I’ll admit, when I got a phone call from Trace last night after midnight I was pissed off to say the least. Jake, Gia, Derek and I had just gotten to a club after the concert and we were still on a high from the concert. It was phenomenal and Jake, well let’s just say that he was blessed with good looks and charm. I was talking to him over a beer while Gia and Derek were dancing and felt like I finally had a nice medium in my life when I answer my phone to find Trace blubbering about Justin’s habit having gotten out of control. Again.

I had to apologize to Jake, Gia needed no explanation, and ran out cursing the eighth world wonder all the way to his door. Something hit me really hard when I was him though. I was afraid he was going to die then and there when I first came in. He was barely coherent and pasty all over, sweating from cold chills. I threw out all the drugs, which led to him firing me. Yep, I got fired. I spent the night on the bed making sure he was okay, and he slept though it just fine.

I woke up about six and grabbed a quick shower before changing back into the clothes I had worn the previous night. The shoes were fun for a while but my feet are killing me now so I’m going to wait for the last second to put them on. I search through the crap thrown every which way in the room for my purse, which I tossed somewhere in a fit of rage over the situation when I walked in. Now if I could only remember where it was.

Justin stirs and opens his eyes as I get up from kneeling next to the bed, “Morning.”

He groans and rubs his eyes, “What time is it?”

“Almost six thirty.” I say absentmindedly as I search under the clothes on the floor.

Justin looks at me as if he’s not sure how to address last night’s binge. Instead, he changes the conversation to a safe subject, “Are we late for something?”

I grab the blackberry that I had put on the side table rather than in my purse which is a God send right now and go through it, “You are not late for anything. You only have to be on your tour bus by nine this morning. Your heading for Maryland next.”

Justin nods and sits up. We look at each other for a moment before the awkwardness sets in and I go back to looking for my purse.  

“What are you looking for?” he asks questioningly.

“A hidden secret camera that I keep in your hotel room and watch to see if you got changed in front of it.” I retort.

“I bet you do.” He smirks.

I roll my eyes, “I’m looking for my purse so I can be on my way.”

“To where? I thought you said I didn’t have anything to do, which means you don’t unless I ask you to do something.”

“Do you remember anything about last night?” I say, putting hand on my hips.

Justin frowns, “No…. not really. Why? Did we do…….”

I throw my hands up on the air, “I’m not desperate. Having sex with you last night would have been as exciting as having sex with a corpse. You fired me during your rant.”

Justin frowns and gives me a face like he’s going to be sick, “Could you refrain from comparing sex with me to sex with a dead person please?”

“Feel better, after this morning you’ll never have to listen to me again.” I say. I decide to grab some coffee from the pot before searching for the bag again. It contains medicine for a migraine though and I’ll have to find it soon because I can feel one coming on.

“Hey, wait.” Justin calls after me as I go to grab the coffee in the dining room part of the suite.

“What?”

“Look, you made sure I mad it through the night so I think I can safely say that you are re-hired, alright?”

I pause for a minute and look at him. I could be free of all of this. But then what would Sam do for school? I sigh in defeat, “Fine. I’m going to grab some coffee.”

________________________________________________________________

I stretch my body out as Beth goes to get some coffee. I have been scrunched up all night laying on her, that part I do remember. I can’t believe Trace left me though. Called my fucking personal assistant and left me to die alone. Everything has changed.  

I move of something that is sticking into my ribs and pull it out from under me to reveal Beth’s purse. I get up as the contents of it are spilled all over the bed. Apparently I was sleeping on it the whole time. I put the objects back in her purse, lipstick, advil, passes to get through the arena gates, a planner and a brush when I stop as I pick up a picture. It’s a picture of a little girl, blonde hair and blue eyes, grinning over a cake. She has a princess crown on her head and the cake has a number one candle on it. It can’t me Beth, unless she went brunette later on in life. I study the picture a little longer before I notice the banner in the back of the picture. Happy Birthday Sarah.

Sarah. The name Beth was screaming while she was sleeping. I look at the back of the picture but there is no date. My mind tries to figure this whole thing out when I look up to see Beth looking down at me angrily, “Why the fuck are you going through my things?”

Caught.

“I was sleeping on your purse and the stuff spilled out. I was only putting the things back in it.”

“And looking through my stuff.” She says, grabbing the picture out of my hand and stuffing it into her purse as she forcefully puts it on her shoulder.

“I’m sorry.”

“Forget it, just get dressed and let’s go.” She says in a huff as she closes the door.

I stare in the direction she left. It was just a picture, it never occurred to me that she would get so upset. What’s the big deal anyway? Obviously we both need some sleep. I take a quick shower and pull on some clothes, heading down into the lobby. Trace is sitting in the chair in the breakfast area and I bypass it, choosing to sit down next to Beth. She looks up from her papers resting in her lap, “You need to eat something before we head out.”

I look at her and do my best innocent face, “Could you get it for me?”

Beth gives me a get real look, “It’s right over there. Are you incapable of walking ten feet to get breakfast?”

“Please? I don’t feel great after last night.” I beg.

Beth begrudgingly gets up, “What do you want?”

I smile, “A bagel with cream cheese?”

Beth goes over to get me some food as I shift through some of the newspapers on the table in front of the couch. Trace waits until he gets fed up and stands, looking around for me. He finally spots me as Beth comes back with my bagel and follows her. Beth hands me my food and Trace eyes me annoyed, “I’ve been waiting for you.”

“I slept late.” I respond curtly.

“It’s fine. What time are we leaving?”

“Did someone not tell you? You’re not riding on the bus with me, your riding in the SUV.”

“What?” Beth and Trace ask in unison.

Beth protests, “But only Gia and I ride in the SUV.”

“Yeah, I don’t want to ride in the car, I ride on the bus with you.”

I pull a baseball cap on, “Not anymore. Beth is riding with me.”

She stands there stunned and Trace gives me a dirty  look, “Fine, if that’s the way you want it, fine.”

Trace storms out of the lobby and Gia comes over to me, “What is going on? Shorty left cursing you right and left.”

Beth tries to mouth the words but nothing comes out so I interject, “Trace is riding with you and Beth is riding with me.”

Gia stares at me before breaking into a laugh, “Funny Timberlake.”

“I’m not kidding, he’s not riding with me.”

She looks over at Beth, who is totally lost as to why this is happening to her.

“So I get to ride with him? You are going to punish all of us because Trace did something stupid?”

I ignore her question as the bus pulls up and I tug on Beth’s sleeve, “Let’s go.”

________________________________________________________________

Justin starts to walk out to the bus and I hug Gia tightly, “Take some tequila in with you and get Trace drunk. Maybe you’ll get lucky and he’ll pass out.”

Gia snickers, “You take care. If Justin gets out of line, stab him and call me so we can stash his body.”

I try to smile as I board the bus. If he thinks he going to be doing drugs in front of me, he’s got another thing coming. Justin is just sitting on the couch when I get on and moves his feet in a silent motion, allowing me to sit across from him. I sit at the edge, hanging slightly over the edge just incase he decides to do something stupid that would cause me to jump up and run the other way.

A knock at the bus doors grabs my attention and I get up to open them. A guy stands there with a huge bouquet of roses. He hands them to me and I sigh inwardly, Justin Timberlake needs a gift certificate to the Betty Ford Clinic, not receiving roses from some slut.   

“The flowers are for a Bethany Addison.”

I nearly drop the roses when I hear that, “Are you sure?”

The guy checks his clipboard, “Yes ma’am.”

I take the flowers in and close the doors. I walk to the table in the middle of the room and remove the card, reading it. Justin looks over and frowns at me, “I know you are my personal assistant and all, but you are not required to read my personal cards.”

“Oh, that’s so sweet J, but the flowers are for me.”

Justin pulls the earbuds from his ears and sits up, “There for you?”

“Yes genius. Do you really think I would got through your things?”

He rolls his eyes, “I just didn’t think anybody with your job was able to hold down a boyfriend when you move all over the world.”

“I don’t, that’s the weird thing.”

I open the card and read it-

Bethany,

You ran out so fast last night that I didn’t really get to tell you how much fun I had with you. I also forgot to get your number, or rather you ran out too fast for me to ask for it. So, here is my number, if you ever feel like hanging out again when you come to New York again, 516-436-7845. Hope to hear from you.

I grin as I read the card. It’s nice to have some sort of a guy to occasionally go out with when I’m in New York, especially since that is where I live when I am not on the road.

“So are they from a guy?”

I look up from the card, “You know, just because I am you’re personal assistant doesn’t mean you get to read my personal cards.”

“Funny, very funny. You like Playsation?”

I bite my lip, “Sometimes.”

He throws me a controller, “I have the Playstation 3, you wanna play?”

I hesitate, “Okay.”

I sit down on the couch and turn on the wireless controller. Justin shifts on the couch and hands me a pillow, “I have to forewarn you, I kick ass.”

“Well I should forewarn you, I don’t lose.” I say, looking him strait in the eye.

“Game on.”

“No kidding.” I smirk as he sets up the game. I glance at the flowers once last time and feel a familiar feeling. The one that tells you someone other than who legally should care about you, does. Life apparently likes to cut you some lack every once in a while. I lean back against the couch as Justin and I start playing virtual street basketball.  

“So it was a guy.”

“You are so nosy.”

Justin tried to lean over and take my controller but I push his hand, “I’ll call a foul, I swear.”

“You like basketball?”

“Love it. If I was taller I might have chosen a different career path.” I kid.

“I think most people would chose a different career if they could.”

I look away from the TV, “Even you?”

Justin looks back, “I don’t know anymore.”

“So the flowers were from a guy huh?” he says, changing the subject quickly.

“So when did you first start sleeping with Britney?”

“Point taken.”