Allison

The Cat’s Out Of The Bag

A knock at my office door pulls my focus from the computer screens in front of me where I’m going through the pictures from my latest shoot.

“Come in,” I call out and relax back into my chair.

“Ms. Green, do you have a moment?” It’s my boss, Caroline McGee. Well, my boss’s boss to be more accurate. She has never visited me in my office before. Shit, what did I do?

I rack my brain trying to think of what it could be. Did I go over the budget on our trip to Montana? No, Ash paid for the private jet which saved the magazine a lot of money right there. Have I been late on an assignment? No. Long lunch? No.

“Yes, of course,” I say standing up and gesturing toward the chair on the other side of my desk. “It’s so nice to see you, Ms. McGee. What can I do for you?”

“I’m glad you asked.” She sits down smoothing her white pencil skirt under her behind that rumor has it she spent a fortune augmenting. “I’ve recently become aware of your new relationship. I’m pleased you’ve finally found someone.”

My relationship? Who would have told her about Ridge and me? I’ve only told two people here in New York—Grace and David—that’s it, nobody else. And why is she asking? And what does she mean finally? I’m fast becoming defensive and irritated, but I can’t let my boss know.

“Thank you.” Short and sweet, don’t give her any more than you have to.

“You’re welcome. My reason for visiting is I wanted to ask if you think Mr. Noble would be interested in doing a follow-up interview with us. It would be a ‘look at me now’ kind of thing. Since he went off the grid and hadn’t been seen or heard from for five years, I think our readers would like to know what happened to him after the trial.”

Shit, this is my worst nightmare. I was so careful not to expose Ridge, how did this happen? There’s no way in hell he would give an interview and especially not one like that.

“I’m sorry, did you say how you came across this information? About who I’m dating, I mean.”

“Oh no, I have no idea. You know the gossip that goes on around here, it’s rampant, but we are a celebrity magazine after all.”

I have no idea what she means by that, but it’s certainly not an answer.

“Well, your source was wrong, I’m afraid. I’m not dating anyone named Mr. Noble. I don’t know who that is.” My first instinct is to play dumb. I can’t get caught in between Ridge and my boss.

She frowns. I think it’s hard to tell with all that Botox in her forehead. “No? My goodness, how embarrassing, it must have been a rumor. But you are dating someone yes?”

“Yes.”

She tips her head down and looks at me over her designer glasses that she doesn’t even need. “Someone you met in Montana?”

Shit, she’s not going to let this go. “Yes, that’s right.”

She smiles a big toothy fake smile, and I have the overwhelming urge to wipe her blood-red lipstick off of her perfect white porcelain caps. “Well, I apologize for interrupting your work, dear. I won’t keep you any longer. Congratulations on your new boyfriend.”

“Thank you. Have a nice day,” I call after her. Have a nice day? I just lied to my boss, and that’s what I say? I sound so stupid. She’s probably on her way to have her spies dig up more information on my boyfriend, and I’m telling her to have a nice day.

We’ve been dating long distance for six weeks now and never once have we let our guard down. No one knows about us besides Ash and his family and staff and my brother. No one.

I dig my phone out from under the proofs that are spread out on my desk and call Ridge. I never call him during the day, and he answers on the first ring.

“What’s wrong?” Not even a hello.

“I’m not sure. We might have a problem. My boss just came into my office and asked if you would like to do a ‘look at me now’ follow-up interview with the magazine. She said she heard I was dating you but nobody knows, Ridge, I swear.”

“It’s okay, calm down. What did you tell her?”

“I told her I don’t know any Mr. Noble, but she knows whoever I’ve been seeing lives in Montana. She brought it up like she was dropping a hint or a warning.”

“And nobody there knows who I am but David?”

I pause, I haven’t told him Grace knows, but surely she wouldn’t tell when I specifically told her not to. “Angel?”

“There’s one other person. My friend here at work, Grace, she’s the one I went to first before I even knew you. I asked her to look you up. I asked her not to mention it though, and I can’t imagine she would, she’s my friend.”

There’s a rustling on the other end of the line, and I imagine him pushing his hand through his hair or rubbing his face like he does when he’s frustrated. “I’m sorry.”

“There’s nothing to be sorry for. Ask Grace if she mentioned it to anyone. If she didn’t, we would have to assume your boss has someone watching us. Either way, it’s not the end of the world. I can’t hide forever, maybe it’s for the best.”

“For the best? I thought you wanted to keep your life out of the public eye.”

“I do, and I will. Even if she finds out it’s me, she can’t make me do the interview. Worse case scenario, we end up with a bunch of paparazzi outside the ranch and your apartment.”

“We can’t do that to Ash and Stella, and it might freak David out, too.”

“I’ll talk to Ash and Stella, they know all about my past, they’ll understand. You talk to David. Is it possible that she believed you about not knowing me?”

“No. Her tone was threatening. She wanted to be sure I was reading between the lines. Ridge, what if they fire me for lying? I can’t lose this job. I have David.”

“All right now, you’re getting way ahead of yourself. They can’t fire you for dating me or lying about who you’re dating, that’s none of their damn business. I know you were just here last weekend, but what do you have going on this weekend? I want to see you.”

“Nothing, I don’t have anything, but I’m not sure about David. Do you think I should be coming out there right now? What if they send somebody to follow me?”

“I wasn’t planning on you coming here. I’ll put together a weekend vacation, just the three of us somewhere warm, how’s that sound?”

“It sounds fantastic.”

“Good, leave it to me. Now go back to work and forget about all of this. It’ll be okay no matter what happens.”

“I hope you’re right.”

“I’m always right. I love you, angel, don’t ever forget that.”

“I love you, too.”

“Bye.”

“Bye.” The call disconnects, and I sit staring out the window of my office at hundreds of rooftops. What if I did get fired? I love my job, don’t I? I need my job, but lately, I’ve been feeling like I could be doing more. I thought photography would be a way to bring joy to people’s lives. But more and more my photographs feel like an invasion of privacy or shallow documentaries of the fake lives of movie stars and musicians.

And as my relationship with Ridge has grown, I’ve started thinking about a future with him. How would that work? I can’t very well live and work in the city when he hates it here, but David has school and friends that he’s known his entire life.

Enough. I can’t keep worrying about things I have no control over right this minute. I’m going to finish my work, go home, and have dinner with David and sit in the tub forever or at least until the water gets cold, and I shrivel up like a prune.

My phone dings notifying me of an incoming text message. It’s from Grace, shit. I open it up and read what I already suspected.

Grace: I messed up.

Me: Oh Gracie, what have you done?

Grace: I’m so sorry, it wasn’t intentional.

Me: Who did you tell?

Grace: He doesn’t work here, you don’t know him. I was drunk. God, Allison, can you ever forgive me?

Me: It’s all right, we’re figuring it out, and I’m not mad at you.

That’s not true. I am a little mad. Grace has a bad habit of blabbering other people’s business when she’s had too much to drink. But I do wonder who she was blabbering to that would get that information back to my boss.

Grace: Thank you, I’ll do anything to make it up to you. I’m so sorry.

Me: Can you find out how the information got back to Caroline?

Grace: I’ll try.

Me: Thanks. Watch your drinking, please.

Grace: I will.

I drop the phone into my drawer and shut it. No more interruptions today, unless they’re from Ridge about a tropical getaway.

Later, after David’s wrestling meet when we approach our apartment building, there is a group of people hanging around outside the front doors. In our neighborhood, people congregating in doorways is always a bad thing that should be avoided, but it’s chilly out, and we don’t have anywhere else to go.

“What’s with all those people?” David asks slowing his pace.

“I don’t know, but they don’t look like gangbangers.”

“Nah, they’re dressed too nice.”

“Okay, just stay close and hurry.” I take his hand, and when we step up to the doors, a man turns around and says something to the rest of the group. That’s when it hits me. They’re paparazzi. Shit, news travels fast. “David, it’s the press, keep your head down and don’t say anything.”

We move through the journalists huddling together with cameras flashing in our eyes. There are questions flying at us from every direction. How long have you been dating Ridge Noble? Is he abusive? Why has he been in hiding for so long? Did he tell you the truth about what he did to Livi Fox?

We are almost clear of them when that last question stops me in my tracks. I push David inside and turn to face them in the doorway. They quiet a bit waiting to hear what I’m going to say, and without thinking, I shoot my mouth off and defend Ridge. “Mr. Noble was acquitted of all charges against him in that case. And if you’ve forgotten what the definition of acquittal is, it means he did not do what Ms. Fox accused him of doing. That’s how the justice system works. And it was five years ago, he’s innocent, leave it be.”

I pull the door shut and race up the five flights of stairs with them on my heels. When I get to our apartment, David has the door unlocked. I push him in and slam the door before locking all four locks and sliding the chain in place. “Damn, Ally, did they follow you upstairs?”

“Yeah, they’ll probably sit there all night. Shit, what have I done?”

I drop my bag and pace the floor. “What do you mean?”

“I lied to my boss today. I told her I didn’t know Ridge, and then I went and defended him out there just now.” My phone rings in my bag, and I drop it on the table so I can dig it out. Ridge’s handsome face appears on the screen, and I answer right away.

“Ridge, the paparazzi are here. They just ambushed David and me at our apartment.”

“I was afraid of that. They’re here, too, outside the gate two miles from the house, but they’re here.”

“Oh my God. I’m so sorry.”

“Are you okay? They didn’t touch you, did they?”

“No but…”

“But what?”

“I think I screwed up. I may have defended you. And I told my boss I didn’t know you this afternoon so...”

“What exactly did you say?”

“That you were acquitted of all charges, and they should leave you alone.”

“That’s good. You didn’t say anything an employee of the magazine wouldn’t know. You can just say you followed the story when it happened.”

“But they’re at your place, too. They know where you are, what are we going to do?”

“Nothing. They can’t get to me here. We have too much security. I want you and David to come here for a while. Take your vacation time that you said you have saved up. Tell them you have a family emergency or something. I need you here where I can keep you safe.”

“But what about David?”

“He’s almost finished with school for the summer, isn’t he?”

“Yes, this is his last week.”

“Perfect. I’ll send the jet to get you in the morning, and a car will be at your door to take you to the airport. Can you get out of the building safely?”

“Yeah, I mean they’re outside my door, but we can push through if there’s a car at the curb.”

“I’ll send someone up to your apartment. Give me your address.”

I rattle off my address without thinking and open the door to our storage closet to get our suitcases out while we talk.

“Allison.”

“What?”

“Please tell me you gave me the wrong address. This is a terrible part of Brooklyn.”

Could this day get any worse? I never told Ridge we live in one of the most dangerous areas of New York. I didn’t want him to worry, but now he knows.

“No, that’s where we live.”

I hear him sigh heavily into the phone. “We’re going to talk about this when you get here.”

“There’s nothing to talk about. This is where we live, and until I get a promotion at work, this is where we will continue to live.”

“Not if I can help it,” he murmurs under his breath.

“What?”

“Nothing. Pack your things, call your boss, and be ready to go at seven in the morning.”

“Okay, and Ridge.”

“Yes.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Stop saying that.”

“But I am sorry. If you never met me, your life would still be private and quiet. You wouldn’t be dealing with all this shit.”

“Angel, if I had never met you, I would be a lonely, bitter man hiding from life. Baby, you lit my heart on fire when I met you. You showed me how to love again. I wouldn’t change that for anything in the world. So stop apologizing for being the best thing that’s ever happened to me, dammit.”

I’m stunned into silence, but I manage to whisper, “Okay.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow. I love you, don’t you ever forget that.”

He says that every time he says I love you—don’t you ever forget that. Like it would even be possible to forget a love as big as his?

“I won’t. I love you, too. I’ll love you for a million years and forever.”

I swear I can hear him smile through the phone when he repeats, “For a million years and forever. Goodbye, angel.”

“Goodbye, Ridge.”