Chapter 10

November 5 was bright, clear and very cold. Like a switch had flipped on the seasons, Fall was well and truly here. Christine pulled her peacoat around her as she walked into the offices at the Gardner Opera House. It had been five days since the disastrous Halloween.

After a Sunday of self-pity (Christine indulged in chocolate chip pancakes, bacon and oh so many hours of swiping left on Tinder) she decided to channel her anger and embarrassment into a healthier outlet. She did everything in her power not to think about Erik.

On Monday morning she went jogging and tried not think about how sexy he looked playing piano on stage.

On Monday night she did laundry and refused to consider how he came to her rescue.

On her Tuesday morning commute, she wouldn't remember his serenade and how it brought tears to her eyes.

On Wednesday night she tried not to reflect on how good his lips felt on hers and how his touch drove her wild.

When she wasn't 'not thinking' about Erik, she was mentally castigating her foolishness. She had seen the red flags - the controlling nature, the temper, the aloofness. What business did she have developing feelings for someone so utterly unsuitable for her? A little attention and she overlooked all the warnings to the contrary. She was not someone who fell victim to bad boy crushes. Girls who did that were bored and needed drama. Christine neither needed nor cultivated drama in her life. She wanted normalcy. She wanted success. She needed to date a nice boy who wanted her around and who asked her opinion before making decisions. She needed a man who wasn't afraid to tell her of his feelings as opposed to lashing out in the middle of a highly satisfying (or almost so) make out session.

Going into work on Thursday she resolved that she needed to get her resume in order. Career services started their graduate recruiting efforts in January. Christine would work her ass off to get the Gala in order and then start the process of getting placed at a good firm after graduation. It was a good plan, and it made her feel more in control of her destiny.

After she logged into her computer, she saw an email from Marie requesting her immediate presence as soon as she came in. Christine groaned. She knew Marie had some connection beyond the opera to Erik Gardner, but she did not know the extent of their relationship. What was she walking into? She decided to play it off, simply grabbing her pad and pen and smiling at Marie as if nothing unusual had happened the weekend before.

"Morning, Marie! What can I do for you?"

"Christine, good morning. Thank you for joining me. I needed to talk to you about a recent development."

Christine gave Marie a quizzical glance in response.

"My daughter texted me this morning to let me know that her friend and my employee had a viral moment over the weekend."

"What are you talking about?"

Marie pulled out her phone and pulled up a video on YouTube. The quality wasn't fantastic, but it was clear enough. Christine was on stage singing at Fedora. The video captured the fallen microphone. "Oooh…" said the person recording. Then came the magical moment when Erik opened his mouth to sing, and Christine joined in. "He rescued her!" The recorder whispered while the song continued. There was no missing the affectionate looks between Erik and Christine as the song concluded.

"The video is labeled 'Singer fail averted by love.'" Marie gave a dry smile and shook her head. "Didn't know either of you could sing like that. It's got 2 million views already." She paused. "There is also one of Erik singing by himself though that one has fewer views - less dramatic I gather."

"Oh God." Christine covered her face with her hands. "I'm so embarrassed, and so sorry."

"Why? It's your personal time. I already knew you and Erik had struck up a 'friendship.' You didn't do anything wrong but this clip going viral changes things for both of you. Especially for Erik."

Erik's need for privacy was almost pathological, not that Christine blamed him for that desire in the slightest. He'd cultivated a boring reputation - being up on stage would generate curiosity.

"Does he know yet?"

"I thought perhaps you might want to tell him before he hears the news some other way."

"No, we're no longer speaking."

Marie Giry looked up; her expression dismayed. Christine couldn't decipher the feeling behind it, and she didn't feel comfortable asking.

"I see." She looked down, pursing her lips together. "I'll reach out to Mr. Khan though he might already know. In the meantime, if anyone calls about you or Erik, I think the company line is no comment until we hear otherwise. We don't comment on the personal lives of our board members or employees."

"Are you sure that's wise, Marie?"

"You disagree?"

"I just find that no comments usually stoke curiosity. Better a bland response, something close enough to the truth will discourage curiosity. Erik Gardner used to play piano and chose to get up on stage at a Halloween event."

"And the affection between you in the song?"

Christine's cheeks heated but held Marie's stare. "What affection? It's a love song, that's all it is. Let them make of that what they will."

Uptown, Bloomberg News managed to beat Reza to Erik.

"And now folks, we have a fun story out of New York. This weekend CEO of Gardner Industries was caught in a sweet viral moment helping save a singer from an embarrassing moment on stage.

A cell phone video showed the moment the microphone fell on stage with a clang and Christine bent to pick it up, looking panicked. A second later Erik's voice rose to save the awkward moment leading to their unintentional duet.

"According to his bio on Gardner Industries' web site, Erik Gardner used to perform in piano competitions in his youth. Another video from the Halloween event showed Gardner singing a second song as well. No word yet from Gardner Industries if their CEO plans to take a leave of absence in order to start touring." The anchor was chuckling at his own joke.

"I think that was a romantic moment, Curt. Look at how they're looking at each other!"

"Might be right Rosanna, either way it will be interesting to see if the stock responds to the publicity." He laughed as he introduced the next story.

"FUCK!" Erik yelled, picking up his cell phone to dial his COO's number. As he was about to click send the doors to his elevator opened and Reza walked in. The look on Reza's face showed that he already knew why Erik looked ready to kill.

"I'm on the news? Fuck - how did this happen?"

"Unexpected moment gone viral - someone was recording at the right moment."

"How are we going to handle this? I'm supposed to fly under the radar. Fuck!"

"Have you spoken to Christine about this? It's only a matter of time before her name gets out there as well."

"She's not speaking to me right now."

"She's not speaking with you right now." Reza looked pained.

"Yes." Erik's voice was clipped and he refused to meet Reza's exasperated expression.

"This happened after the scene at the nightclub?"

"Clearly."

"The one where you are making moon eyes at her."

"I was not making moon...Do you have a point?"

"How did this go downhill so quickly?"

Erik didn't respond. Instead, he rewound the clip on Bloomberg.

"It was on the Today Show as well. They called you her knight in pinstripe armor."

"Great, just great." Erik wanted to throw something, preferably heavy, at members of the news media. "What's our response?"

"That's why I'm here. What do you want us to do with this?"

"Bland non denial. No smoke. No fire. Two friends doing live band karaoke on Halloween."

"We got a call from Taylor Lipa's people. She was impressed with your singing. She wants to know if you want to do a duet with her at the gala on New Year's Eve. She said you can pick the song. I think she wants to use you to make her ex-boyfriend jealous."

"Is this a serious request?"

"I'm assuming that's a 'no'?"

"That's a 'hell no'." He sat down to watch the clip again while meditating how bad this could get for him and for Christine.

According to the studies she read on the topic, most viral videos had a pre-determined half-life. As time went on the noise from any video decreased. This meant Christine could probably expect to see her face on screen another 5 to 10 days before it became old news. In the meantime, she deleted TikTok from her phone and focused on her job and not thinking about Erik. Another viral story would come out sooner or later that would ensure she would be old news. Maybe one day she would even laugh about this.

She wasn't in a good mood these days, but her anxiety had largely burned itself out. She was even able to chuckle with Rafe and Professor Dryer over the matter at their weekly review session.

"Christine, your progress from September is impressive. I'd still like to see more passion in your delivery but at least you sound convincing now." Prof Dryer offered. "I'd like to work more on your question response time when we meet next."

"If all else fails, get up there and sing your thesis defense, Christine." Rafe had suggested.

"Perhaps Beyonce. What do you think, Professor?"

Professor Dryer laughed and paused to explain the joke to Rafe who gave an amused eyeroll. As she prepared to leave Rafe cornered her.

"So, I gather you and Erik Gardner have become friendly. You can tell him I say hello."

"I don't know about that." She shook her head. "He was just helping me with some stage fright. It was no big deal."

"Okay," he paused. "You know, you really do have a lovely voice. Maybe when all this is done, I can take you out for a night of karaoke."

Was Rafe asking her on a date? He was looking at her with a shy expectancy and she had no idea how to respond. She cared about him, but dating was a back burner priority to say the least.

"I've got a lot on my plate right now – ask me again in the Spring."

"I'm willing to wait that long."

Dating Rafe? Christine never even considered him in that light. Part of her still remembered her as the older brother type who brought her cookies. Maybe when she had more distance from Gardner and Erik, she would be able to see him differently. She had said she wanted to date a nice boy – maybe Rafe would be good for her.

"So, in today's Taylor news we have word that our girl wanted to perform with Erik Gardner - you know the man from the infamous rescue video - at a charity event she is singing at on New Year's Eve. Unfortunately, our man said no which would make anyone mad for Tay's sake, but our sources say that the real villain is Christine Derring. According to sources close to the singer, she forbade Erik from the duet. Apparently, she is threatened by our girl - and who can blame her? Still, who is this nobody to get in the way of good music?"

Christine's eye widened as the audio of the neighboring cubicle drifted into hers. Her head tilted outwards and saw two interns, the mice, she called them for their tendency to scurry about huddled around a cell phone playing a gossip video on TikTok.

"Can't believe it of her…" a pink haired girl with a pixie cut whispered to her friend.

"Me neither, but I heard Mindy say that Taylor Lipa's people requested the duet."

Her face drained of color, Christine quickly picked up her cell phone to find twenty missed calls from unknown numbers and several text messages from Meg, Rafe, and other friends as well. She listened to each of the seven voicemails with increased dismay.

"Christine Derring, this is Lori Coleman from In Touch wondering if we could get you to answer some questions about your relationship with Erik Gardner."

"Miss Derring, this is Rowan Mann from Slate. Can we ask you a few questions about the latest gossip about Erik Gardner and Taylor Lipa?"

An Instagram message from a stranger was more invasive and frightening: Bitch why won't you let your boyfriend sing with Taylor? Are you so scared of a little competition?

So much for the notoriety dying down. Christine could feel her heart racing at a breakneck speed. The walls of the office felt claustrophobic. She began to hyperventilate.

"Christine?" She heard her voice being called and looked up to see Meg Giry watching her with an alarmed expression. Meg and Christine became friendly when Marie commandeered her daughter to help with some of the community outreach at the opera. Christine had always liked Meg's unguarded nature that was both sunny and no nonsense. "I came to see my mom. What happened? You look like you're about to pass out!"

"Taylor Lipa's fan are out for my blood." She whispered, handing Meg her phone. "Something about how I won't let Erik sing with her at the gala. I didn't even know this was a thing."

"Her people reached out after Halloween," a snide Mindy sidled up to Meg, a snide wicked grin painted on her face. "I passed along the request to Mr. Gardner's people, but they made it very clear he was not interested in participating. I don't know how they concluded that you were a factor."

"Oh really," Meg folded her arms in front of her. "Just what did you say to them?"

"I informed them that Mr. Gardner's duet with Christine was based on their friendship and that he was uninterested in singing with anyone else."

"You bitch, you basically fed them a narrative. Now they think she is standing in Taylor Lipa's way." Meg's rage was palpable. "You threw Christine to the wolves."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Mindy waved her hand airily. "If Christine's name is in the press, then she should understand that is a consequence of having such important friendships."

"Or maybe you're just bitter than Erik Gardner didn't think you were worth his attention."

"I'm here to do my job, Meg. Perhaps you should do the same. Christine, I'm still waiting on the attendance update."

"I'm taking her home. You better hope my mother doesn't hear what you did…"

Mindy's mien dropped slightly before she straightened her back. "Go right ahead. Perhaps I'll find a new role working with Taylor Lipa's camp. I had great conversation with her management company."

The message was clear. If Meg and Christine didn't keep their mouths shut more would come out. Christine could barely wrap her head around one gossip article about her. Private equity firms didn't hire reality stars. This needed to die down now, or she would see her options dwindle to nothing.

"I still think we should tell my mom what happened. She could take this to Erik. His team could threaten Mindy with legal recourse."

"Meg, I just want to close my eyes and wake up two weeks from now and hopefully this will have died down."

Meg had gotten the two of them an Uber back to Christine's apartment though she tried to convince Christine to stay at her place.

"I don't have any clothes at your place, Meg. Plus, I don't think your four roommates are going to appreciate a couch surfer right now."

Meg grimaced. "Also, Cecile has a big mouth. Can't trust her to keep anything off social media." Something caught Meg's attention. "Christine, don't turn but there is a photographer in the blue Camry across the street." Meg put a hand on Christine's shoulder. "Just keep walking, don't let them know you've seen. There is nothing to see."

"There is LITERALLY nothing to see. This is ridiculous!" Christine whisper shouted but followed her friend's guidance. Christine lived in an ancient brownstone that had been a mansion sometime in the 1940s but had since been converted to separate dwellings. Her home on the basement level had light from the street level window and the bigger window in the back of the building. It had never occurred to her to be worried about her privacy until now. She huffed as she got her mail.

"Looks like someone sent you flowers." Meg looked at a large arrangement of roses waiting on the table by the building mailboxes. She picked up the flower covered box as they walked into Christine's small studio.

Throwing her things on her bed, Christine opened the fridge and pulled out a bottle of wine that she had been nursing for the last week. If there was ever a time to indulge, it was now.

"Put them on the kitchen counter. Who is the card from?"

"'Sorry for all the fuss. - E'" Meg looked at her. "Erik?"

"That doesn't sound like him." Christine examined the card. "This is odd."

"Probably he feels bad about the video going viral. Have you heard from him at all?"

Christine shook her head. She could text him, but she really didn't want to talk to him. Okay, that was a lie. She desperately wanted to talk to him, but she was guarding her heart. She examined the flowers closely. It was strange. When she was sick, he had sent Garret over with a care package. He didn't strike her as the kind to send flowers through a third party company. She dug around in her drawers and found the card from her get well basket and compared it to the card from the floral arrangement. On the previous card, he had signed his name but not this time - just an 'E.' There was something off. A dark suspicion occurred to her.

"Meg, let me see the arrangement." Meg handed it over and Christine walked it to the sink. Slowly she pulled the stems out one by one. They had been inserted into green foam to keep the arrangement stable, this was not particularly bizarre, but her paranoia was growing.

"What are you doing?" Meg asked and Christine shook her head and raised a finger to her lips, signaling for Meg to remain quiet. Several minutes later, Christine reached the bottom of the arrangement. Gingerly she lifted the green block. The container had a false bottom encased in which was a recording device and transmitter. Both girls started in astonishment.

"Is that what I think it is?" Meg mouthed, silently.

"I think so." Christine silently responded. Her rage and fear at the invasion of privacy came to a head and she spoke loudly, "I'm assuming this is the photographer in the blue Camry. I hope you got your money's worth."

Across the street a car sped away, the sound of its tires screeching on West 84th street.

Christine gave Meg a dark look.