Starshine

by Melody Winter

  A small pharmacy came into view and he parked the car a little further along the road from the store. Shuffling in his seat he raised his hips and pulled his wallet from his back pocket. He pulled out a couple of twenty pound notes and handed them to me.

  “Get a few boxes in, spend it all.”

  “Me!” I shrieked.

  “What? You seriously don’t expect me to go in there and buy condoms, do you?”

  “Why not?”

  “I thought I’d explained all this to you.” He looked exasperated, but I also saw the humour in his face.

  I decided to play along. I wasn’t bothered about buying condoms—well, not normally. The thought of buying a couple of boxes was a bit daunting. I couldn’t help but worry about what the server in the shop would be thinking when I placed the numerous items on the counter.

  “What size do I get?” I asked, desperately trying to keep my face straight.

  Alex raised his eyebrows as he leaned toward me. Placing his lips on the side of my face he lightly kissed me before sliding his mouth over to my ear.

  “Normal size. I’m slight bigger than the average man in that department, but nothing major.”

  I swallowed loudly. Oh, my God. Alex Denton had just told me that he had a larger than average peen. I couldn’t speak, even though my mouth was moving, nothing materialized.

  Alex sucked on my earlobe, and I squirmed in my seat. The man was causing me to overheat, and he damn well knew it.

  “N . . . normal size then?” I eventually managed to say.

  Alex moved away from me, sitting upright in his seat, but he never took his eyes off me. “Normal size, Ella. Sorry to disappoint you, but I’m not hung like a donkey. If I was, I’d be a porn star.”

  “Okay,” I managed, trying not to melt into a pile of goo.

  “I tell you what. See what else they've got, surprise me.” He reached into his wallet and pulled out another note.

  “Alex. It’s not an adult shop. It’s just a small pharmacy.”

  “You never know.” He broke his intense eye contact with me and looked through the reverse mirror of the car. “It’s safe to get out. Go on, before anyone knows we’re here.”

  I tutted at his remark, but knew that I had to take it seriously. He had already nursed me through two meetings with photographers today. I reached for the handle to open the door.

  “Ella!” Alex’s sharp voice stopped my action. “If anyone spots me, I’ll need to drive off. But just hang around. I’ll go around the block and then come back. I won’t leave you, I promise.”

  “You’d better not, Alex. Remember, I’ll be the one with the condoms. You leave me standing here, you’ll have no fun tonight.” I winked before I climbed out of the car. Pulling the peak of the baseball cap further down my face, I headed straight to the pharmacy.

  The only person in the shop, apart from me, was the woman behind the counter. She appeared serious and professional. It would hopefully make things straight forward.

  The shop was small, and I quickly found the shelf I was looking for. My heart sank when I saw the small collection they had. There was nothing exciting to choose from. I selected a standard box of eighteen condoms, checking the sell by date just to be sure.

  “You looking for something a bit more exciting than those dear?”

  I spun around to see the woman from behind the counter standing behind me.

  “Well . . . I, yes. Yes, I am. But it looks like these will have to do.” I waved the box in the air before grabbing a second box of them. I could understood Alex’s fear of being recognised, and how it could also become a problem for me in the future. I wouldn’t want everyone knowing all my business. But internet shopping was a different matter. I would ensure I placed an order for something a bit more exciting over the next few days. My head filled with images of sexy underwear, silken fabrics and naked flesh.

  “You alright, dear?” the woman said. “You look a bit flushed.”

  “What? Oh, errr . . . yes. Sorry. I’m fine. I just struggle with the heat during summer.” I waved my free hand in front of my face.

  “Come with me.”

  She wandered to the serving counter, and bent over, rummaging around in a box that was on the floor. I frowned at her crouched figure, wondering what on earth she was doing. I was just about to tell her to not worry about whatever it was she was looking for, and that I’d just take the two boxes of regular condoms, when she placed three items onto the surface of the counter.

  “Are these any good for you? I thought I had more flavours, but I had one customer who bought all the banana ones.”

  I held in an excited giggle at the selection of flavoured body paints she’d placed on the counter; mint, strawberry, and chocolate. “How much are they?” I asked, hoping that I could afford them all.

  She reached for a carrier bag and started to put all three bottles into it. “Free with a purchase of two boxes of condoms. I need rid of them. Just watch the use by date. I’ve checked the ones I’ve given you. They all need to be used before the end of next month.”

  I nodded as she charged me for the condoms, then handed me the change.

  “Have fun!” she called as I headed for the door with the bag grasped tightly to my chest.

  “I will!” I replied before stepping outside.

  I looked up the road to where Alex had been parked earlier, but there was no sign of him.

  “Shit,” I muttered as I looked in the other direction. He must have seen someone who he didn’t like the look of. Damn paparazzi.

  There was a bench near the side of the road and I headed toward it to wait for him, hoping that he wouldn’t be too long.

  Whilst I waited, I thought about how unreal my life had become in the last week. How my excitement at meeting Alex had been completely dulled by his arrogant behaviour, and then how I’d seen another side to him. Learning the truth about what had happened between him and Amy had well and truly knocked the edge of the happy fairy-tale the public had been fed. And now there was us, whatever ‘us’ was. I was sitting on a street bench with two boxes of condoms and a selection of edible body paint—all of which I intended to use tonight. Well, maybe not all the condoms, not thirty-six of them.

  A man leaned against a lamp-post only a few feet away from me.

  “Hello, sweetheart,” the man said. His deep London accent was easy to place. It was the man Alex and I had the misfortune to meet in the café this morning.

  I didn’t turn to look at him. I concentrated on the road, bouncing my feet on the ground, willing Alex to appear.

  Where was he?

  “I know all about you,” he said. “Your name’s Ella Summer, and you’re on work experience on Starshine with Alex Denton and Amy Strickland. It seems that you’re getting more than work experience with Alex though.”

  I tutted at his remark.

  “If you give me details about what you get up to with him, I can make it worth your while. Ten-thousand just to talk. Depending on what you say, depends on how much more I’ll pay.”

  I snorted. Was this why girls made up stories about him? They were given money for the juicy details, even if they weren’t true?

  The man mistook my snort as a rejection to his offer of money.

  “Well, I must say. You are a bit special, you’re in a relationship with him. I’ll increase my offer to twenty thousand, plus the extras, as normal.”

  I was just about to turn around and tell him to piss off, when I realised what he had said. I turned to him, pushing his arm down that held the camera.

  “How do you know whether I’m in a relationship with him or not? You only saw me having breakfast with him in a cafe this morning. That doesn’t signify that I’m in a relationship with him.”

  He didn’t reply. But, someone must have informed him about what was going on between Alex and me. I took a guess on believing what Alex had said earlier. It had to be Amy.

  “It was Amy who told you, wasn’t it?” I said.

/>   “What if it was?”

  I shook my head in disbelief. “I don’t know how she has the bare faced cheek to call you about what Alex does.”

  “We understand each other, sweetheart. She gave me the inside scoop on their split. She got paid very well for all that in return for keeping me informed on what he’s up to.”

  “Even after all this time?”

  “Well, he sells papers. She’s a useful contact for me.”

  I heard the distant rumble of Alex’s car. It was so damn noisy. I stood up, glaring at the man who was prepared to part with money for any dirt on Alex.

  “Tell Amy that I don’t care for her little games,” I said. “Tell her that if she’s not careful, I’ll give you a story about her.”

  His eyes widened, a look of pure greed filled his gaze.

  “You have a story on her?” He rummaged in his pocket and handed me his business card. I stared at it for a few seconds, noting the name—Anthony Edwards—then pushed it into my pocket before answering him.

  “Oh yes. Just tell her that I know everything. And she needs to be careful.”

  I stepped toward the curb as Alex’s car approached.

  “I’m willing to talk to you, pay you as well. I’m incredibly interested in what you’ve got to say about her. I never did think she was as sweet and innocent as she likes us to believe. Maybe we can make a deal?”

  “Maybe,” I replied as Alex’s car pulled up beside me. The passenger door flew open.

  “Ella? Are you okay?”

  I climbed into the car, grinning like mad. “I’m fine, Alex. Absolutely fine.” I pulled the door shut. “I just had a little chat with our friend there.”

  “Friend? You are joking?” Alex pulled away from the curb, focusing on the road.

  “No. I think you may find that he will be pretty nice to us from now on,” I said, unable to hide the glee in my voice.

  “Ella, what have you done?”

  “Shhh . . . let’s not talk about him.” It was my turn to lean over and whisper in his ear. “Wait until you see what I’ve got for you.” I reached across the central console and rested my hand on his thigh. Repeating what he had done earlier, I sucked on his earlobe. He groaned, and I slid my hand higher, just checking to see if he had been telling the truth about the size of condom he needed. I kissed along his jaw, whilst letting my hand slowly rub against what it had found.

  I purred in his ear. “Why, Mr Denton, it seems that you lied to me earlier.”

  The car swerved dangerously in the road as Alex growled.

  “Fuck, Ella!” He grabbed my hand away from where it was currently rubbing him. “Do you want us to have an accident?”

  I giggled, then lightly nibbled his ear before sitting back into my seat. I held both my hands in the air.

  “I promise I won’t touch again. Well, not unless you ask me to.”

  He flashed me a grin before turning back to concentrate on his driving.

  “You can be sure I’ll ask you later. I do intend to have rather less clothes on next time your hand ventures to that part of my anatomy.”

  “Can’t wait.”

  My thoughts ran wild with what we were going to do later, particularly with the body paint. Maybe I could spell some words out on his body. The longer the word, the better. I hummed to myself imagining where I could write the longest word, and what designs I could paint on his body. Swirls, straight lines, arrows?

  “We’re nearly at yours,” Alex said. “I’m just going to drive past the end of your street. You look down the road, see what’s going on.”

  I nodded. I wasn’t as sure as I had been earlier that there would be no-one there. After the attention we’d received as we left the studio, and then the surprise appearance of Anthony Edwards a few moments ago, I wasn’t as confident in my earlier assumption that no-one would be there.

  I was also convinced that Amy was the person who had orchestrated the leak of our relationship, particularly after my little chat with Anthony. I hoped that even though he was always after a scoop on Alex, he was still prepared to print a story on Amy. His eyes had lit up when he thought I was going to tell him something about her. Maybe that bit of information was worth remembering. I made a mental note to mention it to her whenever she pissed me off again.

  Alex nudged me, and I sighed before turning to look out of my window.

  “You okay?” he asked.

  “I’m fine.”

  “You seem miles away.”

  “Sorry, it’s just that all this is getting to me a bit. But I’m fine, really.”

  He offered me a quick smile before nodding ahead. “You ready?”

  “Yes.” But was I? My hands were clammy, and I fidgeted in the seat, angling my body so I could get a good look at my street.

  Alex slowed the car as the junction appeared to my left.

  “Shit! I don’t believe it,” I gasped, lifting my hand to cover my mouth. I was shaking, unable to believe what I’d just seen. There were more photographers outside the house, then there had been at the studio.

  “I’m so sorry, Ella.” Alex’s soft voice comforted the internal panic that was crashing through me. Now what did I do? It’d be a nightmare to go back home. My world, no, my life had been turned upside down. Alex had been right, the warnings he had uttered this morning were nearer to the truth than I had ever imagined. He said he’d ruined my life. Perhaps ruined was too strong a word, but he had seriously altered it.

  “Back to yours then,” I muttered, fighting back the tears that had formed in my eyes.

  “Ella?”

  “Just drive,” I said, as my vision swam with blurred images. I had to get away from here, away from the people who were now invading my life with no regard for me as an individual.

  But then I realised. I wasn’t an individual. I wasn’t just Ella Summer; she’d gone. I was Alex Denton’s girlfriend.

  My life had, quite literally, changed overnight.

  “Ella, please, talk to me.”

  I took several deep breaths to steady myself.

  “Let’s just get back to yours, then we can talk,” I said, not wanting him to hear that I was upset.

  But it was too late. He’d already noticed.

  “Ella, let me drive a short distance away from here and then I’ll stop the car. You’re upset.”

  “No.” I sniffed quite unladylike. “Go straight to yours.”

  Alex increased the speed he was driving at. His hand reached across the central console to grasp mine before he entwined our fingers and let our joined hands rest on my lap. He drove one handed, not speaking as we travelled back to his.

  I drew in several deep intakes of breath to try and steady the unsettled feeling I had in my stomach. I had only known Alex for six days, and I was already frightened at the prospect of things going wrong for us. We hadn’t even slept together, yet people were saying we were in a relationship. All we’d physically done was kiss. The whole situation was ridiculous.

  As the houses grew in stature, I guessed we must be near to where Alex lived. He slowed the car, peering through the front window before he huffed. I followed his gaze, and was greeted by another group of photographers waiting on the path in front of a house.

  “Not as many here as at yours, Ella,” Alex said, tightening his hold of my hand. “Just remember to keep your head down, pull the brim of the hat lower. I’ll pull up the driveway and park as near to the front door as possible. They won’t venture through the gate, but they will take photos, they will shout both of our names, and they will hurl questions at you. Ignore them.”

  I nodded, intent on following his instructions. He’d already helped me get through this today.

  “I’ll get out first, and then I’ll come and open the door for you. It’ll give you less time to deal with them. Okay?” He squeezed my hand before letting it go to manoeuvre the car through the throng of waiting photographers and reporters.

  Once again, I was surrounded by flashes and shouts of
my name. I began shaking, unable to stop the reaction of my body. Alex stopped the car right outside his doorway.

  “Nearly done, Ella,” he reassured me.

  I picked up the pharmacy bag, ensuring it was safely tucked under my cardigan. When Alex opened his door the flashes and shouts increased.

  “Why don’t you all just do me a favour and fuck off!” Alex shouted just before he shut his door. I managed a nervous smile at his reaction. Some things never changed.

  He was soon at my side of the car, opening the door. As I stepped out, he placed his arm protectively around my shoulder.

  “Come on, gorgeous,” he whispered, guiding me up the steps to his front door.

  “A photo, Alex. Just one of you together!”

  “Ella, Ella. Look this way, please!”

  “Ella, let’s see what you look like. Take the cap off!”

  “Alex, c'mon, just one photo!”

  Their shouts started to merge into one. My head was buzzing, my skin prickly and hot. I leaned against Alex as he unlocked the door, but as soon as we were inside, my legs gave way beneath me.

  The pharmacy bag crashed to the floor as Alex held me up.

  “Ella!” he exclaimed as my world began spinning.

  “Alex,” I moaned as everything went black.

  I groaned. My hip was aching and throbbing. My stomach growled with hunger as I opened my eyes, taking in my surroundings.

  I was lying in the middle of the biggest bed I had ever seen. The white and gold coloured covers on the bed were soft, cushioning my body, and a familiar scent floated through the room. The smell of Alex.

  Where was he?

  As if to answer my question he stepped through a doorway at the side of the room. He was currently wearing a very low slung towel wrapped loosely around his hips. I could easily make out the defined muscles of his stomach and chest, and even though I had seen it several hundred times on repeat on my DVD player at home, nothing could have prepared me for seeing it for real.

  “Ella, you’re awake!” He rushed over to the bed before sitting on the edge of it. He leaned over me and rested his hand on my forehead. I flinched when drops of water dripped onto my face.