so hold me closer in the night

rick rolled his eyes slightly when he saw her hesitate, it wasn’t an exaggeration to say that they were mere seconds away from being mulled by this crowd and she was weighing her options. once she had taken his hand, he set off down the block, initially followed by no-one given the suddenness of their departure. it seemed they got away just in time, her arrival making the whole ruse quickly dissolve meaning that the paparazzi were just about to turn up. they dipped around the corner just as their vans turned up and rick pulled open the back door of car quickly for imelda before any of the fans could catch up either, running around the car to get in the other side straight after.

although she may not have realised it when standing in front of him, she would have no doubt have noticed his broad grin aimed in her direction when she turned back to stand by him. he didn’t mind, it wasn’t as if he had been particularly subtle in their interactions so far, he hadn’t scared her off so far. was a dramatic last strum their big performance came to an end, from the smile on her face he could only class it as a succes. “ that is a probably a good idea, ” he agreed, not only the crowd now having grown but the majority knew exactly who they had lucked into seeing perform. “ i’ve got a car waiting around the corner, you ready for a little running ?” he asked, holding out his hand as he thanked the crowd, tourists already starting to close him, phones held up for pictures.

she raised her eyebrow at him, glancing down at his hand. she didn’t want to give anyone the wrong impression by taking it, but she knew it was the only way she’d be able to make it out of the circle successfully. “this is going to count as my exercise for the day.” she took his hand anyway, using her free hand to wave politely at the nearing fans. “thank you, so much! that was fun.” she smiled widely before squeezing rick’s hand, letting him know that now was the time to go.

“don’t worry, the only shit i leak is my own.” she admitted, letting out a small laugh. “but that’s like, once a year, when i want to give my fans a little sneak of whats to come.” she told her, not sure why she was laying her business out there. “i don’t think i need anything at the moment, my album is all set, but i will hold you to this moment when i am having a crisis.” she answered, feeling somewhat stupid for not even attempting to get advice from such a developed singer and songwriter like imelda. “but like, if you wanted to go get lunch or something, i’d be down.” 

she raised her eyebrow at the younger girl, somewhat relieved and shocked that she didn’t want to ask for any feedback from imelda. her ego wasn’t that big, it’s just smart to get advice from people who were more experienced and achieved. “i suppose... i could eat. i have been in the studio all day, and i’m sure my skin needs a little sunlight.” she shrugged her shoulders before grabbing her bag, already texting her assistant to come for her things and finish everything up here. “as long as it doesn’t take too long. i have things to do later.”

“ ah don’t say it like that, at least pretend like you want to perform with me, ” he replied, feigning hurt for a second before breaking into the signature oohs at the start of song, making a little bit of a fool out of himself to make her feel more comfortable, he did actually want her to not feel obliged to do this. by the time she began singing he lost any worry that she felt put on the spot, at least she showed no signs of not being comfortable then. he let her take the drivers seat, happy to sit back and back her, eyes darting between her and the crowd that seemed to have already doubled in size. as they came to the chorus he began to sing along though barely as an accompaniment but in the same vein as the crowd were joining in, singing along to one of their favourite songs. 

imelda continued to sing as she danced along with the crowd, even more memories of her youth flooding her senses. she was starting to remember one particular day, when instead of yelling at her, her father decided to join in with her dancing, letting her stand on his feet as he moved about. it was one of her fondest memories of being with her dad, and the last time she truly felt a deep connection to him. as the song ended she made her way back to rick, the smile still on her face as she nudged him and winked as she said her last line. “but rumor has it he’s the one im leaving you for.” she couldn’t help but giggle as the crowd clapped and she took a small bow, feeling genuine excitement for the first time in a while. she leaned in and whispered to him. “that wasn’t so bad. but maybe we should go before more people show up?”

when rick and his team had thought up the idea they had been going far more for the sentimental factor then feeding into anything quite as conceited as she made it out to be. then again, as much as he used to do this for money, it was also the only way then for him to gain any recognition for his music. he didn’t need to trawl for that on the streets anymore but wasn’t the tours they did the same concept. “ the point is going to be more about the difference between now and when i used to do this back in the day, we didn’t mean to catch quite so many admirers like you along the way, ” he explained, not one to miss an opportunity to tease. “ i think i owe them an encore at least, ” only then noticing he still had a substantial crowd gathered. “ how about we bless them with an imedla original? ” he suggested, already strumming a few of the chords to one of her more well known songs which caused a stir among the crowds.

she mulled his idea over in her head, imagining what his music video would look like. “i like it. i mean, just hearing you play made me feel nostalgic.” even if imelda wanted to deny him, with all eyes on the two there was no way she could get away with saying no without more rumors of her being difficult to work with flooding the internet. “okay, i dont see how i can say no, huh?” she moved further into the circle, standing behind him. when he started playing the chords she started clapping her hands, getting the audience to clap with her. “she, she ain’t real. she ain’t gone be able to love ya like i will. she is a stranger, you and i have history or dont you remember. sure, she’s got it all, but baby is that really want you want?” she winked at him before moving to dance along with the crowd. “bless your soul, you’ve got your head in the clouds, she made a fool out of you, and boy she’s bringing ya down, she made your heart melt but you’re cold to the core, now rumor has it she aint got your love anymore.” imelda was known for being reserved and stand-offish, but when she was singing her songs, whether on stage or, apparently, on the street, it always helped let her go.

rick was feeling pretty smug that that move had worked, something he wasn’t entirely sure he had kept off his features, it was definitely the most happy he had been over a single dollar in awhile. “ very good, ” he corrected playfully. “ check over there, ” he pointed out, leaning over her shoulder to point out the camera behind them, “ don’t worry, i won’t make you my video vixen. ”

“you couldn’t afford me. even with that dollar.” she smirked, tilting her head. would she have minded being in his video? not at all, especially since she’s been in music videos before for other artists. “so, filming unsuspecting people admiring your music. it’s a bit... narcissistic, que no? even by my standards.” imelda knew that at times she could be... a diva. she knew her worth and she knew her impact, she didnt get the grammys on her shelf by being average. “are you done filming yet?”

he shrugged, “i mean, i guess you’re right,” he said, his eyes narrowing in thought. “i guess i can try to tell her. yeah, but without management telling me what to do, i wouldn’t know how to like get my music out there,” he said, “but you’re right, i’ll try talking to her,” he said, before hesitating slightly, “thanks.”

she noted his hesitation and a part of her wondered if she should try to be nicer. she knew that imelda was a lot more... forward than most artists, and her attitude can be a little intimidating. “don’t mention it. it’s not your fault, you’re just trying not to step on any toes, but you should know that you’re the star, not them.”

ON April 27th, 2018...

a ten-second ad containing just this snapcode shown above played on various television networks across the nation. With no sound and nothing else to help viewers determine what the snapcode could link to, it was little eerie. A lot of people took to twitter to express their concern over the advert, stating that it was a ploy made by the Russians to hack those brave enough to scan the snapcode, but after a few minutes one fan made a remarkable discovery.

          to be completely candid, he’d seen far less interesting things than her leggings but he kept that much to himself and offered a half shrug. “ you never know when the next celebrity meltdown could be. those leggings look very innocent right now, but who’s to say you’re not gonna walk out of here and hurl a juice at someone? ” he joked. he jerked his bag as it started to slide down his arm. “ there’s a back way out, ” he added, a trailing afterthought. “ though if your car is here, sorry to say it’s not going anywhere for a while. ”

“i’m sure if i was to hurl a juice at anyone, it would be the people in this building.” she made a face at the idea of being stuck in this gym longer than she needed to be. “do you have any suggestions? i can leave my car here and get someone to pick it up, but i don’t want to be here anymore. did all my yoga for the day, and the paps are really ruining my zen time.” she was joking, rolling her eyes before she glanced out the doors again. 

“that’s easier said than done,” he said with a shake of his head. “i’m honestly not good with talking to authority like that,” he shrugged. his parents had always taught him to not talk back to anyone who was in a position of authority and, even though he was technically in charge, he always viewed her as more of an authority than him. “i guess, but maybe they’re better at running my life than i am, i’ve gotten this far on being told what to do.”

“it’s not like you’re talking back to cops, you’re talking to the people who you pay.” she rolled her eyes, continuing her walk. “you earn the money that pays their bills, as far as your concerned, you’re the authority here.” she shook her head at his last comment. “you got this far on your music. they’ve helped, but ultimately it’s your music that fans like, not your management. besides, i’m not telling you to go crazy, just tell them the gym isn’t for you.”

genesis was a big fan of imelda, her music always seemed to touch the spot, so she could understand why she was having second thoughts on the song. “i think people would love this side of you, something different from what they’d usually expect.” she told her. “the lyrics are still deep as fuck, so you’re not steering away from your roots.” 

imelda nodded slowly, thinking about it. she was still a little hesitant to do it, something about going off her normal path being a little frightening for her, but she supposed there wasn’t any harm in trying new things. “true, you have a point. remember, you signed an NDA and i find this leaked to the internet, i know exactly where to go.” imelda smiled wide at the other girl, a small hint of a joke on her lips. she saved the song “send my love (to your new lover)” and closed her laptop. “is there anything that you wanted to show me? so that i can return the favor.”

rick was making no attempt to hide who he was which was causing more than one double take from the passing crowds. by now he was more than sure they had gotten enough footage but he felt like he could be out here all day if he had the time. it took him back to when he was just starting out, when it was just him and his guitar and his tiny home studio. he was even currently jamming out to a song off his very first ep. back then it was only about the music, he missed that. ‘everywhere I go, you know I’m solid. I guess you wouldn’t know nothing ‘bout it’ he finished, only playing real attention to the crowd again as he sung the last notes out, bowing as the small group he had accumulated clapped, only then noticing a familiar face in the crowd. “ it seems i forgot my hat, you’re gonna have to tip a little untraditionally, ” he said, cheekily lifting his shirt to show his waistband.

Imelda rolled her eyes, but she was never one to back down from a challenge. she took a step forward and slipped the dollar bill into his waistband, her fingertips brushing against his abs. “You should be a full time actor if this is the end result.” she pulled her hand away, slipping them into her jacket pocket. “last i heard your sales were doing good, what are you doing out here?” 

“i don’t see how it’s taunting and, honestly, i wouldn’t be here if i didn’t have to be. it’s not my fault my manager thinks i need to work out,” he said with a shrug of his shoulders, setting the ice cream back into his backpack and crossing his arms over his chest, starting to feel guilty. “it’s not taunting.”

“then tell your manager to get over themselves. you’re the talent, not them.” imelda shrugged her shoulders, picking up the pace on her walk. she never would think of herself as a diva, or bitchy, but one thing she never let happen was her managers tell her how to run her life. they can encourage that she go out and get papped, but they could never control her going to the gym or being in a fake relationship. “if you let them tell you how to live your life now, then they’ll always run your life.”

‘I got my money up, these women all down, as soon as I touch down in they city man, they all coming out’ rick strummed, for once it was nothing but him and his guitar, just like when he had first started. and just like when he first started, he was out on hollywood boulevard, the only difference was there no old panama hat in front of him to collect the odd dollar. he was out here filming a video, these images contrasting with old footage of him busking, but with the cameras hidden out of view he either looked like any other street performer or a confusing site for anyone that knew him.

Imelda had been walking by, her shades being the only disguise she wore as she walked out on the streets. unlike most celebrities, imelda always loved listening to street performers. it reminded her of when she was younger and in mexico, when her dad took her into town when he was going to sell fruit. she would always wander away and follow the music. she remembered being yelled at by her father for running off, but she always thought it was worth it to experience real, raw music. even now, she was heading towards the sound of the guitar, and for a second she could almost hear her dad’s name calling her to come back. when she noticed it was rick she walked closer, standing a few feet away hoping to go unnoticed because she didn’t want to interrupt him. when he was done she took a step forward, a smile on her face. “where do i put my dollar?”

“my manager told me i needed to go to the gym more often,” he said as he sat down on an exercise bike, dropping his backpack beside him and taking out a carton of ice cream and a spoon, “so i just come here and eat ice cream for a couple hours so i can tell her i went. i went to 7-eleven and bought them out of ice cream and i could just feel the judgement of the cashier. anyways, you want some?”, he asked, shoveling a spoonful into his mouth. “i’ve got plenty.”

imelda looked down on him from where she was on the treadmill, running at a brisk pace. she never understood why people would do that, if they dont want to go to the gym and exercise, then don’t. she slowed down her pace, raising her eyebrow as she spoke to him. “you know, there’s a lot of people here who are trying to get into better shape, or at least stay active. you eating all that ice cream in front of them is just taunting them.” she missed her home gym and prayed that the remodeling would be finished soon, so that she wouldn’t have to deal with situations like this.

genesis grabbed her coffee and took a sip before returning to the conversation. “oh come on, taking that song off your track list will be a waste! you can’t waste a good song like that.” she said to the other. she had bumped into them on her way out the studio and somehow found herself listening to what they had been working on. 

imelda raised her eyebrow at the younger girl. she had finished recording a new song, and it was something different to the sound she usually puts out and her and her team were split on whether or not it should be included on the album. “you sure? it’s more... poppy, than i’m accustomed to.”

       Ignoring the final yells for attention, Cash let the entrance to the gym slam shut behind him. The ringing in his ears finally dispersed and he immediately saw what had them all so fired up. The gym was absolutely bustling with popular faces, everyone trying to get their friday work out in (( and try to revert whatever damage coachella had done to their bodies )) . He was ready to carry on and knock his sets out of the way when he saw a familiar face about to walk through the doors. “Hey, hey!” He waved, stopping them short. “Full disclosure it is an absolute nightmare out there today, I’d wait for it to die down.”

The one time Imelda decided to opt for going to the gym to meet with a new trainer instead of having him see her at her home gym and of course the place would be packed with people. At the very least a majority of the people were other celebs, or people used to celebrities, so she could walk freely without being worried someone would come up and ask for a picture. Still, in order to ensure no one would talk to her as she left she put her headphones on and walked towards the door. She was zoned out of her surroundings, until she saw something flailing out of the corner of her eye. Imelda stopped, a smirk on her face as she took off her headphones to hear what he was saying. “Oh. Thanks for that. Didn’t think my leggings were that interesting today, but they’ll take a picture of anything.”