Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 100873 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 504(@200wpm)___ 403(@250wpm)___ 336(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100873 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 504(@200wpm)___ 403(@250wpm)___ 336(@300wpm)
What she discovered almost set her phone on fire.
5
TINGLES, PRIMORDIAL TINGLES
“People are nuts,” she muttered to herself as she scanned the explosion of heart emojis and smug “I told you so” comments alongside the gushing hope that their “new love” would last so the fans could enjoy the “wedding of the year.”
All because someone had caught her looking up at Danny in concern while he leaned into her. Okay, she could see how her concern might be interpreted as intense interest in the gems of delight falling from his lips—while the way his body was positioned made it seem like he was being all protective.
Meanwhile, he’d been trying not to fall over, and she’d been stressed out over how long Viliame was taking to get back to them.
Rolling her eyes, she took a quick peek at her diary and saw that her memory was spot-on: Veni was doing a partial shift at the hospital today. Since she didn’t carry her phone with her on the ward, Catie sent her a quick text saying she’d call once Veni was back home.
Then she got to returning work calls. Including one from her sports agent, Soraya, who immediately looped in Catie’s publicist, Ani.
“This is uh-mazing, babes!” Ani gushed. “The coverage is fantastic and so positive!”
“We are not together,” Catie muttered.
“Keep saying that.” Soraya’s far more pragmatic tone. “It’ll just make everyone speculate. I’ve already had multiple companies get in touch about the possibility of dual marketing deals with you as a couple.”
Given Jacqueline’s wealth, Catie didn’t need sponsorship. She accepted it because she wanted to support herself and because it allowed her to help fund smaller charities that Jacqueline had declared not worth the tax deduction. Also, her mother had a way of trading money for control, and while Catie gritted her teeth and bore it when it came to major charitable endeavors, she refused to permit it in her private life.
“Listen to me,” she said, word by word, “we are not together. There will be no couple deals.”
Ani paused in her ecstatic burbling. “Really? Babes, a one-night hookup between you two will be a catastrophe! People are invested. They need at least a short-term relationship.” Her voice was suddenly two pitches higher. “I need a drink.”
“Hey, it’s not the fall of the Parthenon,” Catie muttered. “It’s just social media gossip.”
Ani made a strangled sound. “Catie, darling, I love you. So let me make it clear—the public has Daniel Esera on a pedestal, so you’ll take the fall.”
“If Ani’s right,” Soraya said, “and I happen to agree with her, the fallout could impact your other sponsorships.”
“Bullshit. This isn’t the 1800s.”
“Kiddo, people suck,” her agent drawled. “And the patriarchy is alive and well. You’ll be the hoyden who broke his bright young heart. He’ll get aw-baby sweetie, what did that meanie Catie do to you while you’ll be cast as the villain. Think about it.”
Catie was still fuming ten minutes after the call ended.
When Danny finally emerged from his bedroom after taking care of all the admin, she said, “According to social media, we’re getting married any day now and our babies will be the cutest!” She said the last in her peppiest voice.
Mock horror on his face, he collapsed onto the other end of the sofa after patting the blanket to find out where her feet ended. “Matthew gave me the heads-up. Says he’s had calls from every possible media outlet.”
Catie scowled as a message popped up on her phone, sent through by a girlfriend. “Egad.” She turned the screen so Danny could see it. “We are not famous enough for this.” It was the online front page of one of the biggest tabloids in the world.
“Apparently, together, we are.” He looked a bit ill before suddenly brightening. “Hey, we’re snowed in. The assholes can’t stalk us!”
Catie stared out at the snow falling beyond the balcony, felt her eyes go wide… and started to cackle. Danny joined in, and the next thing she knew, they were both laughing so hard that she made him look away from her so she could catch her breath.
Of course, that only lasted until he looked back. They set each other off again.
Exhausted afterward, her stomach muscles aching, she thought about what Ani and Soraya had said. She wasn’t about to put that on Danny. Not when he was already dealing with shit. “Did you make a therapist appointment?”
“Do I have a mother named Alison Esera who will not stop calling me her baby boy?” Despite his grumpy words and the muscled arms folded across his equally muscled chest, there was love in every word. “I have a remote session this afternoon.”
“Good. Better to get it all out there straight off the bat. Don’t let it stew.”
“You sound like you know what you’re talking about.”
Catie pointed in the direction of her legs. “Jacqueline has her flaws as a mother, but she made sure I had a therapist in the room the day after I woke up. Ísa had already interviewed the woman to make sure our personalities would mesh. Anyway, I got it all out there, about how scared I was, how I was terrified I’d never run again, and I did feel better.”