11 Chapter 11: The Press Conference
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My phone ringing continuously in the sitting room woke me up. Have been lazily waiting for whosoever is calling to stop, but it seems important. I stood up and make my way to the sitting room. I was only in my bra and panties, I quickly grab a robe and put it on as I answer the phone on the fifth ring.
“Hello” I call immediately I pick up the phone making my voice come out groggy.
“Nina Miller!!” My father's voice jolted me awake as he shouted on the phone. I heard mom's voice in the background as she was trying to calm him down.
“Dad?” I question softly, my voice sounding gentler and awake.
“When were you planning to tell me that you have a boyfriend?”
“I'm sorry dad” Why is he getting worked up, was he not the one pestering me to get a boyfriend?.
“I have to find out from a damn tabloid” He shouted again.
“I'm sorry dad” I repeated, as I held myself back from rolling my eyes.
“I'll like to meet him. Soon?”
“Yes dad” He hung up after asking how I was.
I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding, damn Austin. The doorbell ring in got my attention as I move to open the door. Lily breeze in, barely glancing at me…
“Girl! You are the number one most search person on google as in the morning” Lily said as she sat down, taking in my appearance.
“Gosh! What's wrong with you?”
“Mr. Tom Miller happens to me!” I huff at her while I stroll to the kitchen to drink water. Lily follow me until she was sitting down on one of the kitchen stools.
“Your dad? What happen?” She collected the water from me and drank from it.
“Well, he found out from the tabloid that I'm dating Austin Walker”.
“Speaking of tabloid, you need to see this” she stood up and went to her bag, and pull out her tablet.
“Here” she gave me the tablet.
“What?” I ask her immediately I collected the tablet, turning it around in my hands.
“Just take a look at it”
“Haa!” I gasp, in the tablet was the picture of I and Austin kissing so passionately after his song at the party. If I didn't know better, I'll say this is so real.
“Haa!? Right? Read the caption” Lily point to the down part of the picture. I turn to read it:
“New York most eligible bachelor and Artist find love in the eyes of a journalist”.
“Wow! Nice! No wonder dad flip”
“Exactly, who wouldn't flip after seeing that. So is it serious or should I mind my business?”
“Lily wow! Girl. Don't be too fast. We are barely two days old and you are already asking how serious we are. Gosh! You are so funny”
She rolls her eyes at me” It's good to plan”
“Says who?” I laugh at her.
“Says, Lillian”
“Did you just roll your eyes at me? Young lady?” I said mimicking my dad's voice.
“Yes,” We both laugh as I went to prepare for the press conference.
I was in the bathroom bathing when Lilian called from the bedroom. She was trying to pick what I will be wearing to the press conference.
“How are you getting there?” She asked.
“Austin will be picking me up, I guess” I reply from the bathroom.
“OK”
“Speaking of that, I might have a problem or two,” I told her as I peek my head from the bathroom.
She regards me with her questionably eyes and set the clothes she was holding down as she walks up to where I was standing at the door to the bathroom.
“What could be the problem, young lady?”
“Deborah Melton”
“Your boss daughter” she gasps shocked.
“And Michael's wife to be”
“What's wrong with that?” She asked sounding confused.
“She told me to stay away from her after yesterday's party” I shrug as I went back to brushing my teeth.
“What? Why?”
“I don't know. Maybe because both Austin and Michael were betting over me”
“That reminds me, I've been meaning to ask. What's going on with you and Michael?”
“Nothing,” I said as I avoided her gaze.
She didn't believe me, she yelled at me” Nina Miller? What's going on?”
“Well. I. May. Have slept with him before?”
“What?” Lilian shouted” Why? How?” She said a little gentler as she was trying to control her nerves.
I couldn't look at her in the eyes after I've explained everything to her, but I left out the place of Austin asking me to be his fake girlfriend.
“Babe! Your silence is killing me” she still kept mute, just regarding me with an expressionless face.
“Lily? Please talk to me. I'm sorry” I try to hold hands, but she flinches and turns to walk away from me without a backward glance. I try to run after her, but I was naked and it will seem pathetic.
I bathe quickly and put on the dress Lilian has picked for me as I waited for Austin to come to pick me.
Thirty minutes later, Austin walks in dressed in a white linen shirt and blue trousers. He looks handsome and ravishing.
“Hey, beautiful,” He said as he walks up to me and kisses my knuckles.
“Hey, handsome” I smile shyly at him. He looks up at me, knowing fully well that the smile didn't reach my eyes. He raises an eyebrow to ask what was wrong but his driver alerted us that we need to be on our way if we want to beat the traffic.
I was nervous, Austin kept repeating what I need to say if I'm being asking questions.
“Are you ok?” He finally asks as he couldn't contain the silence that envelope us.
“Hmm!” I cleared my throat. “ Yes. Sure” I reply as I avoided his gaze.
“Hey!” He guides my chin to look at him, while he smiles at me. “ We are friends right?”. I nodded.
“Good. Now tell me what's wrong?”
“Well. It's Lilian”
“Lillian?” Austin asks shocked.
“Yes,” I shrug as I reply.
“How come?”
“I told her about Michael. She got annoyed and left without saying anything”.
“Well, that's a tough one. Give her some time to come around. I'm sure there's a reason why”
“You think so?. Will, she ever forgive me”
“Sure. You are a nice person. I'm sure she knows that too”.
“Thank you, Austin” I smile genuinely at him as I squeeze his hand while he pats my cheeks.
“Anything for you. So are you ready to be my girlfriend?”
“What?” I shouted shocked, the magnitude of what I was about to do finally dawn on me.
“I'm sorry. I mean after today, the media will be after you and your privacy will be evaded”
“The media are already after me” I murmur remembering the news Lilian show to me this morning.
“Sure. Anything for you” I held his hands as I smile at him.
We were already at the media house, Mark was rushing to meet us.
“OK love birds, ready?” Mark said immediately he got to us. We both nodded. Then he walks us into the conference room. I can't believe the number of reporters that turn out today. Even Sam was here from Melton's Media, he winks at me and I huff.
“Everyone set?” Mark turned to the reporter who was readying their cameras and adjusting their mics. They all nodded.” Action” he calls and the questions start coming as soon as we were seated while Mark stood to the end.
“How did you and Mr. Walker meet?. Miss Miller” A reporter from Neon Media asks me.
“Well. We met at a club in Italy, and we clicked, but I've wanted to keep our relationship with him a secret, that's why you've not heard of me until now”.
“Really!. That's so sweet of you” He sat down and another reporter stood up.
“Mr. Walker, the rumor of you being gay is fake news right?”
Austin panicked and look at Mark, who in turn gave him a blank look. I squeeze his hands as he turns to smile at me while looking at the reporter with a poker face.
“Rubbish. How can I be gay when I have an angel looking at me right now” He smiles as he turns to kiss me passionately, the clicking sound from the cameras alerted me and I gently and subtly push him away.
“Lovely. So the rumor about you and your manager having a love affair is fake. Right?”
Sam asks Austin, looking at me like I'm a journalist and I don't know anything. I scoff at him, and he smirks back challenging me to get off this one.
I turn to look at Mark, he was panicking and barely trying to catch his breath while Austin was pale and gripping my hands tightly. I fear there's going to be a bruise there by tomorrow.
“Well, an artist and a manager are always close for them to have a nice working relationship. Austin and Mark are not different either” I look at Sam and smile.
“If it was a male and female artist and manager respectively, would you have accused them of having any relationship apart from work-related I asked him? He sat down defeated and everyone claps for me while Mark who has recovered from his panic attack a while back mouthed me a quick thank you and Austin squeeze my hands lightly and the press conference came to an end.
Austin couldn't stop thanking me as he drove me home, he promised to talk to Lillian on the phone as he drops me after packing me goodnight.
“Would you like to come in for coffee?” I ask him immediately he open the door for me to step out.
“I would have loved to but I need to see Mark” He politely declined and peck me on the cheek again.
He turns to walk into the car thanks so much for today, Nina Miller“ He drove away smiling. I couldn't help but smile too as he has made my day. I walk into my room to have my beauty rest as I was very tired.
AUSTIN
I drove my car into the garage and off the engine as I took the elevator to my room. I open the door to see Deborah Melton waiting for me as usual.
“Hey! Baby. Did you see my acting skills? How was it?” I ask her as I hug her.
“Don't you baby me, what was the meaning of what you did yesterday” Deborah screamed at me, panting heavily.
The smile fell from my face“ What do you mean by yesterday?. But we spoke on phone yesterday and you didn't say anything. You were ok, yesterday” I ask getting confused as I sat down on the couch, while she sat on the other side with her leg crossed.
“Did you have to spend a million dollars just to dance with her? And right now she has taken my spot as the number one most search personality on social media” She said glaring at me.
“I'm sorry, I don't know. I was just following your instructions. You told me to make sure that she dances with me yesterday and I did” I walk up to her and wrap my hands around her, breathing in her scent.
She hugs me back“ I'm sorry too, I'm just getting frustrated. I don't know what to do anymore. Is like she's taking over everything that belongs to me. First Michael and you and now my dad too” She sigh heavily as she rests her head on my shoulder.
“It's ok, but what has she done to your dad?” I ask her out of curiosity. I and Michael, I can understand but her dad?.
“Hmm!. I don't know. Just this morning dad was praising her, how she has brought publicity to his Media house?. How he has been getting different calls from different media houses seeking to interview Nina and you. He was all smiled”!
“I'm so sorry to hear that. At least it's good for your dad's business”.
“ I don't want any kind of publicity, I just need my best friend back, My dad back, Michael back, and my spot as the number one most search personality on social media back to me. I want everything to go back to normal She replied begging me desperately.
“And Nina?” I ask her as I stood up and look at her.
“I want her out of our lives. I'm seriously considering your option of killing her for good” She looks up at me, I was surprised and happy. Now we are both on the same side.
“And Michael?”
“ I don't care what happens to Michael, he will mourn her for a while, then he will move on”
“Are you sure about this, Deborah? ” I ask her as I stroll into my room to change out of my clothes.
She follows me into the room and sits down on the bed“ Yes I'm very sure. But let's wait a little longer. Michael is getting suspicious, he has been asking me a lot of questions lately”.
I froze as I was about to take off my trouser, if Michael Thompson is snooping around, then that's not good.
“Ok” I reply after some time let's wait a little while then”.
She walks up to me and kisses me slowly, I was surprised, she has never initiated sex between us before. That only means that Michael is not giving her sex. I smile happily, I think I and Michael are together on this one. I carried her to bed and make slow and passionate love to her.
