Not If I Date You First

Chapter 2

"What do you think you're doing? You can't post that."

"Why not?" She frowns as she flips through different filters.

"Why not? Are you kidding?" I reach out, snatching the phone from her and deleting the shot.

"Hey!" Her eyes flash as she looks up at me for the first time since we got out of the car. "Give that back."

The woman in front of us turns around, shooting me an arched look like she's already decided I'm a complete jerk. Praying she doesn't recognize us, I duck my head.

"Mia, you know I'm supposed to be at that press event. If you post pictures of us here, Julian will murder me."

"If you're so worried about it, why didn't you go?" She grabs her phone back.

After six months of dating, I shouldn't need to explain this to her. Every time the paps start firing away, whenever a reporter asks me some ridiculously invasive question, all I can think about is my drunk of a dad and how he sold me out just to buy some booze. My hands clench into fists, and I shake my head in disbelief.

"Besides," Mia purses her perfectly painted lips, "it's not like Julian would've known I took that this morning. You wear the same stupid outfit every single day."

"Yeah, I do, but you sure as hell don't." I try to discourage the photogs from following me by wearing the same clothes whenever I venture into the city. The idea is to make it seem like all their pictures were taken the same day so the rags won't buy them. It's not working as well as I'd hoped, especially since I'm usually with Mia, who's probably never worn anything twice in her entire life.

"I can help you right here." The string bean behind the cash register waves his hand to get our attention. He looks like he just graduated from middle school. His eyes go wide as he takes Mia in.

She notices and smiles brightly as she strides up to the counter like he's the sun in her damn universe. Most guys would be jealous if their girlfriend smiled at another dude like that, but this is par for the course with Mia. She lights up like a flashlight anytime someone pays her the slightest bit of attention.

"What can I—" His knobby Adam's apple bobs, and his voice cracks. "What can I get you?"

"Hmmm." Mia twists her lips to the side, studying the menu. "I'm not sure."

"You're not sure?" I turn to her, incredulous.

Mia doesn't hide the irritation in her voice. "That's what I just said."

"You didn't bother looking at the menu the entire time we've been standing in line?"

"I've been busy."

"Oh, my God." I grip the back of my neck with both hands and stalk to the other end of the counter before we get into a full-blown shouting match.

A few people are already watching us, an all-too-familiar glint of recognition in their eyes. I keep my back to the room, foot tapping out a beat against the tile floor. It's only a matter of time until those flashes of recognition turn into a storm of glaring cameras and the thunder of hollering paparazzi.

"Do you need me to give you a recommendation?" the kid asks Mia, eyes darting between us.

"That would be great." Mia's voice is sweeter than honey as she turns back to him. "Keep it low-carb, though."

My phone blows up again as the two of them debate the calorie content of different vegetable juices. A muscle in my jaw twitches as I slide it out of my pocket. I expect it to be Julian again, but it's Faye.