The next few days are relatively awkward actually. After all, he does have a girlfriend, whether it's for publicity or not. And I can't help feeling a bit guilty for kissing him when Monica acts all lovey dovey when they're around eachother. But it's not like he's completely different around me, it has gone back to how we were before we kissed, moody but all together civil towards me. There's fleeting moments of kindness but then, if we get too close or intimate, he gets awkward. He tries to avoid the subject, look down, glance away if I catch him staring at me, scowl if he catches me staring. The public would fry him if they caught us acting that way around eachother when Tanner's taken.
I'm not use to this kind of attention anyway, and it's certainly not helping my writing career. I know the magazine will first assume its a rumor, like any girl that hangs around a guy celebrity all the time, but then if they see anything special, any link, they'd cut me off so quick, I wouldn't even see it coming. Of course, the fans had already linked me to our past as well, surely the magazine has done its own research lately in silence.
It's gotten hard enough as it is, I've been shown in numerous pictures with him, portraying us simply walking around or looking at eachother and smiling. Fans have started linking us together, "shipping" us and stuff. It's weird to be known around for that, it's just another reason for people to stop me back home. I'm sure they've made the connection and jumped on the reason for it before even considering that I was an interviewer. They probably thought it was a cover so we could be together. But the truth was the truth, and Tanner could attest, he was dating Monica. And I have to be okay with that.
I'm sure she's not too thrilled about the rumors either, because, to her, this relationship is still very real. She came over a couple days ago when I was in the kitchen and I kind've waved going in and I came back in and she was walking Tanner up the stairs, whispering something in his ear. He had glanced at me at that moment, almost sympathetically as he went along with it. But I didn't stay long, mostly because they are dating and it's not my business.
Tonight, though, Tanner's preforming at Monica's birthday party. Low-key. No press knew he was preforming or where the party was considering its on a bad side of town. It's at a club in the south side of town, and only a tight group is allowed in. I'm only invited because Tanner asked me along, not for the interview, but "just because," as he said. I didn't refuse, because who would refuse a party like this. But the real problem was what to wear. I know most the girls there will be dressed to the minimum but I'm 18, I'm not going to pretend to be something I'm not or spend an outrageous amount of money for a very tiny piece of clothing that I'll probably only wear once.
Eventually, I end up in a black romper with my short hair curled, a black zipup tucked in my purse for if it was raining when we leave or something. It was a party, after all, and not something to dress high end at if you really aren't high end at all. I guess I'll just have to find out when I get there.
I shift my weight from one foot to the other, glancing around the corner for the fifth time in the last couple minutes for Tanner. He was picking me up, and with him driving, I am definitely worried that he couldn't even make it here. Or, even more, someone could spot us in the car together or even us getting out. There's so many things that could go wrong, and yet, he didn't even seem to care when he suggested it.
Conflicted whether to do so or not, I find myself dialing Tanner's number and pressing the phone to my ear.
"Hey-" I start, immediately cut off by the blasting of music on the other end.
"I'm pulling in! Hold up!" Tanner's voice shouts over the music, a black Suburban wheeling around the corner at the same moment. It's windows are blacked out, all of them except the drivers side, which is rolled down to reveal Tanner wearing black raybans, smirking with his phone to his ear. "Someone order a taxi?"
