Chapter 49

JAKE

I do not know for how long I have been sleeping but it feels like only minutes when I hear a knock on my door. I can hear that the knock is urgent as if someone has probably been knocking for a while. Then I hear someone calling my name.

"Jake, are you awake? Come on man?! Open the door!"

I realize that it is Mark and I stumble out of my bed. I am still very much drained from the night's hunting and I wish I can just have some peace.

"I am coming! Keep on your pants!"

I am very happy that I have such a good manager as Mark but sometimes he is just too much for me. When I open the door he almost runs into my room.

"Did you take sleeping pills? Or are you just hungover? I have been calling for three or four times"

I turn around while wiping my eyes and then I walk over to the coffee station in my room.

"What is so urgent that you had to burst in here at this time of the morning?"

"Jake, please tell me, what do we usually do after a show?"

"I sleep. What do you do?"

He walks to stand next to me while I make myself a cup of coffee and then he says.

"You know there is a thing called "the press" and since you are not just a star but a Superstar, they need to interview you...?"

I have actually forgotten about the protocol after a show and I really hate these interviews. I hate how they ask the same old questions and how they always want to know who I am dating.

"You know I hate these interviews"

He put his hand on my shoulder and I almost cringe under his touch. I am still not used to anyone touching me and then he says to me.

"I know you hate it but this comes with the territory. The people need to know what is going on in the life of Jake Anderson"

I walk from underneath his touch and then I turn around smiling.

"Well, you know what is going on in my life. Why don't you just go and tell them?"

He laughs as if I am telling him a funny joke and then he says.

"I can tell them everything about you and they will not be satisfied. They want to hear it from your handsome face. It is your voice that they are in love with definitely not mine"

I turn around because I know he is telling me the truth. People want to hear it from the horse's mouth. I guess I am the horse in this scenario. I scratch the back of my head and then I say.

"Okay, what time do you want me there?"

"Will it help you if I tell you an hour ago?"

"What?"

"I am sorry but these people for some reason like to stand up early in the morning"

"Well, that is not going to help them as I anyway have to get dressed and I must eat something. If they want to hear it from the horse's mouth then they are going to have to wait for me"

I can see that he is not happy with my answer but that is also a perk of being a Superstar, people are going to have to work around my schedule.

"Okay, but for the love of god please do it quickly"

"I will try my very best...just for you"

He rolls his eyes at me and then he walks away. He knows that I am going to take my time and he knows that he can not do anything about it. I never do it on purpose but I know how important it is to look good for the press.

I make my way to my bathroom and take a shower. I can feel how exhausted I still am and how urgently I need to get some sleep. Then I feel my stomach growling and I get a protein bar out of my back. It seems like I do not have enough and so I am going to have to get some food.

As I have finished dressing, I decided to go downstairs and see what the buffet has to offer. If I still have to order room service, Mark will never forgive me. As I get downstairs I spot Layla sitting at a table all alone.

This is the moment where I wish that I was not famous. I can hear people talking and gasping. I just wanted to look at her for a while without her noticing but because of the subtle squeals, she looks in my direction.

LAYLA

I sit at the table all alone. Then as I am still wondering whether I am going to see Jake, I hear someone screaming in the doorway. Then I look over and I see Jake. I really did not expect him to be here because I thought he might just order room service.

But then I see a little girl walking up to him with a book in her hand. As she gets closer to him, he bends down to her level because she must be something like four or five years old. He then gives that beautiful smile that he has and takes the pen and book from her signing it.

I can see that the little girl is out of her skin of happiness. It is true that her day has just been made. He gives her a hug and then watches her walk away. But then I see something that I think he was trying to hide. As he tries to get up and I see him trying to keep his balance.

I do not know why because he is pretty light on the foot when he dances. I keep on staring at him without realizing it. I can not help feeling a little bit concerned but then I see him noticing that I was staring. I quickly look away as if I wasn't doing it and I feel my cheeks flaring up.

I can not believe I have been such a fool. I should really concentrate on what I am doing. Then I watch him walking my way. It looks like he only sees me in the room and not all the people staring at him as far as he walks. Then he stops right in front of me and says.

"Would you mind if I join you? I am all alone and if I sit by myself, I am afraid I might not be able to eat"

He indicates to me with his eyes the crowd that is staring at him and then I feel so sorry for him.

"Yes, of course, please. Have a seat"

"Thank you. I owe you one"

Who in this world can say that? Jake Anderson owes you one? He takes his seat across from me and suddenly I feel as if it is so right that he is sitting here with me. But then when I look around myself and I see everyone's staring, I can not stop myself from asking.

"Do you mind if I ask you a personal question?"

"No, please go ahead"

"How do you handle this?"

I see a frown appearing on his face and then he says.

"What?"

I look at the people sitting at tables and I make sure he follows my eyes.

"This..."

He gives me a slight smile and then he looks at the people. He smiles and waves and then he says to me.

"After a while, you do not really notice it anymore. That is how I handle it"

"I am so sorry"

JAKE

I could not help but put my complete focus on Layla. She looks even more beautiful than what she looked like last night. She has that beautiful mini skirt on with long black boots that come above her knees. She has a white blouse on and her black long hair is falling perfectly over her shoulders.

But when she looked at me with those bright blue eyes and she told me how sorry she is for me being in the spotlight the entire time, I could hear her sincerity in her voice. She really does care about me.

"Do not worry, it is really okay"

This just makes it even more difficult for me to stay away from her. I am so grateful for her to let me sit at this table because I know that the vultures will descent if I sit alone. I am so exhausted and hungry and I know that I should get food into my system as soon as possible.

As I want to get up to get food, Layla stops me and then says.

"You are not thinking of going to the buffet table are you?"

I look from the one side to the other and then I say.

"Yes, because I came here to eat"

LAYLA

I do not think that he has seen the line at the buffet table. People seem to have gathered there so that if he gets there they can stand next to him and maybe get an autograph.

"I think you should just look over to the buffet table"

I watch him looking at the line and then he let his head hung low.

"You are right. I can not be there"

"Okay, then it is settled. I will get you a little bit of everything and then you can just eat whatever you like. Just sit here and wait for me"

I watch him looking at me with surprise in his eyes and as I walk away he still wants to say something. I do not even let him say anything because he is just going to stop me from going. I quickly make it to the buffet through the crowds as they are not really there to get food.

This way I can go back to the table as quickly as possible. But when I make my way back to the table, I see his head is still hanging low in his hands. I know that when you are a star you probably want to hide away but this does not look like he is hiding.

I take a seat and I put the plate in front of him. It is almost as if he has not noticed me sitting down and then he looks at me. I can not stop myself from asking.

"Are you doing okay?"

"Yeah, I am fine. Why do you ask?"

"Forgive me for saying but you really do not look so well"

JAKE

Once again I am surprised by her ability to read me. It is as if she knows that I am tired which I am trying really hard to hide away from everyone. I give her a slight smile as I start to eat from the plate.

"I guess, I am just a bit exhausted"

Then, without realizing it, I let go of my fork and it falls to the floor. But as I am about to pick it up, Layla has already given me her fork. Then I see her moving to sit next to me.

"We do not need the people to talk about anything more than what they need to about you. Let me pick up the fork as if it was mine"

I am completely stunned by her caring and loving nature. I did not think that she was this caring.