A Distant Memory

Chapter 23 - Sobering up

Unsurprisingly, I had a hungover from friday night, so I didn't work on saturday. Instead, I spent it with my daughter.

Monday would be my first day going to the office, I was nervous, but it was something that I wanted to do. It wasn't too long 'till September and I had a modeling show to make, models to hire and designs to create. Anderson would get a glimpse of how hard the job was. 

"Morning, Jessica" I greeted her as I entered the building. "Morning Miss. Luxor! How are you feeling?" she asked, typing something into her laptop. I stopped by her desk. "I'm great. Any new calls?" 

"Yeah, Robert Campbell called, says that he'd like to have a meeting over the capacity for the show" she informed me as she opened my calendar. "Looks like you're free for lunch, would you like to have the meeting then?" she asked. 

"That would be great, did Maria arrive yet?" I asked, taking out my phone to see the time. "You just missed her, she went to fetch you your coffee"

"Okay, tell her that I'll be in my office"

-

I had a few meetings and calls throughout the day, Anderson was spending the day with Eve after her trip, so I didn't leave the office at any moment of the day. I was alone in my office when Maria bust the door open. 

"What did you do last night with Marko?!" she basically yelled, I frowned at her and nodded towards the chair for clients across me so she would sit, she was panting. Maria reluctantly sat down and pulled out her phone, my name was on the search bar and she was scrolling through article titles that read;

'Olivia Luxor Rossi and her intern; is it more than just an internship?'

'If you want to work for Olivia Luxor, fuck her and you'll get an internship secured'

'Olivia Luxor and Marko Anderson spotted at a bar, are they dating?'

'Olivia Luxor has finally moved on, and with her intern no less'

She pulled her phone away, I was in shock. "This is bad, Olivia. This is really bad" I looked up at her, no one saw us that night, right?

"I know" I started fidgeting with the hem of my sleeve, "what are these photos of?" she asked, stressed.

"Nothing happened between us, alright?" I crossed my arms and muttered, nothing did happen.

"I'm not asking as your friend, I'm asking as your social media manager. For me to help you make this blow over, I need to know exactly what happened, or at least why you two ended up in that photo" she placed a printed photo of Anderson pining me against a wall. 

"This - I pointed to the photo - is viral but not the fact that he beat a man unconscious?" 

"Yeah, I'm not sure how, but the media didn't hear a peep of it. Now, please tell me, Li"

"I... I don't think I even know myself" I looked at her honestly, then explained the story but not to its fullest, avoiding some parts but never lying. "Y'all are something else" she chuckled. 

I observed her, waiting for how to deal with this. "All we can do now is wait for it to blow over. Don't go out with Anderson. Ya'll will call so you can carry on the internship. Eventually this will blow over, there will be a new scandal. Kim K is having another kid, a model got knocked up, Justin Bieber is dropping a new album you know the drill"

"Justin Bieber is dropping a new album?" I asked in disbielief, "No, you dumb bimbo. I'm just saying that something else will blow up, and no one will give a fuck about you and Anderson anymore, you'll be old news"

"There is no me and Anderson" I shot back defensively right after she finished. "The media thinks that there is. Don't answer any questions, don't look at the paparazzi and it will all be over soon, trust me"

I sighed, a beat went by. "you need to fuck that man, girl" I was speechless, I tried to object but Maria spoke up, "actually, never mind. Fuck him after this blows over"

"But if I fuck him at all there will be a scandal" I tried to reason with her, "then the scandal will be true and not some photos staged to look like y'all are about to eat each other out"

I smacked her arm, Maria fake-winced and rubbed that spot where I slapped her, I chuckled. "Tell Mr. Handsome what I told you" she instructed, grabbing my office phone and shoving it towards me. 

"Which part? That you say that I should fuck him or that Justin Bieber is dropping a new album?" I asked sarcastically just to piss her off, it worked. Maria groaned and let her head hung behind her, then she regained her composure, all while I was staring at her with a smug look on my face.

"The part where ya'll need to stay away until this blows over, or you'll get the part were I smash your head into the wall" I was the one to groan this time. "Fine." I picked up the phone and dialed his number. It took a few minutes for him to pick up the phone but he eventually did.

"Hi, Mr. Anderson"

"Is something wrong, Oli?" he sounded worried, "Have you seen what the media's been saying lately?" I asked, getting straight to the point. "No, not really. What are they saying?" he questioned, confused. 

"Look up 'Olivia Luxor and Marko Anderson photo' on google" I ordered, "bossy, huh? I like it" he teased, I think that he saw my eye roll from the other end of the line. "Shit" he muttered after a few minutes, "what do we do?" he was distressed.

"I already talked this over with my social media manager, we can't be seen together until this all blows over, we'll call and everything so you can keep the internship. Don't say anything to the media." 

"How do you expect me to live without you?" he sounded sincere, "You lived just fine without me a couple months back" I chuckled, I was becoming a teenage girl, twirling the cable of the phone. I quickly forced myself to snap out of it.

"I was waiting for my salvation, now I can't live without you" he teased. "That's too bad Anderson, c'ya!" I hung up, I had to keep myself from smiling.

I turned around, Maria was observing me with a suspicious grin on her face.

"If ya'll don't get together-" she started, I cut her off. "We won't get together, so what will happen?" I questioned rhetorically. "Then you guys will be unhappy as fuck, and I'll force you two to get together" 

I chuckled while I turned my head. "I don't have any more meetings for the day, do I?"

"No, you just gotta go pick Rose up. What do you have in mind?" 

"I need some me time, I'll call my dad or Agnes to pick her up" I went for my phone, after that photo the paparazzi would not leave me alone, so I had to get a driver to go in a car with me hiding in the back, and another one with a driver and Maria. Maria would fake being me and they would follow after her, not me.

my friend's words stopped me; "The paparazzi will follow you everywhere after this new scandal" I grinned smugly, I knew this. I explained her my plan and she just laughed. "You're a genius" she high-fived me, and I laughed with her.

"You up?" 

"Why not?"

-

Everything went smoothly, my dad picked Rose up and I went to my spot. I had a spare set of a bikini in my car - you never know - and I made sure that Maria grabbed it for me before the whole plan was executed.

I quickly undressed and put my bikini on, I folded my clothes neatly and put them next to mine and Rowan's tree. I got into the clear water, closed my eyes and damped my hair. It was still summer and that day was pretty hot. When I came back to the surface, I saw someone that I didn't expect. However, that didn't necessarily meant that I didn't want to see him. We both spoke at the same time;

"Oli?" 

"Anderson?"