This chapter has been edited due to content. If you want to see the unedited version GO HERE.
Before we could gather our thoughts after making love, Emilia's phone rang. We both couldn't help but laugh. I lay on the bed as she walked across the room to her phone. My eyes were more focused on her than my ears were, which gave her a good amount of privacy.
"Are you going to be busy?" Emilia asked once she hung up.
"Depends." I replied. "What was the phone call about?"
"I have an interview. It will just be a short plane ride to where it is. I was wondering if you wanted to come along."
I thought about my schedule. I had no movies or shows to be shot for a few weeks at least. There was so much time between now and my next job that it seemed almost endless. If I went with Emilia to her interview nothing would be lost.
"I would be more than happy to go with you." I told her as I heard her wash up.
"You sure it wouldn't interfere with your work?" Emilia asked.
"No, it won't."
"And what if it did?"
"Would you blame me for wanting a paycheck?"
"Only if it stopped you from pleasing me."
"I assure you that I could never stop pleasuring you if I tried."
She came out of the bathroom and I saw desire in her eyes. I grinned and winked at her in a way that was too over the top to ever be considered erotic. She laughed and for a moment I wanted her to **** me. Then she started to pick up her clothes that were spread across the room. I decided to clean up and get dressed.
"When do we need to leave?" I asked once I was fully dressed and she was on the edge of the bed.
"In a few hours." Emilia replied. "So we need to get packed quickly."
She let out a loud sigh and I understood why. Packing was nerve wracking even when you had enough time to prepare. There was always the chance that you could forget the tiniest of items. After filming I would sometimes believe I had packed up everything but then arrive home and then notice something missing. For a good number of years I kept losing my toothbrush to the point I had many spares stored at home.
"I'll bring toothbrushes." I told her.
"You still have some spares after all these years?"
"Always."
Emilia chuckled and I liked being lost in the sound. Even though the interview might surprise both of us, she was strong enough. If she wasn't then I was there to comfort her. I was there to make sure she was able to rise up from any hole she got herself into.
Even though it would be a short trip and all our belongings could fit into one suitcase, Emilia insisted on both of us having our own suitcase. So I chose clothing that would work good in a public setting. Though it was just my girlfriend who was having an interview, there was the chance people would take pictures of me.
"I could see if they'll interview both of us." Emilia said as she decided between three different pairs of underwear. "You're going to be coming already, so at least you won't be bored."
"You deserve your time in the spotlight." I replied as I tried to decide between two shirts.
Honestly I didn't want to be questioned by anyone. There were too many ways that questions could start to cross the line. It was hard enough to deal with the fear that slowly boiled to a maddening heat. At least with strangers I didn't have to answer questions and could easily start to walk away. With an interviewer there was no way out but to answer each question calmly and with good humor.
"You haven't gotten the praise you deserve." Emilia said. "Besides, I don't even know if I can get them to interview you."
"If we are interviewed together then they can question our relationship." I replied angrily as I finished packing. "They will find a catchy headline and won't care how it affects us. They want their money and our relationship could be a hefty paycheck for them."
"Lonely bloggers can start rumors because they need attention. What is so different about what the interviewer might do?"
"Because I'll be there signing my life away."
"I'll be there by your side. And even if I wasn't, you are a strong man. You haven't needed anyone for a long time. You an do this."
She was wrong. Matters of the heart were harder for me to deal with. I hadn't accepted love before and all these fears seemed new. They seemed fresh. Why did people prying into my love life hurt me more than anything else in my life?
Emilia put a hand on my arm and my breathing slowed down. I had gotten so worried I hadn't taken note of my body's reactions. I nodded at her and she finished packing. There was no way I could get out of the interview without appearing like a coward. Even if I could, I didn't want to break my love's heart in any manner.
"If you can have both of us interviewed, I'll allow it." I said slowly. "You're right, I need to get over my fear."
"Thank you." Emilia said and kissed me lightly on the lips. "I think we can wait to go to the airport."
"I'd rather get there early. The tickets you ordered don't give us much wiggle room. We don't need to run into traffic now."
"Traffic this early?"
"It's not that early anymore." I replied and pointed to the clock.
We hurried downstairs with our luggage. If only I could have planned a day or two in advance for this. I should just tell Emilia I had changed my mind but would still drive her to the airport. A brief glance at her was enough to dissuade me of that idea. Her joy was my own as every other of her emotions. So if she would be stressed out today, I would have to gladly share in that emotion. It was only fair to her.
I opened the trunk and spared a glance behind me. A man was washing his car which should not have drawn my attention like it did. But the way he looked at me was more than concerning to my mind. His lips were slightly curled back as if he were holding back a snarl. He noticed me looking at him and turned away.
"Something wrong, Iain?" Emilia asked.
"No." I lied.
Because of the man washing his car, I had trouble packing up our luggage. It should have only taken me a minute at most. But now five minutes had passed and my heart rate had increased considerably. I was worried that the man would try to kill Emilia and there would be nothing I could do. Even though I played fighters, I didn't trust myself to win an actual fight.
Once it didn't look awkward, I looked at the man who was still washing his car. There was something off about his body posture but I couldn't figure out what. The rumors could be affecting me more than I wanted to admit. It wouldn't be the first time a celebrity was harmed or murdered because of an opinion. For one of the few times in my life I understood the American need to have a gone constantly at their sides. I wanted to make sure that I could protect Emilia if it came down to a fight.
"Iain?" Emilia asked.
I realized that my posture was more rigid than normal. Unconsciously I had prepared myself to attack if needed. If any harm came to my love it wouldn't be because I had remained idle. If the man across the street dared to come over, he would be a dead man. His eyes seemed to be angry while his mouth had turned stoic. He was doing his best to hide whatever opinions he held secret.
"Don't, Iain." Emilia begged me.
"Don't what?" I asked, my body remaining rigid even after she put a hand on my chest.
The moment her hand touched my chest, he gripped the hose harder. So he was one of the people who hated me being with Emilia. He was one of the people who held an opinion that was intrusive. This wasn't his life and he shouldn't get angry about someone else's relationship. Part of me wanted to punch him until he bled and another just wanted to go to the airport.
"He's just a man washing his car." Emilia said. "So what if he doesn't like us together? He's just one of thousands who would rather us be apart. He's not worth it."
I wanted to argue with her. I wanted to explain this sense of dread I felt about him. But there was no way for me to explain myself without sounding insane. If he were to attack us it wouldn't be today and we still needed to get to the airport in time for our flight. Whatever did or didn't happen with him could wait for another day.
"You're right." I replied. "Let's get going."
At first the drive to the airport was somber. I kept worrying about the man for no reason at all. He was just angry and nothing more than that. Emilia was able to distract me from my thoughts. While I focused on getting us to our destination, she was checking Twitter. She laughed loudly and I felt better. I smiled even though I didn't know what she was laughing at.
"Do you want to know what I'm laughing at?" Emilia asked with a wicked grin.
"I was curious before." I replied. "But that look on your face never promises good things."
"Come on. Just ask me."
The rest of the car ride Emilia tried to get me to ask what she had been laughing about. Near the end my curiosity was attempting to sabotage my efforts. The only thing protecting me was my pride. No matter how lovely my girlfriend was, I would not let her manipulate me.
"So, what were you laughing about?" I asked once I parked my car.
"You know what, somehow you have taken all the fun out of the game." Emilia replied with an exaggerated sigh. "But you still asked so you don't win."
"I think the fact I ruined your fun makes me the winner."
"I'll think about your supposed victory."
After a brief kiss we took our luggage out and made our way inside. Luckily no one was interested in taking pictures of me today. Maybe that was due to the fact no new spicy rumors had appeared for the past week. Just the same rumors that some places recycled to try and appear new. Thankfully most Game of Thrones fans seemed to have figured that out and remained quiet about me. At least for the most part.
By the time the plane took off the fear about the man was back. He lived right across the street which meant he could cause a good amount of chaos. When I got back home I would have to talk with him. I had to make sure that my fears were unfounded and just a side effect of my love for Emilia. I looked at her sleeping and knew there was nothing I wouldn't do to make sure she was safe. That included not lashing out as a first reaction.
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