ELARA~
Mejira was a beautiful country. I knew because of the pictures I'd seen online but words couldn't explain the feeling of seeing this in person.
I was grinning my life out while the driver toured round the city but then I noticed Isla's stare and my smile vanished like the wind.
The flight here was dead quiet as Isla put on her headphones and I was too pissed to tell her to take it off.
I wasn't attention seeking too. We got to the capital of Mejira, vedji after about 4-5 hours.
And from the airport I was already in love. Their culture was one I could never get tired of exploring, and I loved their accent too.
Which was hard to understand though.
Isla had guards, a driver and cars waiting when we arrived and it made me wonder when she had made all this calls.
The driver pulled to a stop at an aquarium, said to be one of the biggest in the world.
"Want to take a look?"
I nodded. She opened her side of the door and I grabbed her hand.
"I need a disguise"
"No you don't. Now come out, we have a lot to do today."
She was out of the car with the last word said and the door shut close.
What?!!! I was a popstar and she wanted me to walk into a crowded place without a disguise.
After about a minute my door opened. And I moved to the other side of the car quickly.
"What's keeping you?" She bent down and asked. I knew she was crazy, what I didn't know was how crazy she was.
"You know I can't step out like that right? Incase you forgot, I'm Lara J."
"I told you I was taking you somewhere controlled. Don't you trust me"
"I don't".
"Exactly "
"Exactly what?" I rose a brow "People hate me because of mere speculations and I don't mind if you do, but do not risk my life like this"
She heaved a sigh and sat back in. "Heyyy, Bruno is it?" The driver turned to her.
"Yes" he answered.
"Excuse us for a bit" she handed him her credit card "Y'all be back in thirty but be on your phone too" she added and out he went.
She looked at her wrist watch then finally at me. I expected her to say something, anything but she didn't she just sat there staring.
I leaned back on the chair and closed my eyes. She was insane. Yes, fucking Insane.
"Clearly, you can't exist without being Lara J for a day"
She spoke finally and I tried to comprehend what she meant but couldn't.
"What?" I tilted my head just enough so I could see her.
"I brought you out because you're spiraling and I need you functional for court"
"You're one to talk, managers don't seat all day doing nothing"
"You wouldn't be 2500 miles away from home if I did nothing."
"You're sponsoring all this?" I asked surprised.
"You don't think a manger can be this wealthy?"
"No, no I..." Truth be told yes, I couldn't imagine even in my wildest dreams that a manager owned a private jet, or was it rented. That still didn't matter.
She must be lying to me.
"Cat cut your tongue, Ms. Jones?"
"Shut up" I said with the row of my eyes. We sat quiet for about a minute or two then she asked.
"I'm starving. Are you?"
I looked at her. "You're going to make me come out again aren't you?"
"Yes" she took out her phone and dialled a number.
If she was this rich, then it can't be because she cleaned up celebrity messes as a manager.
Her work didn't even make the slightest sense. Weren't all managers able to take care of situations like mine.
Why really was she called the Fixer?. Bruno was back in two minutes and we were on our way again.
We stopped at a restaurant where I was hesistant at first but finally got down.
The feeling was different, strange. Maybe because there was no one screaming my name, or no flash lights and cameras.
And to my greatest surprise, no one looked at me twice.
We walked in and took a table somewhere to the left. I didn't like how much I noticed, but still not a single person paid me any freaking attention.
It didn't make sense, and it didn't sit right with me. Her doing? No couldn't be. They all seemed to be just eating and having harmless conversations.
"You look tense, ease up a bit" I looked at Isla who was already going through the menu.
"Easy for you to say, what if someone recognizes me?"
"You're not crowded... Besides people here tend to bury themselves in work. No one has time to listen to you singing about, love, heartbreak, friendship and whatever else you sing about"
"You listened to my songs?" I asked a little excited for no freaking reason.
"Yes, I'm your manager ain't I" the waiter came around and she ordered then looked up, catching me staring at her instead of the menu.
"What would you like miss?" The waiter asked.
"Ehhh I..." I picked up the menu and glanced through it and after a while I placed my order.
"You don't like not being seen," she said shortly after.
I frowned. "That's not true."
"You noticed no one recognized you within thirty seconds of stepping in and your temperament changed."
I didn't respond because she wasn't wrong.
"I spent years trying to get here," I said quietly. "To be seen"
"And now?" I stared at her.
"Now I don't know if I want to be." She nodded once, like that made perfect sense.
For the first time since I met her she didn't have a comeback for me.
Our food arrived soon enough and I began to dig in. I noticed from the way she held her cutlery she may have grown up in a prestige home or school.
Well I knew her inside too and she didn't eat like a responsible person.
"What is it you enjoy about my face?" She asked looking up.
"I wasn't looking at you" I looked at my food embarrassed that she noticed.
"Pretty sure you were"
"Table manners? Ever heard of it?" Sbe chucked and the sound made me go rigid for a few seconds.
'Do not look at her Elara. That wasn't her. It was just your imagination'.
I was beginning to relax when I heard a familiar laughter from somewhere behind us.
My hand stilled halfway to my mouth, I wanted to turn back to see who it was, but at the same time a sudden fear made me stop.
"Drink" Isla's voice cut through my thought.
"What?" I questioned.
"You've been holding that position for about 10 seconds." She answered.
I lowered the cup in my hand and shook my head only to hear the laughter again
"Hey-" I now heard a male voice, he wasn't so far from us too.
"Thats-" I swallowed did he recognize me?
"Don't turn." Isla's said. My eyes snapped to her. She hadn't looked up, she was still calm, eating like this wasn't worth handling.
My fingers tightened on my fork as he said "That's Lara J, right?" He sounded unsure as if wanting someone to back up his claims and Isla still kept on eating.
"The fuck, that's Lara J" he sounded a bit sure now. I looked at him, bad idea. He already had his phone out, I looked back at Isla who was still eating.
This was my end. I wasn't done with one problem and she created another. Way to go manager of the year.
What would the headline be. 'Pop star Lara J caught amid scandal on a date with her hot manager'.
Date? Hot?
Was this a freaking date?. No Elara. This is a dinner with your manager.
And Hot? I looked at her. She definitely was hot, there was no denying that.
Come to think of it, I was the crazy one here. How could I be thinking about all this now.
I looked at Isla. 'Do something'