Chapter 232   - Getting Late

She also regretted her wording. Should she had replied differently? After shooting three videos in a row for the weekend, she finally checked her social media once again.

He had replied.

[LazerBoi: I can't even boil water without burning it. I would have to plead with you to cook me dinner someday?]

He had also privately messaged her on one of her social media accounts to ask which city she lived in and if they could collaborate. She was flattered. She contemplated how to reply before she decided that she needed to text Cage first.

[Are you free to talk?] she typed out and sent in a hurry.

The phone rang after five minutes and she heaved a sigh of relief when she saw who it was.

"Hi," she started anxiously.

"You sound nervous, what is wrong?" Cage asked. He had just finished shooting a scene and had been rewatching the take when her text came in. Thankfully, Stephen was holding onto his phone and passed it to him when he saw Katherine's text flash on the locked screen.

Her words screamed of urgency, so he called the minute he had time.

"My recent video got millions of views and comments..." she trailed off. The panic in her voice alerted him and his head snapped towards Stephen. His manager had been watching him and scurried closer so that he could help.

"What is it?" he asked. He had gone through each and every one of her videos and made sure someone was tracking everything. Surely, there was no problem.

"So, a content creator with lots of followers commented and people flooded to my video. I replied and now he wants to collaborate," Katherine said in one breath. Cage breathed out in relief and shook his head at Stephen.

"That's a good thing, right?" he replied. He knew he needed to reassure her about something but she wasn't sure what. Yet.

"It should be. The problem is, he wants to come over for dinner. I think this is all about making videos together but I don't know what to do." Katherine thought about her reasons.

"Okay, walk me through this. It seems like a good opportunity, why are you worrying?" He had a slight inkling as to what it was, but he didn't want to assume anything.

"I am worried that collaborating will lead to rumors or reflect badly on you." So, there it was. Cage sighed. "Are you angry?" she asked in a small voice. Had he ever given her the impression that anything she did could reflect badly on him?

"What made you think that? Katherine, I don't care what others say about you. If you are worried, just do your research, think about the risks and benefits. Weigh them out and decide. This is your life." He wanted to let her live. His identity shouldn't be a hindering block in their relationship and her growth. She should be able to do whatever she wanted, not be bogged down by worry for him.

Then what was the use of all his employees and the money he had earned?

"You're not joking," she commented after a long pause, awe filling her voice.

"Of course, not. You make the content you like. Just like I choose movies I would like to watch. If there is any backlash, we will take care of it. You shouldn't worry about something that might happen and live in fear!" This was a lesson that he had learned the hard way. It was difficult to overcome the fear but he would stick by Katherine's side until she could trust herself to make the right choices for herself.

"So if I brought on a problematic content creator and my name was tarnished, you would stand by me?" She wouldn't do that but it was an example.

Cage listened to her silently before laughing. "You underestimate yourself. You are far more mature than most people on the planet and know your boundaries. I trust you." What more could he say?

"Thank you for that," she sighed. "I feel a little better. I will watch his content and figure out how I should reply." Then she paused.

"Scared?" Cage voiced. He knew the feeling. The crippling anxiety before starting a project or before you made the decision. It got easier but never faded. The higher the stakes, the more one had to choose.

"A bit," Katherine admitted. "You're getting late," she muttered under her breath.

"Never for you," he claimed with a small smile. Stephen was already on his phone and getting a download on the situation. He looked pleased with everything.

"I love you. Goodbye," she said, finally. His reply was soft and doting. The call ended and Cage turned to Stephen with curiosity.

"The creator is huge. Would bring in a lot of followers. Now, she has to retain them and make them think she is more than just a creator shouting her out." Stephen meant business.

"Don't interfere right now. Katherine can handle it on her own," he mentioned. Stephen nodded and pushed his phone back inside his pocket.

"You need to go. The next scene will start shooting shortly." Cage heaved a sigh as his shoulder slumped. Remembering her 'I love you,' he puffed up his chest and walked straight. Time to get some work done.

- - - - -

[Rinsten: I wouldn't want you to burn down your house. Sure, I would love to cook you a meal.]

She publicly posted this on her YouTube comments section in reply to him so that everyone could see. She also privately texted him saying that she lived in City H and would love to collaborate with him if the opportunity arose.

She didn't want to assume that he actually wanted to collaborate and wanted to leave a leeway so that they could place their offers without having to think about the commitments they made at the beginning of the conversation.

She closed her browser quickly before taking in a deep breath.