Ch-104

"SURPRISE!"

Emma was shaken to her core when she entered the living room, only to find most of the people she cared about gathered there. Both her parents with their respective partners, her brother Alex, her step-siblings—Toby, Lucy, and Nina—and most importantly, Troy.

"Oh my God!" she exclaimed. "I thought you were in Los Angeles!" she said to Troy.

He shrugged casually. "I took a flight back. I couldn't miss your birthday, could I?" He stepped forward and placed a chaste kiss on her lips before engulfing her in a hug. "Happy birthday, Em."

All her earlier anger vanished in moments as soon as Troy embraced her. At that moment, she didn't care about anything else at all.

"For God's sake!" her father, Chris Watson, grumbled in the background. "This is the first time I've seen her in weeks, and she didn't even look at me properly."

"Come on, Chris," her mother chided him. "Don't be such a spoilsport. You know what it means to be young and in love."

"If it means gross kisses, I'm fine being single," Alex said matter-of-factly.

Emma quickly separated from Troy and turned to her brother. "Shut up, Alex!" Then she walked over to her dad and gave him a tight hug. "Thanks for coming, Dad."

"Of course, princess," her dad said, kissing the top of her head lovingly. "Why don't we have some cake now?"

The next hour was the happiest Emma had been in a long time. Everyone laughed, enjoyed, and had a great time together. Then it was time for gifts. While the gifts from her siblings were fairly generic, her mum upped the ante by getting her a cool Chanel bag. Not to be outdone by his ex-wife, her dad gave her a pair of beautiful diamond earrings.

"Thank you so much, Dad," she said, hugging him tightly. "How did you know I wanted to get my ears pierced?"

Chris chuckled nervously. "I didn't. I thought that if you didn't like them, we could exchange them for something else."

"I love them!" Emma gushed excitedly.

"Troy," her mum called out. "Only your gift is left now."

Emma turned to Troy eagerly to see what he had brought for her, only to find him looking around nervously.

"My gift is a little unusual," he said. "I don't know how good it will turn out to be."

"I'm sure I'll love it," Emma reassured him. "What is it?"

Troy took a deep breath. "I didn't want to do this in front of everyone, but you haven't left me a choice. Oh, well." He shrugged before walking over to the piano.

Emma was confused. She knew that Troy had been taking music lessons for years and had a really amazing voice, but what did that have to do with her gift?

Troy sat in front of the piano and played a few test notes before he began for real. The melody that emerged was solemn and a little sad, but Emma liked it nonetheless.

[All of Me - John Legend]

~: What would I do without your smart mouth?

Drawin' me in and you kickin' me out

You've got my head spinnin', no kiddin'

I can't pin you down:~

Emma's eyes widened in amazement as she heard the beautiful opening phrase of the song. Troy's voice was as smooth as ever, having settled after the initial voice cracks typical of boys his age. There was a deep longing in his voice and eyes, and he hadn't looked away from Emma once.

~: What's goin' on in that beautiful mind?

I'm on your magical mystery ride

And I'm so dizzy, don't know what hit me

But I'll be alright

My head's underwater, but I'm breathing fine

You're crazy and I'm out of my mind:~

Emma couldn't stop the grin from spreading across her face. Troy paused, took a deep breath, and sang what would become the most important part of the song.

~: 'Cause all of me

Loves all of you

Love your curves and all your edges

All your perfect imperfections

Give your all to me

I'll give my all to you

You're my end and my beginnin'

Even when I lose, I'm winnin'

'Cause I give you all of me

And you give me all of you, oh-oh:~

Troy's voice hit the high note perfectly, leaving everyone stunned by the beauty with which the notes resonated in the quiet house. Emma's eyes watered, overwhelmed by the love and devotion in Troy's words, voice, and eyes. She had never felt like this before.

Over the next few minutes, Emma was mesmerized by her boyfriend's haunting voice as he poured all his feelings into a song meant just for her. If she had looked around, she would have seen she wasn't the only one moved to tears by the melody.

~: I give you all of me

And you give me all of you, oh-oh.:~

Troy finished the song on a high note, stunning everyone with his incredible vocals. It took a few moments for the room to realize the song was over before loud applause filled the space.

"Thank you," Troy said, bowing to the audience, though his eyes never left Emma. "I didn't know if it came out alright."

Instead of answering, Emma ran up to him and hugged him tightly. Not one to disappoint, Troy scooped her up in his arms. Emma followed up by kissing him again, not caring that her family was watching.

"See, she's gone mental," Alex commented from the background. "It was just a song. The dress I gave her was much better."

"Shut up, Alex," both of Emma's parents rebuked him in unison, grinning at each other.

(Break)

"Are you sure it'll be fine?" Emma asked, glancing nervously around for hidden cameras.

"Chill out, will you?" I said, looping her arm around mine. "We're just here to see a movie. The more casual you act, the less likely people will recognize you. Don't do anything that draws attention."

"You should've thought of that before wearing those," she said, eyeing my Crocs. I had completed my look with a loose-fitting white jacket, black cargo pants, a hip-hop cap, and sunglasses. It was so different from my usual style that even I might not have recognized myself. Emma, meanwhile, wore a casual pink t-shirt, denim pants, and, of course, shades.

I sighed. "Not this again, Emma. I told you, they're comfy."

Emma shook her head but thankfully dropped the subject. "So, which movie are we seeing today?"

"[Kill Bill: Volume 2]," I said excitedly. "I just love Quentin Tarantino's work. He may be a terrible human being, but you can't argue that his art is great."

"What did he do?" Emma asked conspiratorially.

I sighed. "In an interview with Howard Stern last year, he defended Roman Polanski and implied it was the girl's fault."

Emma's eyes widened. "And you still want to watch his film? Especially given the charity you're supporting?"

I shrugged. "I can separate art from the artist. Also, Tarantino didn't do all that stuff—Polanski did. I wouldn't work with him anytime soon, but if I meet him, I'll definitely give him a piece of my mind."

Emma looked at me skeptically. "Are you sure we'll even get in? Aren't his films 18+ because of the violence and gore?"

"Don't worry about it. Paolo's with us," I said, glancing behind at my security guard, who followed us from a safe distance. "He's already bought the tickets and will give us enough privacy to enjoy the movie in peace. Come on now, leave all your worries behind. This is technically our first date in public—don't ruin it."

While I was reassuring her, I was worried as hell. Despite being together for over a year, this was the first time we were "going out" in public. Public outings could be dangerous with the paparazzi and amateur photographers lurking around. But Emma was the sweetest girl in the world, and I didn't want her to miss out on the simple joys of life, like going on a movie date with her boyfriend.

Emma had once mentioned how she could never go on a public date. I felt bad for her, so I decided to make it happen as a second birthday gift. Sure, it was a few days late, but it was better than nothing.

True to my word, it didn't take us long to get in and find our seats.

"We're really early," Emma remarked idly as we settled into the empty VIP box reserved for the two of us. "The trailers haven't even started yet."

"Didn't you just say you didn't want to be recognized? That's why I brought you here early, so we don't run into anyone."

Emma seemed to like that response and cuddled close to me. I could get used to this very easily.

Being rich and famous had its perks. When I planned this date, I searched for a theater that offered VIP movie viewing with a private box. I had booked that entire box for us. It gave us privacy without cutting us off from the live audience reaction. Paolo sat in the last row of the box, while Emma and I were in the front.

Suddenly, the screen lit up.

"Looks like the trailers are starting," Emma noted idly.

She was right, but instead of a movie trailer, a commercial started playing—a product I was very familiar with.

Emma turned to me with a grin as I appeared on the screen. "You didn't tell me this would come out so soon."

"I didn't know either," I said honestly. "I thought it would take at least a few months."

In the commercial, I was getting a photoshoot done, nearly blinded by the constant camera flashes. From head to toe, I was dressed in high-end clothes and shoes. As I left the studio, fans and paparazzi swarmed me, and I barely escaped by running inside my home. Once I was safely inside, I heaved a sigh of relief.

Then, in a comical twist, I glanced around to make sure no one was watching before unbuttoning my shirt, and lowering my trousers and underwear, tossing them dramatically against the wall. I threw my shoes away as well. Though I wasn't actually naked while filming, the commercial cleverly avoided showing the skin-colored briefs I was wearing at the time, focusing instead on my toned torso.

At that point, a pair of Crocs walked toward me on their own. They were being pulled by strings that had been edited out in the post-production. I melted, seeing my favorite footwear, and immediately slipped them on without hesitation. Then I lounged on the couch, wearing nothing but my Crocs. My feet, resting on the coffee table, strategically blocked any view of my briefs.

I'm not a narcissist, but that shot was stunning. I'd worked out relentlessly before the shoot, sticking to a strict exercise routine and a water-restrictive diet. The results were obvious—my muscles were chiseled, from my pecs to my abs, biceps, calves, and thighs. Every part of my body was in peak condition. My expressions in the commercial came out perfectly, making it look aesthetic rather than vulgar in my opinion.

"Crocs," I finally spoke in the commercial. "The only thing you'll need to wear for comfort."

And then the ad ended.

"So, how was it?" I asked Emma, who was staring at me, wide-eyed.

"Hello?" I snapped my fingers in front of her face. "Cat got your tongue?"

"Holy shit!" Emma exclaimed. "That was super hot! Why didn't you tell me it was going to be like that?"

"You don't mind?" I asked, surprised. "I was worried there might be some backlash because of my age. This whole ad was my idea. I wanted to do something bold that would make everyone notice the brand."

"Oh, trust me, they'll definitely take notice now," Emma said with a grin. "You don't do anything halfway, do you?"

I shrugged innocently. "What's the point of anything if it's not extreme? As long as you like it, I don't care about anything else."

"Are your parents okay with it?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"They… don't know yet," I admitted slowly. "Hopefully, they won't make a big deal about it."

Sensing my concern, Emma changed the subject by snuggling closer to me and whispering in my ear, "That reminds me, when can I see you like that in person?" She traced her finger along my bicep, across my chest, and slowly down toward my abs. I caught her hand just before it reached the place it shouldn't.

"No," I said firmly. "I've told you many times I'm not comfortable with that. Don't push me on this. Give me a few years, at least."

She pouted but didn't say anything more. I smiled and kissed her softly to distract her. Something I did successfully.

Soon, the movie started, and we forgot about our little disagreement entirely.

(Break)

(Flashback)

Scott Seamans, one of the founders of Crocs, looked pretty uncomfortable after hearing my pitch for the advertisement.

"It's very… provocative," he said after searching for the correct word. "We are a fledgling brand. Don't you think that will create a lot of negative publicity for us?"

"No," I shook my head. "We need all publicity that we can get. Remember, initially, there is no such thing as negative publicity. We need as many people to see the ad as possible, and we don't have that big of a budget for the promotions. So we have to create something that will promote itself. Just shoot this ad, and every major media channel will advertise our brand for us."

Scott didn't look that convinced by my argument. Thankfully, Lyndon and George, the other founders did and they somehow convinced Scott as well. The rest, as they say, was history.

(Flashback End)

Cinemas weren't the only place where the commercial played out. The same commercial was played in all English-speaking countries, including the US, the UK, and Australia. A slightly modified version was played in other European countries where instead of Troy speaking about Crocs, the same line is written on screen in the respective language.

That was where Crocs was operating at the moment. They planned to expand to African and Asian regions as well, but it will take some time. As expected by Troy, Crocs didn't have to spend a lot of money on running advertisements because their work was done for them.

Breaking News!

"Troy Armitage, best known for playing the titular role of [Harry Potter], has started a new controversy by appearing nearly naked in a TV commercial for an up-and-coming footwear brand called 'Crocs'. You can see the ad playing on your screen."

"It is abhorrent behavior from a brand to sexualize a 15-year-old so blatantly. See in this video how they are portraying an international icon so lewdly."

"For a major headline in a newspaper, people can stoop to any level. They didn't even leave our kids alone. See the video playing beside me."

As expected by almost everyone, it created a backlash. Not just where the advertisement was played, but worldwide. Harry Potter was an international sensation after all, and seeing their beloved child character like that caused quite a stir. The hypocrisy of these news channels wasn't lost on anyone that they were playing the same ad again and again while calling it 'lewd'.

But it did have an unexpected consequence as well. Unexpected for the founders of Crocs at least. All inventory of Crocs was sold out within weeks of the first airing of that commercial.

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