Page 49 of Beautiful Noise
His expression turned sympathetic. “Yeah.”
“If you want to change your mind about us, I don’t mind. I know you have an image…”
“I don’t give a fuck about an image, Ri. It’s not that, it’s just?—”
“It’s what?” I frowned, feeling a rising panic settling into my chest. I could deal with being berated for not meeting what the world thought was a woman suitable to date Ezren, or so I thought, but the way he was tiptoeing around the real issue had me concerned. What the hell were these people saying?
“Let me make some calls to get the post down…”
“Why?” I rushed out. “Is it really that bad?” I had shifted into full blown hysterical mode and reached for his phone which he pulled back. I hopped up, dumping my plate onto the floor andgrabbing my phone instead. So he couldn’t stop me, I rushed around the rear of the sofa before he could react.
My eyes went wide when I found the problem. Next to a photo of Ezren and me from dinner last night was my picture ID, and not just any ID. It was my badge from Elite Cleaners, the one we had to wear to prove we were indeed employed by Elite. Our clientele was high-end and they didn’t allow just anyone in and out of their homes. There was also a copy of the background check Elite ran which listed my old address in the city, my cell phone number, and all my personal social media accounts but luckily not the one I used for my poetry.
My hands were shaking and my body thrummed with anger. I didn’t give a damn about being called Cleaning Lady Kori or that these people were making jokes about how I wasn’t classy enough to be seen with Ezren. I knew who I was and what I had to offer, much more than the “build a baddies” he was notoriously known for keeping in rotation.
What I was concerned with was that someone cared so little about my privacy that they had my personal information listed, so carelessly. My social media, cell phone, and old address were accessible to anyone who wanted it. What if I still lived there? Did they not think about how dangerous that could be? People were cruel, and although these comments were mean and unnecessary, more importantly, my life was exposed and that meant I could be a target for anyone bold enough to harm me.
“How... how did they get this?”
“I don’t know but truthfully it wouldn’t be that hard. People can get whatever information they want if they’re willing to invest time searching or paying for it.”
“What do I do? That’s my face. They have my phone number.”
“I’m going to make some calls.”
“Calls aren’t going to fix it. It’s already out there.”
“It is but we can…”
His face and voice blurred and all I could think about were my parents. They already hated me. This was going to prove their point, that I was irrational and should have just followed the life path they chose for me.
“Oh God, my parents are going to see this.” I started pacing, swiping from article to article, scanning comments, and none of them were kind.
"I can't believe Eccentric is dating someone like her. She’s so basic and doesn’t even come close to his vibe. He deserves someone who can match his energy, not this average ass girl who looks like she walked out of a discount store. Bitch go clean some toilets and get up off my man."
"He could do so much better. "
"This woman is such a downgrade. She doesn’t have the style to be with someone like him. It’s frustrating to see him with someone who just doesn’t match his fly. #NotWorthy"
"Can we talk about how basic she is? I mean, really? The man is too damn sexy, and she’s just… there. It’s hard to watch him waste his time with someone who doesn’t even stand out. He needs someone who truly complements him. She ain’t it. Please let this be a publicity stunt."
It felt like hours but was surely only minutes before my phone was ripped from my grasp and Ezren’s hand locked on my chin, forcing me to look at him. “I’m not gonna say this isn’t bad. This is your life and even if I don’t personally care about any of that shit they’re saying, I knowyoudo. Can you trust me to fix this?”
“You can’t fix any of this, Ezren. My face is all over social media. They have my personal information. That won’t simply go away because you make a call.”
“Possibly not all of it, but let me try.”
“And then what, I move on like the world didn’t completely obliterate my life? Elite is going to fire me. There is no way they’ll want me working for the company with my face all over blogs and gossip sites. Their clientele is high-end people and celebrities who do not want their business leaked or exposed.”
“Who gives a fuck if they fire you, Ri?”
“I do.” My voice squeaked and elevated in anger. “I know it’s not a big deal to you but Elite is my livelihood. Myjobuntil I have a clear plan on what’s next.”
“We’ll figure it out. Give me an hour. One hour, that’s all I need. Can you do that?”
I threw my hands up, feeling choked by emotions that pushed through me like a tidal wave. “What choice do I have?”
Ezren placed a hand on the side of my face and brushed a thumb over my jaw. “This is on me, let me try to make it right. Regardless, it doesn’t change anything about us. I don’t give a damn what anyone thinks. Our business isours, no one else’s.”