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Chapter Three

"I'm all yours now!" When Rhys Ryan breezes out of his room, looking refreshed and thankfully rid of the last traces of the leggy brunette, I have to refrain from responding with any sarcasm whatsoever. Things such as 'Oh goody!' or 'Well aren't I the incredibly lucky one!' are strictly off my reply table.

Instead, I simply smile and say. "Great." Trying to sound as genuine as I possibly can. The only way I am going to be able to get a fab Rhys Ryan interview, is to be nice to the man himself. I can absolutely do nice. What Mr Mega Famous does with his nocturnal time is of no business of mine anyway. So yup, I can totally do nice. Professional and courteous, I can also do. My natural warmth and ease around him may have well and truly left the Hyde Hotel, but Clara Thorn the media journalist is still very much here. I have soooooo got this.

"Shall we go out on the balcony?" He's already walking towards it, which actually doesn't give me any choice at all. The rebellious part of me wants to protest. It wants to say 'Actually...I'd quite like to interview you in here' just to be a little difficult. But of course, I don't. I just smile sweetly and follow him out onto the balcony like the nice journalist that I am.

"What a beautiful view." I can't help but express my pleasure at seeing central London from up high. As the evening draws in, the glow from all the buildings below are wonderfully lighting up the darkness that the night is bringing with it.

Rhys Ryan is soon standing beside me, looking down at the very same view that I see. "Not bad." Is all that he says with an approving little nod.

"Not bad?" I push him a little, unimpressed with his noncommittal comment.

His chuckle is deep and casual. "I didn't mean it like that. It's just I've seen a lot of cities. I've seen a lot of places. I guess you could say that I've become immune to the beauty of the world."

Leaning against the elegant stone balustrade, I turn to face him as I pull out my dictaphone from out of the pocket of my jacket. "Okay, this is the perfect time to answer one of my questions."

Smiling, he says. "Ask away."

"Where is the one place in the world that you feel truly relaxed? Somewhere that you feel like you can just be yourself."

"A couple of years ago, I bought myself a cabin on Echo Lakes in California. I go there to unwind. It's my peaceful escape from reality. I fish there. Go for long walks around the lakes and in the mountains. The solitude kind of centres me again, if you know what I mean?" His face is a thoughtful one. One that is looking at me with calm seriousness.

"In your world, I guess you do need some time to centre yourself again. We all do at times, but you especially." I look at him, then look back out at a beautifully lit up London.

"By the way, you can print I have a cabin...just don't say where it is." He starts smiling to himself. "Otherwise I'll be having the fans tracking me down there."

Softly laughing, I glance sideways at him. "Don't worry, your cabin address is secret safe with me."

"What about you, Clara...where is your place to unwind?"

Frowning a little, I have to think about his question. "I don't think I have one. I'm always working. Most of my friends and family live in London, so I don't really travel outside of it."

He too now wears a frown, although a much deeper one. "But you must have been on holidays?"

I shrug and shake my head. "Not outside of the UK."

"Really?" His eyes widen as he cocks his head with disbelief. "How come?"

"My family never holidayed abroad. I think the farthest we had ever gone, was to Whitby. As I've got older, I have become more and more scared of flying. So the appeal to travel has never been with me."