“No. He should say something about it, not you.”
“Why?” I ask despite knowing the answer. She just wants to drag it out so the media keeps talking about it.
“Because you need not speak his name or bother about this. You focus on doing your best, okay?” I sigh, knowing nothing I say will change her mind. So I put on my sunglasses, grab my bag, and leave the room.
I’m lost in thought as we make our way down the hotel lobby, Julian falling a step behind me.
“Do you want me to hunt that stupid vlogger down? I’ll find him and give him the beating of his life. That’ll straighten him up.” Julian says with a serious expression that makes me chuckle.
Bless him, he really goes above and beyond doing his job. He’s made it his mission to always make me laugh, too. Although I’m not really sure that last one was a joke because he doesn’t laugh when I do.
It’s been almost a year since Mateo hired him to be my bodyguard. When I crashed my car after being chased by the paparazzi, Mateo became even more paranoid about my safety and put Julian in charge of my security.
Since then, life has gotten a bit easier. Not because he shields me from the unwanted attention from the paparazzi, but because he became my friend in the process. Someone I can really be honest with.
“Where should I take you?” he asks, his dark brown eyes gleaming at me.
He is a good-looking man. Tall, muscular, olive skin that makes him look like he spends his days at the beach. A literal epitome of tall, dark, and handsome. His playful brown eyes and boyish charm make it easy to like him, too. In fact, at one point, he went viral online after getting caught in paparazzi photos with me.“The most handsome bodyguard in Argentina,”the posts read.
That said, he can be scary when he wants to, mostly when he’s scaring off paparazzi and rude people who try to harass me.
“I’m really hungry. Poolside restaurant? I smile at him.
“Sure thing. It’s almost happy hour now. Should we get you some margaritas? You worked hard today,” he says, putting hishand on the small of my back as he opens the door that leads to the pool area.
“That actually sounds really good right now,” I say.
“Hell yeah!” He chuckles.
As we walk towards the restaurant, I spot a familiar pair of broad shoulders and a buzzcut from across the pool.
That’s Mateo.
Feeling like I haven’t seen him in a while, since we’re both busy working, I start to smile, until I notice who he is with.
Damiano.
My ex-fake-boyfriend.
Shit. I pause for a moment, take a deep breath, and fix my hair. I walk slower, dreading the interaction.
Damiano is wearing an expensive suit as always. He has on his face a bit of a frown, but it only makes him look hotter. His long, wavy, dark-brown hair is slightly disheveled, like he’s been running his hand through it. Even so, he still looks like a GQ model on his day off.
“Otra vez estecheto.” Julian scoffs. For some reason, he’s acquired a particular disdain for Damiano in the short amount of time they’ve mingled.
“I know, they’re always together these days,” I try to act nonchalant so he doesn’t notice how bothered I am by the man’s presence.
When we’re close enough, I call Mateo’s name. Both their heads pop up to look in our direction.
Mateo smiles as soon as he sees me, but it’s replaced by a questioning frown immediately.
I shake my head. He’s already suspicious of why I’m here, just like the most ridiculously overprotective sibling in the entire world.
I hug him, ignoring Damiano.
"What are you guys doing here?" I ask.
“Lunch meeting,” Mateo says.
