𝐑𝐄𝐏𝐔𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 ( 𝐂𝐇𝐑𝐈𝐒 𝐒𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐎𝐋𝐎 )

𝟬𝟭𝟱, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗺𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱

thoughts like this in mind, she discards the used wipes into the trash and practically runs to her belongings that are hung across the room. she needs to take a shower too. she's been working all day and has barely had time to get ready.

chris is coming to see her and she needs to act like she was prepared (even though she wasn't).

as she throws her things in her bag, her mind races with thoughts of chris. alessia genuinely can't wait to see him. she was able to watch some of his game and he was honestly looking a little too good.

his cross chain was visible, his arms were littered with veins, and his eye black was smeared. a recipe for alessia to be weak in the knees. it was also obvious to her that he had a haircut and she smiles thinking about how there's a chance he got one just for her.

continuing to gather her belongings, alessia momentarily interrupted by a knock on the dressing room door. without waiting for a response, her manager aleen strides in, holding a portable phone charger.

"hey, les, you forgot this." aleen holds up the portable charger as she walks closer to alessia. "you've been running around so much today that i thought you might need it."

"thanks, aleen. i appreciate it," alessia replies, quickly stashing the charger in her bag. her mind is still consumed with the mental checklist of things to do before chris arrives.

what food should she by? she doesn't even know. she knows chris eats healthy because he's in season, but what if there's specific things he wants? maybe alessia should've asked him for a list. maybe she should've gone shopping days before his arrival.

aleen notices the heightened sense of urgency in alessia's movements. she furrows her brows. "you're in a hurry," she remarks, folding her arms across her chest.

alessia glances at the clock, a slight frown on her face. "i know. i've got a lot to do before chris ge—" alessia pauses and looks over to make eye contact with her manager. she did not mean for that to slip out of her mouth. she was kind of planning on keeping it a secret, but obviously, she doesn't know how to keep her mouth shut.

aleen raises an eyebrow, a knowing smile playing on her lips. "chris? nfl bound chris?" she chuckles. "i thought you two were just 'friends' and 'getting to know each other.'"

alessia rolls her eyes, a blush tinting her cheeks. she turns away and throws the last of her things into the bag. "yeah, well, we are." alessia zips up her bag and slings it over her shoulder. "we're just doing it in new york now."

aleen hums, clearly smug at this new peace of information. alessia just hopes she won't press her about it. or tell zack. zack will press her if aleen doesn't. "alright, alright. i won't keep you. just don't forget anything important. you know, like your phone charger. or any other precautionary items," she adds with a teasing wink before exiting the dressing room.

"goodbye aleen," alessia says giving a stern look. she does not need any advice from her manager who is two decades older than her. especially not in that department.

aleen chuckles and walks back over to the door she entered from. "kidding. have fun and be careful." alessia knows what she means by careful. she means be careful about the media. she is not new to this. unfortunately it's not thing she needs to be mindful of at all times.

with aleen's departure, alessia takes a final look around the dressing room to ensure she hasn't forgotten anything crucial. satisfied that she's got everything she needs, she heads out of the studio, her mind still buzzing with thoughts of chris.

outside, the city pulses with life, and alessia navigates the bustling streets with practiced ease. it's what she loves about new york. at times she'll be noticed, but it's honestly rare for her to be stopped. everyone is on their own mission. unless their paparazzi, they don't care about where she's headed or who she's with.