"Are you sure this is fine?" Leon contemplated his new image in the mirror with casual jeans and a red hoodie that had a hood to conceal his face, along with a cap underneath and cheap, oversized sunglasses to add to the cover-up.
"It's okay as long as you don't pull the hood backwards," said Ryan as he neatened up the his hoodie.
"I'm not sure about this."
"I'm sure no one will know," Ryan assured. He was hardly given enough time to prepare since this was such a last-minute request that he dashed out of bed immediately the same day.
"Well, I can't recognise you like this," chuckled Ariel, who wore a peach coloured dress and tied her hair in a neat bun and wore her sunglasses. She had baked a rocket-shaped birthday cake, laced with chewy gummies and icing decorations to add to the rocket details, and packed it neatly in a white box.
Leon looked himself in the mirror one last time before Ryan zipped up his hoodie to his neck, but he remained apprehensive about the cover-up. The presence of the familiar faces of his bodyguards was a dead giveaway to the media - if they found out, that is. Still, he was not letting anything stop him from experiencing a normal day out at a kid's birthday party. He got Rico to rent an average-looking Ford car and had his bodyguards dressed in casual wear so as to minimise suspicion from the public.
"What did you get for Andy?" asked Ariel, scanning the huge box professionally wrapped in a wrapper with cartoon vehicles and chrome ribbons.
"Something all boys love," grinned Leon, holding the box. "I ordered it online and got Vinny to collect it for me. But I'm not telling you, it's a surprise."
"Fair enough. I got Andy a new pair of swimming shorts and goggles. He loves swimming," she held up a small box wrapped in plain blue with stars.
Since their conversation at the kitchen, Leon had been slowly opening up to Ariel more about himself. It was during one of those deep conversations that he finally asserted, "Call me Leon from now on."
"Yes, sir - I mean, Leon," Ariel nodded with a beam, pleased that she finally earned his trust to call him by his name. Although he was far from jolly like Angel, Leon's changing attitude towards Ariel made working and living in the house more meaningful and tolerable for her.
"Sir, we're clear to go," one of his bodyguards nodded at him, with his hand still on his earpiece which he used to converse with other bodyguards downstairs to ensure that no visible paparazzi was in sight.
"Any sweeties?" Ryan asked Ariel with a wide, begging grin.
"I've not forgotten you," she gave a laughing grin and pointed with her chin at the direction of the kitchen island table, where her chocolate biscuit ice cream in a large waffle bowl decorated with her special caramelised crispy bacon strips sat.
"Awesome!" Ryan flashed her a thumbs up and went to indulge in his dessert, leaving Leon to shake his head at his stylist's childlike excitement.
"Ok then, shall we?" Leon said to Ariel.
They left in separate directions and at separate times so as to minimise the attention. Ariel was the first to head off in the Ford car, which drove behind the other side of the building where Leon and his bodyguards sneaked out.
After everyone was in and the car drove off, Leon unzipped the suffocating hoodie and pulled the hood back, feeling liberated.
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"Push it up more to the right...higher....higher....that's it!" Camila gave a thumbs up to Rita, who adjusted the last of the placard alphabets which spelt "Happy Birthday, Andy!" against the wall.
YOU ARE READING
365 Days with the Celebrity
RomanceAriel Lee has been stuck for years in a dead-end job as an assistant chef. Struggling to meet ends meet in a life of poverty while raising her young son whose father left them for another woman, their lives would soon change when she narrowly won a...
