A big change

About a month later, on one warm, starry night, me and Chloë were sitting together on a secluded hill, holding hands, her head resting on my shoulder, admiring the view and listening to music. “Dave?” – she said. “What?” – I asked, no idea what to expect. “I know this is probably going to sound really weird, but…I want to show you off!” – she said the second half of the sentence really quickly, as if embarrassed. “You want to make our relationship public?” – I asked, surprised. I had wanted this from the start, but had respected her desire to stay private as a high-profile celebrity. This was a bit strange. She lifted her head up and turned to face me. “Yes, yes I do. I just can’t hold back any longer, I want everyone in the world to know that I’m dating someone as amazing as you!” A familiar tingly warmth spread through my body. Hearing her talk about me like that made me feel just as amazing as it did the first time. I looked deep into her beautiful eyes, visible clear as day in the bright starlight, and then said, putting my hand gently on her shoulder: “I don’t mind at all. In fact, I’ve wanted to do the same for a while now.” She smiled sweetly and kissed me. “I love you” – she said. “I love you too” – I replied, gently brushing her hair out of her face before pulling her into a warm embrace.

When we woke the next morning in our sleeping bags on the grass, I remembered the conversation we’d had the previous night. “So, Chloë, you were saying you wanted us to go public. Do you want to go to an event with me or just on a date in public?” Chloë looked up at me and said: “Oh, Dave, don’t you remember, there’s a big award show next week!” My stomach churned in a strange way. On one hand, I was excited, but on the other, I was absolutely terrified. “Wow…didn’t know you meant “everyone in the world” this literally” – I laughed. Chloë smiled and nodded. “Yes, that’s exactly what I meant. I know you have a nice suit. Just wear that, and it’ll be fine. I’ll warn them right now about my plus one.” She winked with the last words and then called the event organizers to tell them about me.

This was a big jump. From keeping our relationship a secret to showing potentially millions of people. But it wasn’t a step I wasn’t ready to take for her.