Chapter Seventy Five; The Media

She looked up at him, immediately leaning in towards him, and gave him a brief kiss on the lips.

'Now what was the meaning of that? why would she kiss him? He was sure he never gave her any form of approval, he felt like he was just m violated. He looked around to find the press far but their camera was on them. They were outside the low metal fence of the premises but very active. Why would she get her self in his drama?

The only thing that could grow out of that act was more drama and nothing.

"Till we meet again," she said making her way back into the hall.

Raymond had way too many issues at hand to now add a leaked picture or a video of him and this woman kissing among it. She sure knew he was going through an messy divorce and her action lacked every element of thoughtfulness.

He stood there for barely Five minutes before his phone started buzzing up, everyone that knew him was buzzing his phone to inform him of what had gotten to the internet already.

He checked about two of the links sent to him, one was a short video of their kiss, and the other a picture. One of them had a caption that said "are they the new thing in town?" 

It was sickening, the comments, the conclusions, some even called him names, saying he was barely divorced to be involved with another woman so fast. 

'Like, wasn't it clear that he didn't initiate that kiss? Or even encouraged it?

Beatrice had come racing to him.

"I just saw the news, what was that for?" She asked with a fascinated expression.

"If I knew, I wouldn't look this clueless," 

" I saw the video," she said moving to him.

"Why would she do that?" She asked reaching him and placing her hands on his shoulders.

"I'm glad you are asking the same questions I'm asking."

Ray moved his hands to his hair, running his hands through it.

"We should leave here, where is Scott and your guard?" She asked as they climbed down the three steps that kept the porch off the leveled ground.

"I came alone," 

"What?" Beatrice asks now pausing.

Good thing the little venue had a little metal fence which the press as it allowed to cross.

"You underrate how important you are, and how protected you need to be," Beatrice said as they kept moving towards his car.

They reached Ray's car, he hugged Beatrice before making her way inside his car.

He waited for Beatrice's driver to get behind him, Beatrice hopped into her car as Ray now took off.

Getting to the gate, the troop of the press was struggling to get a statement from him through his tinted wined up glass, but speed out as soon as he could.

Ray got home almost past seven, he had his shower and settled down in his room. Ray was on the internet, going through the media and the lies they told about him when Tyler stomped in.

"Woa," he let it looking up at Tyler who stomped in like had lost something and was headed to reclaim it.

"You are too chilled for someone who is causing so much scandal on the media."

Ray sighed before relaxing back into his spinning chair.

"So, start spilling the tea, what happened? Laura is a random one," Tyler's voice showed excitement, he loved drama and scandal.

"So much for self-care day," Ray said slightly spinning the chair.

"It's night now, I'm done with self-care day, I never said self-care night, did I?" Tyler moved into his room further.

"I never heard you say anything about Laura," Tyler hopped on Raymond's bed.

"Because there is nothing to talk about," 

"Then what was the video all over the internet about?"

"I don't know, she just did that out of pocket, I didn't see it coming..." He sat up trying to explain himself.

"Maybe I did see something coming, but not a kiss," 

"I wonder what it's like to live in your shoe, everyone wants you," Tyler said with his attention on his phone peeking through the media. 

"I'd rather be wanted by the fed, than by a troop of women, it's no fun.' Ray sighed before resting back on the chair.

"You think women are the only people who want you? All my gay friends act funny when you are around, you should have noticed by now."

"Good thing they keep their space so I don't have to take note."

"ARGHH!!!" He let out in frustration, hitting his leg.

"Woa, easy, I didn't know being so attractive could cause so much pain," Tyler said sarcastically before sitting up. Ray was a little relieved with seeing Tyler and catching all his subtle jokes.

"The problem is, you think everything is funny," Ray said, standing to his feet, tossing a magazine at Tyler. 

Tyler caught the magazine before bursting into laughter.

"No, but this is funny," Tyler sat up, putting the magazine aside.

"Now, imagine a headline that says...

The CEO who hates his life because everyone wants him," he then got amused again.

"You are not helping,"

"I might help if you tell me the full story w not"

"There is nothing to tell, it just happened out of the blue, we don't talk, never had a means to contact her,  didn't have her number, still don't. I only talk to her dad," 

"Look!" Tyler said, stretching his hand to hand him the phone. He took it and saw a post that claimed that Laura was the key cause of his ongoing divorce with Rebecca. 

He didn't feel any sort of way about it, he had become used to the lies the media told just for the sake of having a story to tell. Maybe he would have felt bad for Laura being involved in such degrading news, but he didn't, because when you play messy games, you expect messy results. In Laura's case, this was exactly the fruit of her labor. 

"I'm tired if the lies," he said, handing the phone back to Tyler.

"You could sue them you know," Tyler suggested.

"It's not worth it, Ray responded, buttoning the buttons on his shirt over a mirror.

"For what exactly? Anyway, it's not worth it."

It was a Monday, a new work week for Amanda, she wore a leather navy blue above the knee dress, the dress was v.necked, but showed a little of her cleavage. It clung to her body, the hand short but not sleeveless.

She and Lang were talking about the recent news about Ray. Lang was able to decipher how that whole thing had gone. She claimed the kiss had gotten Ray a little shocked. It seemed so, but even if it was intentional, why did it bother her so much? Why did she have a sleepless night over this video? why did she feel the strong urge to barge into his room the day before and have him explain why he was bent on hurting her. But after Lang's theory, she saw it too, and for someone who had shared numerous kisses with him, that sure wasn't the way he reacted to her kisses 

'her kisses,' rang repeatedly in her head and the memories of their kisses began to flow in.

"I don't think she is his type," Lang added and that caught her attention.

"Mm," Amanda responded, giving it a thought.

She wasn't the type of girl he was usually found with, but then she too wasn't his type before  she eventually became his type, so that wasn't such a strong point.

She hoped he was okay, she couldn't imagine her self being a topic of discussion Infront of the whole world. She was grateful that up till that day, the news that was sent to her, naming her as the cause of Raymond's divorce never made it to the media. And even if it does make it to the media later, it would be contradicting the previous news there by making it just a rumor that no one would be willing to bet on.

She wanted to see him and at the same time didn't want to, she wanted to make sure he was okay and at the same time wanted to leave him alone because it was no longer her place to see that he was okay.

She had a long talk with Lang, but she later returned to her office, only to find out that Raymond was now at work.

It was past twelve, she took his coffee because Rebecca wasn't at work yet.

He seemed to be in a mood because he wasn't paying her any attention nor did he respond to her greeting.

"Is everything okay?" She asked

"Where have you been? He asked.

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