Attraction - a fraudulent marriage

Chapter 5 - new

A/N This is an entirely new chapter of Attraction. Please be advised, however, that Wattpad tends to mess up when old drafts are published again. In the event that you had Attraction in your private library before I started updating again, it is possible that you get the old chapters when I update rewritten ones. 

This is solved by doing the following.

1. remove the book from your private reading list (the library in the app)

2. shut down the app, and if you don't know how, then simply restart your phone.

3. Open the app and add the story again. 

The next chapter should start with the following words: Updated version of Attraction. If not, then you might have to retry the procedure.

A week had passed when Chris called, asking me to check the meanest city tabloid. He sounded amused more than anything else. Smug.

I had a vague idea of what Chris might be talking about and wasn't sure how I felt about it. My eyes were tired from working well into the night with some new remixes, but I managed to sit by my laptop and found a webpage that hosted both the incriminating photo and a few lines of text. The photographer hadn't known my identity, but Tom was mentioned as a close acquaintance to Lara Demalier and Dante Heron. There were photos of the others as well, but they had nothing to worry about. Lara had even been prepared with a graceful pose.

"Joah," Chris was still on the line.

"Yeah. What?" I was still staring at the picture. We looked hot together.

"So you left with Tom after all. You never told me." The guy was keen for gossip.

"I should have known you'd find this. I mean, who else reads this crap?"

"Don't you wonder how Tom reacted?" he asked, sounding like the tease he was.

"It's just a picture." I doubted Tom had said anything about it. He didn't seem like the type to comment on rumors. I began to walk back and forth in the apartment, skirting past clutter and stray items of dirty clothing that others had left behind.

"Well, it's more or less implied you're a couple."

"It's gossip, Chris." I could have lied to create some healthy drama, but that might land me in real trouble.

"So, you didn't go home with him? I'm not sure I believe that." Chris had smelled a bone. The question was if he would drop it.

"He drove me back here, but considering that I haven't even let you see this place, do you really think I would have let him inside?"

"Fair point. Anyway, Lara wants to go shopping and she asked me to join. I told her you might be up for it instead."

I almost laughed. "Wait, first you call to question me about my sex life, then you want a favor? Tut tut."

Chris whined. "Oh but come on! You know how much I hate shopping. I'm begging you here."

"What do I get in return?"

"I'll let you know that Tom snatched the magazine from me and wouldn't give it back."

"That's useless information." I suddenly imagined Tom ripping out the page and burning it slowly above a tiny lighter.

"Tom will be driving the two of you around."

Now, that was a much better incentive. "Fine. I'll do it. I have to get out of here anyway. Might as well kill some hours before tonight."