186
The moment Danielle hit POST, she clutched her phone to her chest like she had just delivered a royal heir.
Samantha whispered, "Give it... one minute."
"Oh please," Danielle scoffed. "Thirty seconds, tops."
It took twelve.
Suddenly, Danielle's phone BUZZZZZED so hard she nearly dropped it.
"OH—OH MY GOD—REFRESH—AGAIN—LOOK—LOOK—LOOK!"
Samantha lunged beside her.
"What? Did it blow up already?"
Danielle held the phone out with jazz-hands dramatic flair.
"Sam. SAM. It has 18,000 likes already and—OH MY GOD—comments—hundreds—WAIT—"
She kept scrolling—
"Two thousand shares — what IS THIS?!"
The rest of the group heard the screaming and came running.
Carter: "Who died?"
Leah: "Who's pregnant—WAIT—no—don't answer—what happened?"
Jamie peered over Danielle's shoulder and gasped.
"Ohhhhhh wow. That picture. Danielle. That's... beautiful."
Maria smacked Danielle's arm. "You need a photography degree immediately."
Carter's eyes widened. "Yo... the comments are WILD."
Danielle read aloud:
"They're DEFINITELY dating."
"This is soulmate energy?
??"
"The interview next week is gonna have us foaming at the mouth.
"
"If they act like THIS in real time I'm not surviving.
"
"Power Couple CERTIFIED.
"
"This energy? Unmatched. They're glowing."
Samantha burst out laughing. "THE INTERNET HAS DECIDED."
Still touching.
Still glowing.
Still very unaware of the digital wildfire.
Ericka rubbed her thumb along Amanda's hand and whispered, "You look happy."
Amanda smiled softly. "I am."
Then—
BUZZ.
BUZZ.
BUZZBUZZBUZZ.
Both their phones vibrated nonstop.
Amanda pulled hers out first.
Her eyes widened.
"Oh... um. Baby?"
Ericka blinked. "What happened?"
Amanda turned the screen toward her.
A giant photo.
Them.
Foreheads pressed together.
Ericka smiling.
Amanda holding her waist.
City lights glowing behind them.
Captured perfectly.
Intimate.
Soft.
Undeniable.
Ericka's lips parted in shock.
"Is that... us-us?"
Amanda nodded. "Danielle took it."
Ericka blinked again.
"...She posted it?"
Before Amanda could answer, Danielle YELLED from across the penthouse:
"YOU'RE WELCOME!"
Ericka covered her face.
Amanda laughed so hard she nearly doubled over.
Ericka peeked through her fingers.
"What are the comments?"
Amanda scrolled.
"Baby..." she said, voice breathless, "...they think we're absolutely dating."
Ericka deadpanned. "We ARE dating."
Amanda snorted. "But like... publicly."
Then Ericka's phone buzzed again — this time with four rapid notifications from the PR team.
She glanced down.
PR:
"WE LOVE THIS ENERGY."
"This is EXACTLY what we needed."
"The internet is eating it up."
"Keep it going. If possible... post a few more casual photos."
Ericka read the messages aloud.
Amanda burst into tears laughing.
"They want us to FEED the fan page?!"
Another text came in:
PR:
"Have Danielle take a few more pictures of you two. Something soft. Something flirty. Something candid. Then repost. Build momentum before the interview."
Ericka stared at the phone.
Then at Amanda.
Then at Danielle across the room, who was now doing literal jumping jacks to burn off excitement.
Ericka whispered, "...Oh, they have NO idea what they just unleashed."
Amanda wrapped an arm around her waist.
"Well... we should give them what they want."
Ericka raised a brow. "A flirty picture?"
Amanda smirked. "A few."
Danielle clapped her hands once — sharp, decisive, unmistakably director mode.
"Okay. Everybody freeze."
The room quieted just a little, the hum of conversation lowering as all eyes turned toward her.
"This," she said, holding up her phone, already open to the camera, "has officially become a photoshoot."
Ericka blinked, mid-sip of her sparkling water. "I'm sorry—what?"
Danielle was already dragging a chair two feet to the left. "PR said more photos. I have a phone. Samantha has taste. Therefore—this is happening."
Samantha appeared instantly at Danielle's shoulder, phone flashlight already on. "I'm your lighting assistant. I've been waiting for this moment my whole life."
Amanda laughed, one hand lifting in mock surrender. "How did this escalate so fast?"
Leah leaned back against the counter, arms crossed, watching with a grin. "Because you two walked in looking like the final scene of a movie."
Carter nodded solemnly. "The kind that ruins people emotionally."
Danielle pointed toward the windows where the city lights spilled in — soft, glowing, unreal. "There. Stand there. That's the light."
Amanda stepped into position first, relaxed but radiant, suit fitting her like it had been made with intention — because it had. She didn't even look back when she extended her hand.
Ericka took it immediately.
That alone made Danielle inhale sharply.
"Oh wow," she muttered. "We're not even started yet."
Samantha adjusted the angle. "Ericka, just a half-step closer. Amanda—don't move. Don't breathe. Perfect."
Ericka turned toward Amanda, her expression softening instinctively, like the rest of the room didn't exist.
Amanda lifted her hand without thinking, brushing her thumb gently along Ericka's cheek — a familiar, grounding touch.
They leaned in.
Foreheads touching.
No posing.
No performance.
Just them.
Click.
Danielle actually lowered the phone for a second, staring at the screen.
"Oh my God," she whispered. "That one's dangerous."
Ericka laughed quietly, still close to Amanda. "Dangerous?"
Amanda murmured, "We should get legal counsel."
Samantha wiped at her eyes. "I'm emotional. I didn't sign up for this."
Danielle snapped back into action. "Next one. Amanda—sit."
Amanda dropped onto the edge of the couch.
Danielle pointed. "Ericka. Lap."
Ericka paused — just long enough to glance at Amanda, one eyebrow raised.
"May I?" she asked softly.
Amanda's hands slid naturally to Ericka's waist. "Please."
Ericka sat sideways on Amanda's lap, one arm draped easily around her shoulders, her other hand resting against Amanda's chest. Amanda's hand settled at her hip like it had always belonged there.
They both laughed at the same time — surprised, delighted, unguarded.
Click. Click.
Maria squealed from the kitchen. "I'M NOT OKAY."
Jamie covered their mouth. "This is actually too much."
Leah nodded. "I'm witnessing history."
Danielle waved a hand. "Okay, final one. Don't pose. Just... exist."
Amanda leaned in and whispered something in Ericka's ear — quiet, private, clearly meant only for her.
Ericka burst into laughter instantly, head tipping back, eyes closed, the sound warm and real and unfiltered.
Amanda laughed with her, pulling her closer without even realizing she'd done it.
Click.
The room stilled.
Danielle stared at the screen, frozen.
Then slowly lowered the phone.
"Oh," she said quietly. "Oh that one's going to ruin people."
Samantha leaned over her shoulder and gasped. "Post it. Immediately."
Danielle uploaded them — one by one — to the fan page Ericka had quietly approved earlier that day.
Forehead kiss.
Ericka sitting in Amanda's lap.
That candid laugh.
Within seconds—
BUZZ.
BUZZBUZZBUZZ.
Danielle shrieked. "IT'S ALREADY GOING CRAZY."
Comments flooded in so fast the screen barely kept up.
"THIS IS NOT A SOFT LAUNCH THIS IS A ROM-COM FINALE.
"
"THE FOREHEAD KISS?
?? I'M UNWELL."
"ERICKA IN AMANDA'S LAP HELLO?
??"
"That laugh photo feels illegal to witness.
"
"They're definitely dating.
"
"Next week's interview is about to break the internet. "
Amanda stared at the phone, stunned, half-laughing. "They're... feral."
Ericka's phone buzzed again.
PR TEAM:
"WE LOVE THIS ENERGY."
"Exactly what we hoped for."
"Post more. This is gold."
Ericka exhaled slowly, then laughed — softer now, steadier. "Well... okay then."
Amanda squeezed her hand. "You good?"
Ericka nodded, smiling. "Yeah. I actually am."
Danielle beamed. "So... should I keep feeding the fan page?"
Ericka glanced at Amanda — who was already smiling back at her.
"Yeah," Ericka said gently. "Go ahead."
Amanda leaned in, forehead brushing Ericka's again. "Looks like the internet's coming along for the ride."
Ericka smiled. "Let them."
And just like that—
The fan page exploded all over again. ??