You were running, your heart racing, your lungs begging for a little more air – all you could offer now were quick breaths as your brain panicked. The screams echoing behind you made it hard for you to think straight, were they fans or paparazzi? It doesn't matter when you have to decide between running to your death or hiding.
All you wanted for that afternoon was coffee and a chocolate cake, you thought you could do it alone – how naive.
With nowhere to go you crossed the street without looking – getting run over didn't seem like such a bad option now – and entered the first store you saw. Looking around quickly your eyes landed on a man in the children's section – he was tall, wearing an impeccable suit, his expression was serious, but he was in the children's section so it couldn't be that bad. Without thinking twice you ran across the store until you stopped in front of him.
“Please, I need help.” You stood between him and the clothes rack, your eyes slightly wide and your breathing labored.
“What? Who is-?”
“Please, just stay still.” You grab him by the shoulders, positioning him so that his silhouette completely covers yours.
He opens his mouth to protest but quickly closes it as he analyzes you. You are panting, your hair disheveled, your hands shaking slightly and your body is tense. You really needed help. He stays in the position you put him in and doesn’t move a muscle.
The screams start to get quieter, your body relaxes and you release the breath you didn’t even know you had been holding.
“Thank you, you saved my life.”
He doesn’t answer right away, keeping his posture firm over you.
“Does this happen often?” he asked, keeping his voice low so as not to attract the attention of anyone in the store.
You let out a laugh, looking over his shoulder to see the store window, the street seemed calmer now.
“All the time, but it’s usually more controlled, I’ve never had to turn strangers into human shields” you pulled away, now looking at him properly for the first time, and damn, he’s handsome.
“You should walk around with some security, it doesn’t seem very safe to me to walk around alone.”
“I know, I have one, but I thought I could buy a damn coffee by myself.”
He raised an eyebrow, clearly not approving of the idea.
“Doesn’t seem like a very smart plan to me”
“Oh, you swear Sherlock?”
He raised an eyebrow, the corner of his mouth curling up slightly.
“Was that supposed to be an insult?”
“Okay, you helped me and I’m being an idiot.”
You didn’t mean to be rude to him, you were just frustrated that you couldn’t do something as simple as buying an afternoon coffee without the place filling up with people.
Don’t project your frustration onto him, you think.
“Excuse me, what’s your name?”
He seemed to be considering whether it was worth sharing this information with you. You couldn’t judge, if the situation were the other way around you probably would have run away already.
“My name is Aaron.”
He’s crazy enough, apparently.
Aaron just stood there staring at you as if silently asking, what about you?
“Excuse me, don’t you know me?” you asked, genuinely confused.
“Should I?” he asked, his brow slightly furrowed.
You opened your mouth in surprise. What was natural for you – people knowing you, knowing your name, sometimes even what you had for breakfast – meant nothing to him. It was almost surreal.
“You really don’t know me?”
“No,” he crossed his arms, “But you don’t seem upset, so I don’t see the problem.”
“Are you kidding?” you laughed, “That’s refreshing.”
It wasn’t that you didn’t like being famous, on the contrary, you loved it. It took years of sacrifice to get where you are, training and training until exhaustion. But it’s times like these, when you try to do something simple – like buying a coffee by yourself – and you can’t, that fame shows its price.
“Really?”
He looked as confused as before, and as if it were possible, more handsome than he had been two seconds ago. Your gaze quickly dropped to his hand, he wasn’t wearing a wedding ring. Would the universe be so kind to that extent?
What did you have to lose? You already had the no, now the only way was to go after the humiliation.
“Although it’s sad when a handsome man doesn’t recognize me.”
He blinked in surprise, his mouth opening and closing as if he didn’t know how to respond to that.
“Excuse me?”
“I’m kidding.” You reassure him, suppressing a smile. “I interrupted your shopping, I’m sorry about that.”
“No need to apologize, I still don’t know what I came to buy anyway.”
“You..don’t know?” you asked amused, he doesn’t seem like the type of person who just goes out to browse the stores.
He hesitates, his gaze shifting between you and the clothes on the rack.
“It’s okay, you just met me, you don’t need to tell me.”
“How much do you know about children?” The hesitation is still palpable in his voice.
“Um..I’m the older sister and I used to be a babysitter, so I guess that’s enough.” You answer confused, trying to remember “Why?”
“I need a gift for my son to take to a party, but I have no idea what to get him,” he confesses, sounding frustrated.
This man just got a thousand times more handsome. Okay, focus.
“How old is he going to be?” You ask, already scanning the clothes around you.
“Seven.”
“Okay, let’s pick out some neutral clothes. Do you mind if I keep this on?” You point to the hoodie and sunglasses.
“No, it’s okay, I don’t want to attract a horde of zombies.”
“Are you trying to badmouth my beloved fans?” You feign an offended expression. They can be scary when they want to be, but you won’t admit it out loud.
“Me? Never. Although I wasn’t the one running away from them a few minutes ago.”
You cross your arms, feigning indignation, but the amused gleam in your eyes gives you away.
“Are you a career management expert now? Next time I’ll let forty people run after you and we’ll see what your first reaction will be.”
“Touché,” he laughs, raising his hands in surrender.
You grab your phone, remembering to tell your security guard where you are and asking him to come pick you up in twenty minutes.
“What do you work with?” You look away from your phone and look at him.
“What?”
He looks at you with a look that says, seriously?
“You’re famous, right? So what do you do?”
“Oh yeah, I’m a singer,” you reply with a smile.
“Have you ever won a Grammy?” He asks, his tone not arrogant, but curious.
“Honestly, I think the legacy that remains counts more, but yes, i have Grammy' s.”
“Grammy' s? Like, more than one?”
You smile at him.
“You really have no idea who I am, do you?” You let out a dramatic sigh. “I already thought you were handsome, you don’t need to convince me.”
He stops laughing, looking disconcerted.
God can’t blame a woman for trying.
“I think this outfit here is nice.”
You change the subject quickly, not that you didn’t want to blatantly hit on him for the rest of the day – something you could easily do – but he seemed so disconcerted by your advances that you didn’t want to be inconvenient.
“Yeah, this one looks nice.” He picks up the outfit, examining it.
Chris – your security guard – enters the store looking for you. Man, I need to give him a raise, you thought.
Quickly looking over the counter, grabbing your store card and a pen, you write down your personal number and hand it to Aaron.
“You saved me today, if you need someone to pay your bail, I’ll be that guy. Of course, it will depend on the reason you were arrested, I still have my ethics.” You smile “If you want tickets to a show I think it’s easier to get, thanks anyway.”
He takes the card and puts it in the inside pocket of his suit.
“I don’t plan on getting arrested, but I appreciate the offer.”
Halfway there you turn to him again.
“Aaron?”
“Yes?”
“I’m serious, text me, I’d love to meet you again.”
You head back to Chris, leaving a stunned Aaron behind.
No one can say you didn’t try.
And God, for the next few days you and your phone would be one body.
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English is not my first language are sorry for any mistake
This will probably become a mini series
If you have any ideas to contribute to the sequel I will be happy to receive them :)
