It's Complicated - A Gary Barlow FF

Chapter 29

I bounce in through the shop door and am immediately greeted by the cute elderly shopkeeper, Barbara. She's gotten used to the fact that she has seen me everyday for the last few years since I moved in to the new house but I think she's been a bit taken a back since the news broke of the tour as I'm always greeted by a shy smile and she is sometimes lost for words. 

''Good morning, Barbara. Lovely day, isn't it?'' I say just as enthusiastically as I feel.

I met with just a shy smile and a mumbling of something that sounded a bit like 'yes..yes it is, Gary'. She is honestly adorable. I fly around the shop grabbing things that are needed and placing them in the basket; sausages, bacon, eggs, pudding, some mushrooms, beans and a carton of milk and orange juice and I'm set. 

''Find everything you need, dear?'' Barbara says and I notice that she seems more confident all of a sudden.

She is honestly so cute, I don't want her feeling nervous around me. I see her pretty much every other day. 

''I think so, love'' I say counting the items in my head on my fingers. 

''Yep, I believe I have all I came for ''

''Excellent, that will £8.13 so please'' she says to me in a chirpy voice that brings a small smile to my lips. 

''Lovely stuff. Keep the change, sweetie'' I say handing her a tenner.

A big grin appears on her face. 

''Thank you Gary, love. Have a lovely day, won't you?''

''I will indeed Barbara, you too'' 

I walk out towards the door the shop on my way home when something catches my eye. A tabloid of course. What else? Why? The reason I stop dead in my tracks was that there was someone on the front cover that looked really like me. Wait that is me! It's Michelle and I from last night. Written under the big, bold (and may I add extremely unoriginal) caption of; 

BARLOW FINALLY FINDS HIS BABE? 

There was a picture of myself and Michelle, sharing a tender kiss of the embankments of the River Thames in Chelsea on our romantic stroll home last night from The O2 Arena. I wasn't mad one bit. I mean it honestly made me smile. For once it wasn't lies that they weren't writing about me. This was actually true. I thought so anyway and I'm pretty sure Michelle thinks the same. 

'I've got to show this to Chelle, she'd love this type of thing'

 I turn back around to Barbara who is just pottering around keeping busy I presume. 

''Barbara, sweetheart. May I have this paper? Is that OK?''

''Yes dear. Please, please'' she replies with a massive grin.

She's an absolute star. I'll surprise her with some VIP tickets for the show as I have caught her singing away to a few of our songs when I've heard them playing in the shop a couple of times. 

''Thanks Barbara, I owe you one. Bye love'' and I bounce out the door.

 As I return home, I leisurely stroll on through to the kitchen where I flick on the kettle to have a cup of tea. As I'm waiting for it to boil, I decide to have a quick nose through the paper and have a read about myself and Michelle. 

I check my phone for the time.

08:07

It's actually, for once, an article that I enjoy reading. I smile more than once when I come across sentences like; 

''Loved up pop star Gary Barlow can't help but grin childishly as he strolls hand in hand with his girlfriend of 6 months, Michelle Williams''

or something else along the lines of; 

''After being through so much, professionally and personally, can Gary Barlow, the main driving force of 90's pop phenomenon 'Take That', finally have his happy ending?''

 and then there was the best one ever;

''Has Michelle Williams re-lit Barlow's fire?''

I must admit, that last one made me laugh.

Just as I hear the kettle click signalling that it was done boiling, something at the bottom of the page catches my attention, gluing me to the stool at the breakfast bar in my kitchen. I can't believe what I'm reading. Attached on to the end of the two page spread about Michelle and I was, a side note. I couldn't help but read it slightly aloud to myself, honestly half in shock and half in joy, if that is even a plausible combination.

''It's not just his new love interest that Barlow seems so happy to be spending a lot of time with. According to our sources, last night a certain somebody was seen rambling around the streets of Kensington Gardens, who we believe has had a lot of contact with Barlow recently''

Oh God, I live in Kensington Gardens, that my address basically, where I am right now.

''It hasn't been confirmed, but it is reported that Robbie Williams was seen in the area shortly after 11PM last night. Could there be another special partnership about to be (re)kindled?''

Attached at the bottom of the snippet was a very blurry image of a man, hood up, with what looked like a mobile phone to his ear. Could it be? Has Robbie come back from L.A to see me? All these questions begin to fly through my brain...