They finished taping the show late, and it didn't help that they stayed to chat it up with Jamie an extra hour after. And of course even before the audience left, all four managed to convince the producers to let them talk to some of their fans and take pictures with as many as they could. They only finally left the studio when the crew started shutting down for the night.

By the time Alex managed to herd them all into the back of the car, the moon was high in the sky and a chill wind whipped through the empty parking lot. They stopped for burgers on their at back to the hotel, mainly at Rosie's request, claiming she was literally starving. Alex only gave in when everyone solemnly promised to head to bed right as they reach the hotel.

Bobbi was up early the next morning, her alarm waking her up and forcing her out of bed even before Sam had started coffee and even before Alex could let herself into their hotel room to make sure everyone was up and moving. Bobbi gave Rosie a nice shove as she passed her bed towards the shower. The only response was a loud groan and a vague shift in the figure passed out underneath the mountain of blankets. Bobbi only put any effort into actually waking her up when she returned from her shower, fully clothed, hair and makeup done and Rosie had still yet to move.

"Get up, Rosie!" Bobbi tried shaking her shoulder but an arm sprang from the blankets and hurled itself in her direction. She barely had the chance to take a step back and miss getting whacked in the head.

"Alright. Fine. Don't get up. Just don't complain to me when you have to walk back to the house because you missed your ride."

Bobbi packed up the last of her things and headed for the door leading out. Rosie had managed to pull the blankets down so Bobbi could actually see her face but no advancements in the vertical direction had yet to be made.

"The car heading back to the house leaves in half hour." Bobbi called out, closing the door behind her.

Theo plopped down in the chair next to her only a few minutes later, his elbows resting against the dining table as his eyes refused to stay open.

"Well," Bobbi said, leaning forward and planting a soft kiss on his unshaven cheek, "Aren't we lively this morning?"

Theo mumbled a reply Bobbi couldn't quiet catch. In reply she leaned forward and filled a mug full to the brim with coffee, adding a dash of milk and placing it in front of him.
"Here you go." She said, just as he mumbled again. She caught it this time.

"Coffee. Need coffee."

He finally opened his eyes once the scent from the steaming mug wafted upward. Bobbi made him a plate of food as he sipped his coffee and started to wake up. Alfie, Sam and Rosie joined them for a breakfast of room service as Alex rattled off the schedule for the day. Everyone listened in silence as they ate, the only time Alex could get all five of them to shut up at the same time being when they were all eating. She had discovered this early on and took full advantage of it with breakfast meetings almost daily.

"Okay. Alfie, Sam, and Rosie, you guys have a car coming to pick you up in just a few minutes to take you back to the house. Theo, your car will arrive shortly after. Bobbi, you car will leave precisely fifteen minutes after Theo's and you guys will meet up at the management offices just in time for your meeting this morning. Everyone understand?"

Alex took a second to make eye contact with each person occupying the table and to receive a head nod in the affirmative before putting her stack of papers back in her briefcase and settling down to eat herself.

"I really need to get a car." Theo mumbled, throwing his fork down on his plate and pushing it away.

"Yeah, you do." Bobbi agreed, sipping her own coffee.

Theo leaned back in his seat and stretched out his arms, laying one of them to rest on the back of Bobbi's chair.

"What's this meeting with management about?" He asked through a yawn.

"Just the usual check-in." Bobbi answered.

"Can't we just send them an email with a big thumbs-up? Do we actually have to go sit down and talk to them?"

"Apparently so. Alex wouldn't be making us if she didn't think it was important."

"Or if they weren't making her." Theo grumbled in reply.

Bobbi wasn't planning on replying but she didn't even get chance to think about whether or not she should when Alex called to her from the other end of the table.

"Bobbi, Aaron texted." She held up her phone and Bobbi nodded.

"Okay. Go ahead and just send it to me." Bobbi waited for her phone to light up to check the newest message.

"You still haven't given him your real number?" Theo asked, laughing slightly as he leaned forward to read the message over her shoulder.

"Nope." Bobbi said, scanning through the message. "Don't plan to."

Aaron had been texting "Bobbi" through Alex's phone all day the day before with only minimum response. Alex only alerted Bobbi of the messages she needed to know about.

"Is he really asking you out again?" Theo scoffed, settling back into his seat.

"Seems so, yeah." Bobbi replied.

"Are you gonna see him again, then?" Theo asked. His voice remained empty of any jealousy or envy, merely asking for information as they had had too many of these conversation before to keep track.

"Of course. Third and final date." Bobbi set her phone back down on the table and turned towards Theo as she sipped her coffee.

"Where are you thinking this time?" Theo asked. The others started to gather up their dishes and prepare to leave.

"Some nice little public outing. I've been dying for a decent cup of fro-yo. So has Frank, apparently." Bobbi replied, standing up herself. "He was telling me yesterday about how his wife has put him on a diet."

"Oh, yeah. He mentioned something about that. Bring me home some when you go, with ya?' Theo asked, following suit and joining the rest as they gathered up their things.

Bobbi smiled and nodded up at him. She glanced past him as Alex started to call out for everyone to head out. She moved to slip on her jacket and sling her bag over her shoulders, her phone in hand as she followed everyone out to the hallway. Her and Theo were the last ones out of the hotel, shutting the door behind them.

The elevator dinged and Theo turned back as everyone entered. He leaned down and Bobbi stepped up to meet him, their lips meeting in the middle. Her mouth split into a smile when they separated and she looked up at him.

"See you in a bit." He whispered.

Bobbi nodded, then started laughing as the others started calling out to Theo.

"Let's go, lover boy!" Alfie called.

"Seriously, dude. I need to shower." Rosie said. "Can we please just go already?"

"I'm coming!' Theo called back.

He placed a quick kiss on the top of Bobbi's head and then was headed towards the others. The doors closed as he turned back to face her and Bobbi saw his bright eyes flash her a quick wink before he disappeared from view.

*********

The sun was high in the sky and shining bright when Frank opened Bobbi's door for her, letting a rush of chilly morning air into the warm car. She wrapped her long wool coat around her tighter as she stepped out. She turned back from glancing up at the tall building in front of her, squinting a bit as the sun reflected off the multitude of glass panes.

"Want me to come in with you?" Frank asked.

Bobbi glanced back towards the entrance and found the source of the concern she heard in his voice. A small mass of young girls were huddled outside the revolving doors leading inside. Bobbi smiled at the sight and turned back to Frank.

"I'll be fine. I'm sure their harmless. Theo and I will be back down in about an hour or so."

Frank nodded. "Sounds good. I'll be here."

He stood up straight, his hands folded in front of him, asking as though he did intend to stand there for the entirety of her meeting. A small smile crept over his face as he glanced at her from the corner of his eye and Bobbi laughed, shaking her head.

She was sure she had attracted the attention of the awaiting crowd when she pulled up in a black SUV with tinted windows, the staple of any superstar trying to be discreet.
The sound of hurried whispers only grew louder as she kept a steady pace heading for the revolving doors leading inside. She smiled as she saw the huddle of heads flick from each other over to her.

Purposefully slowing her pace after a glance at her watch told her she had time to kill, she took off her sunglasses and rested them on top of her head. The group of young girls took the gesture as the invitation Bobbi intended and started to make their way over. Making eye contact with a few and making sure to smile wide, Bobbi stopped just in front of the entrance.

"Hi guys!" She said, her voice high and excited.

Her enthusiasm immediately transferred itself to them and their small amounts of reserve and self control seemed to have worn out as they hurried the last few steps towards her. The noise level rose as screams and squeals filled the air.

"Bobbi!"

"Hi, Bobbi!"

"Bobbi, I love you!"

"I love you too!" Bobbi matched their excitement and her smile stayed wide, spread out due to the look of adoration and excitement brimming in the eyes of group of girls surrounding her.

"Okay, guys! Gotta give me some room to breathe."

The girls immediately retracted several feet at her request and Bobbi found her arms could move again, no longer strapped to her sides from being locked in from every angle. She laughed lightly as the girls had retreated too far away.

"Not that far." She joked. "I don't bite. Not all the time."

Her soft laugh and genuine manner set the girls at ease and they formed a small circle in front of Bobbi. She made sure to make eye contact with each of them as she spoke.

"How are you guys?" She asked. She crossed her arms across her chest and settled on her back foot, relaxing and staying chill so they felt comfortable as well.

"Great!"

"Oh my gosh, so good!"

"I love you Bobbi!"

"Aren't you guys suppose to be in school or something?" She asked. They were a few years younger than she was, looked at about that age, not yet adults in the eyes of society.

"School holiday." They all chimed back, almost completely in sync.

"And is this what you do on your days off?" She asked. "Stalk superstars?"

They all laughed at this.

"We were all hanging out at the coffee shop down the street-" one of them started. She seemed the oldest, taller than everyone else and more calm. She didn't have tears threatening to burst at the corners of her eyes.

"We saw Theo!" Another one burst out, cutting the eldest off.

"Yeah!" They all agreed, all bouncing a bit on their toes, glancing at one another and nodding.

"He said hi and asked us if we wanted to walk with him!" One of them said.

Bobbi just switched her gaze as one after another talked and cut in on each other. It was too late to learn names now and they seemed to excited to talk to her to care.

"We didn't even know he would be there. Honest!"

"He paid for our coffees."

"Yeah! He said he had a meeting he had to go but that he wouldn't mind the company."

"He's so cool!"

"And so dreamy!"

Bobbi laughed and nodded emphatically at this last statement. This sent the girls into more of a frenzy. They started to squeal again.

"Oh my gosh! You guys love each other!"

"Are you guys dating?"

"How could you hate him? He seems so nice!"

"Tell Alfie I love him!"

"Oh my gosh! Sam's such a babe! Don't tell Theo but he's my favorite."

Bobbi had to hold out her hand to try and calm them down. They started to settle down and she could finally catch her breath as their reactions had sent her into a laughing fit.

"You guys are just the best, I swear." She finally managed to say, a bit out of breath but nonetheless happy to be able to interact with the girls. She sent another quick glance at the time on her phone and frowned.

"I'm sorry girls but I gotta get going."

This was met with a collective groan of disappointment. Bobbi matched their sentiment.

"I know! I know! I wish I could stay and chat with you guys all day but I have a meeting I have to get to. Today is not a school holiday for me. I still have to work."

The girls expressions had fallen and Bobbi sent them a shrug.

"Do you have time for one question?" The eldest asked, her eyebrows high with anticipation.

Bobbi looked between them and the door behind them. Management usually left them waiting, they could wait a moment.

"Okay. Okay. One last question then I really gotta go." She said.

The girls cheered. Bobbi had to hold out her hand again to regain their attention.

"What's your question?" She cried out over the noise.

All the girls turned to the eldest again as their spokesperson. They all seemed to be expecting the same question from her. Bobbi had a feeling she knew just what question it was.

"Are you and Theo dating?"

She spoke slowly and calming, her voice nearly silent as if asking for the darkest of secrets. Bobbi smiled at the serious expression plastered on the young faces looking back up at her. The girls looked between one another, then back at Bobbi, inching closer.

She shook her head slightly as she laughed.

"You guys always seem to wanna know the answer to that one, don't you? You guys certainly are smart, I'll give you that."

Bobbi purposefully looked back down at the time. She winced at the time.

"I really gotta go, you guys. I'll see you soon, okay?" She sent out a wave as she started for the door.

Cries of "Bye, Bobbi!" luckily overwhelmed the cries for her to answer the question and Bobbi turned back to blow kisses and wave one last time as she entered the building.

*********

Bobbi took a deep breath and squared her shoulders as the elevator dinged the doors open onto the unfamiliar floor. She stepped off and started for the reception desk, her face set.

As she turned to take in the rest of the waiting area, Bobbi let her shoulders relax and her face break into the smallest of smiles as she locked eyes with Theo. He looked up from his phone and stood up straight after glancing towards the sound of the arriving elevator and made his way to her, a coffee cup in hand and extended to her.

"Hey." He said, his smile soft as he looked down at her.

Bobbi took the coffee and let the warm liquid soothe the sense of tension she felt building in her gut. She smiled her thanks up at him as she took another long sip.
He didn't move from his spot standing close to her and she welcomed the sense of comfortable and calm his presence provided. The rest of the room felt cold and imposing, large windows looking out onto the LA skyline beyond only adding to the cool chill in the air.

Just as Bobbi turned to look up at Theo, a question about the change in the location of their meeting, the sharp voice of the woman sitting behind the reception desk rang through the office.

"They'll see you know."

Both Bobbi and Theo turned to face her at her words. She had stood up from her spot and moved towards the set of large wide wooden doors and grabbed one to hold it open.
Bobbi gave one glance up at Theo and with the slightest nod of his head, she stood up straighter, her shoulders back and set her face back into its hard expression.

She kept her coffee in hand and started for the door, her gait strong and commanding as the sound of her heels clicked against the hard wood floor. She could feel Theo following close behind, his hand held lightly on the small of her back, leading her inside.

They were immediately met with a long table extending all the way to a wall of windows, flooding the dark office with early morning sunlight. At the end of the table three chairs were already occupied. The man sitting in the center sat up when the door was opened and his two companions followed suit.

"Bobbi. Theo. Welcome."

He buttoned his jacket button as he gestured for them to enter and take a seat. His mouth formed a smile, in an effort to seem friendly. His dark graying hair and dark eyes were so different from those of the soft white hair and warm hazel eyes of Walter that Bobbi felt her shoulders raise even higher and the sense of tension in her gut tighten.
She took a few steps forward and walked around the table until she took of the chairs closest to the small group of people. Theo grabbed the one immediately to her left and everyone sat down.

"Thank you for meeting with us." The man in the center said again, immediately taking charge of the meeting, leaning forward against the table, his hands folded in front of him.

The man to his right and the woman to his left, both equally as well dressed as the man in the middle, sat back in their chairs and kept their sights locked on Bobbi and Theo. Bobbi matched the man's posture and leaned forward herself.

"Of course." She said, her smile a bit more genuine than the man's but just as cool and as formal. "What can we do for you?"

She could sense Theo shifting in his seat, leaning forward to engage with the conversation but she kept her sight set on the man obviously in charge.

"My name is Richard McCartney. I am the CEO of Proprietor Management."

"It's nice to finally meet you." Bobbi said.

"Likewise." Richard said.

"May I ask, sir-" Theo started.

"Please," Richard interrupted, "Call me Richard." He tried to smile again.

"Alright, Richard." Theo said. "What do you wish to meet with us about?"

Bobbi glanced back at Theo as he spoke but then flicked her attention back to Richard, waiting his answer. Richard shifted back in his seat a bit and folded his hands in front of him, looking intently back and forth between Bobbi and Theo.

"Well, firstly, I would like to congratulate you on your most recent Grammy win."

Bobbi and Theo nodded their appreciation but Bobbi kept her posture straight.

"And of course to check in as far as your situation goes." Richard finished.

"And what do you wish to know?" Bobbi asked. "I would have assumed that Walter would have been keeping you updated. He's been thorough in making sure to meet up with us and check in at least every few weeks when we're around, and at least once every few months when we're not. Will he be joining us?"

"No. He will not. I've taken a special interest in you and your band recently and thought it time to take a personal handle of your case." Richard said.

"So we won't be working with Walter anymore?" Theo asked.

"No. He's been reassigned to another project here in LA. More local, less travel, especially as he's nearing retirement age." Richard said.

Bobbi nodded along.
"That makes sense. Well, what do you want to know? Not much has changed since our last check in with Walter."

Richard nodded and turned to the woman sitting next to him. He gave her a slight nod and she pulled out a file from a briefcase set next to her chair and passed it on over to Richard.

"Well, now that you two and your band are back in town for awhile, it's an excellent time to work on your PR standing. Alex will no doubt fill you in on all he press activities we have planned for the next few months." Richard said.

Bobbi and Theo nodded in reply.

"We've already been briefed on everything coming up." Theo said.

"Excellent." Richard glanced through the file before looking back up at them. He set the file down on the table and leaned over it, looking first to Bobbi.

"Bobbi, I believe you have now been on two dates with Mr. Porter. And you are in the stages of planing your third?"

Bobbi nodded. "That's correct."

"And you've set up the pattern of three dates and then dump, it seems like." Richard seemed to be reviewing notes of some kind in the file. Bobbi simply nodded in response.

"Well, Bobbi, we would like to ask you to continue seeing Mr. Porter for the time being."

Bobbi could feel Theo tense beside her and she grabbed his hand underneath the table as she spoke.

"What for?" She asked. Her made sure to keep her tone calm and inquisitive.

"Well, we are currently working on signing Mr. Porter as a talent here at Proprietor. The publicity he's been receiving being seen with you has done wonders to his following and we'd like to keep that going while we iron out the last few details."

"How long would you need me to keep seeing him? And I assume you would also like me to continue to keep him in the dark that this is indeed an arranged relationship." Bobbi said.

Richard nodded. "That would be ideal, yes. And I see this only lasting for a little while longer."

Bobbi nodded slowly. She squeezed Theo's hand and turned to look back at him.

"You okay with this?" She asked, her words soft and quiet.

Theo glanced between her and Richard, his eyebrows furrowed and his eyes dark.

"Uh, yeah. As long as you are." He said, nodding.

Bobbi sent him a small smile then turned back to Richard.

"Okay." She said. "Aaron's a good model. If it helps his career and you guys need the favor, I'll do it."

"Excellent. Continue to be seen out with him as frequently as you can and we'll let you know if anything changes."

Richard glanced back down at his papers again before looking up past Bobbi and at Theo.

"Now, Theo, how has your love life been going? I know you arranged to meet up with a new prospect this past weekend. How did that go?"

Theo sat up in his seat and leaned forward onto the table.

"Uh, fine. We were seen together by enough people and photos of the two of us were leaked. But I am not planning on reaching out to her again."

"So you're in between romantic entanglements?" Richard asked.

Theo glanced at Bobbi then back at Richard.

"I guess so, yeah."

"Well, if you would be up for it, we've just signed a new model and could use some help getting her name out there. I know you usually search out and find your flings yourself but she could use your publicity."

Theo pressed his lips together, taking his time before he answered. He looked over at Bobbi. She sent him a smile and nodded slightly. Anything to stay in the good graces of the management.

"Uh, okay. Yeah, sure." Theo finally answered.

Bobbi gave his hand another affectionate squeeze before turning back to Richard.

"Excellent!" He said. He closed the folder and passed it to his associate. "Then I will send Alex her contact information and you two can set up your first meeting. Other than that, I believe that's all I have for this meeting. Was there anything you two would like to discuss?"

Bobbi turned her seat to face Theo and sent him a questioning look. His expression matched her and she shrugged, turning back to Richard, shaking her head.

"We're good." She said.

"Perfect." Richard stood up and everyone followed. He leaned over to shake their hands, then standing up straight Richard gestured to his associates.

"This is Annette and Bernard. They will be the ones you'll be communicating with if you need to get a hold of me. I will obviously be attending our periodic check in meetings but they will be handling the details."

Bobbi leaned towards the woman first, holding out her hand.

"Nice to meet you." Bobbi said, sending her a warm smile or what she hoped would seem like a warm smile. The sneer she got in return caused her expression to falter but she kept her composure as she retracted her hand from Annette's iron hard grip, extending her hand out to Bernard as well.

"They'll have all contact information for you and will make sure you guys are ready to go." Richard said. He took a step away from the table and started for the door.
"Again, a pleasure to meet you both. I look forward to working with you."

He gave a wave and was out the door as Bobbi and Theo waved back and called out their farewells.They turned back to Annette and Bernard, pushing in their chairs to prepare to leave.

"Is there anything else?" Bobbi asked.

"No, we are all set, Miss King." Annette said. Bobbi took a step back at the formality in the woman's tone.

"Great." Bobbi said.

"Here is the contact information for the new prospect, Mr Harris." Bernard said, leaning over towards Theo, a card in his hand. Theo nodded and took the piece of paper, glancing down at it when he had it in his hand.

The four for the stood for a moment in awkward silence. Bobbi glanced between Annette and Bernard and then glanced up at Theo, who shrugged down at her.
Bobbi cleared her throat, stepping in the direction of the door.

"Okay, well, if there's nothing else...."

Bobbi caught a glance exchanged between the two of them and stopped in her movements, facing them as they looked back at Bobbi and Theo.

"Was there anything else?" Bobbi asked again, for what felt like the hundredth time.

"We would just suggest a modicum of discretion during your time here in LA, especially while you are both venturing into new public relationships." Annette said, her hard stare flipping between glaring at Bobbi and then glaring at Theo.

Bobbi turned her body back to face the two of them, crossing her arms over her chest.

"What does that mean, exactly?"

Again, she felt herself working hard to control her tone. She cleared her throat after she spoke and stood up straight, breathing steadily to control her emotions.

"We know your game and how you like to hint at the relationship between the two." Bernard said. "You've given your fan base quite a substantial amount of evidence that you two are in fact in a relationship."

"We suggest you tone it down. There's no need to discredit the persona we've created for the two of you." Annette finished.

Bobbi felt Theo start to move forward, but she held her hand out, pressing against his chest to stop him.

"You don't get-"

Bobbi cut him off before he could finish.

"I understand what you're trying to say."

She glanced up at Theo, then looked back at Annette and Bernard.

"As per our agreement with your company, we have in no way denied that we are feuding, like you have so excellently convinced the public that we are. Nor have we publicly denied that we are together. It is merely our fan base which has figured out that we are in fact together, and even then, it's still a small portion."

"We feel it best that you stay away from causing any rumors that you two are in fact together at all cost." Annette said, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"Why?" Bobbi countered, matching her stance. She spoke again before Annette had the chance to reply.

"Our names sell papers. The contradicting stories of whether or not we're fighting and that we hate each other, the theories about whether or not we're secretly together, they keep our names in the press, they keep our presence alive and well on social media. That all sells merchandise. That all sells our brand and continues to get people interested in us as a band. It creates a following. And you want to stop that."

Bernard tried to speak but Bobbi kept talking.

"As a band, we are completely covered in scandal, mystery, conspiracy theories and, most importantly, intrigue. As far as I see it, we're just helping further the brand. Plus, its a way for us to connect with our fans."

"I think that clears it up for you nicely." Theo said. Bobbi could hear the smirk in his voice and worked hard to keep her face straight. She even smiled at Annette and Bernard.

"Alright, then. I can understand your point of view." Annette said, nodding. She glanced down at her papers and shuffled them around a bit. "I believe that is all. Do as you wish."

Bobbi nodded, mumbling a small thank you.

She turned and started for the door, pushing on Theo to start in that direction. He grabbed her hand and started for the elevator. Bobbi could hear Annette and Bernard following them out and she turned in their direction when she reached the elevator door.

"Have a good day, Miss King. Mr Harris." Bernard said, nodding at the both of them. "Oh and Mr Harris?"

Bobbi could feel Theo turning in Bernard's direction as he spoke.

"Please make sure you keep out of trouble. For both of your sakes."

Theo's grip on Bobbi's hand immediately tighten and she was grateful the elevator opened just then and she was able to pull him on.

"Leave it. Let's just go." She said under her breath, her tone trying to sound calm and soothing.

They rode in a heated silence and he only released his grip when they reached the ground floor and he stormed out of the elevator towards the exit. He paused to hold the door open for her but she had to hustle to keep up with him as he hurried towards the car waiting at the side of the curb.

Frank pulled the car back into traffic after they had wordlessly entered and settled in.
Theo stayed far on his side and kept his eyes on the passing scenery. Bobbi kept her eyes on him, noticing that his cheeks remained red and his jaw clenched. Even his hand resting on the seat in between them was tense, balled in a hard fist.

Bobbi reached out and laid her hand on top. At her light touch, the hand relaxed, along with Theo's shoulders. He buried his head in his hand resting on the car door as his other hand unclenched and opened to accept Bobbi's. She gave it a warm squeeze and kept her gaze on him as the car sped down the highway back to the house and away from the management offices.

********

Author's Note:

Hey guys! Thanks for reading. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter.

Sorry it took me so long to update. Got a little stuck.

But I figured out my inciting incident so hopefully it will be smoother sailing from here on out.

Who knows really? I've got enough anxiety to fill a psychiatrist's waiting room and sometimes it strikes at the worst possible time.

Luckily I have joymoment to keep me sane and help me figure out what the frick is going on in my story.

(Girl, you da best.)

Well, read, enjoy, vote, comment, lick, kick and smack around. Do what ever makes you happiest.

Adios, mí muchachos! Té amo!

(Goodbye, friends. I love you.)

P.S. while I have your attention, I've decided to force my musical taste onto you.

Sorry. Can't help it. Major music enthusiast.

Alright, if you want an good song to list to, Tear in My Heart by Twenty One Pilots is my current jam and it's absolute gold. 👌

I've always kinda seen it as the kind of song The Wild Wallflowers would sing. So if you want to know what they would sound like, go check it out.

Also, it doesn't hurt that the lead singer of TØP is a total babe. 🤷‍♀️