Dreams Can Come True

5. Meeting

POV Bill

Early in the morning, we found ourselves in Hans's office, ready for an important meeting. The conference room exuded a formal atmosphere, and I could see the fatigue still lingering on the faces of my bandmates. The gaming match the previous evening between Tom and me against Gustav and Andreas had resulted in a victory for us. After our friends had left, Elise and I had welcomed the night with our own intimate moments. It was hard to keep my hands off her, resulting in a short night's sleep. However, the fatigue paled in comparison to the blissful feeling of love.
Gustav spun around in his chair as we waited for Hans. I took another sip of my coffee and noticed Elise sitting quite nervously next to me. To reassure her, I placed my hand on her leg and gave her a tender kiss on her jawline. At that moment, the door opened, and Hans appeared in the room.
His gaze briefly swept over us before he took his seat at the head of the conference table. "Good morning, guys," he greeted us. "I've heard there have been some changes in some of your personal situations."
Gustav abruptly stopped spinning and looked at Hans seriously. Elise next to me tensed slightly, and I gave her a reassuring squeeze of her hand. "Let's talk about that right away," Hans continued, his attention now focused on me and Elise.
Hans sighed deeply as he ran his hand through his graying hair. The conference room was permeated with a serious atmosphere, and I felt the tension rise as he began his announcement. "From management, we've decided that the relationship between you and Elise should remain secret for now," he said, with a thoughtful look in his eyes.
I looked at him, eyebrows furrowing in automatic response to this unexpected news. Hans took a moment to gather his thoughts, as if he had to convince himself of the logic behind this decision. "It doesn't present a good image, Bill," he continued, "first, you're together with Elise, then it's over. Next, you're with Alissa, and now you're back with Elise. People will think you have a fickle love life. And the last thing we need right now are negative rumors, especially with our new CD coming out and the upcoming tour that needs to sell well."
I let his words sink in as I looked at Elise. Her eyes showed understanding but also determination. It was as if she had already thought about the implications of this decision. Hans looked at both of us intently, his hands firmly placed on the table. "It's also better if the fans think you're still available, Bill. That boosts sales," he added, as if he himself didn't quite understand why this was so.
Elise interrupted my thoughts with her quick response. "I agree," she said resolutely. I looked at her, surprised, not sure what to make of this situation. She turned to me and continued, "I don't want people to address me as 'Bill Kaulitz's girlfriend.' I want people to get to know me for who I am. I don't need this kind of attention. I can perfectly live with our relationship staying under the radar for now."
I felt a mixture of confusion and appreciation for Elise's understanding and level-headedness. "Are you sure?" I asked her, seeking confirmation. A smile appeared on her face. "I'm 100 percent on board, and later, when it's possible, we can make our relationship public if we really want to."
I nodded understandingly to her and turned back to Hans. "Okay, Hans," I finally said, "we agree." The decision felt awkward, but I understood the logic behind it. The pressure of public opinion could be heavy, especially in the entertainment world.
Hans breathed a sigh of relief, as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. "Great," he said. "It's for your own good. And who knows, maybe there will be a suitable moment in the future to make everything public. But for now, we need to focus on the success of the new CD and the tour."
Hans continued with his instructions: "Now that this is settled, you can head to the rehearsal room. Stef will be there to oversee everything." I raised my hand to interrupt Hans before we all got up. He looked at me surprised, perhaps afraid that I had changed my mind.
"I want Elise and Bas to be our opening act for the Humanoid Tour," I announced resolutely. Hans sighed deeply, knowing this wasn't standard procedure. "You know that's not possible, Bill. There's already another band..."
Tom interrupted Hans with a grin. "Hmm, I'm starting to feel a bit sick at the thought of Elise and Bas not being able to come along." He gave Hans a threatening look, and Georg even started to cough. "Yeah, I'm feeling something coming on too," Georg added playfully. Hans looked at us with furrowed brows. "Damn it, guys, I won't stand for this!" our manager exclaimed irritably.
"I'll try to arrange something," Hans finally said, his expression a mix of frustration and resignation. "Now rehearse!" he called out shortly after. Hans grabbed his phone from the table and immediately started making calls. We could clearly hear him trying his best to book Elise and Bas as our opening act.