As it was already nighttime, driving from Liverpool to London would take around six hours. Since Melanie was also heading back to London for her next job, she decided to ride to the airport with Aldrich. The flight back to London would only take one hour, and her brother would come to the airport to take her car back home.
On the way to the airport, Aldrich had been silent since he got into the car, staring blankly out of the window, his expression calm as he made a call to book his tickets.
"Hey, are you angry?" Melanie asked.
"No."
"Liar. I can see it. It's just so weird."
Melanie felt a bit upset too. She knew that Aldrich's reason for leaving earlier was just an excuse.
Aldrich turned to look at her and asked, "Do you know if Victoria is coming with Beckham?"
"I don't know."
"Really?"
"Of course it's true. She said she recently started dating a new boyfriend, but she didn't tell us who he is. Today she just said she wanted to have dinner together. I think she just wants to keep some mystery. I really didn't expect it to be Beckham—they seem to be a good match, don't you think? Is there really a conflict between you and Beckham?"
Aldrich turned back to look out the window in silence again.
Did he have a conflict with Beckham?
He didn't think so; it was just a disagreement in a temporary "superior-subordinate" relationship at work. Beckham had left, and Aldrich continued with his job. They were all adults here; no one would hold a grudge. There would occasionally be formal greetings if they met at social events, which only proved that they didn't have a personal relationship.
Aldrich wasn't a star-chasing fan who needed to suck up to Beckham. They didn't share any common ground for conversation. Besides, being close with players from other teams while holding the position of Millwall's manager could easily be misinterpreted; after all, he was the boss, holding a checkbook.
The rumors about their supposed "conflict" had been hyped up in Fleet Street.
Earlier this year, he had even been mocked for it because Beckham won the championship with Manchester United.
"Why are you silent again? Hey, do you really have a conflict with him? The atmosphere between you two when you talked earlier didn't seem bad at all."
Aldrich sighed wearily, "I don't have a conflict with him, but I'm not friends with him either. I'm not interested in being friends with him. If Victoria attends any events with him in the future, don't invite me. I won't show up."
Melanie frowned, exclaiming, "From what you just said, it clearly sounds like you have issues with him!"
"Melanie, I'll only say this once: the problem isn't between me and Beckham, it's about Victoria! She's being manipulative! I won't be used as a pawn. She's your friend, and I respect her, but if she wants to maintain my respect, she should show me the same respect as well!"
Melanie pulled over to the side of the road, turning around angrily. "What's wrong with Victoria wanting to have dinner with us? It's just a normal friends' dinner! Does it really bother you to have dinner with my friends?"
Aldrich sneered, "Is it really that simple? Why today? Why in Liverpool? Why in a high-end restaurant where there are sure to be throngs of paparazzi waiting outside? She has her motives; she's cleverly playing both of us! Beckham is naively thinking it's just a romance. If he didn't have fame from Manchester United, would Victoria really look at him?"
Melanie hesitated, her furrowed brows finally parting as she replied, "That's normal, isn't it? Beckham is equally famous. I don't think there's anything wrong with Victoria choosing him."
Aldrich nodded, "I'm not interested in anyone's love life. Whether Victoria and Beckham are together has nothing to do with me. But her actions make me feel disrespected. Melanie, she's different. She's not the same as you or the other Spice Girls. I'm discussing this issue without any bias; I'm just stating my opinion."
"Fine, go ahead. I'm listening. If you're talking nonsense, I won't let you off easily."
Melanie crossed her arms and glared at the man beside her.
After a moment of silence, Aldrich said quietly, "Do you know how the outside world views the Spice Girls?"
"Just tell me. Don't try to mislead me with wordplay."
"Okay, people think that among the Spice Girls, Victoria is the one who can't sing the best. I think this assessment is fairly accurate. At least she doesn't sing as well as you or the other three members."
Melanie pouted, unable to refute him.
It was a fact. From the albums released by the Spice Girls, it was evident that there were hardly any solo parts by Victoria in the hit songs; even if there were, they had no distinct characteristics, while each of the other members brought something different to the table.
But it couldn't be denied that Victoria was important in the group; her image and expressiveness enriched the Spice Girls' uniqueness.
This is easy to understand. Not every member of a band is necessarily a great singer. Some serve as "background singers" but enhance a band's popularity through other means, like stage presence and performance style.
This was also one of the reasons why the Spice Girls were so successful after debuting. Each member had their own characteristics and nicknames, and fans might dislike one but love another. Their diversity allowed them to resonate with a broader audience.
"She excels at putting on a show, whether it's on stage or at events; that's her strong suit.So today, she has brought her little act to the dining table."
"What do you mean?"
Aldrich sighed softly, his tone serious, "I, the manager of Millwall; Beckham, the rising star of Manchester United; you and Victoria, the current hottest member of the girl group. If the four of us sat at the same table, you think what kind of news will be reported tomorrow?"
Melanie, who clearly wasn't good at thinking about such things, murmured, "What news can come out of just having dinner?"
Aldrich pointed out, "Firstly, football news. Whether it's my meeting with Beckham or the backdrop of our recently concluded Premier League match, any resulting news will definitely sell newspapers. Secondly, entertainment news. Me and you with Victoria and Beckham will surely become hot topics. Thirdly, what impact will it yield? Millwall fans and Manchester United fans will take notice, and so will the Spice Girls fans. Our popularity will rise! You will enter the fans' view, and I and Beckham will too. This is a classic case of cross-domain celebrity collaboration to boost popularity."
Such promotional methods are common. Crossovers between pop stars and movie stars or sports stars and entertainment celebs are widespread globally. To say these combinations have no ulterior motives is impossible—it's like how the WAGs love to attach themselves to Premier League stars.
"Most non-European fans, upon seeing the later fame of Beckham, probably feel that Victoria hit the jackpot by marrying him."
But fans in Britain know that if Beckham had not married a woman named Victoria, he wouldn't have become the shining star he is.
Why?
Because the attention and popularity that propelled Beckham to stardom came not only from Manchester United but also Victoria.
How many people spent real money buying Spice Girls albums? Hundreds of thousands!
And when the Spice Girls rose to fame in Britain, Beckham hadn't even played his first Premier League match yet. Now, the Spice Girls were already planning to break into the North American market, with their album causing a sensation in several European countries.
The attention and popularity Victoria brought to Beckham, combined with the commercial success of the Premier League following star players and Manchester United's background, allowed Beckham to become an international star. Without Victoria, he would not have achieved the heights of popularity he did.
Melanie questioned, "Even if Victoria really has that intention, what's the harm? You've been famous for a while; what difference does it make if you get a little more famous?"
Aldrich placed his hand on her face, gazing seriously into her troubled eyes. He said solemnly, "Being with you, I'm not seeking your fame to bring me any benefits. If you and Victoria are thinking of the same thing and hope to elevate your popularity with my help, I can assure you that being a star couple would certainly benefit your career, but I would refuse. That would damage my career and ruin my future. I won't appear in entertainment pages every day, letting people gossip about my life outside of football. Do you know why? Because football is simple. While some players might care more about fame, I believe that most players are respected for their professionalism, and they pursue pure success on the pitch. The kind of player I admire, respect and need is one who cherishes this professional ethic. I won't strive to become a celebrity beyond the realms of football; that would distance me from the players. When people start focusing on my hairstyle, my outfits, and my life with a pop star girlfriend, what will my image be in the eyes of the players? Would I still be a coach? Can I still earn the players' trust? No matter how I explain, the majority will think my attention is being diverted away from football."
Melanie pouted, her eyes suddenly glistening with tears cascading down her cheeks.
She suddenly realized—yes, she was not the same as Victoria.
She had been training in vocal performance since elementary school, slowly working her way to where she was now. She had her spot in the Spice Girls, and it wasn't just about singing talent.
When she got together with Aldrich, she was not a star. One could not say he was all that famous at that time, but at least by family background, she felt more like an ugly duckling.
Aldrich had never pursued her with any selfish motives.
Thinking of this, she suddenly felt moved by the man in front of her.
Wrapping her arms around Aldrich's neck, she whispered in his ear, "I'm sorry. I really didn't know Victoria would arrange things like this today. Aldrich, you don't hate me, do you?"
Aldrich held her face gently, tenderly wiping away her tears as he spoke softly, "It has nothing to do with you. Everyone has their own choices; I just don't like being used. Can you stop crying? We didn't have dinner, and crying is tiring, you know?"
Melanie chuckled through her tears and then lightly kissed his cheek, saying, "Let's go back to London tomorrow morning. Let's just stay here tonight."
After thinking for a moment, Aldrich replied, "Andrew just called me earlier asking me to drop by his office. I plan to go tomorrow morning, so let's head back tonight."
Melanie checked the time; there was still a while before the flight. She drove the car to a deserted back street near the airport, turned off the lights, and impatiently pounced into Aldrich's arms, passionately kissing him.
"What are you doing?"
"I just can't help but want to have some fun with you. We haven't tried it in the car yet."
The excitement from the afternoon's match where they wiped the floor with Manchester United still pulsed within Aldrich; he didn't care about anything else anymore and held her tightly, kissing her passionately, as he peeled off her ** black lace underwear...
Back in London after about half an hour on the plane, the two of them went out for dinner before returning to Aldrich's apartment. They headed straight for the bathroom and embraced under the cascading hot water, reigniting their passion. There was no moment of separation as Aldrich carried her into the bedroom, diving under the covers to continue their relentless possession of each other...