Mental note: Don’t bring Australians to Outback Steakhouse.
Sighing, I set down the knife and continue on with preheating the fryer. “I reached out to her,” I tell him.
“Mum?”
I roll my eyes. “No, Ivy Griffith.” Lining the mozzarella sticks into the basket, I glance over my shoulder at him. Garrick’s eyes are plastered to my ass, and when he realizes he’s been caught all he does is give me a cocky smirk before taking a sip of his drink. “She’s going to be on my blog. We’re doing an interview and a question-and-answer type thing. It’ll boost both of our blog’s audiences, which Gordon says will be great for more advertiser interest. Something about how cross posting will be mutually beneficial. Remember how I told you a while ago that her cooking blog Every Cook and Cranny has, like, a billion viewers monthly?”
He hums again.
“Well, imagine what that can do for The Real Matthews,” I conclude, popping the basket into the air fryer and hitting a few buttons to start cooking the contents.
Ever since Gordon helped me set up a lifestyle blog, the posts have gained traction. It was one post in particular that made the blog go viral overnight.
“Introducing the Real Garrick Matthews.”
Since, we’ve had loyal followers keep in touch, interact on the posts—mostly in positive ways—and comment on how refreshing it is to see me and Garrick in a light that hasn’t been blasted by mainstream media in a negative way.
After the interview announcing the official split of Violet Wonders hit headlines everywhere almost five months ago, the public went into a buying frenzy to get their hands on the last album they’d ever have from the band. Even though it wasn’t anybody’s intent, the album sold more than almost all of their older ones, and their songs are still sitting at the top in the charts. There were a few tabloids and online bloggers who said the breakup was a ploy to get more sales, but the people who follow Violet Wonders religiously know better than to believe that.
Especially because Zayne entered rehab shortly after the interview hit the media. He stayed for a month before getting released and stayed clean for two months following that before relapsing again. Garrick still has trouble talking about it since he wasn’t the one his best friend called about getting help. It was Manning that called my husband in the middle of the night saying Zayne overdosed and was rushed to the hospital after being administered Narcan.
The former drummer of the band is still at the same high end rehabilitation center since being discharged from the hospital, but his interactions with his friends, Garrick included, has been limited.
The biggest reason why The Real Matthews blog does so well is because Garrick and I decided not to shy away from the topics that most people would try censoring. Whenever commenters ask about Zayne or the others, I always ask Garrick and Gordon before answering truthfully. The posts don’t ignore what’s going on since the breakup which is why there are people who subscribe to the lifestyle site and stay in tune with what’s really happening versus what the tabloids report on.
“That’s great you’re interviewing her,” Garrick says with a smile. “I know you’re a fan. Although I’m not sure anything will top Cannon Rhodes being a guest. You’re welcome for that, by the way.”
Blushing, I remember the birthday surprise that he’d given me back in April that involved my all-time favorite celebrity. Even though he grumbled the entire time I squeaked through a conversation with Cannon, Garrick was more amused than anything. I got to interview him for my blog which had gotten a lot of attention, especially when The Wild’s media team shared it on all their social pages.
The man watching as I prepare my latest dish has helped me get guests on the blog at least once a month, sometimes more. It’s become something I deemed “Feature Fridays” that subscribers always look forward to. And along with them, the sponsors who send me things to feature in the videos and Q&A interviews.
I didn’t think it was possible to make money doing something I loved until Gordon proved otherwise. I didn’t think he was serious when he said people would pay me to use their things or namedrop companies or even get paid based on how many people tuned in to my posts.
It started off slow, but ever since a few posts have gone viral and the overall viewership has increased into the steady millions, it’s helped me contribute to things I never could before—my medicine and bills, especially.
And even though Garrick has never said it, I’ve sensed his worry about me being able to pay for the things I needed him for before. All it took was a soft, lingering kiss while sitting on his lap and wrapping my arms around his neck one night to convince him I’d still need him regardless of what my blog was earning me.
That and the quiet “I love you” I’d whispered between kisses, which had caused his heart to thump wildly from where our chests were pressed together. He’d drawn back, eyes dark, and said, “I love you too.”
Now those words have become a staple in our house. Something to say when we wake up, when one of us leaves, and before we go to sleep. They’re words of comfort and promises, something that reassures we’ll never get tired of the routine we’ve built together.
Walking over to him, I wrap my arms around Garrick’s middle and let out a gentle sigh as he winds one of his arms around my waist.
“What was the sigh for?” he asks.
“Just thinking.”
“Well, don’t leave me hanging, love.”
I grin against his chest. “This is nice, that’s all. You, me, Kit-Kat wherever he’s hiding right now. I always look forward to you coming home and watching me make a mess of the kitchen.”
He chuckles. “I enjoy
