Not Another Diva

10 - Fresh Meat

We approach the restaurant hand in hand. It's all for show, of course, but I've made my peace with it. I still hate it. Brianna's nasal diva voice still makes me want to wince, at the very least. At one point during our premier date, she squeaked something to another musician and I actually felt my stomach lurch. I almost lost the shrimp cocktail I had just consumed.

My game face is on, that pissed eye twitch I've been working on in the mirror for the last week. I scowl as we make our way past the crowd of people waiting outside for a table. Brianna looks right past everyone. There's a clump of photographers shouting as we pass by.

"Brianna! Are you guys dating?"

"Is this true love?"

"Where'd you meet this one?"

I didn't have any trouble ignoring them so far. It hadn't been as big a deal as Char had made it sound. They just wanted information about the new mystery guy she'd been seen around town with over the last seven days.

The second we made it home after the perfume event, Char had sent the two of us a group text with a photo of Brianna and I at the event. "It's official!" is what she said along side the picture of Brianna smiling her most diva smile while I was glaring off to the side, my hand firmly gripping her waist.

Since then we'd been shopping around Melrose, sipping his and hers Starbucks, and ordering fast food through the drive-through. At least I had been allowed to drive. Char had me take Brianna's Tesla, which was an experience in itself. It was almost impossible to look pissed while driving it. But the fast food was another story. I haven't eaten crap like that in years and I had no intention of actually eating the stuff, but we had to look like everything was real so someone could snap a shot of me noshing on French fries.

I had paid dearly for eating those six fries. My stomach would never forgive me. It hurt like hell for hours. But someone did indeed get a shot which made it promptly to the TMZ website. Mission accomplished.

That's what everything had felt like so far, a mission. This date included. Char handed me a schedule the morning of the premier and when I saw which fancy restaurant we were booked for, I almost choked on my protein shake. I would never hear the end of this. I was sure the entire night would be held against me for years to come.

Sushi with celebrities, which now included me, was my biggest nightmare. Jacob would most likely be working, because weeknights were his usual time slot. I was nervous as Brianna and I walked through the door, not waiting for a table like the rest of humanity was forced to do. We were led directly to the back part of the restaurant, away from the prying eyes of the general patrons, and right to a semi secluded booth. Thankfully the modern style of the place did not include many mirrors. Probably the reason so many celebrities liked it. They could hide more easily if their reflection couldn't ricochet all over the room.

The dimly lit environment would make most people trying to stay out of sight feel comfortable. But when my job is to keep an eye out for potential dangers, the dark atmosphere raised the level of focus on my part. I have to keep scanning the room, looking for anyone headed towards us, taking note of any eyes following Brianna's movement.

We sit in a booth, which hides us further from the rest of the diners, but also makes it that much more difficult to keep my eye on everything. I don't think I was made out for this. It's really stressful. Worse then walking on Melrose because at least there was daylight. And we weren't sitting ducks in the back of the room.

"Have you ever eaten here before?" Brianna asks quietly. When she's confident no one can hear her, she uses her normal voice, like she is right now. It's a relief not to have to hold back my cringe when she's speaking.