You Love Somebody

34 (Anna)

They were escorted to a very exclusive restaurant with two Michelin stars. Eddie had been there before, so for him it was a happy return. The chef and owner, Silvio, came to greet them and Eddie introduced Anna. Silvio kissed her hand and welcomed her to his restaurant.

They were shown to a table, which was a little secluded from the rest, making it more intimate and private. It seemed like a place that was used to exclusive guests. Anna felt a little out of place, but she appreciated the experience. Her dating life had never been especially fancy or exclusive, she usually just went for drinks or coffee, and with her busy schedule, she never made it past the second date. So sitting down at a swanky restaurant with a dreamy man was a fantastic treat to her. Eddie was the perfect gentleman; he pulled out her chair for her, held her hand across the table and complimented her until her cheeks burned from blushing.

"Thank you for taking me here," she said and squeezed his hand over the table. 

"I want to take you everywhere," he said and winked at her. 

He had already taken her to more places than she had ever been before. She knew when she took the job that it included travelling, but she had never in her wildest dreams thought Eddie would be part of the deal.

"Excuse me, Eddie?" A young woman came up to their table.

Eddie looked up and smiled, but Anna noticed a shift in his smile when he noticed that the young woman was holding her phone, a napkin and a pen. A fan who wanted an autograph and a photo in the middle of their romantic dinner. Anna let go of his hand and smiled at the fan, but tried to be as invisible as she possibly could. Eddie looked at her when she let go of his hand, and it looked like he was about to say no to the request. Anna felt bad for the young woman, who was looking at Eddie with stars in her eyes. If he said no, she would have to walk back to her table with a stomach full of disappointment. 

"Do you want me to take the photo?" Anna hurried to ask before Eddie got a chance to reject the fan. 

"Oh yes please," the fan looked so happy, and Anna smiled at her and took her phone. 

Eddie got up from his chair and posed with her, smiling when told to do so. He signed her napkin, thanked her for her support and sent her off. He sat back down and leaned over the table and shook his head at Anna. 

"You tricked me into that," he chuckled. "I was about to ask for the privacy to enjoy my dinner."

"I'm sorry. I just couldn't bear the idea of you saying no, and she would think it was because of me." Anna admitted and took his hand. "I don't have the experience you have yet. I feel bad for every single one of them, who don't get to look you in the eyes. Some of them have probably come from far away to see you." 

He nodded. "I know. In the beginning I always took the time. It meant I was never really, just Eddie. I was Eddie Wilde, the pop star, all the time. When I'm filling up petrol on my car, people come up to me. When I'm crossing a street they film me. If I'm trying to pick up a prescription at the pharmacy someone will film me or take my picture. Trying to get from A to B I'll be stopped constantly if I don't say no. Of course I wish I could oblige and give back to all of them, but I have to say no sometimes. And when I'm having a romantic dinner with my girlfriend is one of those times." He smiled and squeezed her hand.

She felt bad for forcing him to do something he didn't want to. His eyes were warm and he obviously wasn't upset with her, but she still felt that sting of shame.

"I'm really sorry, Eddie," she said and grimaced. "I feel bad for making you do something you don't want to. I'll remember it next time." 

"It's okay, love. Don't feel bad. You'll get used to all of this, I'm sure. Just think about our museum trip earlier; a small group turns to a large crowd and then there needs to be safety measures. That girl, who was just here, might go back to her table now and post her picture on Instagram and tag me and the restaurant. That means that within 20 minutes there could be 50 people waiting outside. But I wouldn't miss a chance to go out like this with you for anything in the world. I'm just sick and tired of everyone making my love life into entertainment. To them I'm the British serial dater with a line of conquests behind me." He looked at her intently to get his point through. "Sometimes I just want to be the one to decide whether I'm photographed. I can't stop them from doing it without my consent, but I can respectfully decline when I don't feel like it."