The cameras were rolling again. The show had arranged for Ben and Sammie to go shopping, and the crew had to capture every second. Sammie hadn’t had a chance to give Ben his mobile back, or even tell him that she had it. She was sure it would seem dodgy to the cameras if she just passed it to him, and the longer she had it, the more uncomfortable she felt.
“Babe, what’s up? You look ill” Ben whispered. Sammie looked at him surprised.
“I’m not ill”
“What’s wrong then?”
“Um, well, you left your mobile in your trousers. I wouldn’t have noticed but Paul called. It’s in my bag right now. I was going to give it to you earlier but the cameras were already rolling”
Ben smiled, relieved that she was okay.
“Well, if it rings while we’re out here with them, just give it to me, and if they ask, I gave it to you earlier to look after” He said simply. Sammie nodded and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. He smiled, and then looked at something behind her.
“Be back in a sec,” he said, loud enough for the cameras to pick up. He winked at Sammie and walked over to the market. Sammie stood and watched him go, looking at his bum and thinking how good he looked in his leather jacket, oblivious to the grin on her face or the fact that the camera lens was directed straight at her.
Ben came back after a while, holding a rose and a small brown paper bag. He glanced at the cameras and wondered why Sammie wasn’t reacting to them the way she usually did.
“I got you something,” he announced proudly. Sammie smiled at him and accepted the rose.
“Thank you sweetie”
“That’s not all” Sammie looked confused. Ben dropped his voice to a whisper. “Look in the bag, don’t take them out though”
Inside the bag was a small silver ring, a small pattern on the band, and a necklace with a pendant reading ‘Ben and Sammie’.
“Hope you like it” he whispered. Sammie could only nod, she was too choked up to speak. She closed the bag and hugged him.
“I’ve got one myself” he carried on whispering. “A neck chain I mean. It says the same thing”
Sammie nodded again, and accidentally started crying.
“Oh, Sammie, honey, what’s wrong?”
“That’s one of the sweetest things anyone has ever done for me”
“Really? I can do more if you like”
“You don’t have to”
Ben looked around at the cameras. They both had the red lights on still.
“Sammie, honey, get into the market. Don’t ask why, just do it, okay?” he whispered, then grabbed her hand and together they ran through the stalls.
“Hey! Come back! Stop disappearing!” The camera crew shouted after them, before chasing them. Ben was leading Sammie, taking as many turns as he could and running as fast as possible. Eventually, they stopped in a corner between two walls, breathless. Ben looked around, then put a finger over her mouth and whispered
“Don’t make a sound, they’ll find us. I want to be alone with you” He took his finger away, and gently took the bag containing the ring and necklace, reached into it, and put the ring on her right middle finger, then fastened the necklace around her neck. Sammie watched the eagerness on his face as he did so, and caught his eye as he pulled back. They stared at each other, forgetting all about time, until Ben stepped forward, and put his arms around Sammie’s waist, and moved his face until it was a few millimetres from Sammie’s.
“Sammie, I have a confession,” he breathed.
“Go on”
“I think I’ve fallen in love with you”
Sammie searched his eyes, and smiled.
“I think I’ve fallen in love with you too”
Ben’s eyes widened, and he started to smile. He pulled her even closer and hugged her tightly.
“I’m really hating the cameras being around now, I could’ve made this far more romantic,” he whispered.
“I don’t need romance. I have you, that’s enough for me” Ben squeezed back, a tear forming in his eye.
“Okay, cut. That’ll look great” They turned and saw the camera crew.
“You can edit it out actually” Ben snapped, putting his arms around Sammie defensively.
“But that’ll make a great clip”
“But it’s personal. So rewind and record over it”
“No. Stop doing the popstar thing, making unreasonable requests. You agreed to do the show, now you’re at the hands of the editors”
“Oh, just piss off” Ben started walking away. The cameraman turned to Sammie and smirked.
“Guess they aren’t as great when you make them toe the line, popstars I mean. I wouldn’t believe what he just told you, he’s probably saying it to get you into bed”
“Oh, just SOD OFF!” Sammie snapped “You’re just getting at him ‘coz we tried to have a little privacy, and it’s more fulfilling to slag him off ‘coz he’s famous and you’ll get a bigger ego boost from it. You’re just pathetic you know, what Ben wanted wasn’t unreasonable, and you couldn’t even be big enough to give him what he wanted”
She turned and ran after Ben. She found about ten minutes later, still muttering to himself.
“Ben?”
“Yeah, what?”
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Don’t worry, we ‘popstars’ have no feelings”
“That’s so NOT fair Ben! I just stood up for your arse back there, there was no need to snap at me just because that jerk of a cameraman got to you”
“I’m sorry, really, but there was no need for him to be so rude”
Sammie wound her arms around him.
“I know sweetheart. But I’m still here, I’m not going to pay attention to that idiot. I’m giving you my full attention.”
Ben looked at her and forced a smile.
“I’m going to make up for this rubbish, I swear. Back in England, away from those damn cameras”
“I look forward to it” Ben smiled a more genuine smile. “Come on, let’s just walk around, just looking around and stuff” she suggested.
“I really do love you, you know”
“I really love you too. And you look cute when you’re angry.”
“I don’t wanna look cute”
“Okay, you look incredibly fit when you’re angry”
Ben laughed, pushed his hand into the back pocket of her jeans, and led her off around the island.

After half an hour of walking, Ben spotted a sign pointing to a dinghy hire.
“Me and Paul used that place once. Wanna go for a bit of a row?”
Sammie looked down at what they were wearing.
“Shouldn’t we be in our swimming costumes?”
Ben laughed.
“Nah, it’s more fun in normal clothes” he dragged her over to the shop and hired a two-person dinghy. They spent the next hour in the boat, rowing around the bay, splashing each other while talking and laughing.