CHAPTER 21 KAYLEE
“We need to set up a photo shoot,” Ellie says. She’s sitting at her desk and she hasn’t even greeted me with a hello yet as her gaze lands thoughtfully on me. “Your follows have shot up since Billy Peters posted that gossip piece on you and Ben. Have you been keeping an eye on it?”
I wave to Kate, who’s sitting at her desk, and she smiles and waves back.
I slide into the chair beside her so I can continue shadowing her as I shake my head.
“Honestly I’ve been busy wrapping up the school year.
” And trying to figure out where Ben’s head is at, which I leave out of the conversation.
“You started at one thousand twenty-four when you unlocked your account. Kate posted a few photos of you with your brothers, and people are biting. They want content with you and Ben, so that’s why we need to set up a photo shoot.”
I take my phone out of my pocket and open the app. I have over nine thousand followers. My jaw drops. “You did this?” I ask Kate. “In just a few days?”
She lifts a shoulder. “You toss up a couple pics each day, tag the right people, throw up the right hashtags, and voila.”
“I’ve had some sponsors bite, but you don’t get the really good offers until you have more followers,” Ellie says.
“Once you hit thirty thousand, you’re considered an influencer and then there are strict advertising guidelines.
You’re off to a great start, but you get a pic of you and Ben up?
It’ll climb fast. I wonder if Ben was emailed any of the ones from that dinner the other night? ”
I click my photos. “I have a couple selfies,” I say. “They’re not super professional or anything but they’re sort of cute.”
I flash my screen to Ellie, and she nods. “Send them to Kate. She can help with a caption and hashtags and scheduling. And as far as the interested sponsors, so far I’ve gotten offers from some leggings company, fitness gear, the team shop, teeth whiteners. Any of that sound up your alley?”
I tap a few buttons on my phone and text my photos to Kate. “Sure. I will gladly take whatever. Ben isn’t comfortable with the engagement idea, but he green lighted dropping hints that we’re heading that way. So if that’s something you can work with, let me know.”
“Oh absolutely,” Ellie says. She jots down something on a pad of paper before looking up at me.
“Between Nicki, Kate, and myself, I’ve got about a million vendors in my contacts.
What sort of hints do you want to drop? I’ve got jewelry, bridal shops, salons, stylists, planners, bakeries…
you name it. I can send out a few inquiries and see who sends back the best bids. ”
I nod. “Let’s start there.”
“Oh man,” Ellie says, shaking her head. “This is going to drive people wild with curiosity.” She grins.
My phone starts ringing. I glance at the screen, and I ignore the call with a heavy sigh.
“What’s wrong?” Kate asks.
“My ex is in town. I went to dinner with him last night and I thought I was clear that I’m dating someone else, but now he’s calling me again.”
“Your ex?” Kate asks. “Dane?”
I nod. “He told me he wants kids and marriage and the whole nine yards now. Apparently he changed his mind and wants me back.”
“Is that what you want?” she asks.
I shrug. “No. I mean, family, yes. Kids, marriage, a dog. All that, yeah. But I don’t know if I want it with Dane anymore.”
“Then who?” Ellie asks.
Ben. Ben freaking Olson. The Big O and his Big O Thunder.
I shrug instead of saying any of that. “I don’t know, but I’m tied into a contract with Ben through September, so it doesn’t really matter.”
Kate pulls up the selfies I just sent her on her computer. “Too bad it would never work in reality with you and Ben. Look how freaking adorable you two are together.”
I stiffen as I look at our genuine smiles on the screen in front of me. “Yeah. Guess we’re pretty good actors, huh?” It’s been an easy act to put on since it’s not really an act at all…but also, I’m sort of stuck on her words about how it would never work out with Ben and me.
Why, exactly? Because Ben doesn’t want those things? Because he’s a decade older than me? Or is there something else she isn’t saying?
“Well if you don’t want what the ex wants, at least dropping these wedding hints on Instagram should get him to back off,” Ellie says.
“I guess we’ll see.” I watch Kate as she posts one of the selfies to my Instagram account and tags Ben in the photo with just a red heart as the caption.
I’ve already gotten a handful of new followers since I looked a few minutes ago. I can’t wait to see what sort of attention this selfie grabs.
* * *
I just got home to Jack’s place when my phone rings again with another call from Dane. This time, I don’t ignore it.
“Hey, Dane,” I answer. I flop onto my bed and kick off my shoes all in one motion.
“Hey. Can I see you again?”
I sigh. “I’m sorry. I just don’t think it’s a good idea. I don’t want to send you the wrong message.”
“What’s the wrong message?”
I pause before I answer. Will my sentiments here change if things go south with Ben at the end of this thing? Is there an end to this thing? That’s sort of the risk I’m taking here.
It’s not fair to Dane to let him fall into the back-up zone, but I’m not exactly sure that’s what I’m doing. I’ll always hold a special place for him in my heart. He’s the one who got me through one of the hardest years of my life.
He held my hand. He made me laugh. He wiped my tears. He listened as I shared my memories.
But Ben incites different feelings in me. Dane feels like a part of my past. Is Ben my future? He is for the next five months. Beyond that…it’s a tossup.
“The wrong message is that there’s a chance for us to get back together,” I finally say.
“So there’s not a single chance at all? Even when things end with Olson?”
“Why are you so sure things will end with Ben?” I ask.
“Because he’s Ben Olson,” he says. “His reputation precedes him, Kay.”
“You don’t know him.”
“No, I don’t. You’re right. But I know you, and I know the things that are important to you. I know you ended our relationship because you wanted things I didn’t want. Does Olson want those things?”
No. He doesn’t. But I’m not about to admit that to Dane. “That’s between Ben and me.”
“Fair enough,” he concedes. “Can we just talk in person?”
“Why? What possible good will it do?”
He clears his throat. “I have some things I want to say to you.”
I blow out a breath. I feel like this meeting needs to be private, but I’m not about to invite him over to Jack’s house. I really need a place of my own, but instead of getting that, I’m about to move in with Ben.
“Fine,” I finally say. “I’ll come to your hotel. Give me a half hour.”
It’s as I’m in the car on the way there that I realize going to his hotel is absolutely sending the wrong message, but it’s too late to back out now.