Behind the Mask - A Sequel (of Sorts) to A Star Is Born

Incognito Summer

Incognito Summer

A few days later, Annie said to our surprise that Bono was on board. We booked The Showbox, a small theater just across from Pike Place Market, for a Labor Day weekend that would be called "An Evening With Bono." Invites went out, questions from surprised family and friends were answered. And for now, our secret was safe.

I ended up hanging out quite a bit with Sarah that summer, but our relationship status remained "complex." I hadn't gotten up the nerve to ask her out, and though Olivia seemed to like me, I wasn't sure if that would change if she saw me as more than her mom's friend.

But I also knew that I would only really know how she felt about me if our relation crossed a line beyond friendship before fame interfered. I never really knew if fame would help or hurt where I stood with Sarah; I sort of figured it would be a mixed bag at best. Sarah was good at her job, and never seemed to find much appeal in my career wanderlust. She also loved the anonymity of being alone on a long hike, and didn't spend much mental energy thinking about celebrities.

I got the sense Olivia might give me her blessing after I got her a guitar for her birthday. She was thrilled, but a bit confused. "What do I do with it," she asked. I told her I could teach her a few chords, and she could figure it out from there. She suggested we start with "Olivia," as it was one of the only songs she knew. I was too scared to sing in front of them, fearing they would see right through me. So I strummed the guitar while Olivia sang instead. She had a good voice, and though she didn't really know the lyrics, her attempts to bridge the gaps made for a few good laughs.

That night, Olivia headed over to a friend's house, so I asked Sarah if she wanted to go out for dinner. She said yes. I decided to surprise her with a picnic at the Gas Works Park on Lake Union. We sat under the dusk sky with a bottle of white wine and talked for what seemed like forever. Once the sun went down, we ended up a few inches closer than before. At a certain point, I found the nerve to kiss her. And the answer to my question of whether she liked me was finally revealed.