Afraid the housekeeper would bag her up and put her in the bin, Silvia fled to the deck, determined to stay out of the woman's way. It was her fifth day in LA, and the first time she'd insisted in staying home while Jim "went to work", like he called it.

About to release the fourth cut of their last album, Deborah wouldn't give him a break, and Silvia knew he wanted her by his side as much as possible. So she'd gone with him to two late-night talk shows, a radio interview that had included a short live acoustic set, three interviews with paper and online magazines. They dined out every evening, usually with Sean and Jo, and Tom and Liam hopped in now and then. Later they would go for a drink to some bar or some club, but they never stayed as late as the first night, for the club opening.

It was exhausting sometimes, and Jim was surprised she didn't even blink every time Deborah added something to his schedule. So he didn't complain when she said she wanted to stay home that afternoon, while he headed downtown for a signing and a photo op with the local Squad.

The gossiping about her refused to subside so soon. She couldn't believe how many people had nothing more interesting to do, other than criticizing and speculating about the mysterious woman by Jim Robinson's hand whenever he showed up in public, which was a lot of late.

She'd never been into that kind of buzz, but she knew Jim was, and felt bad about being the source of negative press for him. However, he seemed to find a sarcastic pleasure in it, especially when people started coming up with crazy theories to explain their bond.

"Listen, this is better than the one about you paying my gambling reds in exchange for my paying in kind," he would say. "Turns out we go way back, maybe even as back as high school."

"So I came to town to visit and you're showing me around?"

"Don't flatter yourself. You're always the villain."

"Go figure. So?"

"You're blackmailing me."

"About what? Knowing people from high school?"

"Looks like we had a child back then, that I want to keep secret at any cost. But now you've decided the extortive alimony you've demanded of me all these years is not enough anymore, and you want me to get you started as an actress or a singer."

"You lost me."

"You're blackmailing me with revealing my estranged child if I don't show you around and introduce you to the right people."

"That'd make a best-seller thriller."

"Don't say!" Jim kept laughing and scrolling down his Twitter feed. "Oh, man, I fucking love this one."

He handed her his phone, showing one of the zillion pictures of them kissing at the nightclub. Looked like their kissing had pushed that puritan, god-fearing community to the brink of self-flagellation, begging for divine forgiveness for witnessing such an immoral display of sinful lust at such a sacred place.

"Next time Steve's in town, you and I are having a private shoot with him."

"Yeah, anytime."

That afternoon, Silvia left her things on one of the shade tables and dived into the swimming pool. She still felt kind of awkward about Jim's wealth, but it was a hot afternoon and she wasn't about to let his money bully her into dehydration.

She swam from end to end of the pool several times and went to sit at the shade table, enjoying the cool water that still ran down her body. She only dried her hands to light a cigarette and grab her tablet. After so many months, Jim had given her his notes and comments about her last story, so she intended to go over them from that amazing lookout, with the ocean and the sky just a glance away.

Silvia was well aware this was another stolen week out of time, but she couldn't deny the outcome was still surprisingly positive.

Over the days Jim had spent in her town, she'd learned to read the subtle signs that told her Jim was pushing himself to look contented, no matter how much he hated the lack of public attention and such a dull, simple routine. His efforts had gained in depth and value now that they were in his turf, and she had the chance to see his side of the coin up close.

She hadn't spotted any of those signs since they'd arrived in LA. Jim seemed happy to have her there, and he kept inviting her to join him wherever he went, to share as much time together as they could. But not only that. It was him, still and always, and that meant he never stopped looking after her, doing his best to make her feel fine, protected, understood. Right like he'd been doing ever since they'd first met. And he always knew how to do it.

To add to that unbeatable combo that threatened to captivate her for life, being with him seemed an endless source of fun and pleasure. Whether they were having dinner with a dozen people, or fighting over music to play in the car, talking over a lazy noon out at the deck, cuddling to sleep at night. It didn't matter where they were or what they were doing, it was always better because they were together.

Silvia looked up from the notes, her eyes on the golden sand down there, as she still tried to wrap her mind around it.

Because it was just so crazy. Yet it was also true.

She didn't only love him: she also loved being with him, and her pride was no match for how good he made her feel around the clock.

There she was, tasting the main spot Jim offered her in his life. She was free to take it if she felt like it, and make whatever she wanted of it. If she ever dared to find out whether they could build something together, and what was even harder, keep it.

Jim's notes had pushed her to revise aspects of her worldbuilding, and she was looking for a gap to slip an important bit of information, when the living-room door opened behind her. She glanced back from over her shoulder, afraid the housekeeper had come for her, and was happy to see it was Jo.

"Housekeeping day," the girl explained, sitting at the table with her. "I usually run for the hills, but when Sean told me you were here, I thought I'd come rain on your first break ever since you arrived."

"You bad friend. You didn't go to the signing?"

"Nah, I never go. The girls can get really over the top, and my being there only makes Sean feel awkward."

Silvia recalled the first night with Jim in Buenos Aires, at the nightclub, and could only agree, congratulating herself for missing the spectacle.

Since strength was in numbers, they dared to sneak into the kitchen together to get something cold to drink and hurried back out to the deck.

"That's new," Jo said, pointing at the shade cloth that covered the deck railing.

Silvia tried to keep her casual tone as she resisted spontaneous combustion. "Yeah, they installed it a couple of days ago."

"Great! Next time they leave town, I can come and swim topless to my heart's content."

They laughed together and Silvia asked about the girl's new project, that was only days away from going into pre-production. Jo was thrilled to find someone other than Sean to talk about it, and there was so many things Silvia wanted to know, that they lost track of time. Until Sean called to ask if Jo planned to desert him for dinner.

Thirty minutes later, they joined the Robinsons and the others at an Italian restaurant, where they left the men discussing their vital issues to resume their conversation about Jo's project.