Loren felt the early morning sun as it started to peak in through the window, and she fought to keep her eyes closed. Loren had never been more comfortable in her whole life. It felt as if her whole body was enveloped in a cloud as she lay in bed halfway between consciousness and unconsciousness. As she was slowly leaving her dream state behind, it never occurred to Loren to question why her room smelled like Eddie. Loren smiled contentedly and thought to herself that she loved the smell of Eddie. It was fast becoming one of her favorite smells, almost like bacon and coffee.

Loren went to flip to her other side away from the incoming sun when she realized however that she was immobile. Reality started to seep into her sleepy brain as she tried to make sense of her predicament. And then she felt it, a male hand cupping her left breast. Loren was completely awake now. She knew now exactly why the scent of Eddie was flooding her senses. Loren was in Eddie's bed with a sleeping Eddie completely wrapped around her. Both Loren and Eddie were lying on their sides with the front of Eddie's lower body spooning Loren's buttocks and his arms clutching Loren to his chest as if he were a little kid holding onto his favorite teddy bear while he slept.

Loren tried to but she couldn't remember how or when Eddie had brought her into his bed last night, but since she was still fully clothed, she believed his intentions must have been honorable at the time. However, no matter how well intentioned Eddie's actions may have been previously, his body was completely betraying his true desires now as he slept. Despite being fully clothed, Loren felt the unmistakable hardness of a fully erect Eddie Duran against her backside.

Loren thought to herself that even though she was lying in a king-sized bed with black silk sheets and in the arms of a sexy and aroused rockstar that this was not exactly as enviable position to be in as one might think. For one thing, between the heat of Eddie's body holding her close and the black silk comforter thrown casually on top of them, Loren was starting to swelter. Loren wanted so badly to kick the comforter off of her body, but in doing so, she might wake Eddie; and she in no way wanted to have a discussion about the awkward positions their bodies were in at the moment. Even though she and Eddie had experienced some seriously hot makeout sessions the evening prior, Loren was still largely inexperienced; and while she loved the feeling of her body being this intimate with Eddie's, she was still feeling extremely self conscious. Loren felt that she had two choices. She could either wait until Eddie woke up and then pretend to be asleep as he parted his body from hers or she could attempt to escape without waking the sleeping rockstar. Loren decided to choose option two.

Careful not to wake a sleeping Eddie, Loren gently disengaged his hand from her breast and then gently repositioned the arm so that it was no longer trapping her beneath it. Loren then quietly managed to slip her body out from underneath Eddie's arm and away from his sleeping body. Loren heard Eddie grumble in his sleep about not wanting any more cold showers as he felt the warmth of Loren's body leave his, but gratefully when Loren replaced the comforter back on top of him, he simple rolled around to his other side and returned to a motionless slumber.

Loren glanced at her watch and relaxed, it was only 6:30 AM. Loren had plenty to do today. She was scheduled to work at the café this evening, needed to speak to her mother about her change in career paths, and had been instructed by Jake to call him and to set up a business meeting at his office for tomorrow. Loren looked fondly at a sleeping Eddie and thought to herself that she really didn't have the urge to leave just quite yet, and she still had some time to prepare some breakfast and to spend a little more quality time with her favorite rockstar before the rest of her busy day began.

Loren typically wasn't a morning person, but today as she entered the empty kitchen, she loved how the quietness of the early hours washed over her and set her mind at peace. Loren was lost in her thoughts and combining ingredients into a bowl to make pancakes when she heard the kitchen door slam open and a stranger's voice say with a heavy accent, "Hey Mate! My head is killing me do you got any of those aspirins lying around to help an old bloke out?"

Loren was so startled by the unfamiliar voice that she immediately went to grab something to protect herself with, and when she jumped around to confront the intruder, she was mortified to realize that her weapon of choice happened to be the highly ineffective wooden spoon that she had been going to use to mix the pancake batter with.

The tall skinny hungover blonde male entering the kitchen hadn't intended on seeing Loren either and when she had quickly spun around he instinctively jumped back, screamed a high-pitched girlish shriek, lifted his hands above his head in surrender, and shouted, "I give up. Please don't eat me."

Loren swallowed a laugh at the stranger's response, but she was still uncertain of who handsome male was and was slow to relinquish her weapon.

The blonde male looked up at her questioningly too as if he was trying to remember something and he started to speak out loud to himself more than to anyone in the room, "I could have sworn I was at Eddie's place. Please tell me that I did not just pass out in the wrong apartment again. That would be plain awkward, and in which case, I would deserve to have my eyes gouged out with a wooden spoon."

The confused male shook his head disregarding that theory, "No, I distinctly remember knocking on the door last night and Eddie answering it and telling me to keep it quiet because Loren was asleep on the couch." The male smiled pleasantly and his face reflected the realization of where he was and who the girl in front of him must be, "You must be Loren."

Satisfied that the blonde man knew her name and seemed to be on good terms with Eddie, Loren slowly put down the spoon and said, "I'm sorry. You have me at a disadvantage. I'm afraid I don't know your name."

The blonde mail held out his hand, "I'm Ian. Eddie and I are best mates. "

Loren laughed and shook his hand, "Ian. Yes, I have heard of you. Apparently, you have a little bit of a reputation for getting into trouble."

Ian smiled proudly, "I actually worked pretty hard to earn that reputation. Whew. Thank goodness we got the little matter of introductions behind us. Death by wooden spoon seems to be an especially gruesome way to go."

Loren laughed, "Well, the only other thing I had available to grab was a whisk and I doubt whisking you to death would have been very practical either." Loren pointed to her left, "So, the aspirin is in the top the top drawer, and I was just preparing some breakfast for Eddie and me, would you care to join us?"

Ian smirked, "Breakfast sounds great. I'll even help out. Besides with all these kitchen utensils in here, it's only fair that I get a spatula or something to defend myself against you with. "

When Eddie entered the kitchen about ten minutes later, he was amused to see Ian with a floral apron tied loosely around his waist expertly dicing potatoes and entertaining Loren with stories of his oversea adventures. Loren's laughter filled the room as she added blueberries to pancake batter and put coffee on to brew.

Ian was the first to glance up when he heard a sound at the door, "Thank god you're here mate. You got a feisty one here. My life flashed before my eyes this morning. "

Loren rolled her eyes, "I threatened him with a wooden spoon. Considering his luck with the ladies, or should I say lack of luck, it can't be the first time some spurned female has chased him around with the intention of causing bodily damage."

Ian laughed and recalled, "Absolutely not. I've been chased with frying pans, baseball bats, and even toilet plungers. There was even this time when I was in Texas that the mother of one of the young lasses I had been sleeping with chased me around with a water gun when she caught me shagging her daughter."

Loren and Eddie exchanged humorous glances and Loren asked with amusement, "Were you aware at the time it was a water gun and not a real one?"

Ian looked mock terror and said with ultimate seriousness, "Of course I knew it was a water gun, but when you have an old lady chasing you the type of gun she has is rather immaterial at that point. You run for bloody cover. In my case, I ran for my car in the driveway. Sadly, the only article of clothing I had time to grab on my way to the car was my shoes. And let me tell you, a bare bum on a hot leather seat is not exactly pleasurable if you know what I mean. Thankfully, I was in between travel locations and my suitcase with clothes and cash were in the trunk, but I drove below speed limit on the Interstate until I reached the closest rest stop. I wasn't taking any chances in being pulled over. There are just some things you don't want to have to try and explain to a state trooper."

Loren and Eddie cracked up and Ian said with a mischievous grin, "All things aside, it was worth it. They really do do it better in Texas, if you get my drift mates. A burnt ass was really a small price to pay."

Loren shook her head and smiled, "Well apparently using cold water to motivate you two to behave is clearly not an effective method. It's clear I will need to be more innovative if there is any hope of keeping you two boys out of trouble."

Eddie stepped up behind Loren who was now stirring the pancake batter and preparing to drop it into the frying pan. He placed his arms around gently around her waist. "Man. I must have been sleeping hard. I didn't even feel you get up this morning. I was having the best dream."

Despite Eddie not having any idea of the predicament she had awoken to this morning, Loren blushed and responded, "You definitely were sleeping very hard. I was a little surprised to wake up in your bed. "

Eddie sounded a little concerned when he asked, "Are you upset? You and I had both fallen asleep on the couch together last night when Ian stopped by unannounced. I moved you into my bed because I didn't want him to wake you."

Loren kissed Eddie softly on the cheek, "No, I'm not mad. I figured you had a good reason. Although, I have to tell you after sleeping in your bed my plain old cotton sheets are going to be a real disappointment tonight."

Eddie smiled seductively, "Feel free to sleep in my bed anytime."

Loren laughed, "Where is that water gun when I need it. I guess my wooden spoon will have to do." And she smacked Eddie playfully on his butt.

Ian cleared his throat, "Uh mates. This is getting a little awkward for the guest."

Loren smiled at him pityingly, "Are you feeling left out?" And then she smacked Ian playfully on the butt with the spoon as well.

Ian laughed and held his hands up, "I give. I give. I'll be good. There's no need to get violent."

Loren laughed and gave Ian a playful peck on his the cheek too, "Apparently wooden spoons are much more effective than I originally thought. " Loren decided to change the subject, "So, what do you boys have planned today?"

Eddie and Ian exchanged glances, but Eddie was the first to respond, "I guess I hadn't really thought about it. How long are you town for?"

Ian said thoughtfully, "Well, I actually fly out late this evening to head to Europe for a week long stint, but I wouldn't mind grabbing some lunch or something at Rumor and then wasting the day kicking your ass playing video games."

Eddie nodded agreeably, "I could be down for that." Eddie looked at Loren with puppy dog eyes, "Why don't you join us for lunch?"

Loren shook her head, "I don't think I can. I need to go home and change my clothes and speak to my mom about the songwriting contest and performing next week at MK. Then, I need to call Jake and finalize plans for meeting him in his office tomorrow to talk to him about the next stages of the game. And lastly, I need to be at the café at five to work the evening shift. Jake mentioned possibly getting a vocal coach and taking lessons, and I need to earn money if I am going to afford those. If I don't go home and pass out after my shift at work, I need to put the finishing touches on my valedictorian speech before this upcoming week gets crazy. Apparently, there is no rest for the wicked."

Eddie turned Loren around and looked in her eyes intently, "Why don't you let me help you with the vocal coaches and lessons? You should be focused on preparing for the live show on Saturday and on graduation. I have access to some of the best coaches in the business and some of them owe me some favors."

Loren hugged Eddie, "Thank you for offering, but I can't accept. "

Eddie pushed Loren back from him and asked earnestly, "Why won't you let me help you? I want to. I have more than enough money, and it just seems that if you didn't have to stress about working your shifts at the café that you could put your time to better use."

Loren looked up, "Eddie, this is my career. I am touched that you made the offer to help me, but I can handle this. It's going to be tough but I want to thrive or fail in this business based upon my talents and my efforts and not because I have a well-known rockstar bankrolling my career. I think we should keep our personal affiliation and our individual careers as separate as we can.

Loren placed her hand on Eddie's cheek, "Besides, we have only known each other for a couple weeks. I don't know what exactly what we are or where we are headed, but you matter to me. I never want you to think that I want to be with you because of what you can do for my career. I don't want those lines to get blurred."

Eddie shrugged and said dejectedly, "Okay, I get it. I don't like it but I get it. You don't want my help."

Loren led Eddie to a chair and sat him down in it and crawled in his lap and placed her arms around his neck and her head on his shoulder. Ian watched them curiously as he began to flip pancakes, the job that Loren had abruptly abandoned.

Loren honestly revealed her heart to him "Eddie, I don't want you to use your contacts or your money to fund my career, but I absolutely need and want your help. Next week, I am singing live for the first time, and I am scared to death. This week I potentially start voice lessons and Jake mentioned recording songs. I have never been in a studio or had anyone but you or Jake listen to my material. I love and respect your talent and success in this business so much, and I would be a fool not to listen to every ounce of wisdom you are willing to share with me. I promise you that I will not record or perform a single song before I get your opinion on it because I do value your input. I want you there every step of the way as long as it doesn't interfere with your own album and the music video you need to shoot for Something in the Air."

Eddie smiled against Loren's hair as he inhaled its floral scent. "Well, we have a slight issue because we just wrote a new song last evening together, and I don't want to record it with anyone but you. And, whoever wins the songwriting contest is supposed to make a cameo in my music video. That was decided before I had even met you. So, our personal and professional relationships are going to intersect at some point. And, if we continue to date, it's inevitable that the media and the label executives are going to want to exploit our personal relationship to promote albums, tours, or whatever else we collaborate on. "

Loren looked at him soberly, "I am just saying that if it doesn't work out between us that I want to make sure there is minimal collateral damage to our careers, mine especially. You have only been separated from Chloe for a couple of weeks, so I am not exactly sure you can necessarily know what's going to happen there. Even without Chloe, you could get easily bored with dating a girl from the Valley. You're young, attractive, and very desirable to millions of girls out there. We have only known each other a couple of weeks, and I think it's premature to know if what we have will stand the test of time. If we go our separate ways and our careers are intermingled closely with our personal relationship, your career is well established and will recover. However, if I am not recognized for anything besides Eddie Duran's temporary fling then my career will tank faster than it began. As it is, if our relationship becomes well known, the public is going to assume that I somehow used my connection with you to get my song back into the contest. "

Loren looked at Eddie pointedly, "I'm not completely sure that they are wrong about that. Would you have made the extra effort for a complete stranger? I am open to recording the song we wrote together, but I have a manager now, and I think we should consult Jake before we make any final decisions."

Eddie shook his head and said vehemently, "How do you think that I could ever get bored with you? It completely baffles me, and I told you that it is over between Chloe and me. My feelings for her have completely changed. All I feel for her now is some residual gratitude for her supporting me when my mom died and maybe a little pity."

Eddie continued defensively, "Maybe I did motivate Jake to find a way to get your song back into the contest; but your song is the best song in the contest, and it deserves to win. The Eddie Duran fans voted on it, not me. So, in my mind, it doesn't really matter how it came to be but that the best song won. Loren, people are going to see how talented you are whether your with me or not, and your going to be a star because of who and what you are and not because you're with me. Besides, Jake is great at what he does. If we parted ways, he would spin it so that we both look good."

Loren gently picked up Eddie's hand in her own and said calmly, "I'm just trying to look at this from all angles. I can't afford not to. We have only known each other a short time and no matter how quickly we may have developed feelings for each other I can't let myself lose sight of the big picture."

Eddie looked at her, "Is that your way of saying that your career comes first?"

Loren stated truthfully, "Actually, at this point that is exactly what it means. We have only known each other for two weeks, and I am jeopardizing my college career in order to see if I can be successful in the music business. If over time we develop a more serious relationship, my priorities may change. It is for both of our benefits to step back and to make rational decisions based upon her minds and not just our hearts.

Eddie said softly, "It's ironic. Historically, my career came first over all other things. I am extremely protective of my songs and of my brand. So, I understand completely what you are saying about making your career your priority and not allowing personal choices to undermine your professional credibility. When I met you at the autograph signing, it was the first time I ever let myself cross that barrier between allowing a fan to get to know me as more than just a public figure. It's unbelievable to me how much I have let you into my life because I have never allowed a perfect stranger to get this close to me, especially in only a couple of weeks. It figures that the one time that I actually take that leap and want to share both my career and my personal life with you that you want to set parameters."

Loren snuggled close, "Eddie you want what your mom and dad had. I get that. Max and Kathy were married and performed together, and they shared everything. There were no barriers between their career and their personal life because they were on the same paths both professionally and personally, but it's too soon to determine if we are going to be traveling down the same paths professionally and personally or if at some point we will go our separate ways. I am still uncertain about if I will have success in the music business, but if I do have success in the music business, I don't want for it to be contingent on us having a personal relationship."

Loren looked into Eddie's eyes, and she could tell that her honesty had hurt him and she decided to extend an olive branch. "Eddie lets suspend this discussion until tomorrow. If you are available, I would like it if you could please join me at Jake's office tomorrow. We can ask him about recording the song we wrote together and discuss your music video. Jake's our manager. Let him analyze the pros and cons of us collaborating on certain projects together and then you and I can make any final decisions together. But, I want you to know that if Jake informs me that something is potentially harmful to my career, I am going to take his advice under careful consideration."

Eddie asked quietly, "I have an album to write too you know. Would we be blurring lines if I asked you for help with writing songs for that too?"

Loren kissed him gently, "I probably shouldn't tell you this, but I kind of have a weakness for sexy rockstars, and there probably isn't much that you could ask of me that I would be able to refuse. In fact now that I think about it , I think I can rearrange a few things in my schedule and could potentially join you and Ian for lunch at Rumor if you still want me. Would you mind if I invited my friend Mel to go with us? "

A big smile crossed Eddie's face and he nodded, "Of course I still want you, and considering you met Ian, I think it's only fair that I get to meet your partner in crime, Mel. Rumor is a pretty public spot though. If you're seen with me there, people are going to start asking questions. Are you prepared for that?"

Loren shrugged, "No, but, when is anyone ever ready to face their fears? However, I think the fact that both Ian and Mel will be there will minimize the gossip of us being a potential couple. I'll go and call Jake first to schedule something for tomorrow and then I'll call Mel."

When Loren left the room to go and call Jake and Mel, Ian and Eddie exchanged glances. Eddie finally broke the silence when he said, "You probably think that I am nuts being so attached to a girl that I didn't even know two weeks ago."

Ian looked at Eddie uncharacteristically seriously, "No mate. Actually, I was thinking that if you ever breakup with her, I am totally going for her."

Eddie looked up at Ian who was dead serious. "That's the last thing I expected you to say. I thought you would be the one person who would be telling me to keep things casual and to not get tied to any girl that wasn't a candidate for the Victoria Secret catalog."

Ian nodded, "Yeah, when I first saw the Valley girl, I admit that I thought she was beautiful but she wasn't the type you have usually gone for in the past. I figured after Chloe you were rebounding, and I didn't see it lasting long. But, the more I got to know Loren I saw the appeal. She's smart, funny, and she welcomed me with open arms just because I was your friend. But, it wasn't until I heard your conversation just now that I realized how truly extraordinary she was."

Eddie looked at him confused, "In what way? I'm actually feeling a little battered at the moment. I'm not sure I even won a single point in our conversation. She knows what her priorities and I am not really quite sure if I am on that list or not."

Ian raised his eyebrows, "Then you weren't listening to her mate. Because from what I heard is that she likes and respects you so much that she doesn't want to take advantage of your kindness or your resources as a rockstar because she wants you to know that at the end of the day that she is here because she wants to be and not because of what you can give her."

Eddie thought about this for a minute but he wasn't sure he agreed with this point, "But, you heard her man. She said that her career is her priority. It pretty much sounded as if anything was negotiable; it was her relationship with me."

Ian agreed, "She's young and that's the way it should be. Loren's focused on figuring out what she wants and figuring out who she is and not on some guy that she has only known two weeks. It's incredible that someone as young as her has such a mature outlook. If anything was insane, it was you wanting to get married to Chloe when you were barely 22-years old.

Eddie shrugged, "Chloe was a mistake. It took meeting Loren to realize how much of a mistake it was. Loren's different than any girl I have ever met before, but for the first time, I'm not really sure where I stand in this relationship. I don't know want to screw this up, and I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing."

Ian slapped his buddy on the back, "Your pride is just hurt a little mate because every other girl before Loren has been willing to accept being with you on your terms because your a rockstar. Loren is making a few terms of her own, and for the first time in any of your relationships, you need to make an actual effort. So, let me ask you, is Loren really as talented as you say or did you use your connections to get her submission back into the contest? "

Eddie stood up, "She's incredible. She's the real deal man. Let me go grab my laptop and you can see for yourself."

Eddie walked into the other room to grab his computer. Loren was in a deep conversation and didn't even notice his presence. Eddie assumed that Loren must be talking to Jake. Eddie thought that he really cared for Loren, and it was ironic that by bringing Loren into his world that it may have actually created more of a distance between the two of them instead of less.

Eddie was pensive as he walked back into the kitchen with his laptop. He placed it on the hard wooden surface of the kitchen table and flipped it open and typed in the web address for his website. Eddie then selected the link to go to Loren's video.

Ian was still busy flipping pancakes, so Eddie decided to review the comments that viewers had submitted regarding the video. Eddie thought that if there were any that were particularly harsh or derogatory that maybe he could delete those before Loren saw them. This, however, did not seem to be a problem. There were minimal negative remarks or anonymous haters commenting on Loren's video. Jake was right. Loren was an overnight sensation, and it seemed she was a hit with both the male and female population and with both younger and older viewers.

Eddie smiled at how completely the public had embraced Loren, and he felt lucky that such an amazing girl as Loren had come into his life. Eddie realized for the first time that Loren didn't just make him feel good and inspire him but she seemed to have that impact on practically everyone who came into contact with her either in person or through her music. It was in that moment that Eddie realized that Loren also had another thing in common with his mother. His dad had told him that being with his mother was never easy because she always challenged him, but no matter how difficult it could be it was always worth the extra effort. Eddie knew now that despite only knowing Loren for two weeks that it would be the same way with Loren. Loren was beautifully complicated. Being with her would never be easy, but Eddie knew she would always be worth extra effort.

Ian interrupted his thoughts, "Alright mate. Show me the video."

Ian and Eddie were both watching the video and didn't hear Loren step quietly into the kitchen and start to watch it also in silence. When the video concluded, Ian spoke first, "Your right mate. She's incredible. I pretty much hate all music and I'm going to have that chorus part stuck in my brain all day."

Eddie smiled proudly, "Yeah, I told you Loren's the best. She's so talented and everyone that meets her loves her. She might even be better than me."

Ian joked back, "Well, she's definitely cuter and more sensible than you. So, she's got that going for her. Whoever shot the video was incredible too. The angles were perfection and the sensitivity they showed in displaying her emotions and facial expressions while singing was truly amazing."

Eddie was still sitting down at a chair at the kitchen table hunched down looking at the computer screen when Loren came and wrapped her arms around the back of his shoulders. She looked up at Ian, "The person who shot the video is actually coming to lunch with us today. It's my bestfriend Mel. She's one of my favorite people in the world. I think you'll like her."

Ian smirked, "If she's cute and female, that's probably a pretty good bet."

Loren smiled and winked, "I can guarantee you've never met anyone like her, and if you continue to make comments like that you may want to bring your spatula for protection."

Loren looked at her watch. "I still need to drive home after breakfast to talk to my mom, change clothes, and pick up Mel. What time should we meet at Rumor?"

Eddie said thoughtfully, "I have a better idea. I'll have a driver take us to your house where you can talk to you mom and change. We can pick up Mel afterwards on our way to the restaurant. Then, we can come back here afterwards and you can drive your car to work and drop off Mel."

Loren looked at Eddie confused, "How is that a better idea? Doesn't that just make it so that you have to go out of your way to drive me home and won't it just give paparazzi more opportunities to get pictures of us?"

Eddie smiled seductively, "It's a better idea because then we can makeout in the backseat on the way to your house and I get to see where your poster is of me on the wall. Don't worry about the paparazzi. We'll have the driver pick us up at the back entrance, and you're not on their radar yet. So, once we're on the road, we should be pretty well left alone."

Loren laughed, "Well, I can't argue with getting to spend some more quality time with my favorite rockstar. Besides, Mel will freak when she knows that she will be getting picked up in style. I'm going to go and call her and tell her the plans. You guys start in on breakfast before it gets cold. I have a feeling you're both going to need all your strength once you meet Mel."