“It’s not as bad as you think,” Whitney said.
“I’d thank you not to tell me what I should be thinking.” He was not happy with her.
“Yes, sir,” she said quietly.
“I know that you two are not running a dating service. I know that people do crazy stuff on social media and that things can take on a life of their own. What I don’t know is why my family started hiding things from me. And you, Carina, hiding it from William. I expected more from you.”
Whitney couldn’t utter a word. She could barely swallow.
Carina muttered an apology, but her eyes were on her husband, who wasn’t looking at her. Whitney knew that had to be killing Carina.
Her father looked so disappointed.
“We’ve slowed down the influx of lookers. We’re on it. I promise. We will not allow people to shop our lobby for dates like some 1980s nightclub.”
Her father didn’t look pleased. “The awards night is just around the corner.” He leveled a stare at her. “Here’s what we’re going to do. I’m asking that you, Whitney, send your regrets. I cannot risk someone bringing that video into that room in front of our peers, or the press. It would spread like wildfire. We’d be a mockery.”
“If that’s what you want.” Whitney’s throat tightened, making it hard to swallow.
“Carina, you will accompany William. That’s all.” William and Carina walked out of the office.
Whitney stood there, wanting so badly to have the right thing to say, but there were no words. She turned and walked out.
Carina and William were just ahead of her, and she could overhear her brother.
“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me what happened, Carina.” William’s arms tensed as he marched toward the elevator. “I’m your husband. I wasn’t prepared when Dad called me in. I had no idea what was going on. Do you know how that looks?”
“I’m so sorry,” Carina’s voice shook. “We’re handling it.”
Whitney’s heart ached that this mess had upset the people who meant the most to her.
William got in the elevator and faced the buttons.
Whitney stepped next to Carina and squeezed her hand. “I’m so sorry,” she mouthed.
William got off on the second floor. “I’ll meet you downstairs in thirty minutes.”
Carina nodded.
As soon as the doors closed, she turned to Whitney. “I’m telling William about our conversation with Grant today too. I can’t keep this from him. I feel horrible.”
“I know. It’s fine. This has turned into one big mess, and it’s so stupid.”
“We have it handled finally, and now it blows up,kaboom, on us.” Carina threw her hands up like an explosion around her head. “Worse than the fireworks. Aye, this is my first real fight with William. I hate it.”
“I do too.”
Carina hugged Whitney. “I know.” They went their separate ways.
Whitney walked into her office and sat down at her desk.
She updated the records from her last two meetings. She’d just shut down her computer when William walked in and sat down.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “We thought we had it handled, and it’s the internet. Everyone knows you can’t believe everything on the internet. Right?”
“The Fixie Chicks? Oh, and I really liked the one where people kept showing couples being ripped apart in pictures and plastering the words, ‘Exes and Next, Please.’ They’re creative. Gotta give them that.”
“I didn’t see that one. Yeah, it’s better than hashtag ‘LawyersofLove.’”
