What Comes With It

Chapter 7

The next morning, I'm rudely awoken not by my cats, but by Ivy.

"Rest day's over. Big day ahead," she says, while pressing the button that forces my shades to open.

My entire body protests. The tour is so hard on my legs, feet, bones, and voice.

I'm still rubbing sleep from my eyes when Ivy presents me with the day's schedule. It's a flurry of fittings, strategy sessions, phone calls, esthetician appointments, and carefully planned public outings.

As I grab my phone of its charger to see a "Good morning" text from Ben, I remember my promise to FaceTime with him.

"Do I have any open time today? At all?" I ask, with a light air of desperation.

Ivy looks at me, a question dancing in her eyes. She won't dare ask, but I know what it is.

"I'll see if I can move things around while you're at the gym."

The gym. Fuck. I have a team of trainers who help me optimize every muscle in my body. They come to me, so being "at the gym" just means taking the elevator downstairs but still. I don't have the energy. I just want to watch 700 hours of TV with the cats.

At that moment, my green smoothie and a tumbler of water are delivered to my door by the chef. I begrudgingly start choking down the earthy-tasting smoothie. I know I need all the vitamins I can get.

I throw on leggings and a sports bra and drag myself to the elevator to get my ass handed to me by my trainer. Hopefully it takes my mind off of Ben.

Ninety minutes later, I can confirm that it did not, in fact, take my mind off of Ben. Rather, my workout got me worked up: I have no idea how to act on a FaceTime call with a guy I've been talking to for only two days, who happens to be very famous and very hot.

I FaceTime with my friends all the time but it's usually just while I'm baking or hiding in bed. Is this a friend thing? I decide that there's no way it's a friend thing and start brainstorming ice breakers. Why am I so awkward?

As I'm getting ready to shower, Ivy shoots me a text:

I got you 30 minutes at 6:30. Leave at 7 sharp for dinner. Spend it wisely.

I send her the prayer hands emoji and turn the shower on. If I weren't in a hurry, like always, I would let myself stand here for a long, long time and let my thoughts go to very private places. Places that maybe I'd like Ben to go with me.

Instead, I pull myself together and get back to my list of topics to talk about on FaceTime while I quickly rinse off my sweat. Obviously, I'll introduce him to my cats. Does he even like cats? That's definitely something to ask. Maybe give him a quick tour of the place. But that would mean other people seeing him on the phone and it's way too soon for that. I make a mental note to pop my AirPods in before taking the call.

I can bring him up to speed on the latest friend drama in my group, the same group I'm getting dinner with tonight. I can detail the process of going anywhere in Manhattan, how complicated the entire ordeal has to be, and how many people are involved. But will that seem braggadocios?

I find it helps to set the expectation that yes, I love socializing, but it comes at a high cost. We have the New York Sheriff's Office on speed dial. It's a whole thing.

I briefly let myself wonder what it'd be like to go out to eat in Kansas City. Would it cause as big of a hoopla? Would cab drivers lay on their horns as my caravan barrels past them? Would paparazzi jump out at every turn? I'm gonna ask him tonight. I add it to the mental list.

Oh, that reminds me. I should probably let him know about the sliver of time I'll be able to talk to him tonight. Imagine spending all this time stressing over it and then forgetting to actually tell him when it's happening.

I quickly towel off and grab my phone. He'd already texted me.

Still on for tonight?

YES! Was just about to text you.

Can you make 6:30 work?

Ur time or mine?

Right, right, he's in the Midwest. I never register time zones or else I'd make myself crazy.

Mine.

Works for me! I'll talk to you then.

My heart dipped for a moment before he sent one last text.

...and hopefully all day here :)