"Maddy! What should we expect from the next collection?"
"Maddy! How's Matt?"
"Is he just using you to get over Kate?"
"Smile for the camera, Maddy!"
I breathe a sigh of relief as I reach the door to my building, quickly closing the door on the mob of paparazzi and the flashes of light behind me. The receptionist at the front desk gives me a sympathetic smile as I walk past her desk to the glass elevator to her right. This is the second day I've been followed to work by paparazzi this week, and it's been two days too many.
The elevator opens to my spacious lobby. One of the younger designers struts up to me, a magazine in her hand. "I'm afraid I've found another one. 'After breaking up with actress Kate Hudson in June, Muse frontman Matthew Bellamy was seen with not just any new girl, but fashion designer Maddy Pensuri.'" She reads. "Well it's official, you're kind of famous now."
"Fantastic." I groan sarcastically. "I'll see you in the designroom. I have to talk to Adam and Daphne for a minute." Storming to my office, I motion for Daphne and Adam, who were conveniently talking to each other in Adam's office, to follow me.
"What's up?" Daphne asks, sitting down on a couch next to Adam. Placing my bags down beside my desk, I walk over to the wide window behind it and pull open the gold drapes. The window reveals a crowd of photographers standing on the sidewalk outside the building.
Crossing my arms and turning my head toward them, I say, "This. They've been following me everywhere, constantly shouting at me. 'Maddy! Maddy!' It's only been two days and I can't stand it. The sad thing is there's nothing I can do about it. Everyone already knows who I am."
Adam removes his square glasses and carefully cleans them one his cashmere sweater. "I know, dear. But just think of it! You're a celebrity now. That's kind of awesome."
"But everyone's going to give me credit for everything when you guys have helped me with everything. And on top of that, they've discovered me through Matt. Just imagine the crap they're going to make up. That's how he and Gaia broke up." I rant, pacing around the room.
Daphne and Adam exchange stressed looks. "Well," Daphne begins. "You are the one who started this line and are the driving force behind it. You run the whole entire company. Personally, I don't mind you getting the credit, as long as it doesn't go to your head, my dear." She says with a wink. "Just think how it'll help the line, too. And the whole Matt thing, you guys really love each other. I don't think you're going to let the tabloids get in the way of your relationship."
"I guess you're right."
"I know she's right." Adam interjects. "You can handle this. You're Maddy Pensuri. You can do anything."
As I walk to my car after work, I'm lucky enough not to be followed. Unfortunately, that luck didn't last very long. "Maddy, are you dating Matt to promote your line?"
"No." I answer coldly. "Of course not." I make an attempt to move past them into the parking garage. I'm followed by shouting and questions until I make it to my car. "I'm gonna need a bodyguard soon." I mutter to myself sarcastically as I slam my car door shut.
The phone rings as I walk through the door of my house. "Hello?"
"Hey, love! How was your day?" Matt's cheery voice brings a smile to my face, something I desperately needed today.
"Well, I was followed to and from work by paparazzi, but other than that it was pretty good." I tell him as I wander about my house.
"I've been followed by them too. Have they been giving you a hard time?"
"They've just been attacking me with questions and taking my picture all the time." Matt says nothing for a few seconds. "You know I didn't want this."
"I know you didn't, babe, and I'm sorry. This is all my fault." I'm immediately filled will guilt from the amount of sadness and shame in Matt's voice.
Glancing at tabloid picture of Matt and I that my parents sent in the mail, I couldn't help to notice how happy I looked. I'm hand in hand with Matt and we're gazing in each other's eyes, all while walking through the busy streets of London. I realize how awful and selfish I'm being, putting my privacy above Matt. Promising myself I'll tolerate as many paparazzi as it takes to be with Matt, I say, "No, it's not your fault. They'd find out about us eventually. I'm surprised they made such a big deal out of it though."
"Me too, but a lot of them have been asking about one thing. Kate."
What has become quite normal, I'm followed by paparazzi to the supermarket that Saturday. I receive confused and starstruck looks from shoppers as I enter the market. "Hey, Maddy! If Matt ever doesn't want you anymore, I'll take you." A young man holding a box of pasta shouts at me as I timidly push my cart to the produce section.
As I reach for an apple, I hear a familiar voice from behind me. "Well, if it isn't Maddy Pensuri. How wonderful it is to see you again." The tone of Kate's voice couldn't have been more sarcastic.
"Kate Hudson! How've you been?" I exclaim cheerfully, pretending to ignore her harshness.
"Oh, I've just been wonderful after being dumped by a guy I really liked because of a little whore like you." If I had no self control, I probably would've started arguing with her right in the middle of the supermarket. However, I realize if do argue with her, my reputation will be ruined.
"Please, Kate," I say, remaining calm and mature. "First of all, I think we both know that you and Matt were having problems even before he met me. Second, I'm the whore, Kate? I'm sorry, how many guys have you dated? I feel so bad for your son. He must be so confused that Mommy constantly has a new friend." Kate glares at me, her face turning a deep red. "What are you doing in London anyway?"
She pauses for a moment, staring down at her feet. As she looks back up, her face expressionless and unreadable, she says, "Nothing." Abruptly, she storms off, leaving me confused in the middle produce section.
Almost immediately after Kate leaves my sight, my cell phone rings. I frantically search through my purse, finally finding the phone at the very bottom of the bag. "Hello?"
"Hi, love."
"Hey! What's up?"
"Are you going to watch the AMAs tonight?" My reaching arm freezes in the air as I remember the boys are up for an award tonight. I promised last week I would find a way to watch it from London.
"Yeah, of course!" Realizing tonight is going to be a late night, I buy a few bags of coffee. "I have a feeling you guys are gonna win this one."
"No we won't." He chuckles modestly.
"Yes you will." As I push my cart over to the checkout counter, I see a little blonde head with a phone to her ear leaving the store. "I have to go babe, you guys have fun tonight." After Matt bids his farewell and I pay for my things, I quickly leave the store trying to catch up with Kate. I stand in the busy parking lot to find she's nowhere to be seen.
"God what is this, the Bieber Awards?" I shout to Meghan through the phone as Justin Bieber wins yet another award. I seriously can't stand this kid. She, I mean, he sounds like a little girl and really needs to get his neck checked for muscle spasms. I swear, this kid's going to break his neck one day from flipping his hair.
As Usher begins dancing and horribly singing after Biebs's win, Meghan replies, "Oh hell no. It better not be. If it is, I'm turning this shit off." We continue to watch Usher's performance, making sarcastic comments.
I nearly fall off my couch when Avril Lavigne and Mike Posner begin to announce the nominees for Favorite Alternative Artist. As Uprising starts to play along with clips from the video, Meghan and I begin screaming and cheering. "Here it comes." I laugh as I realize I'm trembling with nervous excitement. "Oh my god, I'm shaking." Meghan giggles from the other line.
"And the American Music Award goes to…" Avril begins, showing the card to Mike.
"JUSTIN BIEBER?" Meghan shouts. "Damn that kid." I shush Meghan, not wanting to miss the announcement.
"Muse!" Even though she says their name almost as a question, I jump up from the couch and join Meghan's loud cheering. Matt and Dom get up from their seats, followed by not Chris, but Tom causing Meghan and I to break out in hysteric giggles.
"Yes! Go Muse! We love you!" I scream at my computer screen as the guys walk up to the podium. Matt and Dom thank the fans for voting and say how happy they are to be there… Then Tom walks up.
"I'd like to thank, uh, Charles Darwin. Here's to you, Charles." He says, leaning into microphone.
"Tom," I sigh. "How I love you."
"And we'd like to thank Maddy Pensuri, too." He says with a quick wink at the camera. As they walk off, Matt shakes his head at Tom, unable to believe what his friend just did.
"Oh god, Tom…" I sigh before my phone starts beeping, indicating an incoming call. "Meghan someone's trying to call in, I'll call you back later." I switch from Meghan's line to that of the other caller. "Hello?"
"We won!" Dom shouts into the phone.
"I know! Congrats, you guys! Tell Tom that, my Darwin, he's adorable." Dom chuckles then shouts something to Tom followed by laughter. "I can't believe he thanked me."
"Y'know, we were just doing a little advertising and helping out your upcoming collection."
"Why thank you. I wish I could've been there with you guys."
"The paparazzi would've attacked you! They wouldn't stop asking Matt about you. Tom told one reporter you'd died. He and I started making up stories about things that 'happened' to you. Don't be surprised if you see that you've survived a shark attack or quit fashion to pursue your dream as a circus performer."
"Actually, I'm quitting to be a magician-slash-tennis player."
After a fit of giggles, Dom says, "Slash-librarian. Well we have to go take pictures with the award now. Matt sends his love."
"Give him a kiss for me since I know you'd enjoy it." Dom scoffs dramatically.
"Oh I'm sure I will." He says sarcastically. " Bye, Mads."
"Goodbye Dominic, dear!" I hang up the phone and leave the stream of the award show, since the following acts and awards aren't worth watching. Before turning off my computer, I decide to check my email. On the news feed of my email homepage, a picture of a distraught Kate Hudson is underneath a headline reading, "Maddy Stole Matt from Me."