~ 17 ~ #3
“It is amazing. You guys deserve it.”
Lily turned back to me and put her hand on my lower back again.
For the next half-hour or so, we spoke to tons of people and I listened as Lily caught up with people after introducing me as her partner.
Her hand rarely left my lower back, my arm, or my hand.
I loved the feel of her warm hand on me and how safe she made me feel.
I was no wallflower, but being here was hard at first, although I was starting to relax and have fun as the night went on.
I had almost forgotten it wasn’t just a social gathering before we were ushered into the auditorium for the ceremony.
The ceremony went on for a while and was pretty dry. But when Lily won the Ballon d’Or, her mouth nearly hit the floor. She looked at me as the music played and everyone stood clapping for her. She hadn’t written an acceptance speech because she didn’t expect to actually win the thing again.
She accepted the award from the bigwigs of the football world. Her speech was short and conveyed her shock and honour.
Understandably, everyone wanted a piece of Lily afterwards. I dutifully waited as the circus played out.
I looked up and Ruby the journalist was coming towards me, glass of wine in hand, sporting a huge and conspiring smile.
I tried my best not to look at her chest or the sexy curve of her waist. This woman screamed sensuality and womanhood and flirtatiousness.
Ruby clinked her glass to mine. “Congratulations. You must be so proud.” She found Lily in the crowd and nodded towards her, then back at me. “You know you two make a beautiful couple.”
“Thanks.”
“Seriously,” she continued. She became sincere. “I’m beyond delighted for you both. I can already tell that you make each other happy.”
I looked at her and detected only genuine happiness. Lily was right. She did have a good heart.
“Do you know that your story is going to blow up the internet?”
“What?”
“There is going to be a lot of media interest in you both. I was just wondering if you are prepared for it.”
“How much interest?”
“Suffice to say, now that Lily has won this award, it’s going to be even more.
It was already going to be a lot after you both show up here looking like this.
You were already going to start getting calls, emails, messages, people photographing you in the street and recognising you, but now, I suspect you’re going to go viral.
You may get invites for high-profile interviews and appearances. Did Lily not warn you of any of this?”
My face must have showed I wasn’t prepared for any of that. All my fears hit me in the gut at once. Everything I’d been running from since the band was now going to be my reality again. “She didn’t really mention.”
“Lily’s probably just sheltering you from it. I’m sure you’ll be fine, but I can help you both navigate this torrent coming your way, if you like? If you need anything, just call me.” She slipped me her business card with short, perfectly manicured red nails.
After she was gone I was left in a silent panic.
This was not the place to freak out or make a scene.
I put my glass down and considered my next move.
I didn’t know where Lily was as I couldn’t see her through the crowd anymore.
The exit was just there, through the corridor and the press circus.
My chest felt tight. Every cell in my body was screaming at me to get the hell out of here, to retreat to my flat and my safe space, and to put the brakes on whatever this press and media whirlwind thing was about to happen.
But I didn’t want to make a scene and leave Lily in a compromising position. She deserved more from me than that.
So I stood, on my own, panic rising about how fast things were going and the impending exposure we were about to get.
It was like Ruby from Sapphic had dropped a bomb inside our relationship.
But it wasn’t her fault. This was inevitable in some ways.
How could I think that being with Lily would not have come with some level of attention that I didn’t want?
Maybe the only way to escape the attention would be to end things with Lily. But the thought of not being with her was too much to bear. We were in love. I needed her. I didn’t want to be apart from her, ever.
I would have to endure the very thing I feared the most and hope that in time, interest in our relationship would wane and fade, and we could be left to live a long and happy life together.
The crowd parted and Lily became visible.
She was talking to people, laughing and smiling.
She looked over at me, and we gazed into each other’s eyes for a few seconds.
My whole body softened. I think I smiled.
She smiled wider, her eyes sparkling and bright.
This was her best smile. Her most genuine and uncontainable one, and it was being directed at me.
Yep, Lily Sharpe was worth all the discomfort in the world if it meant seeing her smile like that.