In Disguise

Scene 7

The past 3 months had been incredibly eventful.

Him and I had begun dating, going out for more dinners and spending more time together at his apartment and the studio. Despite his busy work schedule, we had still managed to see each other regularly.

He had asked me to be his girlfriend with a lavish proposal dinner and I was still getting used to the attention from him and the paparazzi.

The media had been speculating about our relationship but we still hadn't announced anything, we were happy just keeping it between us and living in our secret bubble.

To me, this made it more like a normal relationship and helped me forget that my boyfriend was an internationally known rapper. I knew it would all blow up when everyone found out and both of our lives would change, but mainly mine, so I was happy making them most of how it was.

The constant media discussion about us annoyed him but he'd had practise at keeping things quiet in his private life so he was good at it. He told me early on about his decision not to announce our relationship yet, saying he wanted to wait to tell the world and his fans to protect what we had.

"Normally I want to announce it straight away, but I kind of just want to keep it between us right now," he said to me. "We can keep it on the low, nobody needs to know yet."

I agreed with him, a little part of me relieved that no one else had to know right now.

"Not because I'm not proud you're my girlfriend or anything," he added quickly. "It's just that what we have is special."

His usual cheery tone was underlined with seriousness and his eyes focused on mine.

I nodded, "Yeah, I agree."

"So you don't mind?" He smiled that gorgeous seductive smile which righted everything. "I mean the media and everyone have probably guessed but they don't know what goes on behind closed doors, and I just want to wait a bit before officially announcing it."

"No it's fine, I'd prefer it if you waited."

"Okay good." He leaned forward and touched his lips to mine. "I want what we have to last."

His words caused a tingling sensation inside my stomach, the feeling that I was wanted and loved by him made me happy.

"Me too."

***

I was just on my way to his apartment, walking through the nearby park and observing the varied pallet of Manchester.

The stretch of trees lining the park were filled with speckled autumn leaves which contrasted the shiny silver buildings in the background but matched the earthy brick ones. Streaky and stripey, the sky was dotted with delicate clouds and vapertrails.

I reached his apartment block and got the lift up to his floor, a routine which had become so familiar it almost required no thinking, and made my way to his front door. He had sent me a last minute message saying he had to finish some things at the studio so he would be back later than he thought.

His housekeeper answered the door, a warm smile on her aged features as she stepped aside and let me in.

"I'm just doing the cleaning, I'll be gone soon." She smiled.

I had met her several times by then, every time she was polite and sweet to me, but I always subconsciously wondered how many different girls she had greeted at his door.

I nodded and smiled in return.

As if she could sense my thoughts that day, she exhaled and said, "You're the only girl he's ever let in here without him you know." Her voice was tender and knowledgeable. "He must be serious about you."

The corners of my mouth lifted into a grateful smile. For me, it was always the smaller gestures which were special rather than big extravagant things.

Removing my shoes, I made my way into the kitchen, placing my bag on the work surface as I always did, and proceeded to make myself a drink. Sitting on his large sofa, I connected my headphones to my phone and began to play a selection of his songs.

It was just me, my headphones and his voice. I enjoyed the intimacy of the moment, as if he was rapping just for me, and the sound of his voice was comforting.

Almost an hour later, I was scrolling through my phone when I heard him come through the door, his presence noticeable before his voice announced his return. His housekeeper met him at the entrance, greeting him and asking him about his day.

"She's a keeper you know." A smile was audible in her slightly hushed voice.

"Yeah I know." I heard him respond. "She's the only one I actually trust."

My heart fluttered in my chest and I could feel his eyes on the back of my head as I fought the urge to turn and meet his gaze. Then their conversation turned to a polite chat before I heard the door open again.

"Thank you, see you next week." He said before closing the door behind her.

Hearing his footsteps approach, I looked around and smiled at him as he dropped his bag on the floor and paced over towards me, a broad grin on his face.

"Hey baby."

He leaned down and wrapped his arms around me.

"Hey."

My arms looped around his neck as he kissed me, his lips warm and soft against mine.

"Did you mean that?" I smiled pulling back, my arms still around his neck holding him in position close to me. He rested his arms on the back of the sofa to prop himself up.

"Yeah of course."

He kissed me again.

"It's like you get prettier by the minute." He smiled, looking into my eyes.

Then I giggled as his lips moved down to my neck and then my collarbone. Grabbing his cheeks in my hands, I lifted his head back to the same level as me, his fierce blue eyes fixating on me.

"I missed you today."

He smiled. "I missed you too."

After one last quick peck, he went to sort his stuff out from the day and get changed before grabbing some food and returning to the living room.

I shrieked with laughter as he dived onto the large sofa next to me. He was laughing too, his smile wide and infectious. He adjusted his position and threw his arm around my shoulder, pulling me towards him as I nuzzled my head into his neck. Delicately, he kissed my hair.

He reached for my legs, which were hugged to my chest, and pulled them towards him before arranging them over his lap. Then he rested his hand on my thigh and hugged me to him, whilst his other arm remained around my shoulder. I leant into his body and breathed in his distinctive scent.

"I was thinking we could chill here this evening, maybe get a takeaway and watch Netflix?" He said.

As much as it was nice getting dressed up and going out for dates, I also enjoyed keeping it casual and staying in together just as much and avoiding the bombardment of people and cameras.

I smiled and looked up at him, observing how his lips formed into a soft smirk. "Yeah, that would be nice."