care was giving me too much credit. Everyone trying to grow a platform on social media cared, and those that said they didn’t were lying. Those little numbers could wreak havoc on anyone’s mental health. “I’m not trying to be combative,” Ava added softly. “If this is what you want to do, we’ll support you. It just seems a little…” “Out of character,” Bridget finished. I stared at the half-empty takeout cup in my hand. “Maybe. But maybe it’s also time to try something new.” I was twenty-six. I’d had one “real” job since I graduated and no significant developments in my personal or professional lifes. I considered blogging my second job, but a lot of people didn’t and I hated how I let their opinions affect the many hours of real work I poured into writing, styling, photography, and social media.
I was basically doing the same thing I’d been doing since college, only I was older and a little more jaded. Meanwhile, Ava had moved to London （even if it’d only been temporary）， got engaged, and landed her dream job traveling the world as a photographer; Bridget got married and became a freaking queen, and Jules passed the bar, became a high-powered attorney, and moved in with her boyfriend. Everyone was starting new chapters of their lives while I was stuck in the prologue, waiting for my story to be told. I swallowed the bitterness coating my tongue. If I didn’t shake things up, I’d be an unfinished manuscript forever. A thousand potential words that never made it onto the page. Someone who could’ve been something instead of someone who did something. “Understandable. Change is the spice of life,” Jules agreed. Her face softened before she added, “Like Ava said, we’re not trying to challenge you on this. We just want to make sure it’s what you really want. If you’re happy, we’re happy.” “I know.” I cracked a tiny smile. “At the risk of sounding completely cheesy…I love you guys.” “Did you hear that?” Jules placed a hand over her chest and looked at Ava. “She loves us. She really loves us!” “You know what that means,” Ava said solemnly. “You guys—” I barely had a chance to put my drink down before they tackled me in a hug. “Stop!” I laughed, my earlier melancholy melting beneath their affection. “Don’t mind me. I’m just over here in Eldorra, not jealous at all,” Bridget said. I raised my phone so we could see her again. She wore a half-amused, half-envious expression. “You need to visit us soon. We miss you.” We hadn’t seen her in person since Ava’s birthday last year, when she’d surprised us at the party. “I will, I promise.” Bridget grew serious. “In the meantime, be careful with Christian. He’s not the type of man who does anything out of the goodness of his heart.” No, he wasn’t. But I didn’t need Bridget to tell me that. After my friends left an hour later with promises not to tell anyone, including their significant others, about my deal with Christian, I showered and brewed myself a fresh pot of tea before I finally picked up my phone. I stared at the Instagram icon on my screen and held my breath as I tapped into my profile. Oh. My. God. I stared at my numbers, sure I was hallucinating. Over one hundred thousand likes, four thousand comments, and ten thousand new followers overnight. I pinched myself and flinched at the sharp burst of pain. Not hallucinating. I’d expected good engagement on the photo with Christian, but I hadn’t expected this. Giddiness ballooned in my chest while my mind raced with possibilities. Would another photo with Christian go viral in a similar manner, or was this a one-off because it was the first one? There was only one way to find out. Visions of a million followers, six-figure brand deals, and paying an entire year’s worth of Maura’s care in one go with savings left over danced in my head. Maybe I’d signed a deal with the devil when I agreed to my arrangement with Christian… But that didn’t mean it wasn’t worth it.
10 CHRISTIAN I stared at Stella’s latest Instagram post from our ride to the fundraiser over the weekend. My hand on her bare thigh, the vivid green of her gown contrasting with the coal black sleeve of my suit. Some photos were worth a thousand words. This photo said only one. Mine.
A strange sensation sparked in my chest before I brushed it aside and tapped on the comments beneath the post. The reactions ranged from curiosity to joy to despair from hundreds of distraught men who bemoaned the loss of a chance with her.
Jayx098: How could you cheat on me like this? I already told my parents we were getting married :（ Brycefitness: ditch the bf and go on a date with me instead. I’ll make it worth your while ;）
Threetriscuits: i can also wear a suit and cufflinks. just sayin’ My eyes narrowed. I tapped on brycefitness’s profile and studied it. Big muscles. Small brain. Standard gym bro who thought he was God’s gift to women. How many pounds on a barbell would it take to crush someone?
Hmm… A new text message popped up, disrupting my calculations.
Luisa: Christian Harper. You’ve been holding out on me.
Luisa: Why didn’t you tell me you were dating Stella?? A frown touched my face. I eyed brycefitness’s profile one last time before I closed out of the app. He’d gotten lucky. Part of me, even the part that thrilled at the coppery scent of blood and fear, recognized my reaction wasn’t normal. It’d been one comment on Instagram, for fuck’s sake. I had a business to run, yet here I was, scrolling through fucking social media on my burner account. No profile photo, no bio, no followers. One following. The turquoise ring burned in my pocket as I typed out a response.
Me: It was irrelevant. Stella hadn’t shown my face in the photo, but enough people saw us together at the gala for news to spread. Apparently, the news had since escaped the confines of D.C. society and reached New York.
Luisa: You acted like you didn’t know her at the dinner! Me: I didn’t want to sway your decision.
There was a long pause before she replied.
Luisa: What decision?
Me: Don’t lie, Lu. I’m better at it than you are.
Luisa: You’re such an ass.
Luisa: Anyway, it wouldn’t have swayed my decision. I’m 95% set on who I want our next brand ambassador to be.
I stared at the text. My fingers drummed an absentminded rhythm on the armrest. After another moment of deliberation, I replied.
Me: I’m glad. It’s been a long time coming.
Neutral, semi-disinterested. She took the bait, as I knew she would.
Luisa: You’re not going to ask who it is?
Me: I was at the dinner too. The answer is obvious.
I left it at that. Luisa was smart enough to know who I meant. A knock split the silence. I flicked my gaze up. “Come in.” Kage entered, so tall and broad he barely fit through my office’s door frame. “I hear you got a girlfriend.” He wasted no time in cutting to the chase. “How did I not know about this?” An accusatory note crept into his voice. He was my oldest and, now that Rhys was gone, my most sought-after employee by clients. He was also the only person at Harper Security who didn’t blow smoke up my ass—a liberty I granted him for saving my life in Colombia a decade ago.
“I run a security company, not a gossip magazine. My personal life is no one’s business.” An edge ran beneath my otherwise indifferent tone. His liberties only went so far. Kage held my stare for a second before he looked away. “Understood. But the team is curious. You dating an influencer is…unexpected.” I leaned back in my chair and steepled my hand beneath my chin.