Ingrid smiles back. “It’s a promotion, so it will come with a pay bump. I’ll talk with HR and have an official offer letter ready for you in a few days, but I hope you’ll accept.”
“Yes,” I say immediately. “Yes, I want it.”
I hope I sound poised and professional, instead of the excited schoolkid I feel like. I know my stepdad would tell me to play it coy and negotiate for more money, but honestly, I would want this even without the pay bump. Being able to come up with my own articles instead of being assigned them is the kind of creative freedom I’ve been craving.
Plus, my head is already racing with ideas. Expanding our contributing writers to feature more articles on LGBTQ love stories, creating pages on the forum collaborative dating profile building, a dating horror story competition…
“I’m glad to hear that,” Ingrid says, looking at me fondly. “I know I’ve been asking a lot of you recently, but you’ve risen to the challenge every time. You’re producing the kind of signature content we need atBelladonna, and you’re sparking real conversations in the forums. I reward people who do excellent work.”
My cheeks heat with pleasure. Her praise means more to me than a new office or even a promotion ever could. It makes me feel like someone actually sees me and how hard I try to be the best at what I do.
Ingrid leans against the desk. “There’s one thing I wanted to bring up, while it’s just the two of us. It’s somewhat sensitive, so I hope you’re not offended. I saw a post in the Toronto Tea a couple days ago, and I wondered if it was true.”
“Is what true?” I ask, confused.
Ingrid arches her brows. “So you haven’t read it yet?”
I shake my head. “I don’t even know what you’re talking about. I read the Tea sometimes, but I haven’t checked it out for a few weeks.”
“Oh. Well, I’m sorry to be the one to tell you this, but a writer named Peppermint has made some troubling accusations thatyour stepbrother has some sort of—well, to use her phrasing, some ‘creepy crush’ on you,” Ingrid says awkwardly.
It feels like someone dropped a cannonball in my stomach. My whole body might collapse from the pressure of the blow.
“Peppermint says that you moved in with him while you needed an apartment, but that he might take advantage of the situation,” Ingrid continues. “Since your stepbrother is, and these are her words, ‘known for sleeping with anything with two legs,’ she worries he’s not the type of guy to take no for an answer.”
I want to scream from the unfairness of it. Why’s my private life suddenly plastered all over the gossip blogs? Whoever Peppermint is, she obviously knows nothing about Ryan and me. Say what you want about him, but he wouldneverforce himself on a woman. Plenty of girls have rejected him right to his face, and he’s always shrugged it off and moved on to the next one.
As for the “creepy crush”…well, it’s complicated.
The silence has stretched on for too long, but I don’t know how to explain this to Ingrid. I have to saysomething.“I’m so sorry. I’m mortified. Ididmove in with my stepbrother. And yes, he’s a player. But the rest of it—I—no. It’s just not true.”
“Really?” Ingrid’s mouth turns down, almost like she’s disappointed.
“I can write up an article explaining it’s not true, if that’s what you want.”
“No, no. Don’t do that.” She waves dismissively. “In fact, it’s probably best if you just let people believe what they want to believe. Because even if itwerepossibly alittlebit true, readers would eat it up. Theylovescandal. Maybe you should even lean into it a little in your articles.”
“What do you mean?”
“You know, mention his name, his reaction to your dates. It’ll add intrigue, which means more views. After all, everyoneloves a taboo romance. Speaking of which, in your next 12 Dates article, I want some juicier details.”
“What?” I squeak.
“Romantically, they’re just a little…dry. You never tell us if you’re attracted to the guys, or if they gave you a kiss goodnight. No pressure to do anything, but if holding hands or a kiss happens naturally, I want you to write about it. It just adds a little something extra, you know? Makes the series seem aspirational.”
Crap. If my dates keep going like they have been, she might as well be asking for the moon. Some of these guys haven’t been worth giving a handshake, let alone a kiss. Getting Ingrid that “something extra” might be the hardest assignment she’s given me yet.
Not to mention, having sex with Ryan has sent me reeling. Things between us are just physical, but I’d be lying if I said they weren’t complicated. He’s always going to be a part of my life, and I don’t know how it’ll feel when we decide to end things. The bottom line is, with the amazing sex I’m having with Ryan, I don’t know how I feel about kissing another guy who will probably just be mediocre.
But how can I tell Ingrid no, when she just gave me a new office and a promotion? She’s put such a huge gesture of faith in me, so I can’t let her down yet.
“I’m on it,” I tell her. “No problem. I’ll make sure the next ones are juicy.”
“Good. I knew you wouldn’t let me down,” she says cheerily. “Well, I’m sure you want to get working in your new office. I’ll leave you to it.”
The door clicks shut behind Ingrid, and for a moment I just stand there, frozen in the middle of my shiny new office. I should be screaming. Dancing. Calling everyone I’ve ever met to brag.
Instead, I pull out my phone with numb fingers and typeToronto Tea Ryan Archerinto the search bar.
