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“They’re mostly gaining traction on various social media sites, fan pages, and a few gossip blogs. You’re both identifiable in them, so your names are each attached.”
“Is that a bad thing?”
“No,” Vik says, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms over her chest. “It’s getting your name talked about more, gaining more attention for the tour, creating buzz around where you two might be spotted again and if this is a full-blown relationship.”
“It’s comp—”
“I’m not asking you to give me a full rundown of what’s going on between the two of you,” she cuts me off. “I just need you to be honest with me because now that people are paying attention to you for more than just your music, you become more of a target. Especially dating someone high profile like Walker. Their fans are invested in who those guys are dating and have opinions on their romances, whether educated or not. Your name has already gained traction being on this tour and being associated with them, but this is different. You’re now more than a fellow artist or an opening act. You’re a girlfriend to one of them. One of them is your boyfriend.”
“He’s not—”
“Again, doesn’t matter. The conclusion has already been made by the public.”
My throat is tight, tension bare knuckling my chest.
“So what I need you to be honest with me is, is this a fling or something more? I don’t need to know your timeline and if you hear marriage bells or not. But I need to know if this is going to be an ongoing thing.”
I rub my forehead, trying to wake my brain up the rest of the way to help me sift through this.
Is this going to be an ongoing thing? Is it going to turn into something more? Is that what I want? A month ago, I would’ve snorted at the idea of dating the shirtless guy playing Candy Crush that I met when I first stepped onto the tour bus.
But now, the Walker that I’ve come to know today…my heart already knows what my mind is just now catching up with.
“Yes, it’s something real. Something with potential,” I tell Vik, picking at the paper ring around the coffee cup.
Vik’s silent a moment, mentally switching gears from my answer, always trying to think one, two, three steps ahead of anything in terms of my career.
“If he’s in the same place as me,” I add on, a blush rising to my cheeks, butterflies taking flight in my gut, and I feel like a child again, worried if the boy at church group liked me back.
Vik scoffs, flipping a hand through the air. “Scarlett, anyone can tell looking at those photos that he’s into you.”
My eyes jump up to hers, my curiosity now really piqued to see the pictures.
“Arun is talking to Walker too, checking in to see if he is on the same page. Once everyone is good, you and I will have some time to sit down before your next interview to go over some points in case you are asked about your relationship. It will come up; I promise you that.”
I grimace, already not a fan of interviews, even when they so far have been mostly focused on my career, the tour, the songs I’ve ghostwritten for other artists.
“Walker will get asked too, but this isn’t the first time he’s had a relationship in the spotlight so he should be an old pro by now.” Vik pulls her attention to her phone, fingers flying across the screen jotting down notes.
A pang of jealousy rips through me that I quickly try to shut down. I can’t be getting jealous of past relationships that Walker’s had when we haven't even defined what our…situation even is.
Vik stands, buttoning her jacket and smoothing her hands down the front. “Manager hat off for a moment, friend hat on,” she says, reaching forward, grabbing my shoulders. “Are you happy with him? Whether or not you two are officially a couple yet. Is he adding something to your day each day?”
I smile and lean into her touch, enjoying the friend hat Vik pulls out from time to time.
“Yes,” I answer honestly, and knowing Vik likes it straight to the point, I leave it at it.
“Good,” she nods, dropping her hands and already starting toward the door.
I follow behind her, eager for her to leave so I can grab my phone to track down the pictures. Normally, I avoid my social media or anything online about myself, but the idea of getting to see our time at the club last night through a second set of eyes has my stomach tossing in anticipation.
“One more thing,” Vik says, turning around but with one hand still on the door. When she looks back at me, her face is serious. Manager hat is back.
“I know you don’t monitor what is out there about you online, which is healthy and exactly how you should keep it. But it would be unfair of me not to warn you of what lengths people may go to find any tidbit of information on you now. With you not using your legal name, that is a bit of a deterrent for people trying to do searches and find things like your home address, family members, etc. But they will find it. Interest has been growing around you since the tour began and this is going to put it into overdrive. I just want you to be prepared.”
And it’s with that final sentence that I know exactly what she is saying without saying it. What she and I both know people will find if they dig deep enough.
I don’t say anything to her, letting the silence stretch until she pats my shoulder in support and leaves, the door clicking shut behind her.
