*At Juliet’s desk (Juliet’s POV) *

This is so nerve wracking. I mean I have to sit here pretending to do work when all I want to do is be in Trace’s office as him and Justin chew Alex out. I mean what the hell is Alex thinking? What an asshole! I seriously can’t deal with this on my plate right now. I need another fucking cigarette but I’m a social smoker…translation I need Trace to go smoke with me. I’m so fucking dependant it’s not funny.

I turn as I see Alex walking out Trace’s office with his fucking tail between his legs. Serves him right. Asshole. I grab my pack of cigarettes before walking slowly to Trace’s office. I’m nervous right now, not because of what went down its just… Justin. He’s a really great guy and I really don’t want him to be disappointed in me for bringing Alex into the office. I mean as much as they say it isn’t my fault I feel like it is. All because I couldn’t have a backbone and say no to Alex. I mean I went to bat for his ass and he does this shit. Can I just say I need a fucking cigarette again?

“Hey Jules, you need a cigarette too?” Trace asks before I even make it to the doorway. ‘Oh my little hobbit.’

“Yeah, you too?” I say as I peek my head into his office holding onto the doorway like it’s going to save my mother lovin’ life.

“Yep. Besides I can fill you in on the gossip,” he says wiggling his eyebrows at me as Justin just chuckles and shakes his head. ‘Wow even his chuckle is freakin’ sexy.’ Please tell me I’m not turning into a giddy Justin Timberlake fan. Not now.

“Yay for me,” I say sarcastically as Trace grabs his pack ready to leave.

“Those are bad for ya’ll.” Justin mutters causing me to bite the inside of my lip to keep from saying ‘If you want me to fucking quit, I will’ Yep I think I’m officially a giddy Justin Timberlake fan because I just fucking giggled.

“Sure Justin, like smoking pot is good for you,” Trace mutters as he gets up from his desk and laughing at my jaw hanging open.

“Shut the fuck up Trace,” Justin mutters before he turns his gaze to me, “I don’t do that.”

What do I say to that? Nothing absolutely fucking nothing because even the thought of him hot boxing is fucking sexy as hell. Oh dear lord fuck me now. Now I look like an idiot in front of him just nodding my head up and down with my lips pressed together and a crinkle in my nose.

“Juliet doesn’t care if you do or if you don’t. She’s my girl, she’s cool like that.” Trace says as he wraps his arm around my shoulder as his other hand pokes me in the side. “Right?” he says as he cocks his head to me, his eyes glistening with silent laughter.

“Right.” Wow a one-word sentence. I’m a fucking genius right there.

“Let’s go girl.” Yep Trace just saved my pathetic little ass. Such a knight in shining armor that one.

*Outside in the smoking area *

“You have a crush on Justin,” Trace says in a singsong voice before laughing his stupid hobbit ass off at me.

“Shut up prick! How did you know?” I ask suddenly curious if it was that obvious.

“Because you’re always witty and sarcastic and funny but in my office back there… yeah all that disappeared. How long have you been crushing girl?”

“Honestly awhile. He’s just really… great.” I say with a cheesy smile, “Oh my God! This cannot be happening. Things like this happen to teenyboppers, or I don’t know… just not to me!” I finish as I cover my face with my hands before peeking over at Trace as we both start to laugh.

“He’s just really… great. Oh my God, you’re a dork…no better yet you’re turning into Tom!” Trace says causing me to laugh even harder before pushing him slightly.

“I hate you.” I say simply as we lean against the wall and smoke in silence for all about one minute before we start laughing again. “So what’s this gossip you promised me, my little hobbit?”

“Alex is such a whiny baby. You should have seen him begging to keep filming. I wish you had been there…no wait. I don’t. Because Justin was in there and you would have been drooling too much.” He says running his tongue against the bottom half of his lip to keep from smiling and laughing.

“Ugh… see this is why I don’t deal with you unless absolutely necessary… punk.” I say with a smile before his nods his head to the building as I see Justin walking towards us.

“Hey,” he says simply as he walks up to us and puts his hands in his pockets. I love his hands. I love his hands in his pockets. I love the way he shuffles his feet before looking up at us. I love the way his head cocks to the side before throwing us a half smile. Someone shoot me now please.

“Hey. What brings you out here?” Trace asks before turning to me and winking. I don’t say a word just give him another shove before he chuckles.

“I just needed some air. Am I interrupting something?” He asks curiosity shining in his beautiful blue eyes.

“Nope, not at all. I actually was just about to call you for back up,” I say as I point at Trace and make a tisk tisk sound.

“Oh really? Trace, behave.” He says as he throws me a smile and winks at me. Seriously if Trace wasn’t here I might have just jumped him.

“Hey Juliet, we need you for a camera interview.” Alex says standing at the front door of the building cautiously.

“Um…sure. Let me finish up here and I’ll be there in like two seconds.” I say as I give him a tight smile.

“Have fun.” Trace says with a knowing smile as I crinkle my nose at him and shake my head at his cocky smirk.

“You just wait hobbit, one of these days.” I tell him flashing one of my own cocky smirks before putting out my cigarette and heading back into the building.

*In the conference room *

“How are things working out at your new position?” Alex asks Juliet as she takes a seat and crosses her arms.

“Great.” Juliet responds through gritted teeth.

“Don’t tell me you’re angry at me too?” Alex says as he cocks his eyebrow at Juliet.

“How dare you.” Juliet says as she looks away from the camera and Alex in disgust.

“I was just asking some hard questions. It isn’t my fault if Justin and Trace can’t handle it.”

“Really? I can’t believe you just said that. This is my fucking job. I stood up for you. I stood in a fucking meeting and pitched your idea for you. And then you have the balls to fucking interrogate Justin and Trace.” Juliet says as she taps her feet against the carpet before clenching her jaw in anger.

“Is this really about your job? Or is it more about fucking your bosses?” Alex asks with a smirk as the camera keeps rolling.

“Ha,” Juliet scoffs, as she looks Alex and the camera dead on, “If you want to imply something go ahead and say it Alex. Ask me. Fucking ask me like a man.”

“Fine, are you fucking Trace and Justin to get ahead?”

Juliet nods her head in disgust before answering, “No I’m not fucking Trace or Justin. I fucking do my job and I do it fucking great. You just wish I was fucking you,” she says as she gets up and flips him off before walking out of the conference room, anger etched on her face.

*In Justin’s office (Justin’s POV) *

Okay I honestly don’t know what happened in that conference room but Juliet looked fucking pissed off as she past my office. I don’t know if I should go out there and talk to her because right now she’s sitting at her desk slamming shit and throwing shit around. I can see Trace standing in his doorway watching her and if he doesn’t want to approach then I know maybe I shouldn’t. I mean they’re like buddies and her and me aren’t there yet. I’m a pussy. I should just go and talk to her.

“Jules, you okay Hun,” I ask, yeah that’s my southern side coming out right about now.

She looks up at me with tears running down her face and I do the only thing I think of. I pull her out of her chair and into my arms as she cries on my shoulder. Alex better not have hurt her. I hold her close to me, not caring if the other employees in the office see because no one should be this upset at work. I pull her into my office shutting the door behind us before pulling her close to me again. Her crying subsides as she steps out of my embrace and wipes away her tears.

“What the hell happened?” I ask as she turns away from me biting her lip. She does that when she’s nervous sometimes. Yeah I noticed that.

“Alex is an asshole,” she says simply as she looks up at me with a sad smile, “He basically asked if I was sleeping with you and Trace to get ahead.”

“WHAT!?! Who the fuck does he think he is?” I shout as I punch the closest thing to me, a wall.

“I shouldn’t be crying over something like that, but I’m so angry right now. I just want to hit him,” she says as she walks up to me and wraps her arms around my waist. I wrap my arms around her pulling her even closer because right now she needs me to hold her and I want to hold her.

“Why don’t you and I take the rest of the day off? I have some errands to run and you shouldn’t be around here right now, what do you say? You want to come with me?” I ask instantly trying to make up errands in my head because I’m a loser like that.

“Really?” she asks quietly before she lets out a sigh, “I could really get away right now.”

I smile as I let go of her and walk to my desk getting my keys before I remembered to tell her, “Oh while you and Trace were smoking I took the nickels out of his phone. Why don’t we call him before we leave?” I smile as she lights up and nods her head excitedly.

“Definitely,” she says as she walks to my phone and calls Trace’s office before we rush out of my office to peek our heads into his right as he lifts the phone and smacks himself in the eye with the receiver.

“What the fuck!” Trace shouts holding his eye as Juliet and I laugh.

“Hey Trace, Juliet is going to help me run some errands,” I say through my laughter noticing his glare.