Damage Control

chapter 8

We sat in silence with Hadyn's Ray Ban sunglasses cracked and on the floor and Joe's folder full of PR things scattered amongst the seats and table.

"I really am sorry," I tried, once more.

Hadyn shrugged my little outburst off, but Joe sat as far away as he could from me, his entire body tensed up.

The driver stopped at Waldorf Astoria and we piled out. Hadyn had his arm wrapped around my shoulder and I had to tuck my face in his chest just in case the paps were out again. He smelled like mint and something spicy, which was madenly familiar.

Word had gotten out that Hadyn and his castmates were staying in the Waldorf Astoria hotel. According to him, they constantly had fans outside the hotel, which meant that the paps were also monitoring the entrance.

We were in luck, though, as it was the morning on a Monday, so most of those fangirls were at school.

Still, I spotted a few teenage girls trying to look casual, leaning on the side of the building. Fortunately, they didn't see us.

I had never set foot in such a fancy place before. The chandelier in the lobby was magnificent, decorated intricately with diamonds and gold detailing. The entire thing probably cost more than my life.

Hadyn had to pull me along, as I continued to get distracted by the all the luxury. Hotels that I had stayed at usually had families walking around in bathing suits and towels, or there was a crying kid in a cheap stroller from target. This was different; women with designer purses and stilettos strolled past us. Men wearing suits and holding briefcases paid us no attention, either.

Not only did I look out of place because I was in ripped jeans, my old sneakers, and my favorite cream colored sweater, but everyone held themselves with an air on confidence that I could never, not even in a million years, master.

We walked to the elevator and rode up a few floors. Joe made sure to stay as close to the door (and as far away from me) as he could. We stopped and entered yet another fancy hallway. As we walked through it, I tried to guess how much the singular pieces of furniture was.

The two men stopped in front of a closed room. On the side, there was a plaque labeled 'conference room A'. Joe pushed the doors open and I tried not to roll my eyes.

Renaissance paintings covered all four walls, and I assumed that they were probably original paintings.

Chairs were arranged in rows that stretched all the way to the front of the room. And then there was the stage with two long white tables and black chairs.

"This was from the convention thing you did?" I asked.

Hadyn nodded.

We walked to the front where the tables were. Joe had a seat at the head, Hadyn sat to his right, I close to sit by his left.

It was a bit ominous, sitting next to those two powerful men in a room full of empty chairs and paintings. But they seemed to have their composure, so I did my best to match.

A similar dark folder was already waiting for us. When Joe opened it, I noticed that it was the same as the one in the car.

Joe ignored my expression and pulled the packet out. He handed me a pen and pushed the papers towards me.

"You want me to sign this?" I asked, flipping through the pages.

"Yes," Joe answered, sharply.

Hadyn gave his manager a look. "Trust me, there's nothing bad in there. And if you decide to terminate the terms of agreement, the only thing we ask is that you stay silent about it."

I glared at him. "Trust you?" I reiterated. I barked out a laugh. "I don't even know you."

Hurt flashed in his eyes, which Joe seemed to notice because he shifted toward and made eye contact with me for the first time since the car. "You're about to get to know each other very well," he said.

My options weren't great. I could be labeled as the ugly slut that stole Hadyn Michaels away from poor Macy. Or, I could be his girlfriend.

They were both equally terrible options.

But, I lifted up the pen and heaved a sigh. I skimmed through the pages and signed where it was necessary. When I finished, Joe gave me a grim nod. "Thank you. You can leave now, if you want."

I looked at Hadyn. "You're paying for my subway ticket back," I snapped.

He chuckled and pulled out his wallet, slapping a twenty dollar bill into my hand. I pulled out my own and gave him back change, despite the look he gave me.

"Thanks for ruining my life, assholes!" I called as I strolled out of the room. 

a/n: woohoo! now the story really kicks off. 

its so chilly where i live wtf 

insta: lizzyyfrancis 

xx

lizzy