"What games are you playing, Tyler?" Her eyes screamed of murderous intent even as Tyler looked at her like he was seemingly confused and had no idea what she was talking about.
"If this is about the article, I wanted to publish it when you were present but you had not been at work and I'm sorry if that is the reason for your anger," he raised his brow, "Or am I missing anything here?"
She felt deflated especially hearing how she sounded from Tyler's point of view. She was being dramatic and acting off since she had already agreed to be in the show, so what was the fuss about if an article about it was published with or without her consent. Besides, it has gone on air without her finding about it because of her lateness. It was all on her.
Still, with her voice lowered, her eyes no longer fixated on his, pinning him with suspicion but still not completely believing him, she licked her lips, "But why use those pictures? when had you even taken those?"
"A mistake apparently. Even Jared doesn't seem to be happy about that. I'd heard you both planning to go out for dinner and I had thought capturing you both would be such a good idea, especially when you both were free and oblivious to the camera," he scratched his jaw thoughtfully, "I had also thought it a good surprise we could laugh over. My bad obviously. I didn't know it would be blown into such huge proportion."
Her gaze was lowered to the floor even as she released a long defeated sigh from her lips aware that everyone would be looking at her now, probably wondering what kind of a mental case she was.
She heard the sound of a clap and looked up shocked to see Jared and Tyler grinning while clapping their hands. "Superb, Maya you are a natural."
Jared shook his head while giving her a look like he was desperate for her to understand him, "I almost bought the whole act." He added aloud while Tyler nodded with a grin.
She blinked suddenly understanding what they were playing at. They wanted everyone to believe that what had transpired some minutes ago was some rehearsal for her, a play and it worked because soon other staff joined in clapping while having side talks on how they have eaten up the act and thought it was real.
Jared swung his arms over hers, giving her a little genuine smile, "Let's go discuss scripts because you seem to be more than ready for this."
Maya nodded and even as he gently shoved her forward, discreetly tugging her with him, she felt instant gratefulness and could feel tears of shame pool her eyes.
She shook even as she waited for Tyler to pull the blinds, while Jared had his hands around her, cocooning her in his arms while allowing her to shatter, letting go of every restrain, and crying her heart out.
"I'm sorry, Tyler. I was just overwhelmed and confused," she managed to mutter after leaving Jared's arms now conscious of the damp spot in his baby blue t-shirt, where her head had been.
"I'm sorry Maya, I know Xavier and I should be aware of how much damage this could cause your relationship and now I think of it is almost like I emotionally coaxed you into all this and__" she shook her words fervently at his words making him stop.
"I'm an adult and I was aware of what I was getting into when I had said Yes." Maya countered him, now wiping her tears not wanting him to see them as a weakness.
"You could just withdraw from the whole thing, I know the promotional ad had been made with your pictures and you now have an ecastic fanbase and people enthusiastic about you being a part of all this, but we would give the social media a good enough reason why you had to drop off the train."
Maya shook her head, a determined fierce look on her face, "I'm going to be doing this with Jared and Xavier would have to learn how to live with that. Besides we are trending and that is good for business. I ain't ruining this, not at all," she gave Tyler a defiant look that sealed his lips as he opened his mouth requesting her once again to save her "relationship" by screwing him over.
The picture had been a misconception and that was all it was but regardless it was a beautiful picture of both people who were going to be acting as the main characters in a short drama that was going to be filmed before a dating application which she had worked on would be released and that was all this was about, full stop. She might have been wrong not telling Xavier at first, but he had no right to barge into her office and make this so much of a bigger deal.
Screw him if he had a problem with her doing this because even if he was her fiance and not a fake she won't still relent from this particular project.
She gave Tyler a little grin and then walked out of his office with a sure conviction that she had surely not done anything wrong and Xavier once again had done what he was popularly known for: making a mountain out of a molehill and she would be damned before she let this slide just like she had let the others.
She was moving out. She had gotten an advance deposit of her salary from Tyler and though she hadn't asked of it, now was the time to make good use of it.
Xavier might be feeling this sense of strange possessiveness over her because she was living with him to start with and was in a way although she was an adult in every sense felt responsible for her.
She picked up her phone and dialed the number of the real estate agent she had gotten her number off a promotional site of the company she works with.
"Good evening," she paused, "How soon can I meet up with you because I just might need a place real soon."
The call ended 20 minutes later leaving Maya satisfied as they had discussed where and when to meet. She leaned on her seat, swiveling around it as her head played through the wild event of what had happened. It was strange just how happy she and Xavier had been in the morning.
But more than ever she realized how important and timely this shake of reality was important because she was getting used to Xavier as a consistent, and what had been happening between them? The whole sexual gratification? They were not a couple certainly, and there was no tag whatsoever on what the hell they were doing.
Xavier was complicated. Her past was complicated and she didn't want any more of the darkness that came with it. She needed her own "Mayaderella" and Xavier was and had never given off any sign that he was Prince charming.