, I aimed to maximize every dollar spent.

Implementing 10 Winning Strategies

I applied ten key strategies that changed everything:

Social Media Engagement: Creating fun, shareable content that fans loved.

Example: Running a viral hashtag campaign during a local sports event.

Statistic: Social media-driven campaigns boosted our engagement by 60%.

Partnerships with Local Businesses: Teaming up for mutual promotions.

Example: Collaborating with a local restaurant for game-day specials.

Email Marketing: Sending personalized updates and exclusive offers.

Statistic: Our email campaigns saw a 45% open rate.

Fan Involvement: Encouraging fans to share their own stories and experiences.

Example: Holding a contest for the best fan-created video.

Seeing Results

The results were amazing. We saw a rise in fan engagement, ticket sales, and overall brand loyalty. All without draining our budget. It felt like a win on all fronts.

Conclusion

By focusing on smart, low-cost strategies, I achieved sports marketing success without high costs. It's proof that creativity and community can outshine big budgets.

What low-cost strategies have worked for you in sports marketing? Share your experiences in the comments!

Meta Description: How I achieved sports marketing success without high costs, using 10 winning strategies? Discover cost-effective sports marketing tactics. 2-3 min story.

Get Tips, Suggestions, Workarounds in 2-3 mins, on How you can Achieve Marketing Success Without High Costs? Wanna get regular email updates? Subscribe?

[seabunnyart]

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[lisarelatableme]

I hate to be the bearer of bad news with this one but it really is nonsense! There are no "easy" ways to make money, every venture no matter how big or small requires time, effort and patience! #foryou #fypシ゚viral #sidehustles #marketing #sidehustlesecrets #sidehustle #affiliatemarketing #affiliate #business #creator #capcut

[branddiariesingurgaon]

Explore these innovative digital marketing ideas that can take your business to new heights. From interactive content and influencer collaborations to augmented reality experiences and user-generated campaigns, discover strategies that drive engagement and foster brand loyalty. Implement personalized and hyper-targeted approaches to captivate your audience. Don't miss out on these game-changing ideas that can revolutionize your digital marketing efforts.

[jentlemahae]

the golden hour tiktok challenge should have been about ppl showing how they cook eggs

[edutechbits]

Make Blog Viral With Title, Know 7 Secret Tips

Make Blog Viral With Title, Know 7 Secret Tips

Make Blog Viral With Title, Know 7 Secret Tips SEO is very important and necessary for a website. And if your website is blog based, then this SEO requirement increases manifold. What is Website SEO? What are the requirements of SEO? You have already learned about this in the course. Today we will discuss title optimization. Make Blog Viral The title is the lifeblood of every blog on a blog…

[creativeadagencyadzze]

Guerilla marketing is an advertising tactic in which the advertiser uses unconventional interactions with the intention of promoting a product or a service. Therefore, guerilla marketing is different from the traditional advertisement methods. the viral guerilla marketing ideas rely on personal interaction to get the advertisement message across the intended audience. Therefore, the approach helps to boost sales through use of the viral guerilla marketing ideas. The marketing approach has increased in popularity, especially this time of the pandemic where the target audience are staying and working from home. Different guerrilla marketing concepts can help to create brand awareness. Let us evaluate some of the common guerilla advertising approaches available today.

1.     Door Hanger Advertising

One of the guerilla marketing techniques commonly used by the advertisers today involves printing of marketing messages on the door hangers. Therefore, the advertiser comes up with a creative brand message, and designs a creative advertisement. The advertiser identifies the residence of the potential customers. Then, the advertiser will print the adverts and hangs on the doorknobs. Therefore, customers interact with the advertisement as they come in and out of their residence.

2.     Advertising on Pharmacy Bags

Another example of guerilla advertising techniques is advertising on the pharmacy bags. The advertisers identify the potential pharmacies where the target audience are likely to purchase or collect prescription. Then, the advertiser will come up with a creative advertisement, and print on the prescription bags. As the patients collect their prescription, the pharmacists use the printed pharmacy bags to package the medication, and distribute to the target customers. Ideally, the advertisement method leaves a wow effect on the target audience. This is because the pharmacy bags are well designed and the advertisement message resonates with the target audience. Eventually, the advertisement reaches the target audience, and in an effective manner.

3.     Bar / Restaurant Coasters

The third example of guerilla advertising techniques is use of the bar coasters. The marketers come up with an advertisement message and print the brand logo or the brand name on the bar coasters. Therefore, as the target audience comes to the bar or the restaurant to enjoy their favorite drink or meals, they interact with the advertisement message. First, the advertisement was not expected. This surprise effect is attractive to the potential customers. Second, the advert is seen repeatedly, and sinks into the mind of the target audience.

4.     Advertising on Coffee Sleeves

The coffee sleeves are common at the coffee shops. They are used when serving hot coffee to the patrons. The advertisers, print a relevant advertisement message on the coffee sleeves, and deliver the coffee sleeves to selected coffee shops. Therefore, as the customers are served with coffee, the coffee cups with the coffee sleeves are used.

Viral guerilla marketing ideas will get your advertisement message to the right audience. The advantage is that the costs involves is lower compared to how much you would pay for the traditional advertisement methods. Moreover, guerilla advertising results to higher returns on the investment. Therefore, the approach is best for the advertisers looking to reach wider audience, at a lower cost, and generate higher returns on investment.

Conclusion

Do you want to promote your brand using the viral guerilla marketing ideas? Talk to Adzze for viral guerilla marketing ideas. We have built the capacity to deliver effective guerilla marketing ideas for your business regardless of the niche.

[sparkleshopstore]

[the-californicationist]

I don't know if you're taking requests (You can ignore this if you're not)

I remember reading something (it was either on facebook or a twitter thread) about a guy who made a tinder account of his girlfriend to see how many likes/swipes she'd get

And boy he didn't realise how many men swiped right on her. I think within an hour she got like over 1000 (he was ready to buy his girlfriend a cow, a camel, diamond ring. Basically anything she wanted because he realised how lucky he actually was that she wanted him)

ANYWAY

I can't stop thinking about the cod men doing it. Like what would their reaction be??

I feel like Kyle would just shower you with gifts. Oh you glanced at that designer handbag, he's in that shop with his card out. He don't care about the price

lol this is such a funny premise! i wish i had seen the video!! here's my take, otherwise known as how to tease Gaz within an inch of his life.

Get Ratio'd

“What do you mean switch? I don’t wanna be on that bloody app in the first place, babe,” Kyle scrunched up his nose at your proposal, but you pressed him.

“C’mon! It’ll be a laugh. Just for fun, Gaz. Aren’t you the least bit curious?”

You had seen a viral video, and now you had an idea. There was a couple who had switched phones for the night to swipe through each other’s dating apps, just to see how many hits they’d get. The woman in the video seemed defeated after trying her best to dress up her man’s profile and not finding any matches, but the man looked like he was shell-shocked, and he told her they were deleting these apps right away. Experiment over. So, you were curious. You knew Gaz was a handsome man, so you were eager to see how you’d do. 

He peered down at you over his nose and sighed, handing you his phone. You sat on the couch together, downloading the apps, picking out pictures, making sure to set the settings to casual dates only. No need to trick people into thinking you were actually on the market. 

“I just don’t want you to get jealous, love,” he smiled, genuinely concerned, "I've been told I'm a handsome chap." You smiled back,

“No worries, babe.  I can take it.”

Finally, after everything was set up, you switched phones. The boys would be over in just a few minutes, and you were eager for all of the likes to start rolling in. 

“We should make ourselves a little wager, yeah?” You suggested, knowing Kyle wasn’t one to shy away from competition.

“Aye, alright. Most likes wins?”

“Nah, most messages. ‘Cause that takes guts. And we’ll stop after the football game.”

“You’re on,” he smiled, giving your butt a playful slap as you went to buzz the boys in from your front door. 

The match was on for a good twenty minutes before you even got your first notification. Your heart sank a little when it looked like a bot, some garbage about “You look lonely. I can fix that. Click here!” It wasn’t a real girl. You showed Kyle and he shrugged, 

“It counts. It’s a DM, innit?”

“Alright,” you said, trying to get a peek at his app.

He swiped the phone away from you,

“Ah-ah! No peekin’.”

“Oh, c’mon, babe. No one wants to do me?” You whined, pouting at him.

He snaked his arm around you, palming your arse in his wide hand, 

“I wanna do you, babe.”

“I know,” you giggled, raising your hips to give him more access, earning yourself a hard squeeze, “I just thought I still had it.”

“You definitely do, babe. This is just a toxic app. Don’t think about it.”

So, you put it out of your mind. You got exactly three more messages for the rest of the night. One girl sent a friendly “Hey!” with a smiley emoji, another sent a photo of herself doing a sort of duck lips thing in a low-cut top. Finally, you got one that said, “Is that your real name? Just want to make sure I’ll be screaming the right one later.”

You cackled, showing the boys. Soap laughed with you, his eyes wide at her sexy message, and Price gave you a good-natured eyeroll. The only thing Ghost said was,

“Has he showed you yours yet?”

You looked over at Gaz who was burning a hole through Ghost with his glare, and he shut off your phone screen and put it in his pocket. 

“No… why?” You asked.

“No reason,” Ghost retreated, drinking his beer and fixing his eyes back on the match. 

A few minutes later, you excused yourself to go to the bathroom, and then you lingered in the hallway, listening to the conversation happening between Gaz and his friends in your den. 

“Oh, mate,” Soap whispered none too quietly, “You are in fuckin’ trouble, ain’tcha?” 

“Shove off, Johnny. Help me figure out how to fuckin’ delete this,” Gaz hissed.

“Well, son,” Price didn’t even bother to lower his tone, sipping on his whiskey with a smile on his face, “You bloody well won your bet.”

“I knew it would be bad, but I didn’t think it would be this bad,” Gaz handed your phone over to Ghost who was gesturing for him to give it. 

Ghost read the message aloud,

“I could call you beautiful, but since beauty comes from within, I’ll just have to check for myself… Fuckin’ hell. That’s rank.”

Soap was looking over his shoulder, scrolling furiously, reading as he did,

“Your eyes are stunnin’. You’ve got beautiful eyes. Wow, your eyes are beautiful… like, c’mon mate, a little creativity?”

“You don’t want to read the creative ones,” Price warned, taking the phone from Ghost, reading his favorite, “Jus’ wonderin’ if I should respect the fuck outta you or fuck the respect out of you.” 

Gaz leaned back on the couch, exasperated,

“What am I gonna do? I gotta buy her one of those fuckin’ bags that cost as much as a goddamn Aston. She said she wanted to do Bora Bora, or was it Fiji? Maybe I can take her for her birthday? How much are tickets?”

“Mate, you’re cooked,” Soap muttered, then gasped, “Oh, Christ. Look at the size of this one's fuckin’ knob!”

“Help me book her a bloody spa day. Do you think she wants jewelry? Holy shite, this bloke just sent a screenshot of his bank account. What the fuck?”

“She’s already with you, mate,” Ghost shrugged, “What’s the bother?”

“He’s bothered ‘cause now he knows that,” Price grumbled, checking his watch, “...in under an hour, she could have a quarter of the population of London bangin’ down her door just to smell the inside of her bloody shoe. And he’d have…”

“A bot and two birds,” Gaz frowned, crossing his arms.

“A bot and two birds,” Price nodded, sipping his drink and turning back to the game. 

You wandered back into the room, plopping down beside Gaz, pretending you hadn’t heard the discussion that had just transpired. Gaz put an arm around you almost protectively, kissing your forehead,

“Hey, babes. What was the name of that spa you wanted to book? Thought we could go together this weekend.”

“Kyle,” you turned to him decisively, “Show me the texts.”

“No,” he shook his head, turning back to the game.

“Kyle,” you squeezed his thigh.

“No! You don’t need to see all that.”

“All what?”

“The one hundred eighty-seven messages that he —” Soap interrupted, but Gaz cut him off.

“Oy! Mate! Shut up.”

“Just show her,” Ghost rolled his eyes. 

“One hundred…” You were in shock, and as Gaz handed you your phone back, you scrolled through the mess that he had been hiding from you, “Oh, God…”

“Yeah…” Gaz sighed, “So, if you want that purse that the Kardashian whats-her-name had, just add it to the cart, alright? Jesus.”

You were shocked by the level of attention you had received, but when you saw the content, you had to stop yourself from dying with laughter,

“Not sure if I’m just hungry or if you truly are a snack. Either way I’ll eat you. Oh, no. Look at this one: My cock’s a rescue, wanna give it a good home? Wow… these are rough! How many dick pics did you get?”

“Too many,” Gaz shook his head. 

“Aww, baby,” you hugged his neck, teasing him, “Don’t worry. I’m not going anywhere. None of these blokes is half as fit as you.” 

“Dinnae you see the fuckin’ knob on Fabio over here? He's askin' for your Venmo. I say you should send it.” Soap chuckled, shocked, flipping back to one of the profiles.

Gaz fought him back, snatching the phone, and you laughed with the others, shaking your head, 

“So… what was that you were saying about a handbag?”

After the laughter eventually died down and the boys had gone home, you helped Gaz clean up the kitchen. Then, you both deleted the app and returned your phones, glad to be done with your little experiment. You decided to tease your man just a little further, 

“Well, you won the wager. What’s your prize, love?”

You expected him to take the bait, to bend you over the counter and claim you possessively, using you to let out his frustration. But, he turned serious, his expression almost somber, and he kissed you softly, disarming you.

“You are my prize,” he purred, “And I’ll do anything to show you how lucky I am to have you.”

“Hmm… anything?” You smirked, tucking your hand into the waistband of his jeans and pulling him closer. 

Finally, that rakish grin you loved so dearly was back, spreading across his face, 

“Name your price, love.”

You pretended to think for a moment, letting your hands wander down into the warmth of his pants, palming his growing cock, playing with it and feeling it throb for you, then you winked at him, 

“I hear Tahiti is nice this time of year.”

He raked his hand down his face, but he was hiding a smile, groaning,

"Tahiti..." Then, after a breath, he snatched you, holding you in his arms, carrying you kicking and giggling to your bedroom, "C'mere, you. Tahiti can wait."

AO3 Link

[ghcstao3]

AU inspired by this tiktok where ghost and soap are both responsible for making social media posts for a company, but they work in different buildings so they’ve never once met—they merely communicate through email and seldom use video calls, and even then always with their cameras off.

of course, with how social media and meme culture exist nowadays, they have to get increasingly creative with how they market things in a way that’s appealing, and funny. so they begin to make videos narrating life stories that are mostly fake, but still somewhat based in reality, while interspersing everything with actual advertisement for a product.

they always post separately, never know what the other will talk about, and yet it somehow spirals into them indirectly communicating to one another via their videos and “stories” about having a crush on a coworker and experiencing nonexistent occurrences and now everyone in the comments is saying they’ll buy the product so long as the two social media managers finally go on a date.

so they say fuck it, why not finally see each other face to face?

the next video ends up going viral as they both narrate a wild first date story (they just met up for coffee), already teasing one another like an old married couple (ghost’s puns have somehow gotten worse), and suddenly a silly idea turns into far more than they had both anticipated (in a positive way, of course, both for work and personal reasons).

[callsignseagull]

all you had to do was stay ✪ part 1

Jake ‘Hangman’ Seresin x fem!reader

Summary: Six years ago Jake hit your life like a hurricane. In and out in a matter of weeks. You thought after you get over the disappointment of him leaving without saying a word you’d never think of him again. But then two pink lines change your life forever. Now he’s back and still has no idea that the little girl by your side is his daughter. 

Words: 2.1k

Warnings: Not much, honestly. maybe just a little angsty 

A/N: Here’s part one!! I hope you like it! It's a little on the short side but hopefully there'll be more soon :))

feedback is always appreciated :)

series masterlist

You’re sitting at the dining table, scrolling through your emails with one hand while holding your toast in the other. You’ve become a pro at multitasking.

“Mommy? Do you think they have churros at that market Penny is taking me?” Your daughter is munching on a toast of her own, crumbs sticking to her cheeks. 

“I’m sure.” You smile. “And I’m sure if you ask nicely, Penny will get some for you.” 

She grins before taking another bite of her toast and you can’t help but reach over and give her a kiss. You can’t believe how fast she’s growing up. At now five years old, Josie is your entire world. As shocked and scared as you were when you found out about her, she’s the best thing that ever happened to you.   

Turning back to your laptop, you flag the most important mails so you don’t forget to follow up on them later. The time before one of your books releases is always the most stressful, but you wouldn’t change it for the world. You got so lucky. 

You wrote and illustrated your first children’s book while being pregnant with Josie, it gave you something to distract yourself from all the changes you were going through. And then you posted about it online, it went sort of viral and then a publisher reached out to you. The book was an immediate success. It’s been translated in several different languages and they even make stuffed toys and board games based on your characters now.

And now you’re about to release the fifth book in the series. It’s hard to churn one out every year, but you’re scared that if you drop the ball, all you’ve worked for will be ripped from you. You want to give Josie the best life possible, so you work your ass off. 

When both of you are finished with breakfast, you clean up the table and tell Josie to put her shoes on. As you slip into your own shoes, you whistle for Muffin, the four year old poodle mix you adopted from a rescue last year, and he comes trotting around the corner moments later. 

After checking you’ve got everything you lock the front for behind you, hold your free hand out for Josie to take, the other holding Muffin’s leash. Then, the three of you take on the short walk towards the Hard Deck. 

Penny Benjamin has been a life saver these last few years, throughout your pregnancy and beyond. She’s been there for you whenever you needed her, day or night. You don’t know what you would’ve done without her. And now she’s somewhat of a grandma figure for Josie, and she’s probably the hottest grandma ever. Her and Amelia are the closest thing you and Josie have to a family, besides each other.

Today, Penny is taking Josie to a Food Market while you look after the bar for a couple hours. It’s still early and not many people will be there, but you’re glad you can help Penny out while still getting some work done for yourself.

“There’s my favourite little family!” Penny greets, as you enter the Hard Deck, her arms wide and Josie immediately runs towards her and into her arms. 

“Hi Penny! I’m so excited! Are you excited? Do you think they’ll have churros?” Josie rambles with glistening eyes, her dimples on show and for a moment you’re reminded of how much she looks like her father. You manage to push thoughts of him to the back of your mind most days but sometimes you just look at her and all you can see is him. 

You haven’t tried reaching out to him again. You know you should’ve. But it felt wrong sending him a text telling him he’ll be a father. And you doubted that he even wanted to be a father. So you decided you’d spare yourself, and your daughter, the heartache. Josie hasn’t asked about her father much, but when she did you told her that he’s a pilot in the Navy and that he loves her. You never want her to feel like she’s not wanted.  

✩̿✪̿✩̿

Jake knew he’d come back eventually. He just didn’t know it would take him so long. But if he was being honest with himself he knew that if it wasn’t for him being called back to Top Gun for some top secret mission he still wouldn’t have had the guts to come back here. Hell, he’s been living only a few hours north from here for the past couple of years. He easily could’ve made the drive down. But he’d always been good at coming up with excuses. But now he couldn’t. Not when he’s in the same city for the next few months. He’d constantly be looking for you. Seeing you in every face that just slightly resembled yours. He didn’t even know if you still lived in San Diego, though. But going to the Hard Deck seemed like the logical thing to do. Even if you weren’t working there anymore, Penny Benjamin might know where to find you.

As soon as he enters the bar he’s hit with nostalgia. Nothing has changed. He takes a look around and pretends he’s the six years younger version of himself, still naive enough to think that nothing will ever rattle him.

Since it’s still the early afternoon it’s not busy and there seems to be no one behind the bar right now. With a deep sigh he sits down in one of the barstools, then notices someone crouched down behind the bar, looking for something in a cabinet. 

His breath catches in his throat. It can’t be.

He hasn’t seen you in six years, and even though he can’t see your face right now, he knows it’s you. He can feel it. 

Now he really feels like he’s been transported back six years in time. You haven’t noticed him yet and he can’t hold back the words that are going through his head.

“Can you pinch me? Because I can’t believe you’re real. I thought I was dreaming.” He knows it’s a bit of a dick move, throwing his first thing he ever said to you at you now. But maybe you’re not as mad at him as he thinks? What if you don’t even remember him? He hadn’t thought about that. Fuck. 

✩̿✪̿✩̿

You almost hit your head when you spin around towards him.  This can’t be real.

“What are you doing here?” You must look like you’ve seen a ghost, but it honestly feels like that. He looks the same but he doesn’t. He’s filled out more, even though you never thought it possible. And he just looks overall more mature. It suits him. 

“What am I doing here in San Diego or what am I doing here at the Hard Deck?” He tilts his head, a small smile on his face. You don’t grace that with an answer, he knows what you mean. The smile slowly drops from his face, and there’s a seriousness in his eyes that makes it impossible for you to look away. “I was hoping to find you here.”

“Why?”

“I want to apologise.” 

That makes you straighten up. Apologise? After six years? 

“I was an absolute asshole to you and you didn’t deserve that. I was going through a rough time and I took all that out on you. I’m sorry. And I’m sorry I just left without saying goodbye. I got called on a mission right after graduation and when I got back I figured you didn’t wanna talk to me ever again.”

His words take your breath away for a moment. Never in a million years did you think you’d get an apology from Jake. 

“I-,” you stop, wringing your hands together. At a loss for words.

“You don’t have to say anything.” He smiles softly. “I’m in town for a while. Maybe we could … I don’t know … hang out sometime? Catch up?”

As much as you want to protect your heart and tell him no, you know you have to catch him up on what happened after he left. It’s not right to keep him in the dark now that he’s here. You know that.

“You don’t have to answer me now. Take some time to think about it. I’m sure you’re busy, with your books being such a success. And you’re still working at the bar?” He looks curious and you’re a little shocked.

“I’m just helping Penny out for a couple hours. You know about my books?”

“My nieces love them.” He grins. “I have to read them to them before bed every time I’ve got time to visit them down in Texas.”

“You’ve got nieces?” 

“Yeah, they’re two and four. Love them to death. My Mom’s been begging for grandkids for years and she’s so happy to dote on them every chance she gets.”

Your heart constricts. Two and four. They’re younger than Josie. Not only does she have cousins somewhere in Texas, she’s also the first grandchild to a woman who’s never met her. Who doesn’t even know about her. But you don’t know much about Jake’s parents. Maybe she wouldn’t be the biggest fan of a child out of wedlock. 

You glance at Jakes hand. No ring. 

You muster up the courage to your next question. You know the answer might hurt, but you have to ask him.

“Any kids of your own?” 

Jake shakes his head with a laugh, “No, not that I know of.” 

It’s just a joke but you feel like it makes your heart stop before it starts beating rapidly in your chest. This is it. There’s no better moment than now. Just get it over with.

“Jake, I-“ 

“Mommy!” Josie comes barreling through the door, Penny a few steps behind her. “Penny let me have Churros and they were delicious!” She wraps her arms around you and looks up at you with her sparkling green eyes.

Maybe you don’t even have to tell him. You glance at Jake and he looks a bit taken aback.

“Yeah, honey? Did you have fun?”

“So much fun!” She grins, showing off her deep dimples, and you run a hand over her head before giving her a kiss. You manage to look at Penny, who’s glaring at Jake. It takes all your courage to look at him. He doesn’t even seem to notice Penny, his eyes focused on the girl in your arms. You can’t read the expression on his face, has he already realised how much she looks like him? 

“Well, I guess I don’t have to ask you if you have any.” He smiles, his lips tight, then looks at your daughter and his smile turns more genuine. “What’s your name, sweetheart?” Hearing the term of endearment again makes goosebumps raise on your skin. 

“Josie.” She’s not a shy kid, so you’re not surprised when she looks at him curiously and asks, “Who are you?” 

Your grip tightens around her but before you can say anything he replies, “I’m an old friend of your Mom.” 

You shoot him a really? look but he just shrugs his shoulders. Well, you guess it is inappropriate to tell your five-year-old daughter that he used to fuck your brains out. 

“Thanks for helping out.” Penny says, “Both of you.” She winks at Josie. 

Muffin comes trotting around the corner and Josie let’s go of you to throw her arms around the poodle mix. “I missed you!” While Muffin covers your daughter’s face in slobber, Jake huffs out a laugh. 

“A dog, too, huh?” 

You shrug your shoulders, not sure what to say to that. 

“Does the house have a picket fence?” It’s a bit of a loaded question, you think, but you don’t read too much into it and reply truthfully, thinking about the little house you put a down payment on a couple years ago. 

“It does.” 

Jake rubs his chest and gives you that tight lipped smile again. “I’m happy for you.” 

He means it, you can tell. “Thanks, Jake.”

He gets up from his seat at the bar, knocks on the wood a couple times then says. “Your husband is one lucky guy.” Another tight lipped smile.

“My wha-?” 

“I’ll see you around.” He nods then turns on his heel and before you can comprehend what just happened he’s gone.

“Mommy, why did he say your husband? You don’t have one of those.” 

“I don’t know, honey.” 

You watch him cross the parking lot to his car and it dawns on you that he thinks that all your dreams came true:  become a full time illustrator, fall in love, get married, adopt a dog, buy a little house, have kids.

Little does he know that you fell in love with him, had his kid, and did all of the rest on your own. 

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