Exactly after an hour- actually ten minutes before the hour was over- Sasha and I left for the diner. I wasn't sure if it was only this time or if this was a habit of theirs, but the boys weren't there yet. Sasha wasn't happy. She never trusted boys who made girls stand up.

We took a booth by the window at the far end of the diner. There weren't many people at this hour. I assumed the people were taking the thundering clouds outside as an omen. Of course it was going to rain. I knew it. That was why I had to carry my heaviest tote bag with me- the only thing in it being two umbrellas. Every time the bell right above the entrance door rang I would literally spring up from my seat to check if it were the boys.

'He is late,' Sasha sighed, her eyes never moving from the menu she held in front of her. 'By fifteen minutes, Chast.'

'Please, be patient.' I was constantly looking outside the huge window to see if they were going to make a grand entry or something in a limousine. But no limousine was spotted by now. Then again why would they want to attract attention to themselves? Unless this was a purposely set up get together, which I hope this wasn't.

'Guys are jerk,' I heard her mutter.

They weren't just any guys. I wondered if she'd judge them that way when she'd find out that it was actually the boys of her dream. I had to bite back a smile. I guess not. She looked up at me annoyed. I couldn't help but break into a laugh when she gave me a death glare. This was actually going to be such fun. Thankfully my phone rang. I had saved the number under Blake's name so it was easy to tell.

I snatched the phone from the table and answered it still laughing.  'Hi! Where are you?'

'Giggly much, girl?' he teased making me roll my eyes. Had he always been such a flirt? 'We are outside, headed towards the door now.'

I craned my neck up to get a look at the door. The bell at the door rang and a tall figure dressed in a heavy stone grey coat, and big shades entered, followed by another figure an inch shorter than the first one. The second one held his phone to his ear.

'Spotted,' I said and disconnected the line raising my hand for them to see. I was counting on having three boys to dine with us but even two turned up was more than enough to have. 'They're here,' I told Sasha who just rolled her eyes.

The short one, Blake, caught up with the tall one- I couldn't say if it was Nolan or Noel because half his face was covered in the muffler wrapped around his neck and covered up to his nose and even had a beanie on- and placing his hand on the tall one's back they approached us. I guess the disguise was called for since people were crazy for them. Who said stardom comes easy?

I was already grinning widely when they stood in front of our table, looking at us.

'Hi guys,' I said waving my hand at them. 'How are you?'

Taking off his coat as he sat down beside Sasha, whose eyes and mouth were going round as she came to realize who she was sitting beside, Blake replied, 'As fine as ever.'

The tall one, when he took off his disguise and sat beside me, made me realize was neither Nolan, nor Noah, But Arthur Crawford. As he took a seat beside me I began doubting if this was actually a date set up.

'Oh My God!' I nearly jumped when Sasha yelled that making everyone at the diner turn their heads to glare at us. Blake and Arthur turned their faces to look at us, since we were sitting on the inner side of the booth, and managed to go unnoticed. I kicked Sasha's foot from under the table making her yelp and Blake laugh. 'Ouch!'

'Don't yell,' I whispered to her leaning over the table. 'The people might notice.'

She bit her tongue muttering out an apology to all.

'I can't believe I am sitting beside Blake Friel,' she said, exuberant, making Blake chuckle. 'The Blake Friel. Oh and Arthur Crawford. What am I, living a dream?'

The three of us giggle while she was still processing the whole situation. Blake turned to her with a cheeky grin and said, 'you definitely are not, love.'

She was grinning at him like an idiot. 'I am a huge, huge fan of yours! I have bought the first album of yours twice! I just love your music, your face, YOU!!'  But then she turned to me with a strange look on her face and in her eyes. 'Chastity Ericht, how come you never told me that you were friends with the members of The Black Illusions? I thought we were the best of friends.'

'Actually,' Blake began. 'We just met yesterday and kind of,' he paused to find the right word, 'Clicked.'

I smiled and mouthed a sorry to her. Sasha smiled. 'Don't worry. This meeting makes up for that.'

I giggled. 'Where are the other two? Valarie told me it was the three of you and some of your friends?'

'Well,' he began. 'We sorta lied to Valarie.'

I raised my brows at him. Lied, why?    

'Well, Arthur kinda had something to talk to you about.' He shrugged.

I looked up at Arthur who was now slightly pink and glaring at Blake. I pursed my lips and hung my head to hide my smile. But his words also made me wonder what could it be that he wanted to talk to me about? He wasn't in favor of all that was going on.

'You guys didn't order anything yet?' Blake asked.

'So what did you want to talk about?' I asked Arthur while Sasha filled Blake up on how big a fan she was of their band.

He stared down at me for a second or two before turning to Blake and Sasha and giving Blake a look which only he could understand. Sasha and I exchanged a confused look. Blake gave Arthur the slightest nod possible before leaning down to Sasha and whispering something in her ear. Dumfounded and stunned by the proximity to the guy she had always fantasized about didn't help her form a reply. So she just nodded her head and let Blake tow her to wherever it was that he was taking her.

Arthur walked up and sat down in the place across from me in the booth where a while ago Sasha had been sitting. I still looked at him in confusion while he was all relaxed and poker-faced taking his own sweet time to settle down. I waited patiently. When he was finally done, he crossed his arms on the table and leaned forward. I did the same. 

'I am assuming that by now you must be totally aware of the job and the rules?'

I gave a nod.

'I just want to know- Are you willing to do it?'

I bit my lip. The toughest question. All day I was so lost in finding an answer to this question. But here I was, still without an answer. I shrugged, unsure.

'See, everyone seem to like you,' he began. 'Blake, Nolan, Noah, Valarie, John, Paul, including me apart from Marcus, of course.'

I bet I saw him nervously drop his lids when he included himself in the list of the people who liked me. Marcus' inexplicit hatred to me was evident the way he acted today at the interview. Every time I recalled that scene and the way he had acted I cursed myself for missing the chance to hit him.

'You are a nice girl,' he continued, 'probably the nicest of all I've come across. This job isn't meant for you. You deserve better.'

I was aware of that completely but still somehow I wasn't happy with or without this job. I knew there was a lot in his mind so I just waited for him to complete and for my turn to role.

'You are beautiful, you have a fun personality, why would you want to be someone's fake girlfriend when you can have a real boyfriend?'

I could just stare back at him. I would've asked him the same. I realized soon that he was waiting for an answer. It wasn't a rhetorical question, for the matter. 'Oh,' I began. 'I was just going to ask the same. How come a famous personality like you ended up for this option?'

'I think Valarie already filled you up on that,' he said and grinned.

I shrugged. 'She did. But I want real answers. The one she gave were too easy to see through. The boys can be fooled but not me.'

He gave me an indecisive stare while nibbling on his lower lip. His eyes narrowed as he did that. 'It's a secret,' he said finally.

I raised both my brows. I guess that's why I asked, I thought to myself. I didn't push further. I'd hate it if someone were to poke in to my private matter that way.

'Have you signed some other girl already?' I wanted to know.

He shook his head. 'But I have told Marcus that I am fine with whomever he'd choose.'

'And he will never choose me,' I muttered to myself, slightly disheartened.

'Better that way, ain't it?'

I smiled and nodded.  'So you never had a girlfriend?'I asked for a change. Also I didn't want to miss the chance of talking to a celebrity while I was getting one. Missing it would be such a waste.

His eyes had been wandering around the diner for this while till I voiced the question. They landed upon me soon after I asked my question. He nodded. 'I had one.'

My eyes lit up. I sat up straight finally getting some interest in the evening. My curiosity seemed to have amused him since he looked astonished and amused all at once. He chuckled. 'Well, it was way before I turned up to audition for Britain's Got Talent. She was from my school. But then- what?'

I guess he might've caught up on my puzzled look. 'So you got your fame from BGT?'

He nodded, slightly confused himself. 'Why?'

'Because Sasha told me that you actually were the top fifth and the youngest finalist of the British Idol.'

He chuckled again. 'She is quite a fan, ain't she?' he cleared his throat and sitting back a little he answered, 'Uh, yeah, well I was chucked out of Britain's Got Talent in the first episode with the comment-' he made quotations in the air- 'you need to hone your skills. You have a bright future.'

I laughed. 'Everybody gets that.'

He shrugged. 'I guess. But the worst pain was that I had stayed up all night just to get the notes right. And I was chucked out with "hone your skills".'

'And so you decided to avenge and you became one of the youngest talent?' I asked, trying to make him feel better. 'Or should I say the youngest talent?'

He chuckled blushing. 'Actually, I decided to murder them.'

I laughed a little too loud. He was startled at first by my sudden outburst but then he joined in. It was really euphonious, his laughter I mean. Just too pure and mellifluous. 'Then why didn't you?' I asked playing along.

He shrugged, grinning.

'Could've saved many lives.' I stated.

He chuckled.

'Who broke up?'

He understood instantly. He looked down, suddenly interested in the table cloth. 'I did. I didn't want her to keep waiting. It wasn't fair to her.'

He just had to say that and my insides melted. I was truly touched. Did they really have to be so good? I waited for him to complete as I realized there was more and also I had nothing to say other than the most hated- awe!

'Well, when I returned home, she was already committed to someone else and had moved on,' he shrugged and added, 'so I did the same.'

When he looked up at me, I gave him a sympathetic smile. He smiled back but having taken my sympathy.  'You did the right thing,' I said, placing my hand on his and giving it a gentle squeeze before removing it. His muscles seemed to have tensed at the contact but he relaxed soon.

'I still tell myself that,' he said.

'You still miss her.' It wasn't a question, just an assumption.

'She was the first girl I ever fell for.'

I didn't want this to happen but I just couldn't help it. I sat back and said, 'awe!'

He blushed, smiling. He looked down at the table in front of us and frowned. 'Weren't we supposed to order something?'

I laughed. 'Where are Blake and Sasha?'

The voice came from the booth behind Arthur's back. 'Here,' Blake's said raising his hand and wriggling his fingers at us.

'You can come back guys,' I said.

'What do you want?' I asked Arthur when Sasha and Blake joined us. 'We can get you.'

'Oh, no,' Arthur said, appalled as if I had just mentioned the name of a horror movie to a five year old. 'You are the ladies. Order it and we'll serve you.'

'We don't have fans who'll yell and ask for autographs,' I replied, huffing out a laugh.

'She's got a point there,' Blake said.

I smiled at him in acknowledgement.

Arthur rolled his eyes