Don't Tell The Paparazzi

Chapter 5

 From then on, things could have been very different. She could have gone back to her room and tried to sleep. He could have had a few more shots of whiskey and spent the rest of the night alone.

But they preferred to stay together.Thus, they discovered more about each other, such as the fact that Stela had graduated from college at just 19 and soon after got a scholarship for a master's degree. She was nervous because she was returning to Brazil that month and had no idea what her life would be like from then on. When Brian asked if she was some kind of prodigy, Stela blushed and said it was nothing special, that she just liked Math, and that was it. Brian didn't even know why, but he mentioned that he was afraid of planes, just like that, and instead of laughing at him like his colleagues did during turbulence, Stela tried to reassure him with aerodynamic arguments.Brian had never talked so much with a girl. He was amazed at the amount of things she knew. And even more, at the amount of things about his own life that he felt comfortable revealing to someone he had met less than a day ago.The hours passed, obviously. And Stela wished, as much as Brian did, that the golden thread escaping through a miserable gap in the curtain was not the sun.She was the one who checked the clock on her phone.— Wow. It's almost seven o'clock.— Really? — Brian lamented, and Stela felt special. — Gosh, you made time stop.— I have to try to get some sleep.— Yeah... I have to catch a plane in two hours.And the silence that settled in the room suddenly became awkward.— So... I guess this is goodbye. — Stela didn't know where she found the strength to say it.— Yeah. Looks like it.The girl stood up and looked for her shoes. She put on the crumpled sweatshirt without any enthusiasm. But suddenly she felt happy: it still had his scent on the fabric.— I'll just wash my face before I go. — Stela said.— Okay.When she returned to the room, Brian was already dressed and finishing the laces on his All Stars. His brown hair was still messy, but it seemed to be his intention to leave it that way. He turned his face toward her, a sad smile on his lips. Stela returned the gesture and said before leaving:— Oh, and Brian, I know this will sound cliché and everything. But I wanted to say that this night was very special to me. You're not a jerk like you think. Actually, you're a really nice guy.He allowed a half-smile to escape his lips.— It didn't seem cliché. This night was special for me too. Take care.Stela really wanted to believe in the truth of those words, but it was a bit naive to think he was being more than polite.— Okay. You take care too.The doorknob was already in her hand. Cold to her bones. She hoped Carter would stop her. That he would convince her to drop her tedious master's commitments and go with Dark Paradise to another part of the world. But the guy remained sitting on the edge of the bed, saying nothing. So Stela carefully closed the door, and her shoes made no noise on the carpeted hallway. Already in the elevator, she looked at herself in the mirror. There were new marks on her face: a scratch below her chin and a superficial cut on her lip that tasted metallic. She was proud of them.It wasn't at all difficult to hit the magnetic card in the right spot. After all, there were no pretty and nice-smelling distractions hanging around her neck anymore.Then she heard the phone ring when she was still outside the room. Her heart raced in a crazy way. It was incredible that after everything that happened the night before, the muscle still found the strength for so much excitement. She answered on the fourth ring.— Hello?— Stela?That voice. An electric shock ran through the girl's body.— Brian?— Hi.— Hi... how did you know my room number? — She asked, though it really didn't matter.— I asked at the front desk.— Oh.Brian continued:— Look. I'm going to have breakfast with some very, very boring guys. And I wanted a nice girl to accompany me so it wouldn't be so... boring. Want to go?She smiled on the other end of the line, her tired face lighting up.— And what does this nice girl get in return?— The pleasure of my company.— Fair enough.— I'll be there in ten minutes?— Even less.— Good girl. See you in a bit then.— See you.

*

 In the hotel restaurant, all eyes were on Brian Carter. One of the guests asked for a photo and asked Stela if she minded. Suddenly, she was elevated to the status of the rocker's girlfriend. What an honor. And he was kind to the fans. He kept smiling even when the first photo evolved into a dozen autographs.