Page 42 of Rush
“They’re still my girls.”
Tamika giggles. “Ben’s actually a bit of a legend in your corner,” she adds casually. “He founded a big online fan club of yours—EMbers,Absolute powerhouse. Runs a social media account, moderates, the works.”
“No way!” I gasp, turning back to Ben. “That’s amazing. Thank you.”
He shrugs, shy again. “Just…happy to support you.”
“Elena,” Zini cuts in, clasping his hands together. “Oh my God—can we call you that?”
I laugh. “Of course. It’s my name, right?”
They all chuckle.
“I just want to say,” Zini continues, lowering his voice conspiratorially. “I’msosorry about your breakup. Alex is such a douchebag.”
I nod, even though the words sting.
“You’re way prettier than she is,” Britney remarks.
“And so much nicer,” Shae adds with a warm smile.
“He’s a fool,” Ben says flatly.
The bluntness of it take me aback.
“No personal questions,” Kylie interjects smoothly, stepping forward and cutting the conversation clean in half.
“Sorry.” Zini pouts playfully, clearly more entertained by the gossip than remorseful. The moment passes.
But Ben doesn’t look away.
As the meet and greet wraps up, Kylie, Mark and I retreat to the corner café across the street. The sharp aroma of espresso hangs in the air, cutting through the soft sounds of conversation and clinking cups. I cradle the warm mug between my hands, letting the heat sink into my fingers as my adrenaline finally ebbs.
They’re fixed on their phones, their thumbs flying across the screens.
Mark finally glances up, clearing his throat. “Elena, we’ve secured your new security details. Chris Thompson, Tony Jones, and Luca Rossi. We’ve also arranged for a permanent driver to be added to the roster.”
I look at him, completely thrown, setting my coffee down.
“Four people? Just to take care of me? That feels a little excessive, Mark.”
He gives a small shake of his head. “We’d rather be overly cautious.”
“Could we scale it back to two? Maybe have one of the security guys double as a driver?”
Mark frowns, considering. “I don’t know if we can take that risk.”
“I really don’t feel comfortable having that many people shadowing my every move,” I counter, keeping my tone even. “Can we at least start with two? If we need to ramp up for bigger events or if things get out of hand, then we adjust.”
Mark exchanges a brief glance with Kylie before nodding. “Okay. You’re the boss.”
Boss.
The word feels strange. Technically, they work for me but, I’ve always leaned on my team to steer the ship, maybe it’s time I take the wheel a little more—especially when it comes to my career.
“The initial sentiment looks great,” Kylie says, eyes still locked on the glowing device. Her tone is even, but the faint curve of her lips hints at satisfaction.
I exhale, my shoulders finally dropping as the tension loosens its grip.
