Under the Elms

Avoidance and Intimacy

What's going on? Sofia's good mood drained away as quickly as her smile. She voiced her thoughts.

'What's the matter? I thought things were going really well.'

Prince walked over, rubbing his hands up and down her arms in a soothing manner. 'Something's come up. Come in the studio with me, so I can explain it privately.'

Puzzled, she took his hand and let him lead her to the studio. Is it over, before we really got to know each other? If so, this is going to kill me.

Seating Sofia in a studio chair, he sat in one facing her. 'Why so formal?' she asked, as he still wasn't smiling.

'This is a serious conversation,' he replied. 'There's one part of my life that I didn't want to have to share with you so quickly, but it's become necessary.' If this ends it for us..I don't want the downside of my career to end my relationship with her. I want her in my life, dammit!

He reached for her hand, which she gratefully latched onto. His face became even more serious, sending a chill through Sofia. He's still married. He has a child no one knows about. He...Oh, stop it, Sofia, just listen to the man. He watched her square her shoulders. He hated that they had to have this conversation.'Okay, what is it?'

'Someone has blabbed to the press that we, well, I'm here,' he said, grimacing. 'The driver had to fight his way into the gate when he arrived, 'cause there are so many damn photographers camped outside. I hadn't been monitoring the outside camera, or I would have notified the local police. Unfortunately, they're on public property, so they have every legal right to be there.' He wrinkled his nose in distaste, then continued. 'I was hoping to avoid the freakin' circus they make of everything for this one week, while we spent some time together alone.'

'I'm a big girl, Prince, I think I'll be okay. I don't scare that easy.' Well except for the thought of losing you...

Prince stood, pulled Sofia up, and wrapped his arms around her waist. She put hers on his shoulders, toying with the hair at the back of his neck. The loving look on the face tilted up to his meant the world to him. 'I love that you feel that way. I've called for more security for us, based on the numbers the driver reported. This used to be something I could manage, but now shows and websites like TMZ have turned these folks rabid. They don't follow any of the rules of common decency; they'll do pretty much anything to get their footage. I just wanted to give you a heads up as to why we aren't leaving right away. I signed up for this-Well, not this, exactly, but I knew publicity would be part of what I would have to do. No one wants to be treated the way the press treats celebrities now.' He took a deep breath, then released it slowly through his nose. It didn't do anything to release the tension in his shoulders.

'I think I'll be okay,' Sofia repeated, stroking along his neck to his shoulder, trying to create some ease.

'It's just that you didn't ask for any of this, and you didn't come seeking me out after all our years apart; it was the other way around. I didn't think about how hard this could be for you, losing your private life so abruptly. They'll figure out who you are by tomorrow, and everyone you work with will know how you spent your week. You'll be on the newsstands in the grocery stores, because you're a new face, and every new face around me gets turned into a big deal. You'll get a lot of questions when you go back to work, from co-workers, parents, maybe even kids. We may need to contact the school administration and give them a heads up; you may need security at school, which I will gladly provide.'

'Woah. Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Let's enjoy our day on our new timetable, and see what happens. You've thought so far ahead, if any of these scenarios happen, you'll get in control of things quickly; that's very clear. I'm not willing to give this up'-she motioned between them-'because of them. Are you?'