Issues

Paparazzi

Emily's POV

It's been a few weeks since our day at the beach house. I haven't had the chance to see Alison in person during these weeks due to our equally busy and exhausting schedules. She's been picking up extra shifts to make more money and I've had fittings, shoots, meetings, and interviews in LA, Atlanta, London, and Japan. Alison and I have been taking advantage of Skype in order to keep in touch. I find myself missing her all the time. My skin feels cold without her warm and gentle touch.

Thankfully, starting tomorrow, I get a break for a few weeks. Alison tells me she's going to take off of work for a few days so we can celebrate all of our hard work. The thought of seeing her again, holding her, and kissing her lips is all that's going to get me through till tomorrow.

On a more serious note, I have some questions for her that I know we haven't talked about before and I don't think she's thought about. As of now, the paparazzi and the media haven't caught us together in public or even suspect that I'm seeing someone. I don't mind letting the world know that we're seeing each other, but I don't know if she feels the same way. I know once we'd go public, the paparazzi would swarm her and try and find out every little detail about her life. I'm mostly used to the invasion of privacy, but I know she isn't. Paparazzi and the media can be a lot to deal with and can chip away at your self confidence if you let it.

I worry for her safety. I worry that she won't be able to handle the pressure they will put on her. I worry about a lot of things. That's why I need to have this conversation with her.

It's the evening of the first night I'm back home in a few days and I'm waiting for Alison to come over. It's just a simple night in for us. Pizza and the movie, The Bodyguard, is on the agenda for tonight. It's one of my all time favorite movies and Alison's never seen it before. I'm looking forward to snuggling up to Ali, smelling her intoxicating  lavender lotion, and feeling her soft hands hold me close.

A knock at the door stirs me from my thoughts, causing me to jump up and run to the door. I excitedly fling the door open and practically tackle Ali with a gigantic hug. Kissing her between each word I say, "I... missed.. you... so... freaking... much".

Smiling against my kisses Ali finally pulls away and says, "I've missed you more".

"Come inside! The pizza should be here in a few minutes" I say grabbing her hand and leading her into my apartment.

The pizza arrives a few minutes later and we sit down on the couch together as we mindlessly chow down and watch the movie.
As the movie progresses, we snuggle up closer to one another. It's almost like an innate need to be close to one another. I love to glance over at Ali and see her completely enthralled in the movie and totally unaware that I'm watching her. My God I mean look at her, she's just so damn beautiful. It's so effortless for her and I can't believe she's all mine. As the movie comes to an end, I can see she's tearing up. I mean the ending is super emotional, but I just think it's so cute how she's so into this movie.

"How have I not seen this movie before?! Where has it been all my life?!" Ali says laughing at herself and wiping away her tears.

"I'm glad you like it. It's one of my all time favorites. I like watching old movies and TV shows. I know that makes me sound really old" I continue as I laugh at myself.

"I think it's adorable. Can we watch some of your favorite old tv shows" Ali says with a pretty please look in her face.

"Of course, but there's some things I want to talk about first" I say sitting up and facing towards her.

Ali sits up too and says, "Sure. What's up?"

"Well I've been doing a lot of thinking. We've been having this thing between us for a little bit  now and I really like how we continue to grow together and learn more about each other. I know that the paparazzi and the media haven't caught on to us yet but to be honest, it's only a matter of time. I mean I don't want us to feel like we have to hide out from the world, but at the same time, I struggle with what bringing you into the spotlight could do to you. I mean once they realize that there's something between us, they will swarm you. They will want to know everything about you. Your privacy will go out the window. All because you're associated with me. I fear what that will do for your self concept, your sanity, and most importantly, your safety. I don't know if that will ruin your cover here in New York. I just don't know if we've ever really thought about that aspect of the situation. Ali all I know is that I don't want to lose you. I want you. I want the whole world to know that you're with me and I like who I am when I'm with you. So what do you think about what I've said?" I ask Alison as I hold her hands.

She pauses for awhile, collecting her thoughts. "I mean I think you're right. We haven't thought about that aspect before. Lemme just say that my cover is very deep. I had a lot of help from the police and doctors to make me look different and to help change my identity. My get away story and decoy setup is quiet extensive. I mean everyone except my parents and the police think I left for London after all of the stuff happened with my ex. Plus the facility she is in is very locked down to the outside world so I doubt she'd find out about us in there. My friends never liked her and she never had any friends so I doubt she'd find out that way. That's saying people would even recognize me. If I'm being honest, I am a little worried about paparazzi and the media. I've never been under a microscope like that so I can't even imagine what that feels like. If they went digging, they wouldn't find anything except what the police generated for me. I don't have any social media accounts and I pay for everything in cash. Plus my life is pretty boring so I feel like they'd get bored of me really quickly. If I ever felt overwhelmed or frustrated, I know you'd be there to help me get through it".

Squeezing my hands a little tighter, she looks at me, and continues, "Em, I guess what I'm trying to say is that while it makes me a little worried, I think you're worth it. Hell we're worth it! I want people to know that you're off limits. I don't want to hide us away and be paranoid every five seconds that someone may be watching, just waiting to snap a picture of us kissing. We will just get through this one day at a time. Together".

I can't help but give her a big hug. I was hoping she'd say that! "Ali you have no idea how happy that makes me".

Flashing her my famous smirk, I continue, "So... Ali... I was wondering if you'd like to make it official and be my girlfriend?"

Holding her chin and pretending to think about it, Ali says,"Hmmm.. now let me think. I don't know... Of course Em! I'd gladly be your official girlfriend!"

Leaning in, she stops right before our lips connect and says, "No more hiding".

I smile and close the space between our lips. This time Ali initially takes the lead and kisses me with such fiery passion. The touch of our lips makes my heart flutter with excitement. It all just feels so right. In this moment, I couldn't be happier.