Page 56 of Just for the Cameras
Almost hobbling as she moves, pain etched all over her face. It’s oddly adorable.
When she looks up and spots me, she stops walking and lets out a sigh of relief.
“I’m not making it all the way to you.”
I push off the fence and walk up to her. “Sore?”
“What the hell do you think?”
I run my tongue over my teeth. “Is that any way to greet your boyfriend?”
Her brow twists together, and a scowl forms. “What?”
“Your boyfriend? Isn’t that what you set us up as last night? Romantically involved?”
Recognition falls over her face. “You saw the post?”
“Half of San Francisco saw the post, Baker.”
She twists her hands in front of her. “Yeah, I feel like people are taking the account the wrong way.”
“You think?” I gesture with my arm. “People think we’re practically engaged.”
“Which was no fault of my own. That’s just an assumption on the public’s behalf. Please tell me you don’t have a girlfriend.”
“I don’t have time for a girlfriend.”
“Oh, okay.” She sighs in relief. “At least I’m not some homewrecker. I was sweating about that this morning when I checked the account.” The smallest of smiles creeps over her lips as she leans in. “Did you see all the follows?”
“Yes, I did,” I practically growl. “I saw all the bullshit comments too.”
She stands taller. “Why are you so angry? Isn’t this what we wanted?”
“I can’t be romantically attached to you,” I say, my anger getting the best of me before I realizehowI said that.
Maple leans back, as if she was just slapped. Her lip quivers for a moment. “Well, I understand that looking like you’re romantically involved with someone like me might tarnish whatever reputation you have, but I’ll be sure to focus our social media attention on the cause and not the perceived relationship.”
“Maple, that’s not what I meant.” I sigh, feeling like a fucking dick.
“It’s fine,” she says, turning away from me and doing her best to walk away, despite her physical pain.
“Wait,” I say, catching her by the wrist and turning her around. Whenher watery eyes look up at me, a weird sense of…pain ricochets through my chest.
Again…I made her fucking cry again?
I know I can be a dick, but to make someone cry? Multiple times? That’s…that’s not the man I am. It’s not the man my mom raised me to be. So why am I so lost, so unable to control my emotions when I’m around her?
Regardless, it’s not okay.
“Maple—”
“There you two are,” Gretchen says from behind us, interrupting me before I can apologize.
I glance over my shoulder to see her walking through the gate, her heels clacking against the concrete.
“Glad I caught you before you headed over to the birds.” She clasps her hands together and looks between the two of us. “Wanted to let you know that the Foghorns front office was flooded with press this morning from your social media idea. Everyone wants to know the scoop on what’s going on over here.” She smiles brightly, as if this entire thing was her idea. “I told them that I’d discuss with you two how we should proceed.”
“What do you mean?” I ask.
