walks away.
I blow out a breath, wondering if I’ll ever move on. I’m twenty-four and should want to meet new people, but Ryan’s embedded into my heart.
“Hey!” Piper squeals as she comes to the table, plopping her ass down across from me. “Sorry, I’m late. I was filming a video and lost track of time.”
I laugh. “I figured. You’re a celebrity.”
“Oh shut up. Who isn’t YouTube famous these days?” She waves me off.
“Literally millions of people.” I snort.
“Okay well anyway, I need a dirty martini stat. Then you and I are talking all about boys.”
“Boys? Are we thirteen now?” I take a sip of my drink and am ready for another.
“Men, whatever.” She rolls her eyes and waves over a waitress. Piper orders a drink and an appetizer, and I get another martini.
Once the server walks away, I continue, “Well, maybe you’re dating boys, but I’d rather not be seen with anyone under twenty-five.”
“You’re not even twenty-five!”
“Exactly! Older men are where it’s at…or so I’ve learned.” I shrug because I’ve never had a preference before him.
“Good, we’re diving straight into Ryan gossip.”
“No, thanks. Already had that unpleasant convo with Cami, and I’m done for the year.”
“That’s not fair, I wasn’t there. I need to be caught up!” she demands.
After our drinks arrive, I tell her everything and give her all the dirty details she wants even though it hurts to repeat it.
“So you think he’s with this Rachelle bitch now?”
“Piper!” I scold.
“Well, am I wrong? She’s swooping in on your man. If she was someone with a following, I’d make a video about it and expose her.”
“Jesus. YouTubers are ruthless.” I laugh.
“You have no idea. Speaking of which, Dad hired a bodyguard.”
I scrunch my nose because this is news to me. “A bodyguard? For what?”
“For me, apparently. There’s been this stalker…he’s been commenting on my videos and sending me messages for the past six months. He completely crossed the line when he sent me naked pictures of himself. Then he emailed photos of my apartment building, so he knows where I live. Dad found out and lost his shit. Demanded I shut down my entire account! I have twenty million followers. I’m not giving that up for some psycho.”
“Piper, are you serious? How could you not tell me that?”
“Because I didn’t think it was that big of a deal. I get crazy fans all the time. Dad’s just being overprotective.”
“So where is your bodyguard now?” I ask.
“He’s standing outside the restaurant,” she says, nodding toward the door. “Really fucking fine too.”
“For real? He just follows you around all day?”
“Only when I leave the house.” She taps her long nails on the table and smirks. “Which means he’s basically on call twenty-four seven.”
“Wow…that’s intense. How long is he supposed to guard you?”
“Dad says until they find the guy and can be sure he’s no longer a threat. Could be a month, could be a year. I honestly don’t know.”
“Wow, Pipe. That’s…unsettling.” Instinctively, I look around. “So why’s he outside?”
“He walked the perimeter and knows what my stalker looks like. So if he happens to show up, he’ll stop him before he even gets in. Honestly, I think the douche is harmless and just wants my attention, but Dad seems to think it’s motivated by money. So to give him reassurance, I let the hot bodyguard be my shadow.”
“What’s his name?”
“The stalker or the bodyguard?”
I laugh even though this isn’t a funny situation. I’m worried about her. “The guard.”
“Tristan Belvedere.” She smiles as she grabs her glass and sips her drink. “Even his name sounds hot, right?”
“What’s he look like?”
“Tall and muscular—obviously. He has a short brown buzz cut and a full face of dark facial hair. I think he’s former military. I haven’t really gotten him to talk much about himself, but I will. I plan to go to lots of holiday parties, so he’ll have to come with me.” She waggles her brows and smirks.
“You cannot get involved with your bodyguard,” I demand, knowing exactly what she was implying. “That’s trouble waiting to happen with a capital T.”
“Okay, Mom…” She rolls her eyes. “There’s no harm in flirting with him. Plus, he barely says two words to me. I text him when I’m leaving, and he shows up with the car.”
“I feel better knowing he’s with you now that I’m aware you’re being stalked.” I sigh. “I can’t believe this. Maybe you should consider taking a break from YouTube.”
“And disappoint my followers just because of one bad apple?” She gasps.