Then Came Fame (Leah Williamson)

Leah: Common Ground

June 2023

From the moment Aria agreed to see me again, I had been dying for this moment, but now that it was actually here, my blood seemed to be pumping anxiety instead of blood. Our first meeting had been something, but she still managed to remain relatively guarded. I worried that I wouldn't be able to find topics of conversation that were comfortable for her, spending most of that day trying to rehearse questions in advance.

The door swung open, Aria's bright smile greeting me. It felt like hours, but probably seconds later, my mind finally managed to send a signal to my mouth to display a nervous smile.

"Come in."

It was welcoming, kind and possibly a little bit sympathetic. I could tell she had immediately recognised how unsure I was about this, but the second she stepped to the side and opened her arm out to offer me a comforting hug, I knew this was going to be okay.

We broke apart after a few seconds, finally making it along the hallway and turning left into the living room. The decor wasn't what I expected, I'm not sure what I expected. It was warm, cosy and not at all extravagant. The television was playing faintly in the background, and the coffee table had a few candles alight on it.

She let out an embarrassed laughter as we made our way to the sofa, which was covered in cushions.

"I thought you might need a pillow for your leg, but I went a bit overboard."

My heart tripled in size watching her sheepishly remove the cushions, and even though I didn't need a pillow for my knee, I wasn't going to tell her that. We sat down and I propped a pillow under my foot on the longer part of the corner sofa, thanking her for the gesture.

I knew I needed to break the ice, but I couldn't stop myself from giddily smiling at her, unable to believe that I was actually here after so long of thinking about what it might feel like. I'd always known that she was beautiful, but seeing her inside the safety of her own home, free from the false facial expressions and frown lines, she was radiant. I wasn't sure how I'd never noticed the faint freckles across the bridge of her nose, or dimples that she had when she meaningfully smiled.

"So, how was the tour?"

She sat back on her seat, bringing her knees up to her chest and turning her body to face me.

"It was good. I'm glad to be home, though."

Do I pry? Does she want me to pry?

"Tiring, I imagine..."

She nodded, widening her eyes to add some dramatisation to the agreement.

"I enjoy the shows, but the time in between is difficult. You can't go anywhere or do anything really. You just sit around, and then we end up just going out every night and doing everything the tabloids want me to do."

Everything the tabloids want her to do. That was the first time I had experienced jealousy with Aria. I knew she lived that lifestyle, but until now, the only time I ever had to hear it was when others were saying it about her. I wasn't even sure why I was jealous, it's not like I knew her well enough, or at all, to have any kind of feelings towards her. Sure, I found her attractive, but was that enough to warrant the reaction in the pit of my stomach right now?

"You managed to do pretty well at keeping things out of the tabloids this time."

Why did I say that?

"Oh, did you keep check?"

Her grin was cheeky, maybe even a little flirty. I quickly started to piece together what this night was for her, I was a booty call. If you can call a prearranged meeting that, but my mind was in overdrive. I hadn't come here with the expectation of that, and even if technically I might be easily persuaded, I knew I wasn't in action right now because being a woman sucks.