Greyson

Chapter Fifteen

Unfortunately for Grey, I passed on the offer he had made. I told Benny that we could go out and I meant it. I would be meeting Grey and the rest of the guys later at their show but for now, I was enjoying spending some time with Benny. 

Benny was someone that you could easily gravitate towards, always laughing and forever seeing the positive in every situation. His blinding smile was infectious and so were the little dimples that formed when he did smile. 

He was a man that liked to take care of themselves. He definitely had a feminine touch, that was clear as day to see but he always took pride in himself. Shoulders back and chin up. I wish I had half the confidence that he had. 

"Come on let's go in here Peaches." Benny suggested warmly from beside me. 

We had ditched our idea of chasing a funfair, it was unrealistic for the city. We decided instead to do something we apparently both loved, shopping. However looking at the shop in front of me, it was clear to see that Benny's tastes were expensive. I bought myself the odd designer item as a treat because that only when I could afford it. 

I was familiar with this boutique, I have passed it a few times before while heading to the coffee shop at the end of the street.

Bellissimo. 

It's name derived from Italy and luckily for me, Italian was understandable. 

"Very beautiful." I said aloud looking up at the elegant boutique sign. 

"Your so sweet Emily." I looked to Benny who was smirking, giving me a small wink and pretending to seat invisible dust off his shoulder. 

I laughed. 

"You are indeed but I was talking about the store name." I laughed causing him to frown, "Bellissimo in Italian means very beautiful." I confirmed as his smile returned, a twinkling in his eyes. 

"We've found the perfect store then haven't we my little Italian princess!" He almost cheered with excitement but I wasn't, it looked terrifyingly expensive and clearing my accounts at the moment was something that I didn't want to do. 

"Benny this store looks expensive." He frowned looking at the store then looked back at me. 

"I don't understand?" He frowned his eyes searching mines for answers. 

"It's just, I know what I'm like and I'll go into that store and find something exceptionally pretty and then I'll convince myself with a battle in my head for five minutes to try it on and I know the little devil sitting on my shoulder will make me go and try it on. Then I'll find myself at the till facing a bill that is way out of my price range and.."

"Princess shhh." He placed his hand over my mouth stopping me on my ramble. "You can buy whatever the hell you want, your not paying." I pulled his hand away from my face watching as a smirk began to grow on his. 

"Benny you will not pay anything." I warned, "I don't want it." I told him sincerely but he just continued to smirk. 

"Your not paying for anything Princess because Grey is." I furrowed my brows confused by this statement as he had now reached a full on grin. 

"Why would Grey pay for anything? He doesn't owe me anything." I asked and stated. "I don't want it." I told him waving my hands, this was crazy. 

"He said he has a lot of birthdays to make up for." Benny shrugged as I shook my head. 

"Absolutely not." I told him, "If I see something nice, I'll buy it myself." 

"He specifically told me that you were to get anything you wanted...go wild." Benny joked as I glared at him. 

"What does he think I am? A gold digger of some sorts?" I asked angrily, "I don't need his money, I have my own. If he wants to make up for the birthday's he has missed, tell him to buy me a cake for each one. I love cake more than I love clothes!" I exasperated causing Benny to let out a full blown laugh in the middle of the walk path. 

People stopped to stare as they passed. It was not even a second before Benny turned back to the store and someone had their phone out recording him. I watched Benny as he immediately tensed, turning towards me and automatically lifting my hood up on my pink rain jacket. 

"Emily you need to listen." He told me as I watched swarms of people gather up behind him, it was like watching flys gather on rotten food. When one stops, the rest swarm. "Right now there is no security so I need you to listen to me, understand?" I moved my eyes towards him and watched as his softened. 

"Mmhmm." I mumbled watching over his shoulder. 

There was now around fifty people gathered around us, flashes were going off to my left and screaming fans desperate to get an autograph to my right. I couldn't focus on Benny, maybe I was in shock but what I did know is that I didn't feel comfortable in this situation at all. 

I could feel my palms getting clammy and I was shaking. 

"Emily?" Benny lifted his hands to my cheeks, moving my attention towards his eyes. "Are you going to be sick?" He asked concerned and I shook my head slowly. "We're going to go into the store Emily, you need to keep your head down and don't answer any questions. I'm going to turn with you pressed against my chest and I will walk you into the store, keep your head hidden against my jacket. Do you understand?" He asked with authority. 

"Yes." I told him quietly, holding onto my hood and pressing myself up against his chest. I grabbed a lapel in each hand, bringing his jacket up against my ears and covering my face. 

I could feel Benny wrapping his arms around my waist protectively while flipping his sunglasses down from his head. I could feel him walking and I think I was walking backwards. 

"Benny who's your friend?!"

"Benny are you dating?!"

"Hey lady what's your name?!" 

"Benny can I have your autograph?!" 

Every question being asked was being screamed from every direction, I could feel my legs turning to jello by each passing second. I was still walking backwards, Benny tensed lifting me up onto the front step of the boutique and the owners kindly ushered us inside and locked the door. 

If I had went into a*****e before this moment and they had locked me inside, I would scream bloody murder but in this moment, I couldn't feel more thankful for the two middle aged ladies that helped. 

"I'm going to be sick." I blurted out before I could realise it myself. 

"Down the corridor sweetheart, first on the right." One of the kind owners told me as I pulled from Benny's hold and placed a hand over my mouth running in the direction of the bathroom. 

I made it and no more, my stomach wrenching painfully and my hands shaking like leaves in the wind. I was there for only a few moments before getting up and heading over to the basin, splashing my face with cold water and rinsing my mouth. 

I felt gross. 

I looked at myself in the mirror wondering what the hell just happened. If you had asked me before today, I would have never thought a situation like that would get to me. I mean for crying out loud I wanted to be the person on the other end of that, the person recording and taking notes. It felt wrong and violating in many ways. 

A gentle knock sounded from the bathroom door knocking me out of my thoughts, I quickly turned of the tap and dried my hands with some paper towels next to the basin. 

"Come in." I called out while throwing the paper towel into a trash can. 

"How you holding up Princess?" Benny's soft voice sounded around the room. 

"I'm fine." I nodded with a small smile, "It's just..I don't know." I sighed waving my hands in the air causing Benny to frown. 

"It's just what?" He asked encouraging me to continue, closing the door gently behind him and leaning against it. 

"I mean...well I thought in my head that if I was to ever be in a situation like that, I would be fine but clearly that wasn't the case." I frowned. 

"Emily it was your first time dealing with something like that, you get used to it." He smiled reassuringly, "To me that was nothing, I've had it worse but I remember when it first happened and I was like how you are at the minute." 

"No it's just, I went to college to become a journalist. I wanted to be the girl that followed people like you around, I wanted to be the one that was taking notes and recording. I wanted to be the one asking questions trying to scramble something together for a story." Benny laughed rolling his eyes. 

"Your overthinking this Princess." He smiled shaking his head. 

"I didn't feel comfortable Benny...that behaviour that I was on the opposite end of, it's not natural. One minute I'm laughing with you and the next....it felt violating, there was too many people in our space being intrusive and..."

"Are you claustrophobic?" He asked concerned. 

"What? No." I shook my head at his question, "What I'm trying to say, is that I don't think I can ever do that to someone. I couldn't be that person that does that you know? I know how I felt in that situation and I wouldn't like anyone else to feel that way in the slightest because of my actions." I told him feeling my eyes well up at the thought of it. 

"Oh come on now Princess, no tears." He frowned walking over to me and grabbing a paper towel from behind me. "You need to realise that these people are in awe. To me it's sometimes inspiring, I mean some of these people look up to us and see us as role models." He handed me the paper towel which I gladly accepted, "You know I never walk past a young kid without talking to them or signing something for them? When I was growing up, I had my role models and if it wasn't for them, I wouldn't be where I am today." He smiled warmly. 

"I suppose when you put it that way." I sighed quickly wiping my eyes. 

"There was no reporters outside, it was fans Ems. I don't mind fans in the slightest, had you not been there I would have stopped and taken pictures and signed autographs." He shrugged, "The problem there is that fans take pictures and then pictures end up on social media which then leads to media. The media will do anything and pay anything for a story." He told me sincerely as he backed off and began walking to the door. 

"Come on Princess, let's find you a killer dress that engulfs your sadness." He smirked with a wink as he opened the door causing to laugh. 

"Benny, why didn't you stop for the fans to take pictures?" I asked curiously as I followed behind him, he stopped in his tracks giving me his full attention. 

"Well that's simple, you were there and Grey would have killed me." He told me seriously before walking along the corridor with me hot on his tail.