Some Love to Give

Gossip Vs Truth

~~~~~Trinity~~~~~

“When did you first realize Mister Coster was interested in you?” The host asked with a friendly smile, and Trinity barely maintained her straight face. “Was it during the production of your movie?”

“Well, Jeriah is a big flirt anyway, so I never really thought about it until I left for my vacation. I guess those long hours of working with him for the movie made me realize some things I had missed since my divorce.” Trinity replied, doing her best to keep her professional smile on. “Someone to talk to who listened, to laugh with, to work with. He made it easy to get involved with him. Though I did not know he would gush so much on the news.”

The audience chuckled at her joke before the host threw a few more questions at her. Mostly revolving around her books, which she was grateful for, because she did not know how long she could maintain her expression. Jeriah embarrassed her with his statements, and she did not know how to react to people asking her to talk about it. It had been so long since she had an actual relationship with someone that talking about it felt strange. Her ex-husbands were great guys when she first dated them, but there was something different about Jeriah. He was fantastic to her, even now, almost five years after they met.

She looked around the studio at the gathered audience with a small smile. It was hard not to brag about how great he treated her, especially when people were asking. Trinity used to keep silent about her lovers. Mostly because of their request. They talked a little more about future projects before the audience got a wicked gleam in their eyes Trinity could practically sense from her seat on the stage. This would not go the way Thomas told her it would. She tried to end the discussion before it could begin, but the host called attention to it and she felt she had to give answers.

“Can we expect to see you give a big shout-out to your love on television the way your boyfriend did?” The host asked before standing as a studio-crew gave her a microphone. “We here on Dawn’s Show really love the passion the two of you seem to share.”

“I’m… not familiar with large displays of affection like Jeri is. Honestly, I’m not big on P.D.A. either, but I try to compromise.” Trinity replied nervously as Dawn nodded with a gentle, encouraging smile. “Um… as you do in any relationship, really. I don’t think we should put ourselves or our relationship as being more important than the rest of the world.”

“You don’t like to gush?” Dawn countered and moved the microphone to hover near a fan’s so they could ask a question. “He must be pretty amazing to lock you down, too! What was it he did to win you over, Miss Faith?”

“That’s…” her voice cracked before she cleared her throat and answered with a smile. “Well, Jeriah has an amazing work ethic despite his former womanizing ways.” Trinity continued, that smile never wavering despite her wanting to frown. “His passion and kindness, despite the reason behind said kindness, was a change from the normal for me. Especially as an author, since most of my work gets done in my living room. The term shut-in fully applies to the career of an author of any kind, and homemakers, like my former self, and mothers definitely fall into that category.”

Trinity needed to steer the direction of the conversation towards something less known. She knew it especially worked well with other homemakers and mothers who could sympathize. Her verbal trickery worked, as others in the audience began nodding, their questions now moving towards when she realized her goals to be an author and when the plan changed. She wanted this to happen and continued to run the conversation in a certain direction. This was a skill she learned as she wrote and often used it herself, in her own stories. Using it in real life worked just as well.

“It was a wonderful way for me to escape as a child, and I suppose now they would be called ‘fan-fictions’, but I often wrote them. I struggled with giving characters identities until I got older and found my voice in writing.” Trinity continued, realizing this was a better discussion to have for her fans. “Those characters became my children and my job, my lover. So I can’t quite compare to Jeriah with love confessions, I’m afraid.”

And yet. This was going to make things difficult for her. It was not the audience or the host, or the camera crew. Trinity was the one to bring the conversation full circle. She shook her head in dismay at her foolishness, but continued to answer questions politely without delving too deep into her relationship with Jeriah. Especially so early into their relationship, there were too many things which were far too personal to answer. If she had been a weaker woman, she would blush at some things the audience were asking. But she was confident, so why should she feel embarrassed.

Maybe that is what her fans or enemies wanted to see; was her gushing and in love with a man. She refused to give either the satisfaction. Especially since she could not even articulate just how deep her feelings for him ran, despite her job being using words to form sentences. If she could not word it right, it was the better solution to not word it at all. That was how it was in her case. Jeriah was also important to her. She felt it would sully her feelings for him if she were to act that way now. Especially after how she was at the beginning of their ‘friendship’. She did not want him to get bored with her, after all.

~~~~~Jeriah~~~~~

It shocked him to find Trinity as the center of attention of a popular television talk show, Jeriah thought as he stepped into an almost empty lobby, his eyes on a television. She looked as beautiful as when they parted this morning, but he knew the camera did not do her justice. The volume on the television increased, and he glanced behind himself to find his former manager, Miss Mary Emory, standing there, remote in hand. He could no longer see pain in her eyes from their past, but the air still felt awkward around the two as he turned his attention back to the television.

“Miss Faith seems very genuine in her opinion of their budding relationship. Perhaps Jeriah over-exaggerated how amazing she actually is. ‘Jeri is a wonderful man, and I’m happy to be in a relationship with him, but I don’t want to express more than that, at this time.’ Miss Faith purportedly said to one of our interviewers.” The host reflected on the show at the end of today’s episode. “Mister Coster himself seems more passionate about her than she him. Could this spark the end of their relationship? We’ll monitor this couple as the weeks pass. Next on Dawn’s Show, the rise of Mister Johnathon Marquis after his scandal a few years ago.”

The television clicked off, and Jeriah turned to look at Mary. She was a shorter woman with blonde hair and hazel eyes, though she was a lot less confident and memorable than Trinity. Mary had smaller features, waist, bust, and hips, compared to Trinity, who had a full, two cup sizes larger breasts, a small waist, with wide hips. One was a model compared to the other, though Jeriah rarely made comparisons like this. Mostly, he just viewed a woman as a woman, a man, a man. Size never mattered to him. He rearranged his thoughts and raised an eyebrow at her in confusion. After their last meeting, he thought she would never approach him again.

“She doesn’t seem as interested in you as you are her.” Mary said, flipping her dyed blonde hair over her shoulder. “Are you sure you don’t regret ending your ways for someone like her?”

That never mattered to Jeriah. As long as she knows how he feels about her, it does not matter what other people thought. Their relationship was just that. Theirs. Of course, that did not stop the unease from curling into his stomach and making it flip. He loved her, and could feel her love for him, but what if? Those what-ifs filled his head until he almost let his expression slip. He gave Mary an easygoing smile, not letting his unease show on his face. If he let her know it affected him this negatively, Mary would not let it go. Especially since he was so adamant about keeping a strictly s*x-only relationship for so long.

“Trin is much more passionate when we’re alone. I’m not worried about what these gossip-mongers say.” Jeriah replied confidently, his eyes narrowing with affection. “What’s important is we know where we stand with each other. Not the world.”

“What a mature way to look at it.” Mary countered with a wry smile. “Even though you’ve never had a relationship besides s****l ones. I guess people really can change.”

“I have changed.” He confirmed, leaning against a nearby table. “Mostly thanks to her.”

A sour expression crossed Mary’s features before she shrugged and turned around to walk away. As she disappeared from the lobby, Jeriah turned his attention back to the silent television. The thoughts running through his head made the smile drop from his face. If what Mary and everyone else seemed to think were true about Trinity, it was possible she was not as into him as he thought. Then something else occurred to him. What if she thought he still had the video he used to blackmail her with? When he realized this, he pulled out his phone and scrolled through the images and videos on it.

Most of them were of food décor, something most people did not realize he had an interest in, but he had a few of Trinity. As he continued to scroll through the photos of her, a smile lifted the corner of his lips. She was beautiful from every angle, though in some pictures, she wore an annoyed expression. Full lips pulled back in a grimace, green eyes shimmering with a mixture of frustration and loving pooled into one. It never ceased to amaze him how she could still turn his heart from a photo alone. His lips pursed momentarily as he thought of her, his pants feeling a little tighter around his waist.

Jeriah shifted, before a voice startled him from his thoughts, and he glanced over his shoulder to see Mary holding a tabloid with a photo of him and Trinity on a date a couple of days ago. The bold print plastered across his face read, ‘Growing bored with your boy-toy? Trinity Faith’s age compared to Jeriah Coster’s and why no one’s talking about it.’ Causing Jeriah to sigh, a hand lifting to his forehead to run through his hair with frustration. He expected it to take a few weeks for the news to die down, but it seemed the country zeroed in on their relationship and wanted to know more. Why was his love life more important than the world?

“At the same time, more people will focus on my works thanks to this.” Jeriah said, a proud smile taking over his features. “That’s not bad, is it? Hm… what do you think, Mary?”

“Here I was praising how much you’d grown, but you’re still as immature as always. You should talk to your girlfriend BEFORE using her image? How much DO you love her?” Mary returned as she straightened her spine a little. “Though, you’ll be glad to know… I’ve agreed to work as your scheduler again, thanks to her. And I’m engaged to the man I love more than I ever loved you.”

On her left finger sat a ten-karat diamond ring, its golden band glinting in the light. The world knew the story, since it was big news after Jeriah rejected her. But it was not a surprise to him. Jeriah knew this was what happened with most women he had s*x with. Soon after, they would meet the man they loved and marry, automatically ending their ‘friendships’. The second reason he feared his relationship with Trinity. Jeriah hated thinking about his first reason. His mother. He shook the thought from his head before nodding, grateful again for Trinity’s presence.

“I’m happy for you, Miss Emory. I look forward to working with you again.” He replied, holding out his hand for her to shake. “And you no longer have to worry about inappropriate advances. My love for Trin won’t let me even consider another woman."