In Love with the Celebrity

Lara, while sleeping, heard a sound from her phone. She checked and found it was an email.

Lara brought her phone closer to her, and when she opened the mailbox, she realized that she had been assigned by her boss, Mr. Ranee, to write a feature story on Nico, the rising star of the racing world. She sighed at the email, in confirmation that she had received it.

" What!" she shouted with her face full of anger and wished she could reject doing the work but have to take it, which was her profession as a journalist.

"That man, the ruthless celebrity," She pondered and reflected on his face—the face she had seen in the magazine, in TV shows, and in his voice heard from the radio.

"I have heard much about him and his involvement in shady business. Anyway, that's none of my business; all I am doing is carrying on my assignment and being paid at last." She spoke to herself and stepped down from the bed, getting closer to her mirror as she checked on her beautiful face.

" So I will be meeting with him with my beautiful face? Ha!" she exclaimed. " God, I prayed he didn't remind me of my past by trying to ask me out. He should respect himself." Hmmm! I have no interest in interviewing him, let alone writing a flattering article about him. Nevertheless, I will do my best." She added.

Responding to that, she called Nico’s manager and informed him to make arrangements for the interview.

After that, Lara pulled off her nightgown, her bra, and her pants and tied a towel around her body before heading to the bathroom for her bath.

" I had to take my bath," she said to herself. Got to the bathroom and had her bath. Then she quickly went on applying cream to her body. When her phone rang, she checked and saw it was Nicole, her colleague, calling. Some hours after Nico's manager gave her feedback from Nico where to meet: the racetrack where he was having his practice session.

" Congratulations." Nicole said as Lara picked up the call. Lara put the call on a loudspeaker on the bed while answering and at the same time dressing up.

"Good morning, Nicole, How has been your night? Lara asked.

"Well spent." Nicole answered and added.

"Congratulations once again. For being assigned to meet with the young celebrity Nico. An opportunity every one of our colleagues has been waiting for."

"How I wished it would be taken from me." Lara replied to her.

"Why do you say so? Nicole got shocked.

"His ruthless attitude and how he might delay my time today happen to be my worries; who knows what he might have in mind towards me as we meet? I just pray he shouldn't demand what I can't afford."

"Hahahahahha!" Nicole laughed and answered more.

"You have signed for the job; you have no option but to do it perfectly on your part. Meanwhile, I trust you; with your smart brain, you should be able to give him a peaceful answer. Paraventure, he demands that which is in your heart."

"I understand you are scared of being demanded to go on an outing with him."

"Exactly, you got the point". Lara responded, and by this time she had dressed up and was ready to meet with him in response to the appointment.

"I wish I was the one on this assignment; I would have had a photo of me and Nico go viral." Nicole spoke from her heart.

"But you are not the one," Lara said, walking down to her sitting room. She went to the kitchen and prepared herself coffee. It was already 40 minutes to the time she had planned to meet with Nico.

"I have to take my leave now; I am done with my dressing as well as the breakfast. We'll talk later." she said to Nicole Nicole, being so curious, demanded Lara take a photo of herself and send it to her through Facebook.

"What for?" Lara asked with a shake.

"I just want to see your appearance and know how possible it is for you to attract him." She tried be concerned about Lara but Lara saw it as being underrated by Nicole.

"Sorry, I'm not going on a date, but business, if you must know, is going late, and that's what I don't like. For the pictures, I will send them once I get to my destination." She answered and cut the call.

She got into her car and drove down to her destination, to meet with Nico. She was hoping to find some redeeming qualities in him that would make her story more bearable.

On her arrival at the racetrack, she showed her press pass to the security guard. And was directed by him to Nico's pit stop; he was sitting in his car, surrounded by his crew and fans, he had been informed about Lara coming by his manager.

Nico was kitted out in his race clothes, wearing a helmet and sunglasses, but she could still recognize him from his distinctive features: his dark hair, his sharp jawline, and his muscular physique.

And in his appearance was the outlook of a celebrity, a billionaire who had endorsements from various brands and companies. And had everything he wanted.

She stepped down from her car, walking majestically towards him looking more beautiful. She introduced herself as a journalist from The Spotlight, the magazine she worked for. He nodded his head. "Are you ready for the interview?" she asked him, but he barely looked at her.

After some moments of silence from him, he replied. "As you can see, I am busy; you can wait until I am done with my practice session." He arrogantly put his helmet back on, which he had taken off for relaxation, and drove off. Lara was left standing with a sour expression on her face, regretting meeting him at first.

She waited for a few hours with her hands crossed on her chest, watching him race around the track with incredible speed and skill. " Woooo!" In response to his excellent performance, she also noticed how he taunted and teased his rivals, making them lose their concentration and confidence.

"He really seems to enjoy being the center of attention, and he didn’t care about anyone else’s feelings or opinions. Imagine him displaying what I expected him to be: an arrogant and spoiled celebrity." She spoke within herself.

Despite the character she observed in him, the same that made her feel a surge of anger and resentment towards him, she found herself admiring his charisma and charm, but within her she knew it was superficial and fake.

And when he passed by her side, she felt a thrill. He made eye contact with her through his sunglasses.

Not just that, she felt a flutter in her stomach when he smiled at her. " Hmmmm!" She sounds, while Nico shows his perfect white teeth.

"What's happening to me?" she asked herself as she felt a heat in her cheeks when he winked at her, making her blush. She shook her head, struggling with the feelings of rejecting it at once. She reminded herself that she was there for a professional reason, not a club or date. "I don't like him, and I don't think this will continue to move me toward him. I hate his character, his arrogance." But she couldn’t deny the fact that he intrigued her, challenged her, and also fascinated her.

"Am I not being foolish and naive? This has to stop here." She took his display as wanting to be intimate with her. "He is not looking for a relationship but for a fling. I knew that he was not going to respect my boundaries but to cross them." She concluded and sat well, still looking at him. She decided to keep everything professional and to avoid any personal involvement with him. She also made up her mind to finish the interview as quickly as possible, but how would she do that, seeing that he was busy with his race?

A few hours later, Nico finished his practice session and returned to his pit stop. He took off his helmet and sunglasses and handed them to one of his crew members. "Now I remember Lara? The journalist who has been waiting to interview me." He spoke to the crew member standing with him.

Nico watched Lara from where she sat and enjoyed teasing her with his glances and gestures.

"She must be beautiful," he said to himself, being the hour he felt he had her time.

Lara standing beside her car, with a notebook and a recorder in her hands. She looked annoyed and impatient, but also curious and intrigued. He smiled and walked towards her, hoping to charm her with his charisma and humor. Lara thought he had come for the interview, only to hear him speak of how he was attracted by her appearance and wanted to have a friendly talk with her.

"Hi, Lara. I'm sorry to keep you waiting. I hope you enjoyed the show." he said, referring to his performance on the track.

She gave him a cold look and said, "Not really. I’m here to do my job, not to watch you show off."

He chuckled and said, "Come on, don’t be so serious. I’m sure you were impressed by my skill and speed."

She rolled her eyes and said, "I’m sure you’re impressed by yourself, enough for both of us." She added.

He raised his eyebrows and said, "Ouch. You’re feisty. I like that."

She sighed and said, "Can we just get on with the interview? I have other things to do."

He nodded and said, "Sure, sure. Fire on. Ask me anything you want."

She turned on her recorder and said, "Okay. Let's start by knowing your background. Where did you grow up? How did you get into racing?"

He shrugged and replied to her, "I grew up in Serangoon, Singapore. My father was a wealthy businessman, and my mother a nurse; they both died in a plane crash when I was 20. I inherited their fortune and their company, but I had no interest in running it. I always loved cars and speed, so I decided to pursue my passion for racing. I started with street racing, then moved on to professional racing. And here I am today."

She wrote down his answer and said, "That’s quite a story. How do you cope with the loss of your parents?"

He looked away and answered, "I don’t know. I avoid thinking about it too. It’s been eight years since they died, but it still hurts sometimes. I guess racing helps me forget about it for a while."

She nodded sympathetically; and remembered how she had lost her parents likewise. But have to swallow the pain at the moment for the success of the interview at that point. Nico noticed her look and asked, Why the look?

" Don't worry, I am fine."

"Do you think you will be able to make more names with your skill?" she asked.

He smiled confidently, giving her the answer, "Of course. As long as I’m in this game, I will continue to be the champion. I have the confidence, the talent, and the drive". He tapped his chest.

She admired his confidence and felt excited by his response, but she also wondered if he was too cocky for his own good.

"I see. And what are your future plans? Do you have any other goals or dreams besides racing?"

He thought for a moment then answered, "Well, I don’t like to limit myself. I’m always open to new opportunities and challenges. The world is changing with technology, and I want to keep up with it. Maybe someday I’ll try something different, something more meaningful."

She was surprised by his answer. She expected him, based on her observations, to say something more shallow or selfish, but he seemed to have some depth after all.

She finished the interview and thanked him for his time. "Thanks for giving me your time, despite being busy", she said, yet she wasn't happy for delaying her time. He walked her to her car and offered to take her out for dinner.

"Come on, Lara. You’ve been working hard all day. Let's have dinner." he replied.

She hesitated for a second, then declined politely. "Thanks for the offer, Nico. But I have to make this more presentable tonight, while I get ready to report to the office tomorrow." She answered.

He looked disappointed but accepted her decision.

"Okay then. Maybe some other time." he said.

He leaned in to kiss her hand, but she pulled it away quickly.

"Sorry, Nico. But I don’t think you know me well enough for that."

And got into her car, ignited it, and drove away, leaving him standing there with a stunned expression on his face. She tends to make him feel bad as well.

" She refused my offer. But that's normal, at least to show my appreciation and to encourage her more. Not just that, I, in return, might get her attention through this." He was used to attracting women with his money.

But here, Lara had challenged him, rejected his offer, and intrigued him. Despite that, he wants to see her again.

Lara glanced at her watch as she parked her car in front of her gate. She realized that she had spent the whole day interviewing Nico, the young celebrity. She sighed and muttered to herself, "I knew it. I will end up just spending the whole day interviewing him. Anyway, I think I have done a great job, and Mr. William will be pleased with the results." She praised herself.

She expected Mr. Ranee to call to know how she went with the work with the arrogant celebrity, but he didn’t. He trusted her to deliver a flawless job.

20 minutes later, Lara drove into her compound, got her car open, and saw Nicole waiting for her in the compound. Nicole her friend and colleague at work was curious about Lara’s experience with Nico. She was happy for Lara when she found out that she was assigned to interview Nico. though she wishes to be the one.

"Hey, lucky girl! How was your day with the star? Nicole greeted Lara with a smile and a hug.

"Is that why you came here instead of going home after work? You want to hear all the juicy details?" Lara teased her. She asked Nicole to help her carry some groceries that she had bought on her way home.

They entered the house, and Lara served Nicole some wine. Nicole couldn’t wait to hear Lara’s story.

"So, tell me everything. How is he in person? What did he say? What did he do?" Nicole bombarded Lara with questions.

Lara started to narrate her encounter with Nico. She told Nicole how he had annoyed her at first with his attitude and demands. She also told Nicole how Nico had tried to kiss her hand, but she had pulled away.

"Wow!" Nicole exclaimed. "You missed a great opportunity! How could you reject him like that?"

"I’m not a fool to fall for him so easily. Not after what Evan did to me. You think I want to go through hell again with another man?" Lara said.

"But he’s not just any man. He’s a celebrity! He is wealthy and populous—a man with all it takes to give you a better life, even making you famous. Or don’t you want to cross the line of poverty to wealth?" Nicole argued.

"I’m not poor, and I don’t beg for bread. I’m happy with who I am and what I have." Lara replied. But deep inside, she felt something special for Nico. She felt a connection with him that she couldn’t explain. She decided to hide it from Nicole.

"Whatever," Nicole said. "But we need people like him to grow and succeed in life." Nicole tried to convince her.

"You talk as if I told you he asked me out or showed any interest in me. But he didn’t, okay? So keep your expectations low while I make us something to eat." Lara said. "Besides, you should be the one cooking while I work on the report for presentation tomorrow. The project that took all my time," she added. And left Nicole on the couch and went to the kitchen.

Nicole followed her, still eager to hear more about Nico.