Short Kings Anthem

Part 31

Lauren adjusted her sunglasses as she walked down the road to Chris's office. She had just finished some meetings at her office and was meeting Chris at his office before they planned to go for dinner.

"Well hello!" A voice rang out Lauren looked up. 

"Hey Josh," Lauren hugged Chip who she always called Josh off camera.

"When am I going to get you on a come dine with me? It's been too long now!"

"I know, I'm sorry the filming dates just didn't work out for the last one and you got stuck with Chris."

"Speaking of Chris and his terrible cooking I had the idea of maybe doing it as a couples come dine with me you know something a little big fresh a little bit different."

"That sounds great, we'll make it work. Also speaking of Chris, do you know where he is?"

"Upstairs I think. Theo asked some people to do some keepie uppy shorts so of course he's saving the best to last with me," Chip joked and Lauren sniggered, nodding her head.

"Of course, catch you later." Lauren then made her way upstairs and followed the noise of men shouting and jeering.

"Oh look another one for you!" Cal shouted pointing at Lauren who he had spotted out of the corner of his eye.

"Not if you actually want anyone to watch this," Lauren commented as she scanned the room. When her eyes finally landed on Chris she shot him a smile and he winked in return.

"Actually I think people would probably want to see it," Theo then stretched out his arm with a ball attached to his hand. Lauren shook her head violently.

"Just because I beat you doesn't mean you get to take it out on my finance," Chris came to Lauren's rescue and she smiled gratefully at him.

"You cheated," Theo snapped back to Chris and Lauren rolled her eyes. She knew that this situation wasn't going to be dropped.

"I've got sandals on so if I do it can I get an extra point for doing it barefoot?" Lauren asked pointing to her black heeled sandals on her feet.

"No deal," Theo stated.

"How many did you get?" Lauren asked the light haired man, an uncomfortable silence filled the room and Theo let out a sigh which was almost like a huff.

"Five," he muttered almost under his breath, Lauren smirked. " He got in my way!" Theo pointed at Chris who stood open mouthed at the accusation.

"It's not my fault you're clumsy and fell into me when you booted it halfway across the room and had to sprint," Chris defended. Lauren rolled her eyes, sometimes those two were like an old married couple the way they went on at each other. The red head took off her shoes and walked over to the bickering pair and held her hand out.

"Go on then," she commented with a sigh.

"Jesus Christ I forgot how short you were," Freezy commented looking at Lauren's full height as she was without shoes.

"Yes I'm a hobbit right let's get this over with," Lauren sighed once more as everyone stepped back a little giving her room.

"One, two, three, four, FIVE," Chris shouted in excitement, Lauren was surprising even herself. She did six more, taking her total to eleven when she kneed it and it veered to the right, she tried to stretch out her little leg but it was no good and the ball thumped to the ground.

"Looks like Chris has been teaching her some ball skills," Theo commented and everyone in the room laughed.

"Doesn't need them mate," Chris clapped back causing a chorus of oooo's to chime around the room. Lauren closed her eyes as she exhaled deeply then threw Chris a knowing look.

"Are we going to dinner or what?" Lauren said to Chris, her tone obviously unimpressed. The blonde man admitted defeat and nodded ignoring the whip sounds coming from Will and Mikey as Lauren put her shoes back on.

"Sorry about my comment earlier, something comes over me when I'm with the boys and I turn into a bellend," Chris commented when the pair were seated opposite each other in a small casual Italian restaurant.

"It's alright, plus the camera was on which probably didn't help," Lauren replied, taking a sip of her water.

"Anyway, I have something which might just redeem me and put me back in your good books?"

"You never were in my bad books but now I'm intrigued," Lauren said as Chris slipped his phone across the table. Lauren took it and saw it was a website for a holiday in the Dominican Republic. On closer inspection she saw a tab which clearly read weddings. She looked up at Chris who was biting his nails slightly, obviously apprehensive at what Lauren was going to say.

"I thought we said having everyone together on an island would probably peak suspicion?" Lauren whispered over the table just in case fans were overhearing. No one in the restaurant looked like they could be but you never knew.

"Hear me out, they sort out everything, you can hire the whole hotel out just for the wedding everyone arrives say late afternoon, early evening we put on a dinner then the next day surprise!! We're getting married have the wedding and then the day after when we everything is finished then it doesn't matter about exclusivity and people can find out."

"You've really thought about this haven't you?" Lauren asked, she was surprised. Lauren had to admit she hadn't given it too much thought the past couple of days as her mind was focused on work mainly. Chris nodded

"What did you think?" His blue eyes widened in anticipation.

"It sounds like it's going to cost a hell of a lot." While it was safe to say her and Chris did have money they weren't on the same financial or fame level as someone like Mr Beast or even JJ, hiring out a whole hotel was someone you only heard about proper A listers do. Although she had been to hotel weddings to friends before where there wedding guests took up so many rooms it felt like they had hired the hotel, and the event rooms used were closed off so maybe it wasn't too much of a stretch. "Also what did you mean when you said surprise wedding?"

"Can't leak if no one knows anything to leak."

"What, like you leaked Simon's?" Lauren asked smirking, tongue in cheek.

"I told Arthur that doesn't count! Plus he said it as the wedding was happening so it wasn't really a leak. Simon and I talked about it it's fine, he's fine."

"Which is why he hasn't appeared in one of your videos since?" Chris then stopped and thought for a moment.

"That son of a..."

"ANYWAYYYY I have seen people tell friends and family they're having an engagement party and they've gone surprise wedding which does sound quite cool. I don't think they'd buy a party in the Dominican Republic though. Although it is a very nice hotel," Lauren added handing the phone back over to Chris.

"What I'm saying is, I think we have options and I think we can do it the way we want to," Chris explained grabbing Lauren's hand from across the table.

"You're the sweetest person," Lauren gushed at her fiance and he blushed a little.

"Can you tell everyone else that because they all still think I'm mean,"

"I mean you had your moments when you were single. Being single didn't suit you at all! You're such a relationship guy lucky for me I guess."

"You're one to talk! I may have been bitter and depressed but you were PJ's all day and depressed."

"I know, everyone was waiting for my single era glow up man were they ever disappointed," Lauren laughed.

"I dunno, you had it that night in Ibiza, it worked on me anyway," Chris admitted and the pair shared a smile.

"It's weird to think that being cheated on was the best thing to ever happen to me but here we are," Lauren said shrugging, Chris then raised his glass.

"To us," he said simply with a wink Lauren smiled and clinked her glass with Chris.

"To silver linings," she added.