"Hollywood super couple Gwen Garcia and Zac Hanson celebrated their one-year anniversary yesterday in a slightly unusual way�they held a press conference," MTV news correspondent Gideon Yago said during the quick, ten to the hour news update on MTV the day after Zac and Gwen's one-year anniversary of being back together. "In front of countless curious news reporters, Zac announced the release date of his solo album, something he'd managed to keep hidden from the public for nearly ten months now." The shot clicked to Zac and Gwen, sitting next to Peter Denepir.
"I'd like to start off," Zac said, "by announcing the release date of my first solo album, entitled On the Balcony. It will be available November 16th, and the first single should be hitting the radio soon. I apologize for the secrecy of this album, but I wanted to announce it myself the correct way."
The screen clicked back to Gideon. "Zac also spoke about his relationship with actress Ginger Stevens for the first time. Ginger will be traveling to LA shortly to begin shooting for her new movie, due out some time next year."
"As for Ginger," Zac said, his smiling face appearing again, "she was a wonderful person, but our breakup was unavoidable. I'm very happy right now with Gwen here and it's unfair to her to have everyone continue to ask me about Ginger."
"The album On the Balcony," Gideon said, "contains sixteen songs written, produced, and performed entirely by Zac Hanson under the record label Columbia, which Zac worked as a producer before signing a contract. The liner notes include thanks to the record company, various people who helped with the album, and a very personal reference to Zac's former band mates, his brothers Taylor and Isaac Hanson. Zac said, quote 'To my brothers through blood and music, Isaac and Taylor, I cannot be where I am today without your guidance. You led me through seven years of fame, carefully placed underneath your protective cloak, but this is my time to prove to you that I can make it by myself. I know you may want nothing to do with this album, or anything I am doing right now, but your support would mean the world to me' unquote. Zac album also features a duet with his sister Jessica. His first single will be released the beginning of next week. As for Zac and Gwen, they are off to Milan for a few weeks in lieu of Gwen's appearance in the Fall Fashion show, headed by Donatella Versace."
"Gwendolyn! We're going to miss our flight!" Zac yelled from the front door.
"I'm sorry," Gwen said, running towards him from the living room. "MTV News was just talking about you."
"Really?" Zac asked. "About yesterday's conference?"
"Yeah," Gwen said. "They also talked a little about your album. They called us Hollywood's super couple although Hollywood is more of an actor term than one for a musician and a model."
"Well, it's nice to be in the news again," Zac said. "Come on, let's go."
Zac took her hand and they walked out the apartment. Gwen, now that she was a model with a multi-million dollar contract for Versace and her face in just about every single magazine, on billboards, and in commercials, had a very different style. Everything she wore belonged to someone she modeled for. Her hair was very different and she walked differently. Zac looked different as well. Since he was coming out with an album, Gwen made sure he worked out often to get any kind of fat off his body, leaving him chiseled to her liking. His style was like Gwen's, mostly because Gwen dressed him. He wore a lot of chick pants that made his ass look great and had a lot of fitted T-shirts that clung to his sculpted abs.
"Oh, baby you're not going to wear those glasses out, are you?" Gwen asked as Zac put on a pair of sunglasses in the elevator.
"What?" he asked, looking at her.
"Honey, they're six months ago!"
"They're cool!"
"Ugh, you are not my boyfriend," Gwen said. The doors opened and she started out. Zac pulled her back into the elevator and closed the doors.
"But you love me," he said, pulling her up against him.
"Not with those glasses on," she said. She took off his glasses and kissed him. "They look better on me."
"You look better on me," he said.
"God, Zac, you're so fricken horny," Gwen said, pulling away from him. "I don't want to miss our flight." She opened the doors and pulled him out with her. "All that time on a plane with you, I don't know how I'm going to manage."
"Whatever, Gwen." Zac and Gwen walked outside where their limo was waiting. Gwen got in first and already dug around her bag for a magazine. "Gwen, you're going to have to keep some of your magazines for the plane. It's no fun if you read them all in the car."
"Oh, I have plenty," Gwen said. "Look, it's me!" She showed him an advertisement for a new perfume that she was modeling in. Zac's eyebrows furrowed. He didn't like some of the poses those photographers put her in. Half the time she didn't have any clothes on; she was either covered by her own arms or a strategically placed object.
"I swear Gwen, they never let you wear clothes," Zac said, taking the magazine. He looked at her pose and paused. She was wearing a violet bathing suit, her pose reminiscent of the poster Zac used to have of Ginger. He handed Gwen her magazine. "I love you." She looked at him, smiling.
"I love you too, baby," she said. "Why so soft all of a sudden?"
"No reason." He kissed her.
When Gwen and Zac arrived in Milan, there was a hoard of people waiting for them. Zac had a feeling that everyone was there for Gwen, but it turned out there was a share of people there for him as well as for Gwen. The people here probably hadn't heard of his solo album yet, and he hadn't been out of the country since he left the band, so he had no idea how they received that.
"This is so awesome, Zac," Gwen said, taking Zac's hand as they were escorted through the airport to an awaiting limo that would bring them to the hotel. "Was it like this when you would go places with your brothers?"
"Sort of," Zac said. "Imagine all those people out there, multiply by three, make them all teenage girls, and have all of them scream." Gwen crinkled her nose.
"That doesn't sound very fun."
"It's good for keeping in shape. You know, all that running."
"Oh, yeah," Gwen said, snorting. "You were so in shape. As a matter of fact, I didn't need to press you to work out at all! You had a washboard stomach without my help."
"Don't even start," Zac said. "Look at you before I met you. You were an awkward tall chick with unflattering hair and glasses. If it weren't for me and my awesome generosity in having you come out here with me, you would never be the supermodel you are today."
"My hair was not unflattering!!"
"Oh, excuse me, frizzy curls not unlike an Afro isn't unflattering."
"Shut up!" She pushed him. "Yeah, I do owe a lot to you. And yeah, I am a supermodel, aren't I?" Zac rolled his eyes. "Thank you, baby." When Zac didn't say anything else, she cleared her throat.
"Oh!" he said. "Thank you too baby. Now I wear chick clothes and I can grate cheese on my abs! It's fantabulous!"
"And I love it," Gwen said, running her hand over his stomach. "We're good together."
"Yeah, we are."
"You know, on the plane someone actually asked me if you and I had gotten married yet," she said, laughing. "I was like, no�Zac's not even nineteen yet."
"Yeah�"
Zac knew exactly why she brought that up. She'd been bringing it up for a while now. She wanted to get married. Not counting the short period when they'd broken up, they'd been together for over two years, and have been friends for even longer. Zac had a massive career ahead of him and she was set as a supermodel now. Everybody knew who she was; she was in all the magazines, she was in constant demand for shows and commercials. Everybody wanted her face on their advertisement. All that there was left to do was get a husband and settle down. However, Zac did not want get married. Not yet, and not to Gwen.
The car stopped and in a moment the door opened. Zac stepped out and then brought Gwen out with him. They walked into the hotel lobby alone. That's what he loved about Milan. Nobody followed. Zac went up to the front desk, Gwen holding onto one of his hands in both of hers while a bellboy brought in their bags behind them.
They got a room on the fifth floor with a balcony overlooking the city. The bellboy brought in the bags as Gwen immediately went out onto the balcony and Zac looked around the room. Zac tipped the man before going out onto the balcony with Gwen. He put his arms around her from behind.
"Are you nervous about tomorrow?" he asked.
"Why should I be?"
"Well it�s a big show," he said. "The biggest one you've done. Everybody's going to be there."
"Pfft," she said. "Whatever. As long as I can see you, I don't get nervous."
"I'm right in the front."
"Just like you should be." She turned around and looked directly at him. "I want to go shopping."
"All right."
"I want you to come with me."
"Ugh�" Zac said, turning around. He walked back into the main room. Gwen followed behind, closing the French doors as she did so. "Gwendolyn, you know how much I hate shopping."
"I know you do," she said. "But it's no fun without you."
"But Gwen," he said, falling onto the bed. "Jet lag!"
"Oh, don't even, Zac." She climbed on top of him on the bed. "It'll be fun. We'll get you some new clothes, maybe some sunglasses that I'll let you wear out of the house." He smiled. "And maybe we can even get something for me to wear in the house."
"Finally," Zac said. "An apron. You know ever since you started working, you haven't been keeping up with the cleaning�" She hit him. "Ow!"
"You're such a bastard," she said, laughing. "I hate you!"
"I love you too, Gwen."
"Fuck you."