I eyed the reporters outside the restaurant as I approached it, acknowledging that someone must have tipped them off for so many reporters and camera men to be outside of a random restaurant in Hollywood. They seemed to be taking photos, and I wondered of what, but when I was close enough I recognised the shape of my ‘girlfriend’, her short black dress showing enough cleavage to almost be indecent exposure, and she had her hand up as she spoke to the reporters, as if showing off a bracelet or a ring. She spoke with a smile on her bright red lips, her bleached hair was down and straight.

I straightened my jacket as I approached, aware that I wasn’t as dressed up as the woman I was walking towards. As I approached some of the crowd noticed and whooped, seemingly excited at my arrival. I smiled and waved to them, as I always did.

Claudia waved me over to her, as she stood just in front of the large doors of the entrance. I had expected her to take my hand and to pull me into the establishment, however the second I was close enough, she was all over me, her hand around my waist and her body pressed against my side. She whispered a hello in my ear and gave the cameras another smile before pressing her lips to mine and forcing me into an open mouthed kiss.

As soon as she stopped her assault on my poor lips, I grabbed her hand and led her into the restaurant. The woman who greeted us led us to a small door, where we were lead to a private table, a table which would seat four, but was set for two. The table was covered by a white cloth, expensive looking cutlery and glasses set out for us. The private room was one of the reasons I liked it here, we didn’t have to act like a couple as we ate, with no fear of cameras destroying what small privacies we had left whenever we were out in public together.

I wondered what to start with, but all thoughts were wiped from my mind we sat down and I saw the diamond ring on her left ring finger. I calmed myself until the girl had left and when we were alone I met her eyes.

‘Uh, so please explain to me why the press thinks that we are engaged? Also, what the hell is on your hand?’ I said, probably a bit harsher than I had intended, but she didn’t seem to be fazed by that.

She smiled at me casually, ‘We are engaged.’

She said the words so casually that I couldn’t help but gawk at her. ‘Did I get into some car accident I was unaware of, and now I am suffering from a very specific form of brain damage?’

‘What?’ she asked confused.

‘Well, I somehow, don’t remember actually asking you to marry me!’

Her composure remained and she stood, ‘I am going to the restroom, I will explain soon.’

This is ridiculous! Maybe I have been drugged?

Yes! Maybe I am hallucinating and this is not really happening!

Urg.

This is real.

I tapped my fingers nervously against the table as I waited for her to get back.

Why does Claudia think we are engaged?

I was pulled from my thoughts as she came back into the room and took a seat.

‘Please, for the love of god, EXPLAIN THIS!’ I asked of her and she looked at me like was crazy.

‘Come on Ryan, I just sat down, can’t I explain while we eat?’ She asked casually, her eyes searching the menu in front of her.

I ripped the menu from her hands and placed it on the table next to me.

‘No Claudia, explain now.’

‘Fine,’ she huffed and leaned towards me, ‘Well, a lot has been happening, I’m not sure where to start.’

‘Start from the beginning,’ I told her, and was prepared for the best explanation of my life, or my slapping hand was going to be getting a workout.

‘Ok, so you know how I told you that accepted the Australian job?’

‘Yes.’

‘Well the day after I had a doctor’s appointment.’

‘Are you ok?’ I asked her, as much as I was confused and pissed at her, I still hoped that she was alright.

‘I’m pregnant!’ she smiled at me.

WHAT!? She is a good person, but would not make the best mother!

‘You- Your what?’

‘Not me, WE, are having a baby!’ She smiled, one hand over her slim belly.

Well, that can’t be right, since I am one hundred percent sure that I have never slept with her.

‘I think that two people need to have sex for that to happen.’

She just laughed, ‘Obviously the baby is Zach’s, but anyway, so I told mine and your managers about it that day and they came up with a plan. We are engaged, we will tell the press about our bundle of joy, then we will get married and raise our child. Both of our careers will SOAR because of this!’ she exclaimed.

Uh what!? NO WAY!

She expects me to marry her and raise her and Zach’s child as my own!?

‘Claudia, I-’ suddenly a waiter came into the room and took our orders.

I ordered something random from the list and some drink with a high alcohol content.

The second he was gone I continued.

‘Claudia, I can’t do this.’

‘Do what? Have lunch? Why?’

‘NOT HAVE LUNCH!’

‘There’s no need to yell,’ she said calmly and I slapped my face with my palm. This is ridiculous.

I calmed my voice, ‘Claudia, I can’t marry you and raise someone else’s child.’

‘Why not?’ she asked me, a little bit of panic and a little bit of anger in her tone.

‘Why not? Because that’s unspeakable, it’s just wrong. Does Zach even know?’

‘Of course he knows.’

‘And he doesn’t care that you want someone else to raise his baby?’ I doubted that even Zach would do that, he loved Claudia, and he was a good person underneath all that other stuff.

She looked down at her lap and I knew that I was right, he did want to raise the baby.

‘It doesn’t matter what he wants.’

I grabbed her hands and held them gently in my own. She brought her eyes up to mine as I spoke to her.

‘Claudia, the reason I asked you to lunch today, was to tell you that I am in love with someone else, and I want to stop our relationship. Let’s just do that, and you can raise your baby with Zach, be happy, get clean, and I will go my own way and be happy.’

She got an angry look in her eye.

‘Love and happiness!? You really are as naive as a child Ryan.’ She barked out at me and I dropped her hands in surprise. ‘We are the golden couple Ryan! Our careers are at the top! We can become the ideal Hollywood family, our child would be a star! A star Ryan!’ she was so excited at the prospect of the ideal family in Hollywood that she neglected everyone else’s feelings, specifically mine.

Who was this woman? This wasn’t the friend that I trusted, this wasn’t the girl who I laughed with and gossiped with. This was a crazy woman.

‘It’s not my child, and I can’t live a lie like that. I am in love with someone else, and I want to be with him, love him, and raise babies with HIM.’

She looked shocked, the emotion clear on her tanned features.

‘You’re GAY?!’

‘Yes, and I am going to go public with it in just less than two weeks.’

‘No you are not!’ She spoke fiercely and harshly.

‘I thought that our friendship meant more than this, I thought that you were a better person. Claudia, Zach loves you, you two can get married, have a real, loving marriage, and raise your child.’

Her next words hit me like a sword to my skin. They were fierce and sure. Strong and purposeful, and I didn’t doubt that she meant what she threatened.

‘We will get married and raise this child. If you refuse then I will destroy you. I will go to the press, a crying, broken, mess of a woman, and tell them all that you got me pregnant and left me, that you abandoned me and our unborn child for an awful man who threatened my life if I tried to contact you. I don’t care who he is, I will find him and destroy him. I will tell them all that you both threatened to have the child taken from me and that you beat me during our relationship. They will all believe me. Your career, ruined. Your friendships, gone. Your fans will hate you. Your boyfriend, it will all get to be too much and he will leave you. You will be all alone. Just like when your parents died and your brother left. All alone, hated by the entire world. You will never sing again. So think about that Ryan, just think about how much your brother will hate you, think about how much your boyfriend will resent you.’

I felt the tears fall down my face as I heard her words.

The hatred and determination in her eyes scared me to my core as I imagined it.

The entire world will hate me.

My brother will hate me.

I would never sing again.

I would be labelled an abandoner, a woman beater, a cheater, a monster.

Max would never act again.

And the worst of them all, Max would leave me.

‘So we are going to have a nice lunch, then walk out of this restaurant as happy as ever, show off my ring and then we will tell the world that the golden couple is about to have a golden baby. Okay?’ She smiled her fake smile.

‘Okay.’