“Are they taking pictures of us?” he asks in disbelief. “Why would they do that?”
“Maybe they think George is adorable, which he is,” I sputter. My whole body is starting to shake with a desperate need to escape. This isn’t how I wanted Grayson to find out about me. “Come on. We need to go.”
As I jump to my feet, dragging Grayson and George along, the small crowd realizes that I’m trying to leave and starts descending on us.
“Do they know you?” Grayson asks, still sounding confused.
“Of course not!” I yelp as the group of girls start excitedly chanting my name.
Grayson stares at them, then at me, and all I can do is stare helplessly back.
This is it.
I’ve been caught in my lie and now I’ve got no choice but to deal with it.
CHAPTER EIGHT
“Kali!” the group of girls squeal as they rush over to us.
They circle me excitedly, effectively blocking me from Grayson and him from me. I can’t even offer him any explanation right now, even though my head is spinning so much I don’t think I’d be able to do much explaining anyway. I clutch George’s leash tightly, thankful that my pup is social and friendly. I’ve never gotten flanked like this with him around before. My fur baby presses against my legs, trying to hide while uncertainly appraising the girls barraging me with question after question, followed by more questions.
The second the Glammers approach, my whole persona shifts into business mode. It’s like a light switch flicking on. Running on instinct alone, my practiced G&G grin lights my face, my shoulders automatically straighten, and I smooth a hand over my yellow blouse to make sure it’s still perfectly in place. Despite my polished presence, inside, my heart is sinking like a rock. All I can think about is what must be running through Grayson’s head.
Judging by his bewildered and concerned expression, he isn’t happy.
“Kali, Kali!” the girls chant before jumping into their questions.
“Who’s the guy?”
“Is he going to be on your channel?”
“That picture Sutton posted the other day of you, her, and Liv on the beach was so cute! Where’d you get your swimsuit?”
“Can you give us a shout out the next time you’re live on Insta?”
“We saw you have two million followers now! That’s amazing! How do I get that many?”
“Is it hard to start a beauty business?”
“Can we take selfies with you and Georgie?”
To be honest, I hardly hear any of their questions. Mostly because I’m too busy trying to hastily put together some sort of apology script for Grayson once I’m able to pull away from the G&G fans. Unfortunately, it’s not really like I can tell them that now isn’t the best time for selfies. Interacting with eager fans is a necessary part of being an influencer. If I get testy with them, I could sink the whole G&G ship.
“Of course, Glammers!” I gush, imitating Sutton’s cheerful, zealous tone as best as I can. She seems to soak up every second in the spotlight and I need a bit of her self-assurance right now. “I’d love to take some pics with you, but then I’ve got to head out. The girls and I have so many super exciting things planned for our Glammers over the next few months that I need to get back to work on them.”
I cast a glance at Grayson, whose arms are folded over his chest. His dark brows draw together over his nose, almost meeting in the middle, he’s frowning so hard.
I clear my throat loudly and try to keep my smile in its perfect place. “Also, my friend over there doesn’t like to be on social media. Do you think we can keep him out of the pics for now?”
The girls look longingly at Grayson, but thankfully, they’re so happy to see me and George in real life that they don’t waste any time worrying over him. Once they get their fill of selfies, hugs—and George—they retreat. For the moment at least.
Grayson walks over to stand beside me, absently reaching down to give George a pat when he nudges his hand with his wet nose.
“I guess we should leave while we have the chance,” Grayson mumbles once we’re alone again, obviously noting that we’re still being closely watched. “Before they start taking more pictures.”
He pulls out his wallet, taking out enough to cover the burgers and shakes we didn’t get to finish as well as George’s meal, then adds a generous tip before we make our escape.
We head back to Grayson’s car in silence. The entire walk there, my body feels like it weighs ten thousand pounds. Every step takes a concentrated measure of effort. Grayson, who’d been so chatty and warm earlier, has gone ice cold. It’s not like I can blame him. We had a wild pack of Glammers descend on us like vultures hungry for a snack.
