*Trisha*

So apparently, I'm on babysitting duty for not one but two people. Nate has assigned me to get everything done for the upcoming Awards Gala not only for him but for Julia as well. I can barely keep my head above water, and the stupid ass adds on this?! He owes me. Big time!! I can't let Nate see I'm having a hard time getting everything done. This is my job, and I need to prove I can handle it. 

Today was the final dress alteration day with Wardrobe, so everything would be ready in time. Then, I had to bring her to pick out the accessories and tie up any loose ends. Nate pretty much nominated me to be Julia's personal assistant now... He's so lucky I get paid well.

"Trish, I can't thank you enough for today. Really." Julia says while we sit in the café. There's a Starbucks right across the street, but Nate knows the old people who own this place, so we give them our business instead. 

I haven't really spent any one-on-one time with Julia, but she's fun to be around. I can be myself with her. I can drop F'bombs, talk smack about Nate, and joke around with Julia, and she can take it.

My phone has been going off constantly with Nate's team texting me, so I answer in between conversations. Julia doesn't seem to mind that I'm constantly glued to my phone. It comes with the job. I have to be on top of things and ahead of the game.

"Oh, sweetie. It was my pleasure! We accomplished a lot today. You kept up with my pace amazingly!" I take a sip of my coffee and relax a little.

"Yeah, like to get things done right away. I can't sit still until I know whatever task needs to be done in crossed off."

"We have the same personality! Now don't go gunning for my job, you hear?" We both laugh at that.

"God, I would never! Nate is too fricken high maintenance, that much I know..." Julia takes a sip of her coffee, but I can tell she doesn't like it and wishes we were across the street at Starbucks.

"Tell me about it. But he's a good one. And fucking pays me well. Plus, he knows how many times I've had to save the little fucker's sorry ass."  God, SO many times!!!

"Oh? I don't even want to know, do I?" Julia laughed." Anyways. I didn't think personal assistants did that sort of stuff?" 

"I'm not just ANY Personal Assistant. I'm Nate Hollan's Personal Assistant. I have to keep that boy out of trouble. Plus, he holds special place in my heart, that kid. I've been working with him since he was a teenager."

"For some reason, I assumed you guys were the same age." 

"Actually I'm 33. When the band first took off, I was 19 and in cosmetology school. I started as the band's hair and makeup gal! Then one of the higher ups noticed how I seemed to be the only one to reel the boys in and make them listen when it was time to get things done. They fired a few girls who didn't have the patience for teenage boys and hired my good friend Holly to take over and put me on fucking babysitting duty. There were 4 boys, and each had their own personal assistant. I was assigned to Nate." I roll my eyes while rambling on.

"At first, I just had to make sure Nate was where he needed to be and on time. I'd manage the day-to-day tasks, and anything that would pop up in between. Nate calls me the Gatekeeper. I work with everyone that's involved in his life. From his agents, managers, publicists, body guard."

"Nate has a bodyguard???" Julia asks, almost shocked hearing this

"At that age? Oh yeah. Teen girls are fucking insane. They'd rip those boys to shreds just to get a lock of hair. Paul headed that department, and he also helped me keep Nate in check, haha!"

"So, he was a handful then..." 

I ramble on for a little while longer, talking about Nate and what a flirt he can be to anyone with a pulse but can tell Julia is off in her own world now so reel it in.

"Anyways, I'm sure Playboy has been all over you as well." I say right as my phone rings. Shit. It's Elliott.

"Hold on, Sweetie. I need to take this." I quickly exit the café to take the call. This can't good. Nate had an interview with the one and only Susan Hardy. I can't stand that witch. No one can. She makes our lives a living hell.

"What's up Elliott?" 

"The interview with Susan Hardy didn't go well." Elliott wastes no time with hello or any bullshit. He gets right to the point.

"What do you mean, it didn't go well? What happened??"

Elliott tells me all about the interview.  Apparently, Susan found a way to dig up stuff on Julia and caught Nate off guard. To the point he froze in the middle of the interview. That's not like Nate. He's media trained and trained well. What the hell? Whatever it was with Julia threw him for a loop.  I stop my pacing and stand still for a moment and looked at Julia from the window before quickly looking down again.

"What kind of mess am I gonna have to clean up now, Elliott?" I ask nervously.

"Unsure, let's just see what happens ok, I just wanted to warn you ahead of time. Just check on Nate at some point, ok? He was in rare form when we left."

Shit.

I head back into the café trying to hide everything I'm feeling and get out of this as quickly as possible now.

"Sorry Julia, we have to cut this short. I need to go tie up some loose ends. But the driver is parked right there whenever you are ready to go back to the hotel." I point to the black SUV waiting. before rushing out of the café.

I walk home since it's only a few blocks away before texting Nate. If this was a bad interview with Susan Hardy I know where he will be, the bar. Once home I sit in the living room, ready to give Nate the attention he needs to talk.

[Elliot reached out to let me know your interview didn't go too fucking hot, Hollan. I don't know what happened but if you need anything let me know.]

[Thanks. Appreciate it.]

[And if you happen to be drinking away your sorrows at Sully's, don't be an ass. Call me and I will get you when you're done.]

I know what he's doing. He's getting plastered. I throw my phone on the couch and throw my head back.

Nate Hollan, you are seriously going to be the death of me!!

*****

*James*

Instead of seeing Julia while working the front desk, I get the gift of seeing Nate walk through the lobby. He's drunk. I can tell.  There's really nothing I can do about it either. He's going to the 4th floor, so I know no one will see him but also wonder if Julia knows he's coming up to see her drunk. I take note of the time he came through to see how long he stays there.  No twenty minutes go by before he comes back down and storms through the lobby to leave. He's pissed. I wonder what happened?

Part of me wants to call Julia's hotel room. Part of me knows she's on the 4th floor and that's kinda off limits. And part of me wonders why I give two shits since she's been ignoring me since our kiss. Or my kiss. Whatever the hell you want to call it.

I take a deep breath and sit back in my chair, deciding to ride it out. If Julia wants to talk, I'm here. I'll always be here for her. Until then, I probably should think of something better to occupy my time. 

I can't really be taking calls on my personal phone at work so decide to text my sisters in the group message to keep me entertained tonight.

[ Someone entertain me]

I text, seeing both Kendall, Katie and Ash are all online. Jennie is probably busy with mom and who knows where Gwen is. She's always off in her own world that one.

[Here's some entertainment for you... Mom decided to try and go grocery shopping today] Kendall replies.

Shit. 

[What?!? Mom can't be behind a wheel!!  What happened??]

[Nothing she just got mad when I took the keys telling me she's a grown adult and doesn't need Jennie babysitting her anymore. That she can go grocery shopping herself.]

[Ken, you're leaving out the best part!] Ashley chimes in.

[Wait. I haven't heard this story. I had to work today. Mom tried to drive?] Katie now joins the conversation and both Ashley and Kendal respond 'yep'

[What's the best part?] I ask but I'm afraid to know. There's a moment of silence where none of the girls respond before I see the dots that someone's typing appear.

[She decided to go out to the car and drive in her bathing suit] Ashley answers.

[NO], I take a deep breath.

[We don't even own a fucking pool. What the hell is that woman thinking?]  I can almost hear Katie laughing while typing this.

[Obv she's not.]

Someone comes off the elevator, so I quickly put my phone down. 

Paul. 

I take another deep breath and prepare myself for a long night.