Chapter Twenty-Nine
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Oscar
Being back in Madelyn Rossi’s office, watching as she poured over the layouts for the next issue on her desk, was a slightly eerie experience. I didn’t think I’d be back there so soon, and while I probably should have been pleased Madelyn was taking an interest in me and my work, it felt more like I’d been summoned for execution.
“So,” Madelyn said eventually, sitting back in her chair and picking up the cup of coffee her assistant had just delivered. I noticed her mug had dachshunds on it. They were all wearing bowties. “How was Hawaii? Did you and Mr. Verrati enjoy the St. West?”
“Yes, it was beautiful. The whole island is absolutely stunning, and everyone was so welcoming. I’d definitely recommend it.”
“Good. Your article says much the same, but it’s nice to hear your enthusiasm in person. I’m glad you and Mr. Verrati had time to connect.” She looked at me over the rim of her glasses, and I saw a wry smile playing across her lips as she sipped her coffee.
A sudden jolt of fear struck my chest, and I wondered if she knew I’d lied to her. Icy horror slid down my spine, one vertebra at a time, freezing me to the spot.
I didn’t know how she’d found out, but this was Madelyn Rossi.
She knew everything.
“You can relax,” Madelyn said. “I’m not going to punish you for lying to me about being in a relationship. I realised it was rather presumptuous of me to assume.”
“N-no, it’s fine.”
“I was rather impressed by your ability to think on your feet, I must say. I wondered how long it would take you to come clean, but apparently that isn’t necessary anymore?”
“Er, no?” I tried to process everything Madelyn had just said, forcing my brain to work through her words despite the fact that it was screaming at me to run. There was no running from this though. “We’re actually together now.”
“I thought so.” She nodded. “I saw you two outside the office yesterday.”
“Sorry,” I said. Ilias had come to meet me for lunch, dragging me out to a nearby ramen bar to grab something to eat. He’d kissed me goodbye when he’d walked me back. Right in front of the building.
“You don’t need to apologise for kissing your boyfriend,” Madelyn said as she sipped her coffee again. “I am rather interested in how it all occurred, but you don’t need to tell me. I’m not here to pry into your private life.”
I let out a small sigh of relief because I wasn’t sure I’d be able to recount the entire thing to Madelyn without sounding like a complete banana.
“But please don’t lie to me again, Mr. Moore. I’d rather we were just honest with each other. I’ve found it makes things a lot easier. Although some people might disagree. Then again, they tend to be the sort of people who don’t like honesty.”
“Okay,” I said. “I can do that.”
“Good.” Madelyn gave me a pleased smile, and I realised the reason so many people were terrified of her was because you knew absolutely where you stood with her. Madelyn knew everything and pulled no punches. If she didn’t like something, she was going to tell you, and I could see why some people felt threatened by that.
I liked it though. She might be hard to please, but at least I’d always know if I was doing a good job. There wouldn’t be any bullshit to wade through, and that would make things a hell of a lot easier.
“Let’s talk about the rest of the series,” Madelyn said, setting down her mug and looking at a notebook next to her. “Marcus sent me your list of suggestions, and we think starting with New Zealand, Thailand, and Santorini, will work nicely with my plans for the rest of the year. We’ll get Mr. Verrati on a freelance contract for the rest of the series as well.”
“I’m sorry, did you say starting?” I hadn’t meant to interrupt her, but that word had latched itself onto my brain and was now flashing bright, neon yellow.
“Yes, I did.” Madelyn looked at me, her expression serious. “I think you’re a good writer, and I think Mr. Verrati is a good photographer. You clearly work well together, so I’d like you to do more. Also, our sister magazine, Your Wedding , is looking for some new travel content from a diverse perspective. They have a new editor, and she’s looking to diversify the content away from heterosexual couples with an unlimited budget. We had a very interesting meeting last week, and your name came up. Obviously, your contract is with The Traveller , but if you would be open to some crossover work, Jane would be very keen to have you.”
I blinked several times, then realised I needed to answer. “Er, sure. It sounds interesting. Can I get some more details about what they’re looking for?”
It wasn’t an opportunity I was going to say no to, especially because it meant that I’d get to help make a positive change. I’d never picked up a wedding magazine in my life, so I had no idea what they’d want content-wise, but I imagined it wouldn’t be too different from what I’d written for Marcus.
“Of course. I’ll get Marcus to arrange a meeting between you, Jane, and himself to discuss things further. I’d like Marcus to be kept in the loop since he’s your direct manager, and I don’t want Jane pinching you. If you have any problems, do let me know. I realise these situations can get political, even if we’re all trying to play nicely,” Madelyn said as she scribbled a note to herself. “How does that all sound?”
“That’s great. Thank you.”
“Good. I’m glad we’re in agreement.”
I realised I was being dismissed, so I said goodbye and hurried out. As soon as the door closed behind me, I let out a long breath.
I looked at my watch and realised it was nearly twelve. As I walked back to the desk where I’d left my stuff, I pulled out my phone and fired off a text to Ilias to see if he was free for lunch. I wasn’t completely convinced I hadn’t just hallucinated that meeting, and I needed someone to talk it out with.
Thirty minutes later, I emerged from the office building where The Traveller and some of its sister brands were housed to find Ilias standing in the sunshine. My heart soared when I saw him, and I instantly pulled him in for a kiss.
“Hello,” he said. “You’re in a good mood. What happened?”
“I’m not entirely sure. I had a meeting with Madelyn, then things got a bit weird.” We turned and started walking down the street. There was a little bakery not far from the office that did good sandwiches and would be perfect for our impromptu lunch date.
Ilias slipped his hand into mine. “Weird how?”
“Turned out she knew I was lying about not having a boyfriend when I pitched the Hawaii project. She was just waiting for me to come clean,” I said, shaking my head. “I’m not sure how she knew, and I’m not sure I want to know.”
“Shit. What did she say?”
“Just that she doesn’t want me to lie to her again, which is fair enough. And she seemed pleased that things had worked out for us.”
“Okay, yeah, I can see why that was weird,” Ilias said. “Do you think Marcus ratted you out?”
“Maybe? But I thought I’d kept it a secret from him too.” I frowned.
Ultimately, it didn’t matter how Madelyn had found out because it didn’t change things in the long run. I was tempted to ask Marcus, but if he didn’t know I’d lied, then I’d be admitting it to him as well, and the less people who knew, the better.
“Anyway,” I continued, “she and Marcus have agreed to the next three locations for the series, and she wanted to know if we’d be interested in doing some work for Your Wedding because apparently the new editor wants more diverse content.”
“Seriously? That’s awesome! Congratulations.” He squeezed my hand and nudged my shoulder.
“Thanks, and I’d keep an eye on your emails because you’re going to be offered freelance photography contracts for all three projects.”
“I’d hope so,” Ilias said with a wry chuckle. “Otherwise why would I want to travel with you?”
I snorted.
“Where are we going, by the way? You didn’t say.”
“New Zealand, Thailand, and Santorini. Not sure in which order, but those are the three we’re starting with,” I said.
“Perfect. I’ll pack my teeniest, tiniest swimwear just for you.” Ilias pulled on my hand to slow me down and leant over to give me a kiss. “I have good news too.”
“Yeah?”
“I found a little studio for rent. It’s out in Battersea, so it’s a bit of a trek, but it’s a great space, pretty cheap to rent, and the owner said she’s happy for me to do whatever I want as long as it’s legal,” Ilias said as we continued walking.
“I’ve been writing up some plans and getting a website thrown together, but I’m thinking of offering personal and family photography with an emphasis on queer people and families, making it a safe, happy place for them to come and get photos done. Y’know headshots, portraits, that sort of thing.”
“That’s amazing. Seriously, it is.”
“You think so?” Ilias asked, and I heard the uncertainty in his voice.
I knew he’d been looking at doing some studio work as a way to pay his bills and give him some financial stability, but over the past week, he’d really thrown himself into the idea after we’d discussed moving in together.
We both knew my studio flat wouldn’t do us forever because it would be like permanently living in a hotel room, but it was so expensive to rent in London that we’d both need to have solid income to get anywhere bigger. Ilias had floated the studio idea past me before, and I’d woken up on Saturday morning to find him sitting next to me in bed, tapping away on his laptop and making notes.
Apparently, when Ilias wanted something to happen, he made it happen pretty quickly.
“I do,” I said. “You’re great with people, and I know you’ll make everyone feel comfortable. You take amazing photos, and you said yourself this will still leave you with the flexibility to travel.”
“It’s going to have to,” Ilias said with a chuckle. “I’m not turning down a free trip to Santorini from Madelyn Rossi. Especially not after you lied to her!”
We’d reached the bakery, and the tables and chairs outside were already full of people.
“She put me on the spot. What was I supposed to do?”
“I’m glad she did,” Ilias said, turning to me with a warm smile and eyes full of adoration. “Because if you hadn’t lied, I wouldn’t have gotten this, and that would have sucked. Because you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, Oscar, and I love you more than anything.”
“I love you too.” I pulled him in for a soft kiss. “You’re the best lie I’ve ever told, and you make me so happy I could burst.”
“You’re the sweetest.” He grinned at me. “But enough sap. I’m starving, and apparently, I have to actually do work shit this afternoon, so I need energy. Come on, you owe me lunch.”
He pulled me towards the door of the bakery so fast I almost lost my balance. We both laughed, and I realised I couldn’t wait to have more adventures with Ilias, big and small.
Because life was made up of a million adventures, and I wanted every one to be with him.