Desire

THIRTEEN

THIRTEEN

Tiana

Michael and I have been doing so well together. After our phone call about the press, he came over a few days later and we hung out watching tv and talking all night long. He fell asleep on the couch but had to leave early the next morning. It's starting to become almost impossible to be away from him for too long.

"Give me an update on you and Michael." Phoebe, my publicist, said as she put on her reading glasses and read the paper. I invited my publicist to discuss our plans and the more we meet about this, the more I start to build a guilty conscience. I've never felt this way before about anyone.

"We're just hanging out for now." I said.

"We need more than just hanging out Tiana! We need couple photo shoots, music videos, guest appearances, interviews! Do you know how good this is for publicity?" She said. I sighed, knowing where this conversation was going. At first, I was all for using him to bring in more revenue but Phoebe was draining me. Not only that, but the more I spent time with Michael, the more I actually started to like him.

"You may need to use a little blackmailing but that wouldn't hurt nobody." She said as she folded the paper and took off her glasses.

"I can't blackmail him!" I said.

"Why not? You've done it plenty of times before." She chuckles.

"Because..."

"Don't tell me..you actually like him."

"No! No, I don't like him. I'm just saying I don't need to do that." I told her.

"You do like him. What happened to the Tiana that would stand up for what she wanted?"

"I'm still that girl, I just can't do that to Michael." I said as I stood up from the table and grabbed both mine and Bethany's coffee mug and walked to the kitchen. "You like Michael..this isn't good Tiana. I thought you'd be able to do this without catching feelings."

"I do not freaking like this man! I just..I just can't do this to him." I told her as I leaned over the sink. "Get out"

"This was your idea Tiana, don't forget that." She said as she got up and soon left.

This whole situation was starting to stress me out. Michael and I have been hanging out for a while now and the more we get to know each other, the more I start to like him. Last night, he took me out for dinner officially without any arguing. We talked and laughed the whole time. He paid for the restaurant to close and had it only available for us. I can tell he likes me just as much as I like him. I can't continue to lead him on the way that I am but Phoebe is right, it was my idea. I started this whole publicity stunt in the first place. I was being greedy and even dragged Gabby into it, especially with the contract. It's too late to feel sorry now, I have to keep going, and hopefully my lies don't catch up to me.

Hours had passed since Phoebe had left and Gabby came over to check on me. I haven't seen or heard from her all day today, which was unusual. I didn't really question it, seeing that this was my week off from any type of work and she knows I like my alone time, even though I wasn't truly alone.

I finally opened up about my family and my childhood to Michael. I've only opened up to Gabby about that situation. He set up this whole dinner with my parents to try and get us to a middle ground. He says my childhood trauma is affecting me in my adulthood and it affects the way I treat people. I couldn't help but agree with him. I was such a bitch to not only him but anyone else who I felt was beneath me. I had such a sour attitude towards life and it took him to make me realize that.