I cover my mouth with one hand. “Did you get burned?”

“No, it was iced. But I still had to go home and change.”

Right, his curls still seem a bit damp. Mmm, I have to fight hard with my limbs not to run a hand up the back of his neck.

“Anyway.” Richard moves toward the group assembled at my desk. “How are the first responses?”

Ada clicks the mouse. “Sixty thousand views already.”

“Social media is going crazy,” Saffron says.

“CNN wants to run the story on CNN Today!” Zane puffs his chest out.

“CNN,” I screech. “Are you kidding me?”

“I kid you not!” He smiles.

Richard pats my shoulder. “Well done!”

I beam at him, trying not to melt under his touch.

“Now,” the boss adds in a more practical tone. “Can we manage the extra traffic to our website?” he asks, looking at the techies.

“I’ll make sure we get some extra server capacity,” one says.

The entire tech team scurries back to their computers.

“All right,” Richard says, addressing the whole office. “Let’s make sure we run a tight ship today and then we can all go out to celebrate tonight!”

Everyone shouts their approval and even Chevron contributes to the general enthusiasm with a loud howl.

***

By the end of the day, I have a better understanding of what “going viral” means. The hashtag #MaisonVanderFraud is trending on Twitter, we’ve reached over a million views on YouTube, and the story is all over the media. Both traditional and social.

At six thirty, Richard walks to the center of the open space and claps his hands to get everyone’s attention.

“All right, people.” The office quiets down. “This week has been incredible, and today has been an unprecedented success. It couldn’t have happened without your combined effort. Blair, thank you for bringing in the story and pulling off a magnificent piece of investigative journalism. Zane, thanks for handling the TV rights.” Each announcement is followed by thunderous applause. “Saffron, for fueling the Social Media craze. Our techies, for making sure our website didn’t crash. Everyone else, for your support.” Richard lets the applause die before speaking again. “Now it’s Friday night, and I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait for the weekend to get started. So what do you say we all go out for a drink to celebrate?”

Richard’s proposal is approved by a standing ovation.

He lingers by my desk. “Walker, are you coming?”

“I’m not sure.” The boss seems disappointed, so I add, “It’s just that I don’t know if a bar is a good place for Chevron.”

“Right, I hadn’t thought of that. What if I take Chevron to my house and join you guys later?”

“Are you sure it’s not a problem?” I ask.

He kneels down to pet her with both hands, and I swear I’ve never seen a dog so ecstatic. “Nah, I’m sure this beauty won’t wreck the place, and anyway, I can give you a lift home afterward. You can’t walk home alone in the middle of the night.”