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My rogue activism as Anonimo could cost Theo his company. Pictogram meant everything to Theo. If he lost it, it would be all my fault.
The bacon sizzled and crisped in the pan. The salty, savory smells of mouth watering bacon wafted throughout the kitchen.
“Can you pop some waffles into the toaster?” Theo asked me.
Regretfully, I pulled away from him. Worries that our relationship could be in jeopardy stirred back up inside me. How would Theo ever forgive me if he lost Pictogram?
With shaky hands, I took the waffles out of the package and put them in the toaster. What could I do to help him? Pictogram was everything to Theo.
He held me from behind. “I don’t want you to feel responsible for any of this. The Board had already questioned my leadership long before any of the pics came out.
Tears fell from my eyes. “I shouldn’t have been such an asshole and posted those photos and violated your privacy.”
He turned me around to face him and touched his nose to mine, holding my face in his hands. “If you hadn’t posted those photos, we wouldn’t be here right now together. Everything happens for a reason. If those leaked photos led me to you, I would do it all over again. A hundred times over.”
Wiping my tears from my cheeks, he kissed me on the lips. The bacon cracked and sizzled. Abruptly, he turned back to the stove. “The bacon! I hope you like them extra crispy!”
“I love extra crispy,” I said, sniffling and wiping my tears away.
My love for Theo made my heart burst. I couldn’t let him lose the community he built from his heart, especially since it was without a doubt all my fault.
Chapter 12
Theo
With Mia staying over more, the last couple weeks had flown by happily. The joy I felt waking up to her overwhelmed me. The happiness that was inside me was unfamiliar, but I cherished it. With her in my bed, there was no need for my sleeping rituals: the fans, the noise machine. And I hardly bothered to draw the blackout curtains on most days now.
All I needed was her warm body next to me.
Lying in bed with her, an ease came over me allowing me to peacefully drift off into sleep even with everything going on at Pictogram. Admittedly, the nights she was away were difficult. I fretted over the fate of my Pictogram community into the late hours.
All my sleeping rituals were required plus the addition of binge watching television and cuddling with one of Mia’s sleep shirts. Even then, I could only get a few hours of good sleep.
It was no longer a secret that Mia and I were seeing each other. The paparazzi relentlessly followed us everywhere. Mia was taken aback by all the attention at first. The first time, the onslaught of clicking cameras as we left a movie theater, stunned her. I put my arm around her and held her close as we quickly walked to my car.
The photos were all over the media within hours. Mia’s head rested on my chest with my arm around her. If I don’t
say so myself, we looked great together in the photos.
Public displays of affection were generally not my thing, but that was the old me. The paparazzi captured so many photos of Mia and I kissing and holding hands. We looked to be so in love in the photos.
In a weird way, I was grateful to have the paparazzi around documenting our time together. It gave me a little thrill to see photos of Mia with me. Every photo, I was astounded at her beauty. That bombshell buxom beauty was holding my hand or kissing me in those photos. I couldn’t have been more proud.
The day the Board was going to discuss my fate as CEO, I was an emotional mess. Because of that, I just wanted to get off the Pictogram campus for a while, opting for Estrella, a Michelin starred California and Mediterranean cuisine restaurant, for lunch.
I tried my best to hide my anxiety from Mia, but she was much too smart to not pick up on it. When the server walked away, she reached across the table and took my hand. Her outfit, a cream and black floral silk shift dress with knee length boots, looked stunning on her. Her unique flair of style upped the chicness of the Marc Janow clothes. She had a way of making a piece of clothing all her own.
I’d given her diamond teardrop earrings last week. She had them on now and they sparkled as she cocked her head, looking at me intensely. “Everything is going to be okay. I just feel it.”
I lightly brushed an earring making it swing gently. “These look fabulous on you.”
She smiled and kissed my hand. “Thank you.” She paused gazing into my eyes with heavy worry. “Theo, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking.” She took a sip of water before she continued. “Let me talk to the Board today at the meeting.” Kissing her hand, I shook my head. Before I could speak, she jumped in, “Let me tell them about all the security features I’ve added to Pictogram. We’re rock solid now. Pictogram is impenetrable!”
Her face was so full of hope and optimism. I tried to assure her, “I appreciate that, Mia. But…”
Her eyes began to well up with tears.
“Don’t cry. Don’t cry,” I said, feeling touched by her kindness.
