The stage used to be a place that felt like home. It's where I thought I would always belong.
But that was then.
Before my confidence was stripped so publicly away from me.
After singing on a chart-topping dance track and appearing in its video, I...
"I know you didn't want me to make too much of a fuss for your birthday, but I didn't just make you a birthday cake...I have a few little presents for you as well." I'm playfully dragging Doug across the conversion, taking him to where my small retro sideboard is. With a smirk, I open a draw and take out two neatly wrapped presents. "I hope you like them?"
Doug takes the gifts from my hands, smiling down at them as he does. "Frankie, you didn't need to buy me presents?"
Shrugging gently, I smile whilst tilting my head. "I know, but I wanted to."
Deciding to open the smallest present first, Doug puts the bigger one down on the top of my sideboard. "Okay, let's see what we have here, then?" He rips the gold wrapping paper, to then meet with a layer of black tissue paper. Once free of that, he studies the key ring that's held slightly up in the air with his fingers. "Isn't this our first selfie together?" His brown eyes crinkle around the corners with his natural smile, fondly remembering the picture that I had taken of us really not that long ago.
Standing closer beside him, I nod. "It is, I thought you might like a copy of it?"
Bringing me snugly against his hip, Doug lovingly kisses my temple. "Of course I would." His fingers softly then squeeze my waist, gifting me with yet another kiss.
Reaching for his second present, Doug seems reluctant to let go of my waist, but has to so he is freely able to properly open up his next present. "I wonder what this is?" His fingers are squeezing the soft present, an expression of mischief present on his insanely handsome face. Again, he rips open the gold wrapping paper, then proceeds to rip into the black tissue paper beneath it. "What is this?" Slowly, he pulls out a white T-shirt. Holding it up in front of himself, he starts reading the slogan on the front of it:
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Laughing loudly, Doug peeps over the top of the personalised T-shirt, laughing even more loudly once he sees me. "I'm sorry, I just couldn't resist." I cheerily apologise to him, grinning widely.
With his cheeks high and his brown eyes so attractively bright, Doug is still laughing. "Seriously, I am only letting you wear this in bed, people will think I have put you up to wearing it, if you have it on in public." He's studying the slogan over and over, unable to not laugh every time he does.
Running my hand down the length of his arm, there's now a flirting tone to my voice. "I will happily wear it in bed for you." Suggestively slips right off my daring and playful tongue to him.
Putting down the T-shirt, Doug hooks his fingers into the front pockets of my jeans and drags me close against him. As soon as I am closer than close, he is gazing down at me with a silent intensity.
I watch his eyes studying my face—my eyes, my nose, my lips, my cheeks, my chin and then back up to my forehead and my hairline—until he finally needs to touch me. "I never thought it possible that one person could make me so happy." His tender caress along my jawline is featherlight and unrushed. "You, you make me so happy, Frankie." His stare longingly deepens, like he needs just a few more moments to collate all of his thoughts. "The moment I first heard your singing voice, I knew that one day you were going to be mine."
