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“Since college, she is the first,” I stated coldly. “Is that good enough for you?”
“Quite. And I meant to be complimenting you. People expect to see a progression in serious relationships, and this is a good step.”
Where had I heard that before? Maybe I needed to pay a bit more attention to Noah’s rambling stories. “Thank you.” She didn’t need to know how the move had been forced.
“It’s also about time we let people know her full name. It’ll make her more human, easier to relate to when we can get her backstory out.”
I nodded along. This had been a recurring question. “I’ll ask again, but she’s not comfortable with that yet. She likes the anonymity.” There were times in this town I wished I could get my anonymity back.
“The poor girl from Brooklyn gets into Columbia, goes on to get her MBA, graduates near the top of her class, and aspires to help others with her CPA. It’s a great story.”
“Charlie, I said I’d ask,” I repeated. “But it’s her call.”
“Of course, of course. I just have one more thing”
“Charlie, before we leave the subject, I have something.”
“Yes?”
“It’s not just a story. She’s a wonderful and talented woman, and I’m honored to be her boyfriend.”
She was silent a beat. “I’m on your side, Mr. McAllister. I was actually going to compliment you again. You came off in the latest pieces as very protective, and that also plays well with the public.”
“Thank you, and it’s Evan,” I reminded her again. I hated that she viewed it all as playing to the public, but I guessed that was the life of the public relations person.
“Right up until you take action,” she added. “Then it can turn around and you become the assailant. Words are fine, but don’t go creating trouble. That’s my advice.”
I suppressed a sigh. We were paying her for advice, so that was fine. “I understand.” I also knew I’d go to any lengths necessary to keep Alexa safe.
“Take care, Mr. McAllister. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to call. And if anything changes with regard to your relationship, give me a heads up.”
“Sure. Have a great day, Charlie. Oh, and one last thing. I’m hanging up the next time you call me Mr. McAllister instead of Evan.”
The line was dead silent. I couldn’t tell if she’d heard me before hanging up or not.
CHAPTER23
Alexa
This morning,a Monday, I’d woken up to find the condo empty. Evan had most likely gone into work early. Dressed in a bathrobe, I wandered into his kitchen.Our kitchen?It seemed that way.
It had been two weeks since we’d almost kissed that first weekend I arrived here, and I’d kept my distance from Evan ever since. As if it hadn’t happened, neither of us had mentioned the episode or alluded to it.
This life still didn’t seem real. After I found the right concealer treatment, Evan scheduled us to go out to dinner regularly, so we could be seen. The paparazzi were still there, but since I’d realized it was their job to try to get a sensational photograph or verbal reaction, I found them easier to ignore. Evan and I had played their game with some success. They still referred to me as the McAllister Minx, but had started leaving off themost recentdesignation.
When we didn’t go out, Evan spent a large portion of the evenings holed up in his home office or going back into work. That he was helping his friend Martin deal with his new job was as much of an explanation as I got, and I didn’t push. I found it admirable that Evan willingly gave him so much help. In the same position, I might have been hoping my replacement failed so I’d look good in comparison.
The toaster beeped, and I lifted my bagel out after starting coffee.
While I waited, I tapped out a message.
ME: I’m going to be helping out at the deli today.
It was a perfectly normal message for a girlfriend to send to her man to let him know where she was.
EVAN: Enjoy.
Very to the point.
