I long for you, Olivia

c h a p t e r 6

Ding.

The doorbell rings. I race down the stairs, tripping over the scattered clothes Audrey tossed on the floor. After she finished picking out my outfit (a.k.a pulling out the tiny jean shorts I wore in middle school and the only tank top I own), we agreed she would leave after Louis picked me up.

If he actually came.

"What the hell did you do to my face!" I whisper-shout up the stairs, catching my reflection before opening the door. My eyelashes are almost touching my eyebrows and I have enough red lip gloss on to use as paint.

"It's called makeup, dimwit!" Audrey says from the second floor. "Now open the damn door before he has time to change his mind!"

Thank god I convinced my dad that we needed a complete pantry restock from the Costco near Orange County. At this time on a Saturday, traffic would take hours.

I brush my hair out of my face before flinging open the door.

"Hiya."

It's Louis. He's wearing black jeans and a baseball shirt.

"Hi," I breathe.

"You look beautiful," he says, and I feel my cheeks burning up as I try to choke out a response. I've never been good at receiving compliments.

"Not so bad yourself," I deadpan. Maybe not the best comeback.

"Wouldn't want to disappoint," he chuckles. "I was thinking we could go to my favorite deli, it's not too far from here."

"I'd love to."

********

For the last half hour, I've found it surprisingly easy to talk to Louis.

He tells me about his family and how important they are to him, about his childhood and how he decided to go on the X-Factor. He even talked about the anxiety he developed over the last three years being in the band, and how hard it was to constantly be on the road.

"I... I never thought about how crazy it is that you guys have had three albums in three years," I say quietly. "That's insane."

He shrugs. "I do it for the fans. And cause I can't imagine spending one week without the guys and writing music, doing what we're passionate about."

I smile sadly. "Sounds like the best, yet the worst job in the world."

His hand is resting on the table. I could just reach out and... Who knows? I might never see him again.

I reach out and place my hand on top of his. Of course, my cheeks go bright red. But he gives me a small smile, and I bashfully hold his gaze.

But a second later, the smile fades. He clears his throat.

"I really hate this," Louis says, burying his face in his hands. I pull my hand back from where it was just touching his.

I try to swallow the lump forming in my throat. "Really? I... I thought I was really getting to know you."

He looks up meeting my eyes. "Oh, Olivia. I had a lovely time. But I hate to say that I haven't been completely honest."

Neither have I," I want to tell him. I guess I can't blame him for whatever he's been keeping from me, considering my secret...

"I need someone that I can date to hide who I'm actually dating."

My jaw drops. "Like... a publicity stunt?"

"Exactly. Can't tell you who, but I'm going out with an actress, and with the both of us being celebrities, it would get messy having our private lives smeared across the headline of every gossip column."

"Wait. Why would dating me publicly be better than just trying to hide your relationship?"

"People like flashy showmances, and because no one knows you, they won't bother with too many questions. The paps are bloodthirsty hounds just waiting for a story. By giving them a couple photos a week of us out and about, no one will know who I'm really dating."

I don't respond. Now that I've gotten past the shock of his offer, it's starting to sink in that this was never really a date.

He shifts in his seat, and I can tell by the guilt on his face that he's probably not enjoying using me as a pawn in his relationship.

"Look," he says softly. "I wouldn't offer this if I didn't genuinely like you. I wanted to get to know you a bit, and now that I've talked to you, I think it would be easy for us to pull this off. I really do like talking to you."

"I like talking to you too," I mumble into my lap. "What would I need to do?"

"All I ask is that we go on one fake date every week between Friday and Sunday, just a couple hours either shopping or dinner, whatever. The paps'll love it. And you won't do it for free, I might add. My manager will go over details with you if you're in, plus you have to sign an NDA that you wouldn't tell anyone about the arrangement."

"An NDA?" I ask, taken aback. "Is your love life that important?"

He laughs, and I savor this real moment between us.

"Well, it's important to Modest, which makes it important to the whole world I guess."

I don't know how to respond. I feel Louis' eyes burn into mine as I shift my fork around my salad. He lightly grabs the fork and sets it on the table before grasping my hand.

"I know this makes me sound like a sleazy guy, but... it's hard to be in this industry," he says. "All I want is to be able to park my car at my girlfriend's house without being hounded by the press."

This. This simultaneous heartbreak and elation I feel for him is exactly why I shouldn't agree to this. Hearing him talk about his girlfriend while holding my hand? This must be some kind of torture technique.

"Can I have a few hours to think about it?" I reply. "I mean, I'll be going to UCLA in September. How long do you intend for this to last?"

"Maybe a year? I swear I won't make you agree to anything longer than that."

A year? That might not be so bad. I'm only a freshman, so it's not like I would be overwhelming myself with an added couple hours every weekend.

"But you realize this also means you can't be seen with anyone else," Louis continues. "You couldn't go out in public with your boyfriend in case someone recognized you, took a picture, spread word of a cheating scandal, you get how things escalate. It would ruin our image."

No boyfriend? But only for a year... I guess that's not so bad, considering I've never really dated someone anyway. Plus, I don't want to give up yet on Louis. I like talking to him, probably more than I should.

But...

Who's to say he won't ever break up with this mysterious actress?

I would be the first person to know.

"Actually," I say, "I'll do it. Give me the papers, I'll sign right now."

*Hey guys! Not sure if anyone is still reading, but I'm going to continue updating because I think the story is going in a really good direction! (sorry, just realized that was a pun) Happy Friday!