Or going to a cheesy town fair, riding the Ferris wheel, and winning a silly prize.
It’s going to a local dive bar with all our friends, and just…being.
“Paparazzi to the left,” Chris murmurs, his voice low, breaking into my thoughts. His hand drops mine and slides along my waist. “Let’s get one more shot, and then we can head to your car.” I look over and nod, seeing the paparazzi standingnear my car. Gabe is also there, watching like a hawk. Relief washes over me, knowing the night is almost over. It’s way more exhausting keeping my act up than I remember. We agreed this morning that leaving in my car and dropping Chris off at his place would make the most sense and avoid a media-fueled romantic goodbye.
We make our way toward the paparazzi and Gabe, smiling and chatting when I see them: not paparazzi, but a couple of sweet-looking girls, grinning wide and barely containing their excitement.
“This way,” Chris says in a low voice, moving toward the car and the cameras, but I veer to the side. My name grows louder from the cameras, but I do my best to block it out, smiling at the young girls. Even though my nerves are on edge and I’m desperate to get some quiet and decompress, I can’t walk past these girls, clearly waiting to see and talk to me. They’re the reason I’m even where I am, after all, the fans.
Not to mention, the paparazzi always love to capture a fan interaction, so really, it’s two birds with one stone.
“Hey, there,” I saw, turning towards them. One is probably nine, the other eleven, and they have the widest, giddiest smiles spread across their faces.
“Ohmigod,” the older one squeals. Her mother, behind her, has a phone at the ready, recording the interaction with a hesitant grin.
“Mom! She said hi!” the younger one says, looking over her shoulder. Her mother laughs, shakes her head, then looks to me.
“We were out for dinner nearby and walking past when we saw the crowd. They overheard someone mention you might be nearby, so I told them we could wait, but not to expect you to have the time to say hi.”
I nod, understanding, then turn to them. “I always have time for my fans.”
“My sister is yourbiggestfan,” the younger girl says, clearly the more talkative of the two. “And I’m your second.”
“Is that right?” I ask, and the older one, eyes still wide with shock, nods. I try not to laugh at the adorable look. “What’s your name?”
“Ruby,” she whispers. “Ruby Finch.”
I nod, then turn to her younger sister.
“And I’m Harper,” she says, not even waiting for me to ask, and I let a little laugh out.
“Harper! I have a friend named Harper. She makes dresses,” I say.
“No way!” the girl says, eyes wide, and I nod, then open my mouth to say something more, but I’m stopped by my date.
“We have to go, Willa,” Chris says, putting a hand to my waist. I look up at him with a smile that hides my irritation.
“We’re not in a rush,” I say, trying to keep my voice soft and neutral before turning back to the girls.
“I wish I had something for you to sign,” Ruby says in a still awed whisper. I bite my lip, knowing I don’t have anything in my car, but wanting to surprise these two with something.
“Well, I can fix that,” I say with a grin, digging into my small bag for my phone. Then I open a new note and hand it to the girls’ mom. “Would you be okay with giving me an address to send something to?”
“No way,” the older one says in an awed whisper.
“MOM!” the younger yells, jumping up and down. “PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!” Their mom laughs, then nods and takes the phone. I don’t miss how her eyes go wide and watery as she types in the information.
This.
This is my favorite part of my job, behind performing. Being a part of tiny, magical moments like this.
“Can we take a picture?” the older one asks softly, and I nod.
“Of course!” I say, as if that was never even a question, then squat between the two girls and smile at their mom’s phone. “Okay, now I really do gotta get going, but it was so great to meet you two! Can I give you girls a hug?” They nod enthusiastically, and I watch to make sure their mom nods as well before bending to give each girl a tight hug. When I back off, Chris is standing beside me, jaw tight, and his hand moves to my elbow, pulling me toward him.
It takes everything in me not to snap at him.
“Are you two together?” Ruby asks, clearly the curious one of the two.
