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Once he could see without wincing, he’d chanced checking his phone and he wished he hadn’t. Every one of his social media platforms had blown up, he had thousands of tags and he could just imagine the panic his communications team were in. It had been bad enough when he’d peeked a couple of days after he had gone off-grid, now it was chaos. He expected positive and negative comments when he’d come out, and he’d got both in spades, but now he’d been linked to Robin, it had kicked it up another level. And the internet wanted them to get back together.
Robin made another keening noise. “Someone must have told them. There’s specific details, not guesses or extrapolations because I used to be your PA. Which bastard did this?”
Dorian didn’t know who it was but if he were a betting man he’d say Zak, aiming to get back at Dorian for not playing by his rules. Proving it would be a different matter.
Ben sat next to Robin. “The problem is it’s the truth. There’s not much you can do. Nor should you.”
Robin looked up accusingly. “It’s my private business.”
“But you’re a public figure and so is Dorian. If you think you have to do something, then, if I were you, I’d issue a statement. Keep to the minimum and then let it go.”
Ben had always been a voice of reason but he didn’t think Robin was buying any of it. “If I had been allowed control over the release of this information then it would be different,” Robin said. “But Dorian’s fans seem to be twisting things into some perverse fairy-tale.”
“People are just grabbing onto something to escape their boring lives,” Dorian said, hoping to calm Robin down.
It didn’t work. “Some of them have mocked up wedding and family photos. There’s even a campaign to get you to apologise and propose to me!”
From where Dorian was sitting it was annoying, but it looked far worse on him than Robin. He’d had girlfriends, or at least pretended he had, and a fake fiancé. Robin was the poor creature who’d been sworn to secrecy by a cad of a movie star. “Robin, it’s me who’s the arsehole here. You’re not gonna be that affected.”
“You think this is about me? It’s Simon I’m worried about, we’ve not made a huge deal publicly about our relationship but we’re together and I’ve tagged him a couple of times. He’s getting hate messages about being a homewrecker and that he should do the decent thing and leave me. He’s had to delete his Instagram account.”
Dorian hadn’t considered the knock-on effect. He’d seen some odd behaviour in his time, and expected a bit of a backlash but not in this way or at Robin’s new partner. “It’s just losers on the internet.”
“He’s not going to leave you because of this,” Ben said.
Robin was panicked, and Dorian realised that was Robin’s real fear. Simon was a normal bloke, not used to the insanity that trailed after the likes of Dorian. Robin’s new career was different and, while he would have a different type of exposure, he’d still be under scrutiny. Simon was a policeman, he didn’t have an army of fans, or loyal legions who’d be on his side in an internet dirt-flinging match.
“I can appeal to my fans. Record a video and stick it on my accounts. That’ll put a lot of them off.” Dorian hated that he could be the cause of this. “The heat will die down and Simon won’t have to worry.”
“Why should he have to put up with this shit at all?” Robin demanded. “I don’t want him to think even for a second that I would consider going back to you, Dorian. I won’t risk losing him over this, I can’t.”
“Have you talked to him? Not over messages, but talked?” Dorian asked.
“Not yet. He’s with Ashley, and he said he’d text when it was a good time to speak.” Robin turned to Ben. “I don’t think Ashley’s happy either.”
Robin’s phone pinged and he snatched it up. “It’s Simon. I’m going to talk to him in the other room.”
Dorian sank back into the cushions. “He’s not taking it well.”
“I think he should remove the apps from his phone and just carry on. I’ve been pilloried by the press, there’s no point fighting it as it’ll drag it out. I steer clear of social media unless it is specific for estate business—it’s the only way.”
Ben had been in several gossip rags when he was younger, fucking about and not giving a fuck. More recently, Ashley’s dad had hit the headlines and there’d even been a flurry of internet wailing when they’d got married, people bemoaning that the lovely lord was off the market.
“Half the battle will be stopping Robin from reacting,” Dorian said, knowing how Robin could get hold of an idea and not let go.
“I’m sure his father will already be on it. Flint’s media affairs group will deal with it. Robin should let the company experts take the lead. You know if he finds out who leaked them he’ll want to destroy them?”
“He’s not that vindictive.”
Ben snorted. “Sometimes I wonder if you know him at all. He’s a Flint, they got where they were by doing what was necessary, but also keeping those close to them safe. You must have met his sisters?”
The Valkyries, Robin’s sisters, had never warmed to him and he could see Ben’s point.
Ben’s phone began to vibrate. He checked the call and answered, “Ashley? Is there something wrong?”
Dorian couldn’t hear the other side of the conversation but Ben’s expression spoke a thousand words. “Ashley, are you listening to yourself? Of course I’m not fucking Dorian and Robin. How could you even think that?”
Ben stared up at the ceiling, trying not to overreact. “No. That’s someone seeing us out together and making stuff up. This is not new—you know all about when it did happen. I’ve not hidden anything. I love you. I’d never do anything to hurt you like that.”
