A Birthday Surprise Ch. 01

"Yeah, that was me. Sorry about that - the bartender made me laugh." Again, more blushing.

"Hmm, interesting. What did he say to make you laugh then?"

I put my forehead into the palm of my left hand, closed my eyes, and mumbled, "Oh, god..."

'This is going to be embarrassing.' I thought to myself.

When I lifted my head and opened my eyes, I realized that he was now bent over in his chair, his elbows on his knees, his face a few inches from mine.

"Was that the wrong thing to say again?"

His look of worry was genuine, and I could do nothing more than smile at him.

"No, not at all." I sighed and closed my eyes. "He was laughing at me because I didn't know what your name was."

"Oh, I see." Then he was quiet. Great, now it was my turn to insult HIM. But before I could stammer out a weak apology about not having a TV and not being into 'those' kinds of movies and really being a nerdy homebody that rarely goes to any kind of a movie...did he just laugh?? I risked opening my eyes to look towards him. And he was laughing again - elbows still on his knees, head bowed down, laughing.

He shook his head.

"I don't even know your name, and you are by far the most interesting person I've met all day." It sounded like he said that more to himself than to me, but it still made me smile.

"Ten minutes left." a voice called from across the room. This seemed to make us both realize that we were rather quickly running out of time.

"Right, okay." He straightened up in his chair, looking at me. "I'm sorry I've wasted so much of your time. Is there something I could sign for you, or something?"

"Actually, yeah, there is. My niece was supposed to be here with me today - this was my birthday gift to her - but she's sick and couldn't make it," I rambled on as I fought to get the three posters out of the tube. He stood up and motioned to the large table he was sitting behind when I first walked in the room, and he helped me weigh down the corners of the first one. He asked what I wanted written on them, and I asked if he could just sign the first two but write 'Happy Birthday, Syd!" on the last one. He easily agreed, quickly signing the first two, but seeming to take more care with the third. I couldn't help smiling, picturing her face when she finally saw these.

Remembering the questions Syd had printed out for me to ask him. I reached into my pocket and pulled out the list, unfolding it. "Sydney wanted me to ask you a few questions, if that's all right?"

The woman across the room spoke up, and said in a bored voice, "Mr. Lowdry will not answer any questions about either any possible sequels to 'Colosseum' or any questions involving his personal life. Mr. Lowdry is a very private person and wishes for those things to be kept...private."

I looked at him, eyebrows raised.

"That's my publicist, and those are her rules, not mine. Ask away." he said with a smile as he started to roll up the posters and return them carefully to their tube.

"Ummmm, alright." I took a deep breath. "Number 1: Do you have...Oh. OK. Number Two: Will there be...Nevermind"

I took a second to scan through Syd's questions, trying to find one of the 14 that wasn't relationship or sequel related.

"May I?"

I looked up at him; he was handing me the tube with one hand, and asking for the list with the other. I bit my bottom lip, shrugged, and handed over the list. He turned to the desk, and I watched as he went down the list answering every single question, writing the answers beside the questions with his marker. I turned to face the table, and took note of his answer to question 6: 'Do you have a girlfriend?' Standing beside him, I whispered, "Thanks." He replied with a wink.

"Simon, I really don't think that's a good idea."

'His publicist sounds like a schoolteacher.' I thought to myself.

"Miriam, it's fine." he answered simply, and one of the men announced that there were 3 minutes left. I took the answered list, refolded it, and put it back into my pocket.

"Thanks again, she's going to really love this. It'll definitely make up for me telling you that you look like hell." I admitted in a low voice. He turned so his back was against the table, and he smiled at me. All I could do was smile at him as I felt the room suddenly get smaller. I hadn't realized how much taller he was than me; he was at least 6'2"...and why didn't I notice the soft curls in his hair before? A medium brown, longer on the top than on the sides, and just a tad messy. He ran his hand back through his hair, but I think it was more out of habit than anything.

"OK, I gotta go." I thought I'd better get out of there before I stood there for the next hour just staring at him.

I stepped away from him towards my jacket and bag, putting my coat on quickly and then slipping the strap of the bag over my head to rest on my left shoulder. I held out my hand to him. "Thanks again....Simon." and I couldn't help but smile a little as I said his name.

"You're very welcome, Sydney's aunt." His hand easily enclosed mine, but he held it ever so gently.

"It's Em..," and before I knew it, I was being ushered towards the door I had come in through. In just a few seconds, I was outside in the waiting area I was stuck in for nearly 10 hours.

'This place is pretty creepy when it's empty.' I thought as I looked around. I headed to the empty front desk outside the glass doors at the end, hoping to find at least one person who could help me figure out how to get out of here. I turned the slight corner and went through a set of glass doors that locked behind me, and saw a mass of young fans waiting outside the building.

"Shit, the posters!!"

I was instantly sick to my stomach as soon as I realized I had left them on the desk in that room. I turned, hoping to catch the doors before they closed, but I already knew it was too late. I started pounding on the glass, calling for help, tears forming in my eyes when I realized no one was coming. I stood there with my forehead pressed to the glass. How was I going to explain this to Sydney? I turned my back to the glass doors, looking around to see if there was anyone who could help me, but the hallway was empty. With my back still pressed against the locked doors, I slid down to sit on the floor, wrapped my arms around my knees, and cried. The last thing I wanted to do was disappoint Sydney, and that's exactly what I ended up doing.

I don't know how long I was sitting there, but I nearly jumped out of my skin when I heard a faint 'tap, tap' over my left shoulder. It was immediately covered by the high-pitched squeals of the few dozen girls who were waiting outside the building. I turned to see who was tapping at me and, just on the other side of the glass parallel to my face, was Simon with that same crooked smile I saw just a few minutes ago - and he was holding the cardboard tube! I stood up quickly, and started to frantically pull on the doors. He did the same on his side, and we soon realized that it wasn't going to be opened by us. I saw his lips moving to say something, but the screams drowned out any chance I had at hearing him. All I could do was stand there and shrug and point to the crowd outside, hoping he'd realize why I couldn't hear him. A few seconds later, his group of three and a few others came from around the corner, and he went over to them. I could do nothing more than just stand there, watching. The screams seemed to be getting louder outside, if that were at all possible. Someone in the group handed him a piece of paper, and he came back over to where I was standing. He held the paper up to the glass, and in block letters he had written 'are you alright?' Wiping away a tear, I nodded yes and pointed to the cardboard tube he had left lay against the glass. He was noticeably relieved by this, and wrote down 'don't go anywhere' on the other side of the paper for me to read. I nodded to him, and he went back to the group. There was a security guard there, and he was on his radio talking to someone. 'Why couldn't HE just unlock the damn door?' I wondered to myself. He seemed to be getting annoyed at the woman talking to him, and I wondered why. He kept running his hand back through his hair, looking more and more agitated.

My head started to pound, and leaning my forehead on the cool glass felt good. Images of Sydney's face when I told her that I screwed up and lost the posters - I closed my eyes to block the picture. I don't know what I'd ever say to her, how I would explain it. How could I apologize for something like that? The room seemed to start spinning ever so slowly, and I put one hand up on the glass to steady myself. I was once again aware of just how little I had eaten, and I wondered absently if the granola bar I ate 14 hours ago would be enough to last all day. The ringing in my ears had gotten louder. Screaming, not ringing. Screaming. I tried to open my eyes but I just couldn't do it. I was tired, and all I wanted to do was sleep.

I didn't hear the keys in the lock on the other side of the door when the second security guard got there to unlock it, but I heard the voices around me - a hand under one elbow, a voice asking me if I was alright. I nodded and mumbled that I was. I turned to look at the group, my eyes fighting to open under the harsh lighting. Just the act of turning around made the room spin like a top, and I found myself trying to keep balance.

"Whoa, hang on." A pause. "No, I've got her, get the door."

His voice, again. English, deep, strong.

I felt like I was floating, only the dizziness that I felt before was still there. I dared to open my eyes, only to realize that I was being carried.

"No, put me down, I can walk." I was horrified that he was carrying me around like I was a child, even though I still didn't trust my feet. A wave of nausea hit me, and I immediately closed my eyes again and turned my face into his chest to try and hide the brightly lit corridor. I carefully opened my eyes when we stopped, and realized I was right back in the room I had just left. He gently sat me down on the couch, and someone was pushing a glass of water into my hand.

"I'm fine, really. I'm sorry, I have to go, I can't miss the last bus and..."

"You're not going anywhere in the shape you're in. Just sit for a few minutes, please. I'll make sure you get home safe."

He was kneeling down beside me, one hand on the back of the couch I was sitting on. I looked at him, then around the room. His group of three were there, and both security guards. How was I going to get away from this?

I looked at him and offered my own crooked smile.

"I don't think this was included in the original price of my ticket, was it?"

Simon's face still looked worried, but he forced a smile.

"You'll get a bill for all this in a few days." He paused. "Can I get you...anything? I'm sorry, I don't know what to do for....this, exactly."

"I'm fine, I promise. Really. It's just that I haven't eaten anything since I got here, and then I realized that I'd forgotten the posters, and when I tried to open the door to come back for them, it was locked and..." I sighed. "Look, I really do need to get going." He nodded and stood up, then offered his hand to help me up. My hand slipped into his easily, and his free hand moved to support my elbow as I stood.

"How are you feeling? You alright?"

I closed my eyes and sat back down. "No, dizzy." His hand was still holding mine, and he sat down on the couch beside me.

"OK, how about this: I've got a car here to take me back to my hotel. If my management

team came with us, would you let my driver take you home?"

"What time is it?"

He checked his watch.

"8:20."

I knew that I'd missed my chance of catching the last bus of the night.

"If someone could just call me a taxi, that would be fine. I don't want to be a pain."

"You can't even stand up; there's no way in hell I'm putting you in a cab."

I put my head in my free hand, quite enjoying his hand holding mine.

"Okay."

"Yeah? You'll let me take you home? Well, not me but...you know what I meant. Really?" He sounded relieved. I heard a throat clear across the room and he told me he'd be right back. Low murmurs floated over to me, but I couldn't make out the words. His voice broke through, and his words were perfectly clear: they were talking about me.

"No, I don't think this is some sort of a stunt, and I don't give a fuck about my 'reputation'."

More mumbling.

"Miriam, c'mon. Drop it, alright? Just get the car please."

I heard her heels clicking on the floor as she walked out of the room, and I opened my eyes when I felt his weight on the cushion beside me. I looked over to him and could only mumble an apology.

"Don't apologize, not because of her." He ran his hand back through his hair, absentmindedly. "Do you think you could walk some, if I helped? They say that the door out of here is fairly close, just around the corner and down a hall."

I nodded.

"I think so, yeah. I'm really sorry..."

He held up his hand to stop me.

"That's enough of that."

Then, looking over at his team, "We ready?", and the little bald man nodded. Simon stood up first, and once again offered me his hand. I took it immediately, desperately wanting to walk out of there under my own power, but knowing I might need just a little help getting started. My bag had found it's way to the other end of the couch, so I grabbed it and slipped it on my shoulder. Simon picked up the cardboard tube and, with a smirk said, "I'll carry it this time." I couldn't help but smirk right back. I stood up and steadied myself, and found that the wave of dizziness that was there the first time seemed to have gone away. I took a tentative step to cross the room, then another. My feet seemed to be more sure of themselves now, so I nodded to him and let my hand slip from his. Simon responded by walking on my right side with his hand on the small of my back.

Out the door, down a short hallway, around a corner, and down another slightly longer hallway. I stumbled twice, but he was right there to steady me. All I could think about was Sydney's face and her beaming smile, and that helped more than I thought it would. Once we got to the double doors that led outside, the first security guard had the keys to it and unlocked it, then opened it slowly. Simon's gentle pressure on my back urged me to go forward, and I stepped through the doorway out into the alley, to the black sedan with dark tinted windows. The driver was standing there with his hand on the door handle, ready to open it for Simon.

"Simon, Simon!"

"Oh my god, it's him! It's HIM!"

"SIMON!"

There were about a dozen fans in the alley, and all of them were screaming his name. Some waved posters, one that I saw had a dozen red roses for him. The driver of the car had the back door of the sedan opened, and Simon ushered me in. I climbed in quickly, assuming he was going to follow right behind me. I also assumed that one of his group of three was going to join us, so I moved as close to the opposite door as I could, giving them as much room as possible. Big mistake - there immediately were hands pounding on the darkened glass, and I could hear the two security guards telling the crowd to get back and to get away from the car. The noise was so deafening; I covered my ears with my hands, closed my eyes, and bent over, trying to drown out everything that was happening. I didn't hear Simon climb into the car, but the slamming door made me jump.

I turned to him and snapped, "What the hell is going on?!"

He was sitting on the seat, but turned towards me. He held up his hands, twisting them, looking at the floor for an explanation.

"Simon?"

"They told me that it was going to be a limo picking me up. I don't give a rat's ass either way, but that's why I suggested that they came with us. And they said this was a safe exit, and it obviously wasn't, and that's why they were here. Not 'they' the management, but 'they' the fans. Then Miriam...fucking Miriam...running her mouth, telling me not to get in the car, like I'm a god damn child and not a 31-year old man. Who the fuck does she think she is?" He finally stopped to take a breath, and looked at me. My eyes were wide; not from fear (I felt surprisingly safe with him), but sheer shock at his outburst. The pounding on the windows died down, the shrieks and screams got fainter, and I realized we were pulling away from the building. I turned to look out the back window, and I noticed his team of three were all on cell phones. When I looked back him, he was slipping his cell back into his pocket.

"They're going to be calling me, I know they will. They're not my idea, just so you know; the studio hired them to keep me in check. Apparently they think I need a babysitter." His face twisted, like he had more to say.

"What is it?"

He ran his hand back through his hair, and he sighed, his eyes lowered.

"This is turning out badly. I just wanted to help, and now it feels like I'm kidnapping you, or something. If I have the driver take you home first, then it'll seem like I'm following you; if I have him drop me off first, then it'll be like I'm feeding you to the wolves." His eyes looked at me. "I don't know how to make this right."

"Where are we going?"

"I told him to just drive around the city." he shrugged.

I thought about this for a minute, and my stomach grumbled. I had to ask.

"Are you hungry?"

My question seemed to catch him off guard.

"Uh...what? I mean, yeah, I could eat."

I leaned up to the driver.

"Do you think you could hit a drive-thru, please? I haven't eaten all day and I could really go for a sandwich. Something, anything."

"Yes ma'am. There's a McDonald's a few blocks away, would that be alright?"

I looked at Simon, he shrugged and nodded.

"That would be perfect, thank you."

"Yes ma'am."

"Ugh, 'ma'am' is my grandmother." I muttered more to myself than to anyone else. I sat back in the seat and looked out the window, trying to figure out how I ended up here. I looked over at Simon and noticed he was looking out of his window as well. And...was he smiling? I couldn't help but stare at him, willing him to turn to look at me. After what seemed like forever, and he didn't turn his head, I cleared my throat loudly. He turned his head then and he was, in fact, smiling.

"Now what?" I asked, half expecting a smart ass answer.

"Nothing."

"Liar."

He grinned when he answered.

"I thought I was going to be having dinner alone again tonight."

"Oh no, this isn't 'dinner together' - you're kidnapping me, remember?"

"Ha!", and then he motioned out the window. "Your dinner has arrived, m'lady," and I had to chuckle at his overly-drawn English accent.

"You know, you're not nearly as charming as you think you are." I laughed.

"Yeah, I am."

He winked, and I blushed.

"Ma'am?"

I blinked and turned from him, my cheeks still bright red. I looked out the front window and saw that we were pulling into McDonald's. The driver pulled up so that my window was beside the speaker.

"Thanks for choosing McDonald's, can I have your order?" a bored voice came from the speaker.

"Ummm...Can I get a #2 with a Diet Coke?" I looked to Simon to see what he wanted, but he was already leaning across the seat to shout his order: a #3 with a Coke. I leaned up to the driver to ask if he was hungry (which made Simon chuckle), but he gave a polite "No thank you, ma'am." I told the disembodied voice that that was all I needed; we got our total and drove around to pay and pick-up our food. I reached into my bag for my wallet, but Simon was already reaching over me to hand a $20 bill out the window to the rather surprised girl. I breathed in deep with him that close; whatever cologne he was wearing suited him perfectly. She was giggling like a schoolgirl when she handed him his change, and I couldn't help but look at him. He was smiling politely, and that seemed to be enough to bring the girl into near hysterics. When we pulled up to the second window, the first girl was up there, trying to catch another glimpse of him. But this time he had a small crowd gathered at the pick-up window, and even the manager of the place was there to hand our food to us. I got the drinks first, passed them to him, and then the bag was handed to me.