9. Annie
Annie
Eating a blueberry muffin should solve all of my problems, right?
No?
What if it’s freshly baked, with cinnamon crumble on top, and some sort of glaze that melts when you take a bite?
Not even then?
Last night was a disaster. I have whiplash from Zayn’s polarizing behavior. I didn’t know if I should slap him in the face or tug him closer and slam my lips against his. My mood is all over the place when I’m around him. He makes it hard to keep my mask up, to be the nice Annie everyone knows.
If Mary told me they didn’t have blueberry muffins today, I think I would have lost it. That would be the final straw, the universe clearly telling me a sign that the rest of the year is destined to be shit.
I take a seat at a table near the front window, basking in the sun while I wait for Cassie.
After last night, I knew I had to talk to her.
Flora is my favorite coffee shop in the area, my safe place.
It is always packed, so I make an effort to get here early if I know I’m wanting to sit for a while.
The cafe is painted a bright pink, with pale yellow accents for the trim.
There are numerous shelves hanging from the wall, covered with pothos and other types of trailing plants.
Fresh flowers sit in the middle of every table, simple, yet enough to brighten my mood.
It’s a little further from my apartment than I’d like.
I’d give anything to be able to walk here at any given moment.
I take a deep breath, closing my eyes, taking in the smell of the cafe: caramel from my latte that I splurged on, the sweet smell from the rose in front of me, and the freshness of the air fill my nose.
“Long night?”
I peek open to see Cassie taking the seat in front of me with a “Flora Coffee” pink mug in hand.
The pink dress she’s wearing blends into the rest of the cafe and her hair is done up with small waves.
Even though Cassie is recognized most places she goes, the people inside Flora always tend to leave her alone.
We will get the occasional interruption, someone asking for a photo or a signature, but for the most part fans let her drink coffee in peace.
“Not a long night, but an exhausting one. How was your night?” I take a sip of my latte.
“Oh, fine. Emmett and I just stayed in, nothing too exciting. Why was your night exhausting?”
“I went to a gala last night,” I say.
“Oh, right, Anns! I forgot about your new client. Who is she?” Cassie sips her coffee, keeping both hands on the mug.
“He is Zayn. Zayn Barnes.” I grimace.
Cassie’s jaw drops and her hands unravel from her mug, finding their way to her lap.
“Wait, your first client is Zayn? And you went to a gala with him? Why is this the first time I’m hearing about this?”
“You don’t need to sound so distraught about it. Yes, I went with him. And I’ve been busy? I don’t know. It honestly came as a shock to me, so I’ve been trying to accept my fate with having him as my client.”
“I don’t mean to. He just...” Cassie sighs, leaning in toward me. “He has a reputation, and not a good one,” she whispers.
“I’m well aware, Cass. That’s why I’m hired, remember?” I tilt my head down, raising my brows.
“Yes, yes, I know. I just never figured it’d be someone I know. So, tell me about last night.”
“Well, I—” I start explaining, but am distracted by Mary walking toward us. Her focus travels from her phone to me and back before she reaches our table.
“Hi, Annie! Hi, Cassie. This is going to be random...” Mary says. “But, this is you, right?”
Mary flips her phone around to show us something that is on her screen. I half expect to see Cassie, since she’s now used to being in the spotlight. But as soon as I catch a glimpse of the screen, I see a familiar shade of dark green.
Cassie and I exchange a look.
“That’s me, from last night,” I confirm. It’s a photo of myself and Zayn on the dance floor at the gala before I stormed off.
“I thought so, but I wanted to double check before I go off on people in the comments.” Mary pulls back her phone.
“This photo is everywhere. I can’t scroll social media for thirty seconds without seeing someone post about it.
Everyone seems shocked that he’s with someone again after all the bad press about him this year. ”
“Bad press?” Cassie asks since she doesn’t read articles anymore, not after she was almost involved in her own photo scandal a few years back. I glare at her, but she just keeps smiling at Mary. What a great sister.
“Yeah, did you read the article where he broke someone’s camera just for asking how his day was going? Or the one where he threw a plate of food on the floor? Or—”
“We are hoping the bad press is behind us.” I smile at Mary.
The fact that she thinks we are together should send red flags my way, but instead ideas are churning in my head.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned on the job, it’s that you need to be prepared to seize an opportunity when it’s in front of you.
Zayn isn’t a person I would choose to be associated with, but my stomach is in knots over the thought.
There’s always been a spark between us, and if I’m honest, I don’t hate it.
I want to, but thinking of his arm wrapped around mine, thinking of his smile directed at me and no one else, has me wondering if this is all happening for a reason.
“Well, I’m rooting for you. He’s hot and so are you.”
“Thanks, Mary.” I chuckle. Mary waves and says bye, then pockets her phone and heads back to the bar.
I turn my body back toward Cassie.
“What?” I ask, matching her glare.
“What do you mean, what? You can’t let that poor girl assume you’re dating him. She’s already thinking about him in a different light and if the story gets squashed, you won’t be helping him.” Cassie explains.
Not true. I don’t think it would be terrible, or harm his image anymore than it is right now.
Stories like this don’t disappear—they get picked up by other outlets and spread like wildfire.
This is my fault. I’m responsible for the public’s persona of him.
I’m the one who let him get to me, which is why he came to apologize.
I think I may have a plan. This is an opportunity, and I’m going to seize it.
“Oh, no. I don’t like when you have that look on your face.” Cassie peers up at me from her coffee mug.
“Well, it might be a little insane, but I think I have a plan to help improve Zayn’s image.”
“Don’t say by dating him.”
“By pretending to date him.”
Cassie rolls her eyes. “Annie... are you sure that’s a good idea? You haven’t been with someone since...”
“Dan?” I fill in the blanks, my mind clouding with too many memories from the past.
“Yes, that bloke. You were with him for two years and instead of telling you he loved you, he cheated on you. He was the worst, never supporting you and always asking me if I landed any roles.” Cassie shivers talking about Dan, and she’s not wrong.
He was always trying to find the failure in someone, always trying to one-up them.
And yes, the last year we were together, he was cheating on me.
It started shortly after we moved in together.
I look at my latte, grabbing the cup with my right hand and swirling it around until the foam blends with the milk. I’m slowly thawing from the numbness of the past.
“Well, Zayn is Dan’s older brother. Remember? I know what I’m getting myself into.” I glance up with just my eyes to find Cassie stunned, once again.
“Oh fuck,” Cassie drawls. “Anything I knew about that man and his family has been erased from my brain.”
“Yep. Complicates things in a way, but nothing I can’t handle. He needs me just as much as I need him,” I explain, not sure if I’m trying to convince myself or Cassie more.
Complicated doesn’t begin to explain what Zayn and I are. We are nothing. He won’t even agree we’re partners, just two people forced to be with each other at random times during the week.
“And you’re sure this is the only thing you can do? What about just pushing out an article that says you two are just friends?” Cassie cringes at the thought.
“Would likely look like we are trying to cover up the fact that we are dating,” I say, using quotation marks around the word dating. “Besides, it’s not like I’m dating anyone right now anyway.” Or ever.
Cassie just stares at me. Glares is likely a better way to describe the way she’s looking at me with her narrowed eyes and her arms crossed over her chest.
“I’m not happy about it, but you’re going to do what you want.”
“Yup.” I emphasize the ‘p’ and take a sip of my coffee.
I get two seconds to think about the decision I just made before she asks me more questions.
“Any update on apartment hunting?”
I peer up from my cup. “Nope.”
“How much longer do you have?”
“At least two months,” I guess. “But I’ll find something. I have a few leads,” I lie and hope Cassie doesn’t push me for more information.
“Oh, that’s great. I’m sure one of them will work out.
” Cassie grins, and I smile back. She’s optimistic about things as of late, so I’ll let her believe everything will work out and I’ll magically find some apartment that doesn’t cost more than two thousand dollars.
Cassie would give me money, buy me a loft, help me in any way possible if I asked.
But she also knows I would never ask and would never accept a hand out.
After finishing coffee with Cassie, I let her know I’ll text her with any updates. I have to go home and do a bit of planning before suggesting this plan of action tomorrow with Logan and Zayn.
Greg texted me about the photo when I was with Cassie, and I told him I had a plan, to just show up in the office at nine a.m. tomorrow. He asked a few follow up questions, but by the end of our conversation, I had him convinced I had it covered.
I need to make a PowerPoint. People love slide decks to view information.
Maybe I’ll grab donuts too, or some variety of pastries.
I need it to be perfect. This is my first proposal and change to the contract, and I’m going in blind.
No one is going to approve or suggest changes. It’s all on my shoulders.
I need to make sure they have no other option but to say yes.