Cupidity (Sequel to Cupid's Daughter)

Chapter 24~All Things Must Come to An End

"So are you headed home for the night?" Tina asked casually as I packed the rest of my stuff into my bag. It was 4:30pm and I had just finished my day of getting people coffee and attending a meeting. It was my night off from Kerri's Café and I intended to make the most of it.

I narrowed my eyes. Since when did Tina care about what I did? "Uh no, actually, I'm going out somewhere with Ethan."

Tina smiled dryly and crossed her arms over her chest. Her tone went from polite and cheery to sarcastic and spiteful in an instant. "You think you're pretty smart, don't you?"

I froze, my hand stuck halfway between my bag and the table. "Sorry?"

Tina rolled her eyes. "Oh please, I know what you're up to. Dating the son of Melissa Black and Peter Manolis to make a name for yourself? You wouldn't be the first one who's tried."

I shoved my water bottle into my bag hastily and snapped the zip shut. "You think I'm dating Ethan as a publicity stunt?!" I questioned, genuinely taken aback. Is that how people saw me? As another Hollywood wannabe vying for the spotlight so much that she'd use anyone to get there?

Tina shot me a pointed look and raised one over-plucked eyebrow. Her stern mouth tilted downwards at the corners, like it was permanently etched into a frown.

I snorted and flicked my office light off, walking towards her and stopping when we were an arm's length apart. "My mother is Courtney Conway, a renowned dating expert and reality TV star. If I just wanted fame, Tina, I wouldn't need Ethan for that."

I left Tina behind and wandered out onto the street, breathing a sigh of relief when Ethan's car pulled up in front of me.

"You won't believe what Tina just accused me of." I groaned as soon as I sat down, rolling my eyes with so much aggression that they actually ached for a second.

Ethan chuckled. "Hello to you too, gorgeous."

I smiled, my spirits instantly lifting. "Sorry. How are you?"

Ethan leaned over to peck me on the lips, his breath cool and minty like he'd just brushed. "Better now that you're here."

Weren't we just the sappiest thing you'd ever seen?

"But please," Ethan continued as he put the car into drive and started down the street, "do tell me what Martina accused you of."

"She said I was just using you for the fame!" I cried in disgust, throwing my hands up in the air. "As if I would do that. I spent the majority of my junior high school life trying to stop people from finding out who my mother was for that exact reason! Why do you think I moved schools Freshman year?"

"Eh don't listen to her Isabelle-- in fact don't listen to any of them. People can gossip all they want but that doesn't make any of it true." Ethan reassured me, leaning over to squeeze my knee.

I sighed and nodded. He was right, of course. People speculated about me all over the internet and in magazines nowadays and I just refused to look at it, but sometimes it was more difficult to ignore what someone was saying to your face. Anyway," I said, changing the subject, "where are we off to tonight Mr. Black?"

I reached awkwardly into the backseat to grab the clothes that I had left there earlier in anticipation of our night out. Grateful for the darkly tinted windows, I started to change out of my work skirt and blouse and into the sequinned silver top and high-waisted black shorts that were more appropriate for tonight's occasion. I left my sheer black stockings on to retain a little bit of modesty, and slipped my black heeled booties onto my feet a moment later.