“Oh.” I didn’t think something like that existed for me. Or rather, was affordable for me. I guess it isn’t, probably, but Matt’s job is making it possible. “What would she do exactly?”
“Everything. Anything. She said she’d want to get you a new phone number to start. She’d like access to your socials to scrub anything that got in before Nate made them private. And she’ll handle all those interview requests. She has some suggestions for other things too, like what to tell friends and family and whatnot, but I told her I’d need to talk to you first. If you want to work with her, we can meet as soon as tomorrow morning.”
I bite my lip and mull it over. I’m pretty sure tomorrow is Easter. This all sounds like more than just a favor. Andexpensive. “That seems like a lot of work. I’d want to pay her for her time, but I don’t know if I could afford?—”
“I already told her I’d cover any hourly rate for her help, but she wasn’t interested.”
Oh. Okay.There’s really no reason not to do it then, right? A thought does occur to me—is this going to be my life with Matt? Someone else in charge of so many things?
But then another thought—does it matter? It’s things I don’t want to deal with anyway, so it shouldn’t. And a publicist is something I probablywouldhave used before if I had the means to.
I remember last night Matt mentioned how the weight of the world felt likelessnow, being with me. I can’t help but feel the same.Was it worth it?I can’t believe I asked that question earlier. Can’t believe I had an inkling of doubt about the decision to be with Matt. I feel guilty I was even capable of that thought. I’m going to blame the bitch I call grief for that momentary lapse in judgment and shelve this underthings to never mention or think again.
I rearrange myself so I’m lying on top of Matt, my body pressed to his.He asked me last night if I was his, but does he know he’s mine too? I think of his earlier panic and realize maybe not.
“Okay. Let’s call her tomorrow,” I murmur, too exhausted to think about dealing more with this right now.
I snuggle in close, kissing the side of his neck and thinking of ways to prove to him just how much he means to me.
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
ELLIE
The Bears’assistant director of communications might be the most attractive woman I’ve ever seen in real life. The type of person you have to force yourselfnotto stare at. I feel a twinge of insecurity that she works with Matt, but she’s got an obscene engagement ring on her finger and has hardly paid him any attention during our meeting anyway.
And she’sallbusiness. Aside from offering me a sincere apology about what I’ve gone through, she’s operated with a level of efficiency and focus that points to her being extremely good at her job. She asked to come to my apartment when we called her early this morning so that she could “take care” of my phone. On Easter.
So for the past hour she’s been sitting in my tiny living room in a perfectly fitted white long-sleeved shirt and high-waisted brown flare slacks, the picture of sophistication and style. Even her dark hair is in a sleek, perfect ponytail. Flyaways? She’s never heard of them. Clothing wrinkles? Not on her watch. A swell of gratitude washes over me for my job that has a uniform and does not require any level of tailored hairstyles or makeup. I would never be able to dress cute every day for work, let alone do my hair and put on more than mascara.
“You said you work at General?”
Sloane looks up from where she’s been sitting in the leather armchair, her pale hazel eyes zeroed in on me. Next to her olive skin tone, it’s hard not to marvel at the combination. I wonder what her parents look like.
I give her a nod. “I work in the emergency department.”
She frowns ever so slightly at that. I’m not sure I would’ve caught it if I wasn’t so locked in on her inhumanly perfect face. Matt is beautiful beyond compare, but part of his beauty is his little imperfections that add to the conventional good looks he’s got going on. Sloane doesn’t have a single one that I can tell. I’m tempted to ask if she’s had work done, but (a) that’s rude as fuck and (b) I think she’d tell me no anyway.
“Is that bad?”
She looks surprised. “No, of course not. Security tends to be a little tougher in ER settings, but a hospital is generally still very safe.”
Matt tenses next to me. “Ellie’s job is important to her. She moved away from home for it.”
I’m hit with a pang of guilt. That is why I movedhere,but I guess I haven’t talked to Matt about why I applied for a job that would get me out of Boston. I think my shame has kept that one bottled up.
“Ellie is perfectly fine to keep her job, Matt.” Sloane focuses back on me with a patient smile. “Security is not my area of expertise, which is why I was just clarifying your work location. I’ll touch base with my security contact, but I wouldn’t expect it to be an issue. If you ever feel worried about something, or if anyone asks you personal questions there, don’t hesitate to alert the security on-site. It might be best to let your supervisors know the situation now so they are aware.”
“I can tell my charge nurse, Maggie,” I confirm.
“Good. Have you talked to any friends or family yet?”
“Not yet,” I tell her. “Matt mentioned last night you had ideas, and I wasn’t really ready to deal with it anyway. But I probably need to talk to my dad today and I’ll see a couple of coworkers-slash-friends at work later who might have seen the stories.”
“Yeah, that would probably be best. And I bet they’re worried about you.” She gives me what I’m sure is a practiced empathetic look. “I have a few guidelines for things to talk to them about, but everything I tell you is advice and it’s really up to you how you want to handle things. Unlike Matt, you don’t report to my employer, so there are no obligations here, okay?”
Matt huffs and I give Sloane a smile. “Got it. And I know I already said it, but thank you again. This is incredibly kind of you. I’m sure you’re already really busy.”
“I’m happy to do it, truly,” she says. “And I like staying busy.”Preach. She smiles and then reaches over to her fancy bag to pull out a piece of paper. “This is my standard spiel I give anyone coming into some level of scrutiny. I went ahead and listed myself as your publicist for the sake of simplicity. Why don’t you take a look while I step out and call my security guy?”
