Chapter 6 Leo #2
“It’s a fairly conservative business. I think he’s being cautious because he doesn’t want any undue attention.
Our clients are, for the most part, serious, circumspect people.
Legacy companies and politicians. He mentioned that an entertainment journalist already contacted the general line—and to paint a picture, he said ‘entertainment journalist’ the way most people would say ‘explosive diarrhea.’ He’s worried someone will try to take my picture coming and going from the office, and he doesn’t want the company connected to any media circus.
As much as the business is about PR and marketing, its goal is always to stay in the background. ”
“Alright, I get what you’re saying. But it’s not like you asked for any of this. Assuming people believe your statement, it’s all a big misunderstanding.”
She frowned. “True. And he’s not threatening to fire me or anything. He just doesn’t want a bunch of eyes on them. Like I said, it’s a real put your head down and get your work done kind of office. That was one reason I wanted to work there.”
As much as I understood that, respected it even, I hated that Stone and his dumbfuckery had brought trouble for her at work. Especially since she was still worried about finding her footing there. “Did Walt say what he wants you to do?”
“He told me to work remotely for the month. December is a dead time anyway. Fewer meetings. I can still get my work done, but if I’m not in the office, there’s no reason for photogs to hover.”
It seemed like overkill to me, especially since celebrity stories always came and went quickly. From the look on Miranda’s face, she agreed. “You okay?” I asked.
“I guess I have to be, but it still sucks. It’s not a remote work office, and I’m sure plenty of my coworkers would love the option of being at home. I know Walt’s doing what he deems necessary, but it feels like I’m getting special treatment. Not a great look for the new kid.”
“You don’t think your coworkers will understand?”
“It’s not that. Remember when we talked about how I haven’t gotten to know them? It’s cool that my birthday made it onto the office calendar and all, but I’ve been keeping my distance, doing this whole subterfuge with Stone. I doubt anyone there has my back yet.”
With everything happening, I’d almost forgotten that she’d been hiding her relationship with Stone for over a year. And all the implications of that.
Reaching across the table to take her hand, I ran my thumb across her knuckles. “I have your back. And we can get all the desserts if it will make you feel better.”
“Thanks, Leo-Bear. It does make me feel—”
Plop!
We both looked up as someone smooshed a massive violet sombrero on Miranda’s head and placed a pastry with a candle in it on the table in front of her. I pulled out my phone to record as every server in the restaurant magically appeared to sing “Feliz Cumpleanos.”
The employees’ faces displayed a range of emotions, from overtly enthusiastic to seething.
I grinned at the young guy mouthing the words and felt a pang of sympathy for the woman in back, the only one who could carry a tune.
The rest of the team simply leaned into their grumpy bulldog vocals.
I’d let our server know about Miranda’s birthday before our margaritas came out, and this ritual was even more delightfully tacky than I’d hoped for.
Miranda obviously thought so too. She laughed, and I thought I saw tears in her eyes, though it was hard to know for sure with the sombrero covering the top half of her face.
After they finished and whisked the sombrero away, we sat alone again at the table.
“I loved that,” Miranda said. She closed her eyes and blew out the candle. Opening them again, she studied me across the table. “Leo?”
“Hmm?”
“I bet there will be plenty of pictures of us to satisfy the wolves after today. That sombrero was really a gift from the universe. Not to mention everything at the arcade.”
Our kiss. She meant our kiss. “You’re probably right.”
“It’s going to blow over. I can feel it. And I’m pretty sure I could get through the rest of this on my own if I had to.”
“Of course you could,” I replied. “But I’d never let you do that.”
“I know. That’s what I’m saying. I could handle it myself. Especially after the good start we got this afternoon… But I don’t want to. It helps me so much being near you.”
There were countless things I could say in reply, but I settled on, “Me too.”
She clasped our hands together again, and it felt like my entire body centered on the place where her soft palms rested in mine.
With a glint in her eyes, she asked, “How do you feel about a long-term houseguest?”
20 MONTHS AGO - MARCH
After months of being almost perfectly in sync, Miranda and I discovered an area where our life philosophies diverged.
And it happened to be at the “happiest place on Earth.”
My approach to Disneyland was laid-back. I figured we could explore one area at a time, get in line for whatever rides seemed interesting, and not stress too much along the way.
Miranda had a decidedly different methodology.
“We can’t do it that way, Bear,” she insisted. “It’s bad enough that we got here two hours after it opened, so we missed some prime beat-the-crowd time. If we want to get on all the good rides and watch the parades, we need to be strategic and game it out in the app and follow the plan.”
“What if I want to stop and get a churro?”
“What if ten minutes waiting for breaded cinnamon sugary goodness costs us an hour in line for Space Mountain?” she retorted. “Seriously, there are systems.”
“For walking around Disneyland?”
“Of course. We can’t go at this like rank amateurs.”
“Aren’t we amateurs? You said yourself you haven’t been here in years.”
“Just because we aren’t experts doesn’t mean we need to surrender to stupidity.”
I lifted my hands with a grin. “Alright. I’m honestly fine with anything, so I’ll follow your lead.”
She spared a moment to pretend that wasn’t the only acceptable response before offering, “I’ll make sure you get a churro at some point.”
I laughed. “Sounds good.”
Miranda’s plan of attack had my smartwatch chirping.
I hit ten thousand steps before eleven a.m. It seemed counterintuitive to traipse from Tomorrowland to Adventureland instead of just moving to whatever was nearby, but she knew what she was doing.
She purchased an add-on in the app that let us get in quicker lines for certain rides, and by the end of the day, we’d managed to hit all the premier attractions and watch a parade.
Also, we got churros and a turkey leg to share, which we ate standing up while waiting in line for the Indiana Jones ride.
According to Miranda, sitting down to enjoy your food was for suckers.
It was a great day, and exactly what I’d driven a straight eighteen hours to experience—spending time with another person and feeling totally in tune with them. Nothing forced. Nothing to hide.
By the end of the day, I knew I could trust her with the full truth about myself.
After my disastrous experience with Ilona, I’d learned my lesson. Keep it to myself and everything stayed copacetic.
But I knew with Miranda it would be okay. She wouldn’t judge me for who I was. Just like I didn’t judge her for not being @theadventurousmiranda.
One of the Disney photographers snapped pictures of us in front of the castle.
“They’ll show up in my app,” Miranda said. “I’ll send them to you.”
We stayed in the park until close, squeezing in one last ride on Pirates of the Caribbean to finish our day.
“Should we do California Adventure tomorrow?” she asked, looking at the entry to the park across from the Disneyland exit.
“Next time,” I said. “I’m so beat from all the walking we did today—thanks to your methods—I think I need a breather.”
“You love my methods.”
“I do.”
When we got back to Miranda’s apartment, we wound down on the couch for half an hour, eating a late-night pizza and watching TV before she headed into the bedroom.
It was such a perfect day. Not the right time to have a heavy conversation about me. I wanted to share that part of myself with her, but there was also no urgency about it. The moment would present itself soon enough.
Once I told her, she’d know all of me. That thought filled me with an intense longing.
Only Miranda made me feel that way.