"...Anson should have arrived in New York by now, right?"
Karen Fox mumbled to herself, her gaze distant.
Meanwhile, Blair Miller was focused, not paying any attention. She was busy sifting through TMZ and various online forums—piecing together information, searching for clues, and trying to pinpoint Anson's location.
Both of them were lost in their own tasks, neither bothering the other.
Karen, immersed in her thoughts, was conflicted.
On one hand, she was excited, hardly able to believe that Anson had managed to pull off such a surprising feat. His constant waves of excitement had kept everyone on edge, with surprise after surprise building to a final climax. It was turning into a massive pop culture event.
She imagined herself in a movie theater watching Catch Me If You Can, only for Anson to unexpectedly appear right after the film ended.
Ah, ah, ah!
Even just imagining it made every cell in her body scream with excitement.
Since the last time she saw Anson up close during a Tonight Show taping, it had been almost half a year without seeing him face to face. If he showed up like that, she might just burst into tears on the spot.
But there was also the dilemma—this event was all about secrecy. Everything was meant to be kept under wraps, no leaks allowed. The surprise had to remain a surprise.
Some people might wonder, "How has no one figured out where Anson is? Where are all the paparazzi?"
The truth is, TMZ had stayed invisible throughout the whole thing. It was obvious they had made some sort of deal with DreamWorks, agreeing not to spoil the event.
Besides, the value of breaking this kind of surprise event is limited. Sure, fans might flood a location if it were leaked, but then what? There wasn't much to gain for the paparazzi, so it was better to stay in good graces.
At the same time, DreamWorks had meticulously planned everything. They had helicopters, private jets, and multiple vehicles heading in different directions, keeping Anson's movements airtight and ensuring the surprise lasted till the very end.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Anson made it clear that the point of this event wasn't for promotion—he wasn't doing magazine interviews or allowing TV crews to follow him. This was for the fans.
Of course, he admitted it was still a promotional event, but this one was different. He wanted the audience to be the main characters.
So, if the surprise got leaked and fans rushed to the theaters, it would defeat the whole purpose. It would turn into just another fan meet-and-greet, which was never the original intention.
"I like seeing those genuine reactions," Anson said. "The real joy, the real surprise, even the genuine indifference."
"I'm serious. After I show up, some people just leave, not caring at all. I love their reactions; they genuinely don't care who I am. Haha."
"Of course, this time everyone has been pretty nice. No one outright told me, 'I don't like you.' I guess the Christmas spirit saved me," he added with a laugh.
Karen loved this side of Anson. In fact, she adored him even more—the way he carried himself, his ideas, his creativity, his talent. She was completely captivated.
She agreed 100% with his approach. A surprise needs to remain a surprise, or it loses its charm.
But the downside was, she had no idea where Anson would be next—and might miss him altogether.
Karen felt both envious and jealous of those lucky enough to be surprised.
Her stomach churned.
What should she do?
Caught in this conflict, Karen sat in silence, torn between her emotions.
"Ah!" Blair suddenly gasped.
Karen jumped.
Blair covered her mouth, "Anson's in Boston."
"What? That's impossible!" Karen exclaimed.
Blair turned her laptop around. On the screen was a post from Yahoo's community page:
"Anson Wood just arrived in Cambridge."
This Cambridge wasn't the famous town near London, but the one next to Boston where Harvard and MIT are located.
Below the headline was a blurry photo of Anson's profile.
Karen's mind raced. "This can't be real. You can't even see it clearly. It's already 6 PM. If Anson's in Boston—"
Blair had a different perspective. "Maybe all of this is just in our heads. Don't forget, Anson never gave away any details."
"No promise of coming to New York today. No hint that the surprise tour would end after crossing North America. For all we know, he could head further north to Montreal or Toronto. Maybe even fly across the Atlantic to London or Paris."
"It's all just our speculation."
Karen was stunned. "But Anson just left Philadelphia. Shouldn't his next stop be New York?"
Blair shrugged. "That's what we assumed. We all thought, 'Hey, it's New York! No way Anson would skip it!' But remember, we didn't expect him to go to Boise either. Skipping New York isn't that far-fetched."
"Or maybe he'll finish his Canada and Europe tour, then circle back to New York at the end."
"My point is, Anson didn't make any promises."
"We've all been thinking he'd show up in New York tonight, but what if he stops in Boston first and then shows up tomorrow to catch us off guard?"
Karen's eyes widened. "If it's tomorrow, no one would see it coming! He'd surprise us all over again."
Blair nodded slightly. "Surprise!"
The more Karen thought about it, the more likely it seemed. "That's so Anson. He always keeps us guessing. This time is no different."
Thump. Thump.
Her heart raced. An indescribable excitement bubbled up inside her.
Karen and Blair exchanged glances. This was exactly why they loved Anson, wasn't it?
But.
After the brief thrill, disappointment set in again.
Karen sighed. "So, no Anson tonight?"
Blair continued studying the photo. "Probably not. Want to head out for a walk? If I stay here much longer, I might go crazy."
Karen hesitated briefly but then nodded.
Before long, the news was confirmed—
Anson was indeed in Boston, pulling off yet another surprise flash event.
The Boston crowd was completely shocked. They, too, had been certain that New York was next. After all, Anson had skipped San Diego in Southern California, so skipping Boston and ending in New York made perfect sense.
Naturally, the Boston fans were caught completely off guard—stunned into silence.
Literally.
The surprise was so overwhelming that even Anson fumbled a bit, which sparked a wave of good-natured laughter online.
While Boston fans basked in their shock,
New Yorkers were plunged into disbelief and despair—
Wait, Boston? After Philly, he went to Boston? What about New York? He skipped New York? How could that be?
That's New York! New York!