A Cosmic Kind of Love(82)

Sweat dampened my hands and under my arms as I lifted my gaze in paranoia to see if anyone was looking at me. Thankfully, no one seemed to notice my existence.

I knew Chris still had his following on Instagram, but after the TV interviews upon his return from space, the media had pretty much left him alone. Why did anyone care anymore about whom he dated?

How did this happen?

Just as I climbed up the stairs out of the subway, my phone buzzed in my hand, and I startled. It was Chris.

Fumbling for the Answer Call button on my earbuds, I answered breathlessly, “Hi, hi, oh my God, hi.”

“You saw the photos online?” he asked, his tone tense. “I’ve got a ton of comments on my last Instagram post about this, and apparently there’s an article in a New York gossip rag.”

I winced just imagining how cruel some of those comments might be. I’d had to stop scrolling through the comments on Chris’s posts just because of the sheer amount of people who flirted with him. There was no doubt in my mind, some of those people had some not nice things to say about his choice of girlfriend. Shaking off the morose thought, I replied, “I saw the article. Althea sent it to me, and I’ve been tagged all over social media.”

“Shit. Are you okay?”

“Um, yeah, I think so. I just . . . I don’t understand why someone would take those photos.” The idea of someone following us and watching us all day creeped me out.

“Some people don’t have boundaries. As for the article, it’s just a puff piece,” Chris said, trying to assure me, but I could hear his agitation. “This will blow over.”

“Are you sure? I mean, the media was pretty interested in you when you got home from the ISS.”

“Yeah, because some of the social media posts from my mission went viral. The fact that I was dating Darcy only stoked the flames in New York at the time. We’re not in the same situation here. This will blow over, Hallie,” he repeated. “I’m sorry if this has upset you. I’m sorry this person violated your privacy.”

“Our privacy. You have nothing to be sorry for,” I assured him.

“Are you at the office?”

“Almost. And no one is looking at me. No one cares.”

“You sure? I could come get you.”

He was so protective. I smiled, despite the swarm of butterflies in my gut. “I’m fine.”

“Text me when you get into the office?”

“I will. Talk soon.”

Despite my reassurances, I couldn’t help but surreptitiously look around to make sure no one was watching me. They weren’t. Chris was right. My friends were overreacting.

Nearing the office, I switched my phone to silent and hurried into the building, only to find Althea waiting for me in the lobby with a coffee.

“You’re an angel.” I sighed, taking it from her.

“You got my text, right?” Althea studied me carefully, like she was waiting for me to have a meltdown.

“I did.” I took a deep breath as we stepped into the elevator. “Chris said I shouldn’t freak out about it. That it’ll blow over.”

“I think he’s right. I also think maybe you two should go social media official. Once Chris posts about you on Instagram, papers will struggle to sell pictures like that when the public can see it for free on his account.”

It wasn’t a bad idea, I supposed. I just didn’t think he or I were ready for that.

“That doesn’t mean this isn’t weird for you though.”

“It is weird,” I admitted. “The idea of someone snapping pictures like that, watching us.” I shuddered.

We stepped off the elevator.

“Those pictures were hot though,” Althea teased.

I grinned through my embarrassment. “They had to print the one with my hands on his ass.”

She chuckled. “That boy’s ass is fine. Not one person in the world would look at that picture and judge you for the ass grab.”

I chuckled. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For making me feel better. I don’t think it’s quite sunk in yet, you know. The entire city woke up to pictures of me making out with my boyfriend, and even friends who don’t live in the city have tagged me in this. Goddamn social media.”

“It’s so like you, Hallie, to pretend like you’re not loving this,” I heard Dominic say behind me.

Althea’s eyes narrowed, but I shook my head at her and turned to face Dominic.

He wore a familiar ugly sneer on his handsome face. I refused to be intimidated by him or the fact that I could feel our colleagues staring at us from their desks.

“What is that supposed to mean?” I asked.

He raised an eyebrow, surprised by my sharp tone. “Uh, that no one here believes in your ‘butter wouldn’t melt’ gig. You’re just as ambitious as me, but at least I don’t pretend otherwise.”

“I’m sorry, what are you trying to say exactly?”

“That you acted unprofessionally by sleeping with a client in order to get ahead.”

“You motherfucking—”

I reached behind me to stay Althea’s angry rebuttal. “It’s okay,” I assured her, my eyes still on Dominic. “Dominic, your problem is that you think everyone thinks like you. But I don’t use people, I don’t tear them down, and I don’t walk all over them and their feelings to get what I want. I also don’t take out my own frustrations on them and blame other people for my failings.”