"Its only for one night, he won't cause any problems."
Oh, I knew that, of course. With the paparazzi, I was used to keep a low profile. Whenever they catch me it would be photos of me doing something boring, like hitting the gym or getting groceries or something. But being seen with an acclaimed actor would definitely change that. I'd never been seen having a public relationship before, never hung around a guy where I knew there would be paparazzi. Honestly, I wanted to keep it like that as long as I could.
Being with Thomas on New Years Eve was an easy way to change that completely. I wasn't sure if I was ready for that, to be honest.
But there wasn't much I could do about it. Perhaps if I had expressed serious concern and reasonings about the meetup, I would've swindled my way out of it. But I didn't have a valid reason aside from my own nerves, and that's how I found myself in a plane heading to New York City.
After dealing with the interview, which was uneventful (as expected) I had a chance to stick around in my hotel, where I could get ready for the evening. Instead of getting ready, though, I was stressing out about meeting Thomas.
What if we never see each other again?
What if he thinks I'm annoying?
God, what if he hates me?
After a poor attempt to psyche myself out a bit, I was placing the final details of my outfit into position when I heard a knock on my door. I open it to see my manager, who's nose was red from the cold outside. "You look great," she smiles.
"I didn't want to wear a dress, because it's cold out." I explain.
"Its fine, its going to be dark and you'll be wearing a jacket anyway. Plus, Thomas is here."
"What?" I hiss. "In this hotel?"
"Yeah," she says, rubbing her hands together to warm them. "He's three doors to your right."
"He's staying here too?"
"Yes," she hisses, growing exasperated.
"Great, now I'm even more nervous." I smooth out my shirt for the hundredth time.
"You look fine. He'll be here in five, and then you'll go to Times Square together."
"Plenty of time for me to get sick and back out."
I don't even get those five minutes, because seconds later a strange face - not Thomas's - appears in the doorway. My manager turns and smiles. "Hey, Jeff, we're ready."
Jeff glanced at me for confirmation and I take a deep breath, nodding. Another face appeared in the doorway, but I knew this one well. This was Thomas Brodie-sangster, and he was all too handsome in person.
"H'lo," he says, waving.
"I - hi," I blink.
"Alright," my manager says. "Car's downstairs, and here are some ground rules for tonight: take photos with fans if you need to, try and sneak a couple selfies in there, be careful where you step - you don't know what you'll find down there - and don't give too much away when answering questions, but don't be too mysterious either."
Jeff raises his hand to speak. "Oh, and above all, try and act like you like each other."
I glance at Thomas, who sneaks me a tiny grin. It seemed that he was a just as excited, but wanted to appear grounded. Somehow I managed to smile back, and then promptly returned my gaze to the floor. Jeff lead us to the car, and when we pull out of the garage, I couldn't help but think that this was where the craziness was to begin.
tbs - nye
Start from the beginning
