As Mark stands and waits on the doorstep, he can't help but feel a little nervous. This was something he had only really done once in his life - dating. The rest of his life had always been dedicated to his music. However, he was determined to do his best, and he wanted to make a good impression. He really liked Nadia, and she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. He almost couldn't believe she was interested in him. In Mark's mind he was still that awkward little 21 year old who had struggled to get a girlfriend. As he hears some movement in the house, Mark feels a little jolt of nerves in his stomach, and he quickly puts a piece of chewing gum in his mouth to freshen his breath, smiling before the door opens.

When it does, and he sees Nadia, Mark beams far more genuinely. He had never seen her dressed like this before, at least not for his benefit. He looks her up and down briefly, totally taken by how amazing she looked, before he hands her the flowers when their eyes meet. "Oh, yeah, sure, it's nothing" he says quickly, almost babbling as he watches her disappear back inside. When she returns and kisses his cheek, he feels his cheek turn a little red. "Hi," he says, shifting his feet a little in an attempt to look less awkward. He smiles at her warmly. "You look, so beautiful," he says honestly, as they walk over to his car. He opens the door for her. "For the lady," he says exaggeratedly, bowing his head and chuckling, before he rushes around to get in the other side, almost tripping himself. "What are your thoughts on Italian food?" he asks as he turns the ignition.

Mark shakes his head and laughs a little at her compliment. "Far too modest, Ms Berry," he says with a little smile, reaching up to make sure his hair was still in place. Mark smiles over at her, no idea that Nadia was as nervous as him. In his mind, pretty girls didn't get nervous, and he imagined going out with someone as awkward and new to the dating game as he was would be a breeze for a confident person like Nadia.

He chuckles when she calls him a gentleman, allowing her to sit in the car before he closes the door. He gets in the other side and closes his own door. "Tricks of the trade, Nadia, huh? It ain't all singing and dancing in the pop game. You have to practice sitting as well or some pervert will exploit you for a quick buck. Media culture." He tuts and rolls his eyes before laughing a little. Mark puts his seatbelt on and looks in the mirror once more at his hair. It was his pride and joy, and he felt it had to look perfect. He starts to pull out of the driveway. "Good, because we're going Pizza Express, I have vouchers," he jokes a little, before blushing. "Sorry, that was a joke. I know a really nice Italian in Mayfair. I sound pretentious, don't I?" He looks over at her and smiles. "I know, right? It's my one weakness. my car. If anything they pay me too much." He chuckles. "Was that your actual house, by the way? it seems more like a hotel...the size of it I mean."

Internally, Mark was starting to relax a little, but his stomach was still a knotted ball of nerves. He had, there was no doubt about it, become a lot more confident in the last few months. But that was in music, and his career. He was good at that. This was dating, and he was basically a newcomer in this game. He had no idea Nadia was nervous as well, which was why he tried to look confident outwardly.

Mark laughs when she talks about the stresses of being a female star. "Hey, I guess I'm doubly lucky. There's hardly anyone wants to take a photo of me anyway. Well not anyone who isn't my mom anyway," he jokes as he looks over at her and smiles when he catches her looking at him. He found Nadia absolutely gorgeous. Who wouldn't? So the fact she would even cast her eyes over him was such an alien concept in his mind. He had no idea of his own attractiveness. "I bet you've never had a boyfriend who took longer to get ready in the morning than you either? Seriously, this seemed like a good idea at the time...but it's just a pain now." When he fixes it, he nods. "Alright, I look pretty enough to be seen out in public with a member of GirlSpice now." He laughs when she does at his date 'idea'. "Hey, maybe I was just testing the waters. You'll never really know now," he says with a smile. "Imagine us walking into Pizza Express dolled up to the nines like this. Culture Uncut would have a field day." He smiles and nods. "Me too. They do the best pasta in England," he says with an enthusiastic smile. Mark was a bit of a foodie, mostly because he didn't drink, and it was nice to have a passion when he went for a night out. "That sounds like a good plan. You're right as well. Having a friend around would be great. It's always nice to have someone to talk to. I'm holed up in LA at the moment as well. I had to leave New York..obviously...and Scott put me up out there. I assume you've been before?" He turns red. "Sorry...stupid question. You're Nadia Berry, of course you've been before. Blah...sorry I babble when I'm nervous."

"Good, we can have a red carpet on my birthday, and you two can stand there and take pictures of me." He laughs. He notices her blushing and he turns a little red as well. He felt like he had made her feel embarrassed. He could tell Nadia was still a little apprehensive, but Mark was fine with taking things slow. After all, they were both recently single after long relationships and it was never going to be easy to dive into something new. He was prepared to allow Nadia as long as she needed to feel comfortable. When she ruffles his hair, he mocks looking really upset. "Hey, we're not too far away for me to turn and drop you back at home, Berry." He laughs a little, feeling more relaxed now that she had shown him he didn't have to look absolutely perfect. "Really? You like it? I like yours as well. When did you go brunette again? It really suits you. Makes you look sultry and seductive," he jokes. "I can imagine the hatred from those journos in that story. 'All those millions of dollars and these two share a seven inch cheese and tomato on Camden High Street. Shame on you, pop stars'! It would be their headline of the year....unless you flashed your underwear of course. They'd love that even more," he jokes with her. Mark shakes his head. "Yeah, Culture Uncut, eh? Our friends in low places..." he was pissed off at Culture Uncut for printing a story painting him as having left his wife for Nadia, which was untrue - they had split weeks before, earlier in the evening. Not that he would bring that up tonight. He smiles at her, aware he had been scowling a little. "Too right I'm treating you. Only the best for you, Nad. I don't do things by half. Well....not all the time," he says with a genuine smile. Mark laughs gently and looks over at her as he pulls the car to a stop beside a big fancy restaurant. He nods at her and holds his hands up. "You're right, Nadia. I'm sorry. I just feel like I want everything to go well tonight. I'm nervous about that." He smiles at her softly, his smile growing when she calls herself his girlfriend.

Mark shakes his head and lets out a little chuckle as they continue to drive towards their date. "And then for your birthday you can have a party where people don't try to take a snap of your underwear." He smiles gently. Mark knew he must be different to anyone Nadia had dated in the past, especially Ryan Ross Hernandez, who he knew to be very confident and quite brash. It didn't phase him like it would have done in the past though. He and Nadia had ended up together quite naturally, and he felt the pace they were taking things at allowed them to learn about each other much better than if they were diving into things. They had connected for a number of reasons, including their mutual humour, and Nadia had been the source of laughter Mark needed over the weeks following his break up. He laughs when she pouts. "Hey, that's not fair. How I could resist that cute face?" he winks. "Fiiiine, I guess I can still take you to dinner." He smiles. "Sultry and seductive indeed. I know what you mean though. That's how I ended up looking like an extra from Happy Days Christmas Special. A fresh start can be good though. I bet you feel much happier, right?" He chuckles. When she mentions her Maxim shoot, Mark loses his cool a little. "eehhhh....yeah, I...might have seen that." He looks up at her. "Is it ungentlemanly to say that it was one of the sexiest things I ever saw? You just looked....wow..seriously amazing." He smirks a little, clearly embarrassed to admit that. In truth, he was just worried she would think he was a creep. When the car stops, Mark looks out. "Prepare for tomorrow's headlines of "Nadia Berry has dinner with a mystery man." I swear I'm anonymous," he chuckles. When she squeezes his hand, Mark feels a million times better. He looks down at their hands before his gaze comes back up to meet her eyes and he nods. "You're right. We'll have a wonderful night." He says, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. Mark walks around the car and opens the door for Nadia, holding his hand out to her. "Is it like this everywhere you go?" he chuckles, nodding towards the cameras.

Mark laughs. "Two months away and you're worried already? You should just....hire a yacht and have a strawberries and cream party," he says with a little shrug. It was the most English thing he could think of. "Mine isn't til July, so you've still got ages to decide what you want to get me," he teases. Mark looks over at her when she pokes him in the arm. "Don't tell me no one's ever told you about your cute face before. I don't believe you've never used it to your advantage." He winks and chuckles a little. He was starting to ease up a little now, cracking some jokes and feeling less nervous the more time they spent together. He was happy to have someone he could be himself around - Mark never was any good at pretence and trying to be someone he was not. "Really? Is it awkward being on the beach with all those cameras around and stuff? You pulled it off amazingly. I remember seeing it the first time and I was just like...wow." Mark takes Nadia's hand as she steps out of the car, handing his keys to the valet. "I know...I've got a lot more coverage in the last year. I used to be like Robin to Scott's Batman, and I sort of hated that. The attention I get now gets a bit overwhelming at times though. Still it's nothing like you have to put up with." He holds her hand as they make their way past the cameras, trying to force a smile for them as the flashes almost blind the couple. He walks inside and nods to the concierge. "Ciao, un tavolo per due in nome di Talley," he says effortlessly. As the concierge leads them to their table, Mark looks over at Nadia. "Italian mother," he explains. "I'm like a regular Jersey Shore, huh?"

"Don't forget to invite the Queen and.....Russel Brand...? Jesus, can I really not think of any other English people?" He laughs. When she tells him what she'll get him for his birthday, he chuckles softly. "That sounds like the best birthday present. I do love to comb. Get me Grease on DVD as well and you might just be my favourite person of all time." He smiles at her pouting face - she really was amazingly beautiful - not just in Mark's eyes, but to anyone. It was the thing that made him more nervous than anything else. He knew he was a rock star of sorts, but he was still a little shocked someone like Nadia could ever be interested in him. "I believe, you. Thousands wouldn't," he smirks as he looks into her eyes. This felt a lot more natural now than when he first picked her up at her house. It had been the best part of their getting to know each other. Even when they first met, everything just seemed open and honest, with none of the drama that was normally associated with relationships. "You're far too modest, Nad. Didn't you win some sexiest awards at Chaos and stuff? I'm sure you did." He smiles at the way she reacts to the paparazzi.She clearly didn't revel in the height of fame like a lot of top stars. He admired how humble she was about her career. Mark nods when he sees how impressed Nadia is with his Italian. "Yeah, just my mom. God knows what my dad is, just some sort of regular American." He laughs. "Sì, più o meno fluente. I had to take lessons when I was a kid. I just get more boring by the second, eh?" He chuckles as he pulls her chair out for her and then takes a seat opposite, smiling warmly at her, totally oblivious to the looks of the other diners. "Do you want to order some wine?" he asks when he sees the waiter hovering.

"Please....behead a head with hair like this?" he winks. "I guess it would make for an awesome model in a hairdresser's salon, though." He smiles and shakes his head when she said she met the queen. "And you doubt your own star power, Nad? How did you manage to meet the queen?" He was impressed that she had done something which, to an American, seemed so insanely cool. "You know me, I always behave. Especially if Grease is the word." He cringes at his own awful joke. "That was bad. I'll let you out if you want," he says with a little laugh." Mark looked over at Nadia again, smiling at her. He tried not to stare at her, but he was really quite taken by her, and it was hard not to occasionally look. He loved her smile and her little laughs. "Rule one noted. I'm a stickler for regulations," he jokes. Mark wasn't that up on celebrity culture, so Nadia's mention of being "insane" takes him by surprise. He narrows his eyes a little and looks over at her. "How would you go about winning sexiest male?" he chuckles a little nervously, not sure whether it was pertinent to ask about her issues that she spoke of. He genuinely had no clue what she even meant. As far as he was aware, Nadia was a highly popular and famous, yet amazingly grounded, pop star who had always been this level headed. He looks over at her and wets his lips a little, still not sure whether to ask. "Were you ok?" he asks sympathetically. "What happened? If you'd rather not talk about it, it's fine. I understand." He gives her a warm smile to show he didn't mind and would never judge her. Mark wasn't that sort of person - he was always caring and understanding to everyone - almost to a fault. As they sit down, he nods. "She does, but she's a typical Italian, makes far too much. Moms, huh? If you ever come round, she'll tell you you look "too skinny" and try to fill you with pasta and garlic bread." he chuckles and shakes his head. When she asks about wine, he cringes a little. Through his life, this was the one thing about him that seemed to shock people more than anything. "You're gonna think me really weird here...but I don't drink at all. I never have." He goes a little red.

Mark smirks. He thought he must be talking too much about his hair, but it seemed to make for something of a conversation piece. "She certainly would. She was in the prime of her life back when I would have looked actually cool rather than like an eccentric rock star." He chuckles, still in awe of how she brushed off such a massive thing as meeting the actual Queen. "Oh I've heard of that show. That's where you go if you win....shit what's it called...England's Got Talent..? Right? That's huge though. Did you curtsey and act nice and proper for her?" He laughs and then does his own little pout. "Awww please don't go home," he says. "I'd look right sad dining on my own," he jokes. "I hope they weren't trying to say you looked like a dude. That's just nasty," he frowns. Mark hated bullies. He had never been a victim himself, but being as quiet as he was, the kids he hung with at school were the sort who were targeted. He listens carefully as she talks about all of her problems, nodding as he listens and occasionally looking over. He was a good listener, and he never judged anyone, no matter what they said. "Bipolar? I never knew you had that," he says giving her a reassuring smile. "It's not something I really know a lot about. It's good that you're feeling good now though. That's all that matters, right? Are you happy these days?" He gives her hand a little squeeze to show her he doesn't even care about any issues she might have. He liked Nadia for who she was, and nothing like that would bother him or make him think any less of her. It meant a lot to him that she felt comfortable to share, and Mark felt like he could as well. "What sorts of things did you do? If you don't mind me asking that is." He pauses for a brief moment. "I had depression myself actually, when I was teenager," he says quietly. This was something only his parents knew, but with Nadia being so open with him, he felt good to share with her, and he felt it might make her feel a little more comfortable with what he had shared.. If they were going to go anywhere, honesty like this would be important, and proved they were comfortable with each other. "I had real self esteem problems and I used to let them seriously get to me. When she praises his mother, Mark chuckles and smiles warmly across at Nadia, holding her gaze for a few moments. "She would love you as well then. I swear since I started making a lot and I bought them a bigger house, she just fills it with more food." He laughs. "Do you see your parents a lot? I assume they live over here?" He laughs a little when she remembers he didn't drink. "Phew, for a second I thought you didn't know. Most people look at me like I kicked their dog or something when they learn I don't drink." He turns to the waiter. "Just a glass of champagn- nah I'm kidding just a water for me please." He winks at her.

"Oh my god, I bet the queen totally is common back there. I can just imagine her laid on her couch on a Friday night in her underwear watching Geordie Shore with a big bag of Doritos." He shudders at the thought. "Ohhhh really? Have I not got that pop diva perfect pout down yet?" he asks with a wink. He loved that they could tease each other like this. It made things seem so much more natural and relaxed. "I'm sure that wasn't it. Who could ever think you looked like a guy? You're beautiful. Really, you are." He listens to her again as she discusses her condition. She seemed surprised that Mark didn't know, but he had never been one to pry into the personal lives of celebrities and he hated when the press would do just that. He smiles genuinely when she says she feels happy. "I'm glad. You've already shown me how wonderful you can be and I would hate to think you were unhappy. You deserve to be happy," he says while looking at her. He raises his eyebrows a little when she describes her former behaviour. He expected something mild but it sounded like she had got up to some real dangerous stuff. "I honestly had no idea that all happened. That's so sad, Nadia." He didn't like to think of her in a low place like that. "But I guess all those times helped you to be the strong person you are today, huh?" Mark always had that sort of way, looking at everything through a positive lens like this. "You've come back from a lot, and that shows how strong you are I reckon. You've managed to become the biggest name in pop." He was impressed at, and he listens to her surprise when he describes his own depression. It was a common reaction, since most people had Mark painted as like this cool and calculated rocker who was never fazed by anything. He thinks as he looks down for a few seconds. "Yeah.....it was nothing too serious. Just a period in my teenage years where I realised I found it hard to make friends because I was so shy, and that got me really down or a while. I'd go home and just lay in the dark until morning. I'm all good now, though. I got help and I ended up in a much better place emotionally. I think getting serious on guitar took my mind off it. Would it be cliché to say that music saved my life?" He smiles a little at her, trying to make the conversation a little happier. He was enjoying their date, and he hoped she was as well. "It sucks not being able to see your parents much, huh? I know how it feels. That's awesome that you have them to look after your puppy though! How is she? I remember you used to tweet pictures of her all the time. It was the cutest." He smiles and nods. "I just never liked the idea of being drunk. I don't mind other people drinking though. I'm not one of those people." He laughs. Mark shrugs and exhales slowly when she asks about Scott. "Scott? I don't know. I literally haven't seen him since we worked with you guys. He takes strange little episodes and leaves Gia for periods of time to go back to England. So he doesn't know. What about your band? I bet some of them were shocked about us, huh?" The waiter comes across and Mark looks up. "Oh, hi. I'll have the penne chicken arrabbiata please. Nad?" He smiles at her, leaning forward a little.