Chapter 35
JUNO
Istared at my computer screen, watching the numbers climb.
Every refresh brought more comments. Keyboard warriors were pretty fucking brave behind fake names.
More shares and people piling onto the disaster.
I just loved that every past sin Hollis, my father, or I had made was being dragged back into the fray.
And by sin, I mean a typo or posting a picture with a caption some asshole decided could be interpreted one way or another.
Anyone could be offended if you tried hard enough.
I wanted to post a picture of me devouring a fucking cheeseburger. Hell, with all the memes, I craved one myself. All the people criticizing and scrutinizing him should be reminded about throwing rocks in glass houses.
My father had been on the phone for the last hour, doing damage control with board members who were questioning his judgment. Again.
The rat piss incident had nearly cost him some investors. We’d clawed our way back from that, slowly rebuilding trust and credibility. And now this.
I refreshed Twitter again. Still trending. Still brutal.
Kari appeared in my doorway. “Juno, there’s someone here to see you.”
“I’m not taking meetings right now.”
“It’s Hollis.”
My stomach dropped. I looked up at her, and she gave me a sympathetic look that said she knew exactly how complicated this was.
“He’s in the lobby. Security won’t let him up without your approval.”
Part of me wanted to tell her to send him away. The professional part that knew I needed distance to think clearly, to make decisions based on what was best for Young at Heart instead of what my heart wanted.
But another part of me needed to see him. The personal side of me needed his strong arms and promises everything would be okay.
“Send him up.”
Kari nodded and disappeared. I stood, smoothing down my blouse.
I looked down and saw it for the first time.
I’d dressed quickly without looking. Thank God my closet was mostly all mix and match.
Nothing clashing. I walked to the window and stared out at the city below.
People going about their lives indifferent to my personal crisis.
My world had imploded and everyone else carried on with their typical Mondays.
I heard footsteps and turned to see Hollis in my doorway.
He looked terrible. His hair was disheveled. It was clear he hadn’t planned on a professional meeting today. He wore black track pants and a polo with the B Well logo. He looked desperate. And gorgeous.
For a second, seeing him standing there, all I felt was relief. Here was the man I cared about, ready to weather the crisis with me. The man that had made love to me the other night. A man that I had allowed myself to think of as someone that would be in my life for a long time.
Then reality crashed back in.
“What the hell were you thinking?” The words came out harsh, but I couldn’t help it. All the stress and fear of the past few hours came out in that question.
He flinched. “Juno, I’m so sorry. I didn’t think it through.”
“Clearly.” I crossed my arms. “Do you have any idea what this has done? What it’s still doing?”
“I know. I saw.” He took a step into my office and closed the door behind him. “But I need you to understand what actually happened. I wasn’t just randomly eating at Curly’s because I don’t believe in our burger.”
“Then why?” I asked. “Help me understand, because right now, from where I’m standing, it looks like you sabotaged both our companies.”
He ran his hand through his hair again. “When I was meeting with your dad, he made this comment about not remembering the last time he’d had a fast food burger.
And it got me thinking, we’ve been testing our burger against every plant-based competitor on the market.
But we hadn’t actually compared it to what most people eat.
The real thing. The cheap, fast food version that millions of people consume every day. ”
I felt my anger deflate slightly. That actually made sense. Frustrating, infuriating sense, but sense, nonetheless.
“But it had to be last night?” I asked.
“I stopped at Curly’s on the way home,” he continued.
“I wanted to do a real comparison. Taste what we were actually competing against. And you know what? Our burger is better. Way better. I sat there eating that thing, and all I could think was that we’re not just going to compete in this space—we’re going to dominate it. ”
“That’s great, Hollis. Really.” I heard the bitterness in my own voice. “But you’re a public figure. Your entire life is scrutinized by fans online who judge every meal, every post, every decision you make. You should have seen this coming.”
“I know.” He looked miserable. “I should have. But I wasn’t thinking about optics.
I was thinking about the product. I had every intention of telling people about the differences.
I made mental notes about the flavor that doesn’t require condiments.
I wanted to tell people we made sure we had the best possible burger before we launched it. ”
I groaned and sank into my desk chair. “Why couldn’t you have just eaten it in your car? Or at home, like a normal person? Why did you have to sit at an outdoor table where anyone could see you and film you? And you looked like you enjoyed it.”
“Because I never imagined anyone would care.” He came closer, stopping just in front of my desk. “I was excited about the product and what we could accomplish. I had no idea I couldn’t just be a regular guy and eat a burger anymore.”
“You were born into celebrity,” I said. “You have to know the game.”
“My parents protected us pretty well,” he said. “I mean, they didn’t hide us, but they used their power to keep the tabloids from running pictures of us. We grew up before social media became the monster it is now.”
“Hollis, this is a disaster.”
He threw his hands in the air. “I like fucking steak. I like hamburgers. I like potato chips and ice cream. Why do I have to pretend to be something I’m not? I’ve never said anything else.”
I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to be monitored like that. It gave me anxiety just thinking about the world watching me eat. “It’s not fair to you. I agree. And I think it’s important you do get some privacy to eat what you want.”
“But?”
“The timing sucked, Hollis. It’s not just you that’s getting dragged.”
“What do you mean?”
I pulled up Twitter on my computer and turned the screen toward him. “Look. They’re trashing me again. Bringing up the rat piss video. Saying I have terrible judgment in business partners. Questioning whether our new relationship is even real or just a PR stunt.”
He leaned over to read the comments, his face growing paler with each one.
“And it’s not just me,” I continued. “It’s my father. It’s Young at Heart. Everything we’ve worked for is being dragged through the mud because you couldn’t wait one day to try the competition.”
“I’ll fix it,” he said immediately.
“How?” I stood up, needing to move. “How are you going to fix this? People have already made up their minds. The narrative is set. You’re the hypocrite who announced a plant-based burger and then immediately went out for fast food.
No amount of explanation is going to change that for most people.
The video is the most damning evidence.”
“Then I’ll prove them wrong when we launch. The burger speaks for itself.”
“If we even get to launch.” I sighed and shook my head. “My father is in with the legal team right now, reviewing the partnership contract. They’re figuring out what our options are.”
Hollis went very still. “You mean they’re figuring out how to drop me.”
“I don’t know what they’re figuring out.” I met his eyes. “But I know they’re protecting the company. Which is what they should do.”
“Juno.” He came around the desk, reaching for my hand. “I know I messed up. I know this is bad. But we can get through this. Together.”
I pulled my hand away, even though it hurt to do it. “I like you, Hollis. I like you a lot. More than I probably should after only a few weeks. But I won’t watch my family’s company go down in flames for you. I can’t.”
“What are you saying?”
“I’m saying maybe it’s best if we take some time apart while I get this mess sorted out.
” The words tasted like ash in my mouth, but I forced them out anyway.
“I can’t think straight when you’re around.
I need to be able to make clear-headed business decisions, and right now, I can’t separate the personal from the professional. ”
He looked like I’d punched him. “You’re breaking up with me?”
“I’m saying we need space.” I turned away, unable to look at his face. “Go home, Hollis. Let me handle the damage control. I’ll call you when I know more about where we stand. The PR team has some ideas on how to fix the situation, but it’s not great.”
“Juno, this is not that big of a deal.”
My mouth dropped open. “Hollis! How can you say that? My father’s company. My company. We endorsed you and now we look like idiots.”
“It’s my company as well,” he said. “B Well is mine. I don’t have an army of PR people or a legal department. You kick me to the curb and that’s it for me.”
It killed me. I heard the pain in his voice and hated that he had so much more to lose. It wasn’t fair. But life wasn’t fair. My instinct was to put his pain ahead of my own. I wanted to make it easier on him. Be there for him.
But my father needed me. The company needed me. That was where my loyalty had to be.
“Please.” My voice cracked. “We’ll talk soon. But I need to focus on damage control right now.”
“Juno, business is business. That doesn’t change the way I feel about you.”
“It changes everything, Hollis. I can’t think straight when you’re around. You confuse my priorities. This thing we have—it has to take a backseat for now.”
“Not for me,” he said softly. Footsteps and then the door closing softly.
I stood at the window, staring out at the city through blurry vision. I didn’t turn around until I was sure he was gone. Then I sank into my chair and let the tears come.
It was the right decision. The smart decision. I needed to focus on salvaging Young at Heart’s reputation. I couldn’t do that while also trying to navigate a relationship with the man who’d caused the crisis in the first place.
But God, it hurt.
My phone buzzed with another notification. More comments, more hot takes, more people weighing in on Burgergate. I needed to get into the meeting with my father. Add my two cents.
Instead, I put my head down on my desk and cried.