"It's absolute trash." Ash shakes his head. The guy next to him nods. He is some producer trying to win his favor. So I'm sure he'll nod for every nonsense out of Ash's mouth.

The party hall is crowded with a mix of celebrities and record business players. Half an hour in, I'm already sick of the scene. All trying to butter up the big shots with fancy deals.

Ash is at the centre of the attention. His scandal with Kira somehow blew out of proportion and he got bad name with the general public. But in the music business popularity is popularity. Bad or good.

Henry wanted to cash in the opportunity. So here I am at an so called 'artists meet'. Trailing behind Ash from group to group. Boss is outside the building, leaving me with Ash.

After the breach two things changed.

One, I kept Ash at arms length. I'm not going make any mistakes again. If he cries, I won't console him like the last time. I want to actually bury the last time six feet under and never talk about it. Ash tried to bring it up once but I completely ignored him.

Two, Boss made changes in the way we screened visitors and tightened Ash's security when he ventured out of his house. When Ash is in public, only one of us stayed with him while the other monitored the surrounding by weaving through the crowd.

Till last week it seemed overkill. But then Ash opened his big mouth in an interview and all hell broke loose.

I was there with him on the set. It was going as usual. The interviewer was a middle aged man who seemed to hang on every word of Ash. The question was a harmless one. What do you think about Kira's new album? When Ash just shrugged, the question should have been dropped. But it was not. When he changed the question as what do you like about her, Ash said 'Her boobs. They're pretty awesome.'

The camera was stopped right away. The whole unit was shocked. I didn't understand why it's shocking until we came home and the PR team scrambled to contain the leaked audio popping out all over the internet.

Kira is post-op. Her whole journey is on YouTube and she has a loyal set of well wishers who funded her operations. Her fans are hard core.

I didn't know any of these details. But everyone else did, including Ash. And yet he chose to talk about her body. Typical Ash.

Kira got pissed off at first.

Henry made Ash call her to apologise. Interestingly, they made up once Ash talked to her. Kira withdrew her lawsuit and tweeted thanking Ash and saying that Ash's comment vanquished her deep insecurities.

But it was too late. There's a war going on between her fans, supporters and Ash's. There were so many threat mails, emails and phone calls.

"They opened the rear entrance for fans." Jonas informs in secpho.

Oh, no. That's the problem with these type of meets. No pre approved guest list. The organizers do as they please. With the high profile celebrities, who in the right mind opens the floor for fans?

Some of those fans can be Kira's. If they see Ash, this day will end in violence. There was a fist fight between fans in one of the DJ parties yesterday where Ash's song was played. If they see him in flesh anything can happen.

"Shit! Rob?" Boss asks.

"Yes, Boss." I reply, suddenly worry clouds my mind. How are we going to leave the party hall before any of Kira's angry supporters can spot him? Ash, in his stunning silver suit and signature mop of curls can be seen from anywhere.

"Take him to the left-wing staff exit, the code is 43254. Make sure you close it behind you. Meet me in the car." Boss instructs, voice calm and steady. He already has everything figured out.

That's Boss. Whatever the surprise, he can come up with a plan.

"Yes, Boss."

Leaning closer to Ash, I whisper in his ear, "we need to leave. Now."  Without waiting for him to make his excuses, I steer him in the direction of the exit.

"Buffy..." he growls but complies, trying to match my strides.

I can already hear shouts in the narrow hallway. Some fight must be brewing. I know the signs. Perks of being an ex-bouncer. One look at a group and I can tell if there's going to be any fight. Teenagers are easily spooked. They have so much anger and always waiting to give a good punch.

"How do you know the passcode?" Ash asks when I open the unmarked service exit, "why did they put a number lock on a exit? This isn't a prison!" He is getting excited. Not a good sign.

Over his voice, I can hear the running footsteps in our direction. With swift movement I duck his smaller body behind me and push him through the open door. As I close the door, a flying glass object shatters right on my forehead.

"Fuck!" I lock the door behind me before staggering on Ash.

He steadies me.

Of course they are throwing things at each other. Or maybe they saw Ash leaving.

"Oh, you're bleeding." Ash's voice shakes.

As if on cue, my head stings on various spots.

"On our way to the parking lot." I say in my secpho and wipe the blood away in my handkerchief. It becomes instantly wet. Rolling the cloth I wrap it over the wound, pushing the glass shards further in.

Pain climbs up to unbearable level, urging me into action.

"Let's go." I pull Ash forward.

He keeps shooting glances at my head, making me conscious of the pain. It's all superficial if not, I'd have fainted.

By the time we reach the unmarked car, I'm dizzy. Jason's face on the driver seat swims in big waves.
 
Maybe I'm going to faint. When was the last time I fainted?

Boss covers Ash's other side as he gets in. I shut the door and sigh, settling comfortably on the plush seat.

There, done. Now it's Jason's duty to get us home. I can faint in peace.

****

I wake up feeling warm and languid. I'm in Boss' room in the house.

I don't remember how I got here. There's no one around. I try to sit up and the room spins.

Oh.

A tentative touch on my forehead proves my fuzzy memory right.

A bandage.

Did I actually faint? For a simple head wound? It's not even paining.

Way to go Rob.

Clutching the bed, I slowly sit straight.

I'm naked waist up. A quick inventory of the surrounding doesn't reveal my shirt. Great. I'm shirtless and in Boss' bed with a tired body.

I chuckle. Fainting is the only way to achieve this state.

Groaning, I get out of the bed and look around for something to cover myself.

After few minutes I give up and open the closet. Tolan once said that Boss is like a millionaire, wardrobe-wise. All the shirts hanging are black.

I pick one. I don't know if he will mind me using his clothes. But it's better than going out half naked.

I put it on. My lovesick heart beats wildly. It's just a shirt. Freshly out of dryer. Nothing romantic about it. I chide myself and button up.

I can't tuck in. The shirt just barely reaches my belt. But it is a little big around the shoulders. It makes me marvel at his broadness. I'm an inch or two taller than him but in muscles he beats everyone in the team.

The only time I watched him workout was a pure torture, after that I stopped going to the gym room when he's around.

When I reach the door, the spinning completely stops and I can walk straight.

The living room is quiet and dim lit.

I look at the clock. Wow. Five hours since the party.

Boss is on the couch, curled on his side is Ash, sleeping. Boss waves me to come closer.

"Who the fuck taught you first aid?" He snaps. Ash doesn't stir at the raised voice.

I haven't yet inspected my wounds. I sigh and sit in the opposite couch. "It's just glass. It doesn't even hurt."

"Idiot, with your dumb bandage, you slammed few pieces right through, tearing the skin on your cheek and forehead. Doc had put three stitches. You're pumped with pain meds. Few millimetres to the left you'd have gone into surgery."

I close my eyes and enjoy the simple joy of his caring filled scolding. I love it when he gets all mother hen over the guys. This is the first time I'm at the receiving end. Maybe I fainted for a good reason. Did he undress me? Not a chance. He must have been with Ash.

Ash. The reason for my impromptu bandage.

"It's either that or let Ash watch me bleed." I murmur. The way he kept looking at my head with scared eyes flashes through my memory.

"Oh. Shit... Did he..."

I nod. "He had started trembling right away." I can still feel the ghost of his fingers on my arm. He struggled to keep himself still, to keep himself from freaking out.

Boss tilts his head sideways and looks at Ash. "He's been acting like he wasn't bothered at all."

Ash hides things from Boss. Unnecessary things. His breakdown during the breach, his worry for Boss, now his almost breakdown. Oh, his secret notebooks full of horny lyrics.

It's not like Boss will judge him. If anything, Boss would have taken good care of him if he had known that Ash had an attack.

Ash is an attention seeker. Why is he giving up on a good chance?

Even now the way Ash is hugging his arm and pressing into his side screams for attention. It makes me hungry for the same closeness.

"Shouldn't he be in bed?" I blurt out.

When am I going to get over him? I have a girlfriend for crying out loud! I should call her.

"He should be. But when did that stop him?" Boss heaves a sigh and gently lifts him up in his arms. "Eat some toast with soup. I asked the cook to put it out." He stands up.

I nod, looking away.

Of course he won't be able to lift me like that... but still. It's a nice thought.

"Rob?"

"Yes, Boss." I too get up.

"I've asked Seb to drop you home. Take tomorrow off."

"Ain't that bad."

He scoffs. "We can't have a bandaged guard next to the client. Can we?"

I'm not giving in. I shrug, "I can take surveillance."

"Do as I say." He starts walking towards Ash's bedroom.

"Boss?"

"Yeah?" He keeps walking.

"Your shirt."

"I noticed."

"Is it okay?"

He stops, turns his head and studies me for a second and smiles. "It didn't improve anything."

After a shocked moment, I laugh.

"Good night, Rob."

"Good night, Boss."

This is enough. More than enough. If a tiny bit of my heart wants more, I'll forever ignore that greedy part of mine.