For a few minutes we discussed our family adventure of opening an old inn, renovating, and becoming part of the local business community. The comments on them were already scrolling faster than I could read them. Hearts. Question marks. Personal remarks that I wasn’t certain I was comfortable with.
She’s cute.
Is that Caleb’s girlfriend?
I love her sweater.
Tell us about Caleb.
Why are we listening to her? I want Caleb news!
Her hair is weird. She’s not that good looking.
What does he see in her?
I sat back, jaw tight, and told myself to breathe. I admitted to myself that I had been jealous of Lydia’s fanbase, her social media success, but now that I was in the spotlight, I wasn’t sure I liked it at all.
The interviewer glanced down at her screen, then back up, curiosity sharpening. “What is it like being Caleb Green’s girlfriend? Is he as nice as everyone says he is? What do the two of you like to do together? What is it like to date a country star?”
“It’s been private,” I said. “And we’re keeping it that way.”
Lydia inhaled sharply beside me, then recovered. “What Kitty means is—”
“What I mean,” I said, still smiling, “is that Caleb and I want to enjoy our relationship without outside pressure. I would appreciate it if we didn’t speak about it.”
There was another pause. The interviewer nodded, clearly deciding not to push further.
“Well,” she said brightly, “that sounds wonderful. Thank you both for taking the time to chat with us.”
The screen filled with waving hands and holiday emojis, and then the LIVE indicator disappeared.
For a moment, neither of us moved.
Lydia turned to me slowly. “I’m so sorry.”
I closed my eyes and pressed my fingertips to my temples. “It’s okay.”
“It isn’t okay,” she said quickly. “I honestly thought she wanted to interview me. I didn’t realize she was going to just continually ask you about Caleb.”
“I know,” I said. “It was an honest mistake.”
She reached for my arm. “I really am sorry.”
I looked at her then, truly looked at her, and the tension eased. Lydia was contrite in a way that mattered. She had not been intentionally trying to hurt anyone, she had been Lydia.
“I believe you,” I said. “We’ll deal with it.”
Lydia’s phone buzzed and she tapped the screen before grimacing. “You’re not going to like this.”
“What now?” I asked in resignation.
“They think you’re hiding something. Some people said you were rude. Others are protesting that you’re merely protecting your relationship,” Lydia said. “It’s creating more interest than ever.”
“Oh boy,” I put my hands in my head. I wasn’t sure Caleb was going to like this. He didn’t want any more hype at the moment.
Lydia turned to me, tilting her head. “So how come you didn’t tell us that the two of you are dating?”
Was I supposed to tell Lydia Caleb and I were fake dating? Was I allowed to? My mind scrambled. I chose deflection. “You didn’t announce that you and Ephram are a couple.”
