“Media alert, guys.”Lennox shook his head, swiping across his tablet screen.Lennox was also known as our reputation ambassador.He kept tabs on all mentions of us on social media and in the news, though he was instructed to only alert us of the most severe or controversial occurrences.“Just for you though, Nash.About your new girlfriend.”
Lennox handed me the tablet, which showcased a list of article links.Every link was a different gossip blog.I scanned them all, finding each one speculating about my relationship with Clara.One had managed to dig up the fact that she'd worked for the city planning department, which they were spinning as a "power couple in the making" angle.
"Well, we got what we wanted," I said, showing Archer the headlines."Organic circulation."
But as Archer scrolled through the articles, a cold dread settled in my stomach.These gossip bloggers were good at their jobs.If they kept digging, what would they find?
I’d done my background check, but I needed to research any potential scandals that Clara might have lurking in the shadows.
“Thanks, Lennox.”Archer handed him the tablet, and Lennox excused himself from the conference room.
“It’s a good thing,” I finally said, even though doubts were swirling.
“Why are you worried then?”Archer said, squinting at me as he clicked the tip of his pen compulsively.
"Stop with the psychic shit.But if you must know, I’m worried because it’s new.I’ve avoided a relationship for a lot of reasons, and millions of strangers commenting on my love life is one of them.”
My phone vibrated with an incoming text and I sighed, almost dreading picking it up.This day had been nonstop so far, and I felt like it wasn’t done pummeling us.
CLARA: I need to talk, can I call?
I frowned, immediately swiping through to call her.
“Everything okay?”Archer asked.
“Clara needs me,” I said as it rang.She picked up a moment later.
"Hey," I answered."What’s going on?"
"Oh, just panicking," she said without preamble."I got a call from someone named Haley Reeves.Do you recognize that name?She said she was an investigative journalist and she wanted to do an exclusive interview about our 'whirlwind romance.'"
"Haley Reeves?"I wracked my brain.
"She has like ten million followers on TikTok and Instagram,” Clara went on.“She does these deep-dive exposés on celebrities and influencers.”
“Oh, that’s right.I’ve seen some of her exposés before.”My gut started doing the dread churn again.What if she digs deep enough…
“Nash, she said if I didn't cooperate, she'd be forced to find the information she wants on her own."
I rubbed my brow line, mulling over the news.Haley Reeves wasn't fully a gossip blogger, nor was she fully a journalist.She was an intoxicating mix of the two, which meant she’d catapulted from obscurity into a highly valued content creator.She was thorough, relentless, and had a reputation for uncovering secrets that people thought were buried forever.
"What exactly did she want to know?"
"Everything.How we met, when we started dating, why we've kept our relationship so private."
"Listen, don't talk to her.Don't return her calls, don't respond to any messages.I'll handle this."
"How?Nash, what if she finds out about Mia?I don’t want her plastering my daughter’s face all over the internet.What if she digs into my finances and realizes I was broke three weeks ago and now I'm suddenly shopping at Bergdorf Goodman?"
She was right to be worried.There were too many loose threads, too many questions that an investigative journalist could unravel.
"We'll figure it out," I said, though I had no idea how."Together.Can you meet tonight?We need to get some details straight before our next lunch date."
"Uh…yeah.Tonight’s fine.”
"Dinner at my place at eight?"I suggested.
“Actually—no.”She sighed.“I kept Mia home from daycare today.She’s a little sick.What if we did dinner at my place?”
