That evening…

Sarah sighed. She reached for her glass of wine and then snuggled against Daniel’s chest. Daniel put his arm protectively around her. It was the middle of the evening and they were watching a film on TV. Neither of them had seen it before so both were equally engrossed in it. They both jumped when Daniel’s mobile started to ring. Sarah reached for it from the coffee table and handed it to Daniel.

“It’s my PR lady. I think I know what this will be about. Can you mute the sound on the TV babe? Thanks,” Daniel said, looking at the screen of his mobile and then at Sarah.

He flipped open his phone. Sarah took a sip of wine and watched Daniel’s facial expressions and listened to his side of the conversation. It sounded serious. Daniel shut his phone and threw it onto the table and put his thumb and forefinger either side of his nose and rubbed the underneath of his eyes. Sarah looked at Daniel with concern.

“Daniel, what’s wrong? What did she say?” she asked putting her hand on Daniel’s shoulder. Daniel turned to her and took both her hands in his and kissed them lightly, before looking her in the eye.

“Promise me you won’t utterly freak out about what I am about to tell you. Promise,” he said. Sarah looked at him. He was scaring her now.

“I promise, Daniel. What is it? Tell me!” she replied.

Daniel took a deep breath before beginning. “The pictures of us that were taken today are going to be all over the front pages tomorrow. I don’t know if you knew this but I am one of the contenders for becoming the new Collar actor. So, naturally my profile had been raised and I am of great interest to people now it seems. Apparently, some of the headlines aren’t all the nice. Our relationship it seems is now out in the open, before we have even admitted anything about it, us. I am really sorry Sarah. I never thought that this would happen. Sarah, baby. You okay?” Daniel asked after he finished.

Sarah stood up and turned to look at Daniel.

“I need to take a shower. I need time to think. I think it might be best if you left Daniel. I need time alone to think about this. I’m sorry. I just can’t be with you tonight. I’ll call you tomorrow,” she said and kissed him.

She made her way to the bathroom, not even turning to see Daniel’s reaction to what she had said. She disappeared and Daniel just stood and looked at the space where she had just been. He took a deep breath to steady himself, before grabbing his jacket and leaving the flat.

Sarah lent against the door of the bathroom and waited to hear the flat door close, before she stripped and turned the shower on. She let the water get so hot it was almost scalding. She stepped in and just let the water run over her. She closed her eyes and let the water run over her face. She stood like this for five minutes.

Sarah knew she had been horrible to Daniel, but it was a lot to take in. Their “relationship” was about to be blown wide open for everyone to scrutinise. Would they be able to survive this? They hardly knew one another. Sarah turned the shower off and shrugged into her cosy bathrobe that hung on the back of the bathroom door. She looked at herself in the mirror and saw nothing very special at all. “Why is he with me? I am nothing special. He could do so much better,” she said to herself with a sigh.

Sarah walked through the lounge and into her room. Her mobile was lying on the bed. She picked it up and held down the number seven. Speed dial to Daniel’s house. He picked up after the third ring.

“Hello.”

“Hi. Daniel it’s me. Look, I just want to apologies for earlier. I reacted badly. I know. I guess I freaked. I’m sorry. Can you forgive me?”

“Of course I can forgive you silly! I should have handled it better. So, how are you feeling about it now?”

“Well…I guess I am still a bit freaked about it. I mean we will be open to everyone’s scrutiny. Do you think we can survive it?”

“I know. I have been thinking about that since I left your flat. I think if we are honest with one another and don’t listen to what people in the press say, we will survive. We need to talk face to face though. I have something I want to ask you. But not tonight. I think you should get some sleep. In preparation for tomorrow. It’s not going to be easy. I promise though that I will not let anything bad happen though. Now get some sleep. I love you.”

The phone went dead at the other end. Sarah sat down on the bed with a thump. He was right though she should get some sleep. She put her phone on the dresser next to her bed and pulled back the covers and slipped into bed and was asleep within seconds.

The next morning…

Sarah was pulling on her jeans when her mobile phone started to ring. She picked it up and saw it was Daniel. She answered.

“Hey Daniel. How are you?”

“Morning baby. I’m okay thanks. Listen I’m sitting outside in the car. There is press surrounding the building. Have you got large sunglasses you can wear? Just to hide your face slightly from their cameras. I will come up and get you. I warn you it’s all over the papers. I have never seen anything like this before. Baby?” 

“Yes I have huge ones. Just give me two seconds to find them. Found! Right just come on up then Daniel.

I’m almost ready.”

Sarah sighed and went to open the door to her flat so that Daniel could get in without having to knock. She padded back to her room and stuffed her feet into her work pumps and gave her hair a quick brush and put on a slick of clear lip gloss. She was ready to go. She heard the door of the flat shut and went into the lounge carrying her sunglasses.

Daniel looked like he had, had very little sleep. Sarah went up to him and wrapped her arms around him and kissed him gently on the lips. He responded by wrapping his arms around her and holding her tightly to him. Sarah could tell that he was feeling the pressure of the press and she knew that she would have to be strong for them both.

“Well, I guess we better get going. Get this over and done with as quickly as possible,” Sarah said.

Daniel nodded and took her hand in his. His hand in front of hers and their fingers intertwined. He was the leading force and she was the support. Sarah slipped on her sunglasses and they left the flat. Just as they were approaching the main door Sarah took a deep breath and walked out with Daniel with as much confidence as she could muster. Daniel had to muscle his way through the crowd of press who were jostling trying to get the best shot of Daniel and Sarah together. Daniel opened the door of his car and let Sarah get in before him. He slammed the door shut behind him and let out the breath that he had been holding in since the left the flat.

He looked at Sarah and kissed her. Sarah smiled and put her hand on his thigh and gave it a gentle caress to show that she was fine and that she would support Daniel. He took her hand in his and held it tightly for the remainder of the trip to work.

On set that day was hard for both Daniel and Sarah. They both constantly felt the eyes of those around them on their backs. At every available moment they would meet each other and check that they were both okay. Sarah was counting the minutes until it would be time for them both to leave. For Daniel it couldn’t come fast enough.

It was time to leave and Sarah was waiting for Daniel near the exit of the set. She had looked out a few minutes ago and there were about ten paps standing outside waiting for Daniel and Sarah to leave. Sarah fingered her sunglasses nervously. She was so deep in thought that she never heard Daniel come up behind her. It wasn’t until his arms wrapped round her waist that she came out of her trance. Daniel kissed the side of her head then her neck, breathing in her scent.

“Hey babe. This has been one of the longest days of my life. I thought it was never going to end. How was your day?” Daniel asked turning Sarah to face him.

“Well apart from all the funny looks that I’ve been getting from everyone on set today, it’s been okay. I’ve been worried about you all day as we never got a chance to really talk to each other. But apart from that I’m just glad today’s over with. I just want to go home,” Sarah replied looking into Daniel’s gorgeous blue eyes.

Daniel laughed and kissed Sarah passionately and took her hand and they started to make their way to the exit. Sarah slipped on her sunglasses as did Daniel and they left the set and walked into the maze of now more than thirty paps. They finally reached the car and got in quickly. Once Daniel had shut the door they both let out a sigh of relief. Daniel pulled Sarah close to him in the car and cuddled her.

“Babe. I think maybe you should move in with me. It would be safer than your place right now. What do you say?” Daniel asked kissing the top of Sarah’s head. Sarah looked up at Daniel in awe. This wasn’t something she was expecting. Well not just now anyway.

“Really? You want me to move in with you? I have none of my things though. I do only rent the place so it wouldn’t be that hard…” she said stopping in mid sentence.

“I take that to be a yes then?” Sarah nodded and smiled at Daniel.

“Well we can go round to your place now and pick up a few things and then at the weekend move some more of your stuff into my place. How does that sound to you?“ Daniel replied to her nod.

“That sounds perfect. I can’t believe it. We’re going to live together!” Sarah squeaked.

Daniel laughed and nodded. They kissed gently just as the car was slowing down to a stop outside Sarah’s apartment.. Sarah fumbled with the key, trying to get it into the lock but failing. Daniel seeing this took the key from her and slipped the key in first time. He opened the door and let Sarah go in. He removed the key from the door and followed Sarah up to her flat. She had left the door open for him so he just walked straight in.

He closed the door gently behind him and walked into the lounge and removed his jacket and threw it casually onto the couch. He heard Sarah curse to herself in the bedroom and made his way to see if there was anything he could do to help. He entered only to have a top flung at him from the direction of the wardrobe which was standing gaping open and all Daniel could see were items of clothing being flung from it directly at him. He smiled to himself and chucked the top onto the bed, before starting to try and make order of the mess that was Sarah’s pile of clothes. By the time Sarah had come out of the wardrobe her suitcase was almost packed. She jumped when she turned and saw Daniel standing folding her pair of jeans. Daniel looked up and grinned.

“Thank God! Does that mean that’s all of it now?!”

To be continued...