I was nervous at the studio. The whole day at the office, I’d thought of very little else. This was the first time we were going to publicly acknowledge the fact that Leo and I were now husband and wife. It sounded crazy in my head. I refused to believe that anyone would buy it. People would see straight through us.

I’d picked out a simple and classy blue knee-length dress, and I made sure my short shoulder length hair looked neat and in place. Despite how famous and newsworthy my best friend was, I had always managed to stay out of the limelight.

Leo seemed at ease under the harsh glare of the studio lights. He wore a dark gray suit for the occasion, tailor-made to suit him to perfection. He was freshly shaved and smelling divine.

The interviewer, a girl called Milly Stevens, who I saw on TV a lot, settled down in a chair in front of us. Leo grabbed my hand as we took our seats, settling in close beside me so that one side of my body pressed tightly against his.

While the crew made their final arrangements, Leo leaned into me, allowing his lips to softly graze my earlobe.

“You’ll do fine, Jessie. I trust you.” he whispered and squeezed my hand.

Moments later, the cameras started rolling, and Milly began the interview. I was glad for Leo’s presence, glad for my hand in his. I wouldn’t have been able to sit through even the first few minutes of this interview if I wasn’t holding on to him for support. Just like he did, I trusted him too.

Milly began by asking us simple questions about our relationship, the most obvious ones.

“We were all in shock to hear that you are in fact a married man, Leo.” she began.

I looked at him, at the natural, comfortable expression on his face. He looked like a man who would not be fazed by anything.

“I thought it was time that I broke my silence. There has been a lot being said about me in the media, I’m being publicly put on trial based on someone else’s words. I’ve kept my silence all this time, but in the interest of my wife’s sanity and mine, I thought I should finally say something.”

Milly turned to me.

“I understand, Jessica, that you and Leo have known each other for a long time?”

“Nearly ten years, yes. We met in college, and we’ve been best friends ever since.” This bit was easy because it was true.

“And you’ve been married six months?”

“Yes, a year ago, we confessed our feelings to each other, and it was the most natural thing to do. There is nobody in the world who knows me or loves me, the way Leo does.” I replied, feeling the words chocking me heavily. If only it were true…

Milly smiled. Had she bought it?

“And what did you think of what Ms Kylie Musgrave had to say about your husband?”

I breathed in deeply. I’d rehearsed these lines all day.

“I thought it was laughable. I was aware that they knew each other, that they’d met socially at parties, but I also knew that she was exaggerating. Those three months that she claims my husband spent with her; we were still on our honeymoon in the Maldives, and when we returned, Leo and I were spending a lot of time together. He couldn’t have been with her at the same time.” I said.

This was only half-true. Of course we were not on our honeymoon, but it was true that we spent a lot of time together. I knew for a fact that Kylie was lying because Leo and I were together, and he rarely ever saw her.

Milly asked him some questions next, and he followed up the story with more details about our supposed marriage. I didn’t know how I was doing, but I could see that he was doing very well. Not once did he take his hand away from me.

“Well, I have to say, that the two of you look very much in love.” Milly continued, smiling more fully now.

Had we really managed to pull it off?

“I wouldn’t have said anything, but I know how the scandal has been affecting her. I don’t want Jessica to come under attack just because of some lies someone else has said about me. I don’t wish Ms Musgrave any ill, but I would appreciate it if she didn’t attack me personally.” Leo replied.

I tried to keep calm. The interview was going to come to an end soon.

Milly said her parting words.

“I wish you all the best Mr and Mrs Cormack, and a happy marriage.”

Leo and I thanked her, and while the cameras were still rolling, he turned to me, leaning into me.

Before I realized what he was going to do, his lips were on mine. I gasped lightly as our mouths fuzed and I felt his tongue slide in. It was a quick kiss, but smooth and gentle. Leo made it seem, for the cameras, that he’d been kissing me all his life. When the truth was that this was the first time it happened.

I was breathless as he smacked his mouth away from me. I could have cried out from the feelings rushing through my veins.

Milly was smiling at us, then the cameras stopped rolling and Leo stood up. I remained sitting there, in shock, feeling disoriented.

I had fantasized about our first kiss for ten years, and now it finally happened, in front of the whole world when I least expected it.

The worst part was that it hadn’t meant anything to him.