I let out an embarrassed chuckle. Getting stopped by excited customers has been a common occurrence lately since every food blogger in Maui has posted about the feud between Callum and me. People ask for selfies with Mom or me—sometimes both of us—a handful of times every week. It’s flattering but also unnerving. When we started this food truck, I thought my biggest stress would be cooking good food to earn enough income. I never dreamed I’d have to schmooze and take fan photos.

The bubbly blonde goes on about how the fruit salad is her favorite dessert.

“The vanilla whipped cream makes it so refreshing!” She digs her phone out of her purse and leans back a little, almost like she’s afraid to ask.

“Would you like to take a selfie?” I ask.

Her grin stretches from ear to ear. “Um, duh!”

She wraps one skinny arm around my shoulder, yanking me into a side hug. I grunt at how hard she grips me. She’s much stronger than her tiny frame lets on.

After taking a half dozen selfies on her phone, she squeals again.

“I follow your food truck on social media. I’m your biggest fan!” Holding up her phone to me, she swipes across the screen. “That’s me, @hungrypenelope. I wish I could make it out to your food truck every day for every meal, but then I’d go broke.”

When she laughs, I can’t help but laugh along with her. As awkward as it is to be stopped while going about my daily errands, it’s also flattering. The fact that complete strangers enjoy our food enough to tell us means everything. It makes all this craziness worth it.

I try to match her enthusiasm with a smile. “I love your handle, so funny. And you have such a pretty name.”

She yanks me into another hug that’s so tight I have to hold my breath. After she releases me, I catch her impressive one-hundred-thousand-plus follower count.

“Whoa,” I mutter.

She waves her hand in the air, like it’s no big deal. “Oh yeah. I do social media for a living.”

I almost ask her what tips she could offer me so I can maximize our online exposure, but she speaks first. “I seriously cannot wait for the Maui Food Festival. Like, seriously. I’m already so excited! You and your mom have my vote, and my friends’ votes too. You’re our favorite place to eat on the island, hands down.”

The smile drops, her face darkening. She peers over her shoulder before leaning toward me, like she’s about to reveal a secret. “By the way, I think what Hungry Chaps did to steal your spot was so uncool. Like, majorly uncool. My ex-boyfriend was like that. Always pulling shady power moves. Completely not okay. Can you believe I moved all the way from Ohio to Maui for a jerk like that?”