anything. Ella frowned at him.
‘This is Danny, and I’m Ella,’ she said, to make up for Danny’s silence, and the girl laughed.
‘I know who he is,’ Becca said. ‘Everyone knows Danny Riding.’ She pouted suggestively, and Ella swallowed her laughter. As beautiful as the girl was, she couldn’t be more obvious.
‘You’re a great dancer,’ Becca said to Danny as she tried again. ‘You must have amazing co-ordination from being a footballer player.’
Danny smiled briefly. ‘Thanks,’ he said as politely as he could, but Ella could see he felt uncomfortable. Becca, however, couldn’t.
‘Do you fancy getting a drink with me?’ Becca asked, and Danny stopped dancing.
‘I’m sorry, but I’m fine as I am,’ he said in a stilted tone, and Becca put her hand to her mouth.
‘Oh God, I’m mortified,’ she exclaimed insincerely. ‘This must be your girlfriend, right?’
Danny nodded. ‘That’s right,’ he confirmed, and he took Ella’s sweaty hand in his. ‘Ella’s my girlfriend.’
Becca smiled at her so insincerely that Ella raised her eyebrows. ‘If you feel like changing your mind,’ Becca whispered loudly to Danny, ‘I’ll be here all night.’
‘I don’t think I will,’ Danny said, and he pulled Ella away from the party, and onto a more private part of the beach.
‘You didn’t have to do that,’ Ella said, as they sat down to watch the party from a distance. ‘If you wanted to hook up with her, I’d have been fine by myself.’
Danny shook his head. ‘When I said I wasn’t interested, I meant it. Did you mind pretending to be my girlfriend?’ he asked.
Ella laughed. ‘Of course not,’ she said. ‘I’m happy to pretend to be your girlfriend any time you like if it makes your life easier.’
Danny stared at the sand for a while, and Ella wondered what was wrong.
‘I’ve had lots of fake girlfriends in my time, but after a while they all got sick of pretending.’
‘Fake girlfriends?’ Ella asked. She couldn’t be more confused. ‘Why do you need fake girlfriends? To stop girls like that coming onto you?’
Danny nodded slowly.
‘Well, I can see why,’ Ella continued, in a teasing tone. ‘It must be hell on earth to be good-looking and famous and to have hundreds of sexy girls after you.’
‘It is,’ Danny agreed, but Ella could still see there was something on his mind.
‘Danny, what is it?’ she asked cautiously, but before Danny could say anything, everything suddenly made sense. ‘You’re gay, aren’t you?’ she asked softly, and Danny moved his head so slightly that Ella only barely saw his nod.
‘My manager, Aaron, says I should date girls because it’s good for my image. It’s impossible to be a gay footballer in the Premier League because, despite the FA’s best efforts, there’s still a hell of a lot of homophobia in the sport. But the girls I date can’t find out I’m gay in case they sell their story, and I hate leading them on. I’m not that sort of person.’
Ella exhaled. An idea was beginning to form in her head, but she didn’t know if it was ridiculous or genius.
‘I could be your girlfriend—’ she began, but Danny cut her off.
‘No way,’ he said. ‘I wouldn’t let you do that.’
Ella felt stung. ‘Why not? What’s wrong with me?’
Danny shook his head. ‘There’s nothing wrong with you. Aaron would love you because you’re smart, pretty and normal, but I couldn’t ask you to do that for me. You wouldn’t be able to have a relationship with anyone else if you were with me.’
‘You’re not asking me to do anything, and besides, I don’t want a proper relationship ever again. Seriously. It hurts too much. If you were my boyfriend you’d never hurt me. How could you? It’s not like you could cheat on me.’
‘But what if you met someone?’ Danny asked, and Ella laughed.
‘What if I didn’t? Danny Riding, you’re the most amazing man I’ve ever met, and to be honest I’ve never
‘This is Danny, and I’m Ella,’ she said, to make up for Danny’s silence, and the girl laughed.
‘I know who he is,’ Becca said. ‘Everyone knows Danny Riding.’ She pouted suggestively, and Ella swallowed her laughter. As beautiful as the girl was, she couldn’t be more obvious.
‘You’re a great dancer,’ Becca said to Danny as she tried again. ‘You must have amazing co-ordination from being a footballer player.’
Danny smiled briefly. ‘Thanks,’ he said as politely as he could, but Ella could see he felt uncomfortable. Becca, however, couldn’t.
‘Do you fancy getting a drink with me?’ Becca asked, and Danny stopped dancing.
‘I’m sorry, but I’m fine as I am,’ he said in a stilted tone, and Becca put her hand to her mouth.
‘Oh God, I’m mortified,’ she exclaimed insincerely. ‘This must be your girlfriend, right?’
Danny nodded. ‘That’s right,’ he confirmed, and he took Ella’s sweaty hand in his. ‘Ella’s my girlfriend.’
Becca smiled at her so insincerely that Ella raised her eyebrows. ‘If you feel like changing your mind,’ Becca whispered loudly to Danny, ‘I’ll be here all night.’
‘I don’t think I will,’ Danny said, and he pulled Ella away from the party, and onto a more private part of the beach.
‘You didn’t have to do that,’ Ella said, as they sat down to watch the party from a distance. ‘If you wanted to hook up with her, I’d have been fine by myself.’
Danny shook his head. ‘When I said I wasn’t interested, I meant it. Did you mind pretending to be my girlfriend?’ he asked.
Ella laughed. ‘Of course not,’ she said. ‘I’m happy to pretend to be your girlfriend any time you like if it makes your life easier.’
Danny stared at the sand for a while, and Ella wondered what was wrong.
‘I’ve had lots of fake girlfriends in my time, but after a while they all got sick of pretending.’
‘Fake girlfriends?’ Ella asked. She couldn’t be more confused. ‘Why do you need fake girlfriends? To stop girls like that coming onto you?’
Danny nodded slowly.
‘Well, I can see why,’ Ella continued, in a teasing tone. ‘It must be hell on earth to be good-looking and famous and to have hundreds of sexy girls after you.’
‘It is,’ Danny agreed, but Ella could still see there was something on his mind.
‘Danny, what is it?’ she asked cautiously, but before Danny could say anything, everything suddenly made sense. ‘You’re gay, aren’t you?’ she asked softly, and Danny moved his head so slightly that Ella only barely saw his nod.
‘My manager, Aaron, says I should date girls because it’s good for my image. It’s impossible to be a gay footballer in the Premier League because, despite the FA’s best efforts, there’s still a hell of a lot of homophobia in the sport. But the girls I date can’t find out I’m gay in case they sell their story, and I hate leading them on. I’m not that sort of person.’
Ella exhaled. An idea was beginning to form in her head, but she didn’t know if it was ridiculous or genius.
‘I could be your girlfriend—’ she began, but Danny cut her off.
‘No way,’ he said. ‘I wouldn’t let you do that.’
Ella felt stung. ‘Why not? What’s wrong with me?’
Danny shook his head. ‘There’s nothing wrong with you. Aaron would love you because you’re smart, pretty and normal, but I couldn’t ask you to do that for me. You wouldn’t be able to have a relationship with anyone else if you were with me.’
‘You’re not asking me to do anything, and besides, I don’t want a proper relationship ever again. Seriously. It hurts too much. If you were my boyfriend you’d never hurt me. How could you? It’s not like you could cheat on me.’
‘But what if you met someone?’ Danny asked, and Ella laughed.
‘What if I didn’t? Danny Riding, you’re the most amazing man I’ve ever met, and to be honest I’ve never
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