Then Came Fame (Leah Williamson)

Leah: Under the Stars

July 2023

"You're telling me you've never been in a swimming pool under the stars?"

Aria walked in front of me, leading me through her lavish villa. The decor was minimal, floors tiled with marble and doors lining the hallway. She kicked off her shoes as we reached the living area and turned to face me, her eyes were soft and endearing.

"No, never. My holidays have always been resort holidays, so the pool is off limits from early evening. This is my first high end villa holiday."

The cogs turned in her head, her eyes lit up as an idea formed itself in her head.

"Wait here..."

Aria ran along the hallway, disappearing into one of the rooms and rustling around. I slipped off my own shoes, gazing around the room and taking in the little pieces of Aria that were scattered around it. There was a table in the corner, a notebook with a pencil on top and crumpled up pieces of paper beside it. A coffee table in the middle of the room showed signs that Aria had company before she left the villa tonight. There were empty glasses scattered across it, colourful straws hanging over the edges of each of them. I felt my chest tighten slightly. When I saw Aria in the club, she was sat alone, every person who had been here with her earlier had left her. She was just a free bar to them.

"Put these on. I'll wait for you in the pool."

I hadn't noticed her come back into the room until she spoke. She was wrapped in a towel with a bundle of clothes in her arms. I wasn't sure this was the best idea anyone had ever had, but I didn't come back with her with the intention of making great decisions. She passed the clothes to me with a smile, nodding in the direction of the bathroom and making her way outside through the patio doors. With every item of clothing I removed in the bathroom, I couldn't help but wonder what she would think of my body. Our figures were different. Hers was curvy, her clothes often hugged her figure, but mine was thin, thinner than most people thought it was.

I shook off the anxiety, reminding myself that just an hour earlier, she was gazing into my eyes with a look that told me she found me attractive. Something had changed in the taxi, but if I allowed myself to consider what it might be, I would've left the villa without so much as a goodbye. I slipped on the shorts and tshirt she had given me, making my way towards the pool. Aria was already in, floating on her back and kicking her legs to keep herself in place as she studied the sky with one eye closed.

Not brave enough to get in with her, I sat on the edge of the pool and let my legs soak in the water. She giggled at my reluctance to get in, swimming towards me and settling beside me with her arms resting on the edge to keep herself in place. I wasn't sure what to say to fill the silence, wanting to slap my own brain into gear to stop myself dopily smiling at her like a lovesick puppy.

"Can I ask you something?" Aria whispered and I nodded.

"Was Alex warning you off me before?"

I froze. Of all the things I thought she might ask me, that was the last one I expected. The truth is, Alex was warning me off her, "she isn't the kind of person I want you to be around," she told me.

"She just worries about me."
"With everyone or just me?"

Aria didn't mean to, but the smallest of sighs left her mouth with her follow-up question. I kicked my feet in the water, inhaling deeply.

"It's okay, you won't hurt my feelings. My reputation proceeds me, I'm used to it."

Yes. That was the answer I knew she expected to hear, but it wasn't substantial enough for me. Yes, Alex was warning me off her, but she didn't know Aria like I thought I did. She didn't know how misunderstood she was, she didn't see a coffee table filled with drinks that people had used her for before discarding her the moment they got free entry into an Ibiza club.