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“Excellent. How long are you in town for? I’ve been wanting to do something, and I think you could help. I could pay you a consultation fee if you have time tomorrow.”
“No payment needed. I’m not sure what I can do to help, but I’m willing to try.”
The men make plans for the following day as I let myself sink into the exhaustion I’d been battling for the last few hours. It’s all at once overwhelming.
I don’t register much of what comes next. I only know that Corrin gets me home where he tucks me into bed and whispers, “Goodnight, love” against my hair. His kiss presses against my skin, then there’s nothing.
Chapter 7
Corrin
Yesterday was a bit of a twilight zone situation for me. I’m not one to flaunt my relationships around for others to see. It’s never really been a desire of mine, and honestly, if it weren’t for the need to make our fake dating believable, I’d have kept Austen from the public eye.
Except that wouldn’t work for what we needed. Namely, my parents getting off my back, and Austen’s peers leaving him alone.
And it works, unsurprisingly.
I wake up on the couch to find a slew of text messages and tags on social media. Normally I ignore them; however, I turned them back on before bed to ensure I didn’t miss the news breaking. There are photos and videos galore on every app, all from different angles to display me and Austen together on campus.
Each image reveals more and more about my feelings for him in a way that leaves me vulnerable. More so than I expected.
Sure, I knew I couldn’t hide my feelings as easily anymore now that I’ve touched him and tasted him how I’ve been dreaming of. But I didn’t expect the technicolor version of my longing to be blasted all over the web either.
Closing out the app, I turn to my texts next. I have a few from the label, all of which I ignore. There is also one from my mother. I hold my breath as I click on the notification.
Mom: I see you’re dating that young Page boy. How sweet. I wish you’d have told us before Betty from book club dropped it in my DMs.
The fact that my mother says DMs so casually is disturbing. I reply so she doesn’t feel ignored.
Corrin: It’s newer, but it’s good. I’m happy.
Mom: That’s great. Would love to have him over for dinner when you both have a chance. Hugs and kisses.
With that, I know everything is fine between us. She’ll stop her meddling, which will give me the space to focus on what I need to.
The music.
My music.
Working alone the day before gave me one full song and a melody to a second one I planned to finish today. It would have to wait until later though because I had a meeting in an hour that couldn’t wait.
When Miguel Stryker asks you for your time, you say yes. Everyone knows this. It’s why I didn’t hesitate to agree last night as I picked Austen up from work. No matter what the subject is, I would have been willing to help if it made my boyfriend — my fake boyfriend — look good to his superiors.
Though, I’m not sure who was actually in charge of things last night. From the looks of it, Austen had been calm and collected at the end of the meeting while everyone else seemed harried. Everyone minus Miguel and his husband Aiden.
I knew them in a friend of a friend of a friend kind of way. Plus, Stryker was a global name. They had their hands in every pot known to man from nightclubs to pharmaceuticals last I heard.
“You look rough.” Tennyson’s voice pulls me from my phone.
A glance his way tells me he’s already dressed to head out.
“And you appear more put together than normal. Where are you headed?”
He avoids my gaze. “I’m heading back to the group work area. I want to strategize some marketing ideas for the new tour. I’m researching the best way to spread the word. Let’s get you to T-Swizzle level of fame, you know.”
I chuckle at the thought. “You’re not going to convince the alt-rock crowd to do friendship bracelets and stuff, man. It’s not like that.”
“You might be surprised what they’d like. Besides, I think you might find your audience likes you, the artist, over the specific genre. I heard you humming when I came home yesterday. It didn’t sound anything like the Loveless I know.”
