*Trisha*

It's been two weeks and I have to admit, I really like Julia. 

She's sweet and funny. She certainly doesn't act her age, and she certainly still isn't used to this lifestyle. Three days straight, I hung out with her. I took her on a shopping spree (Thanks Nate) and got her set up for the Gala. She's gonna love it. I always have. I get to join because I'm Nate's shadow, but Julia goes because she is one of the winners of the show.  She is going to look stunning, too. 

"Thanks for doing that, by the way." Nate takes a sip of his coffee as we go over his schedule for the next few days in the studio. He looks good today. He knows he does. Those fucking purple pants do it.

I'm dressed in my usual attire. Today is a hot pink blouse and black pencil skirt.  Black nylons and high heels. I've learned the hard way over the years that people take you more seriously if you dress to impress. Even if these shoes kill my feet I wear them anyway. I don't have to impress Nate. He's my best friend. But we are out in public. Pictures are always being taken, fans are always surrounding him. If I walked behind him in yoga pants and a tank top people wouldn't  know I'm part of Nate Hollan's team. You dress to impress when you're boss is Nate.

"The shopping? Thank YOU. You paid for it, not me." I laugh and settle back on the couch. Nate is sitting next to me on the couch as we share my laptop to look at the calendar. I can smell is cologne which is hypnotizing.  He wears those fucking purple pants on purpose because he knows I like them. So I retaliate with my hot pink blouse, and thigh highs underneath my skirt, because I know he likes them both.

"She seems to be adjusting a little, huh?" I don't look up from the laptop screen and continue typing as we  talk.

"Yeah. She's shit at guitar though."

"Oh boy. You've got your work cut out for you dontcha?" 

"I really do."

"Hear from Macy at all lately?" I change topics and Nate stiffens up. I know they are still friends and text back and forth checking in once in a great while. I think Macy was the one for him. Since then, he just screws around with whoever, makes the tabloids every other day, and never takes the time to build a relationship with em.

"Trish, stop."

"What? Just asking." I make eye contact with him now and close the laptop.

"Talk to Dave at all lately?" He bites back and I swallow hard hearing the name. "Sorry. That was uncalled for." He wraps his arm around my shoulder and pulls me in. I rest my head on him and he rests his chin on the top of my head.  He knows that one hurt. "But seriously. You haven't talked to him right??"

"Of course not." I assure Nate, but I've slipped up in the past a few times in the past. Because Dave is Dave and I'm addicted to him. But no, I haven't talked to him lately.

"Good. I never want to see that asshole near you again." Nate says sharply and his British accent seeps through the sentence. He worries about me. But I think I worry about him more.

"Come to Sully's and get a drink with me. I'll buy ya a Pepsi." He teases, knowing I don't drink. I don't drink BECAUSE of Dave. I'll never touch that shit for as long as I live. Booze changes people.

 It's starting to change Nate a little.

*****

*James*

It's been two weeks, and I have to admit, I have a thing for Julia. She comes down and visits me almost every single night I work, to shoot the shit.  We don't talk about anything important. I rather keep my conversations light. But Julia makes the time fly by when she visits me. I think she gets lonely up there.  Nate's team keeps her busy during the day and you'd think she'd be exhausted by the time she comes back to the hotel but she never is. I have a feeling she doesn't sleep much at all. 

I've come to look forward to clocking in every night, knowing I will probably end up spending most of my shift with her.  After the week I've had I could use some company tonight.

My mom is getting worse. It's happening fast. Her dementia is more present. To the point she sees me and thinks I'm my father. It kills me. It rips through me every single time it happens. I NEVER want to be compared to Joe. He should be rotting in a jail cell right now. Instead, he walks around like he owns the Gallo girls. And me. I try not to think of our childhood but there's no amount of counseling or pills that will erase the abuse. I wish he focused all his anger on just me since I'm the only boy in the family. Instead he distributes it evenly to us all. And while he does that, I work out. I lift weights. I run. I take a trillion vitamins and take care of my body.  Every single day I push myself to the limit. I do it to be prepared. The minute Joe touches my mom or one of my sisters again, I'll be ready.  I'll be stronger. Stronger than I was when I was younger and couldn't defend them. Couldn't defend myself. Now, Joe won't have a chance against me. I'll protect my family. They are my everything.

I push away my thoughts and get a new key card ready for when Julia comes back. She is the only person I know who loses her hotel key on a daily basis. It's so funny. She's also the clumsiest person I know. She awkwardly  bumps into things, spills her coffee, it's hysterical.  I tease her for it all the time.  But Julia is also a very complex person. I can't put my finger on it yet, but I will. 

We spend almost every night together in the hotel lobby, to the point she's quickly becoming a good friend. Tonight I watch her walk to the elevator per usual and then realize she doesn't have her key. Again. I always have one ready and waiting for her now.

I hang up the phone, not paying attention to whatever complaint a patron had and study Julia as she walks back to me. I reach out and wave a new key card for her to take.

"Is this our new evening routine, Miss Moretti?" I laugh and shake my head giving her her room key.

"Apparently so. Sorry. I don't know why I keep losing em" Julia replies

"I'm just teasing you. Everyone loses these cards. You don't know how many keys I find around this place."

"Yeah, they're probably all mine."  She laughs and then the lobby gets real loud real fast.

A full team of soccer kids and their parents come through the doors forming a line behind her. The, what looked to be, middle school boys, kicking soccer balls throughout the large lobby as tired parents waited to get checked in. It's gonna be a long, very loud night, Isn't it?

Julia waves her new key and mouths a silent thank you, before moving away so I can get back to work.  The entire time I'm checking the soccer teams in, I'm thinking about Julia. Wondering if she will come down and visit me tonight or if that right there was her visit for the night.

Julia Moretti is starting to consume those empty spaces in my brain that I refused to fill for so long.

*****

*Trisha*

The week flew by. With all the interviews, talk shows and photo shoots I haven't had time to breath. I keep Nate's schedule busy because busy is what he needs. It's what I need. If I didn't we'd fall into  thinking about our pasts and I can't handle that.

[Come get take-out with me] 

I text Nate. We spent all week together running around from one interview to the next, me practically babysitting Nate, reminding him of the next appointment, where to be, and when. Since I control his schedule, I know he just finished a Meet & Greet and is done working for the day. But it's Friday early evening, and I don't want Nate spending his night drinking at Sullivan's.

[Lemme guess. Chinese]

[You know it.]

[You're so predictable, doll. Ok. I'm on my way home and will order it. Cmon over whenever]

I smile at his text. I smile because this will be one evening he's not drinking. I accomplished my task. I throw on some leggings and a baggy sweatshirt. I'm off the clock so no way am I dressing up to go over my best friend's house for Chinese food. He's no longer considered THE Nate Hollan.  I punched out. He's now regular Nate. My best friend average guy Nate.

It only takes me ten minutes to  get to his flat and he doesn't have to buzz me in. I know the codes. I have to because I'm constantly in and out of his apartment all week. Once of the jobs as a personal assistant is running his errands. Whether that be food shopping, picking up his dry cleaning, being here for when the cleaners come. All that stuff.  I seriously think I spend more time here than I do at my own place. I don't mind though. It keeps me busy and I hate being home alone. Like really hate being home alone.

I sit on Nate's luxury leather sectional on my phone while he's in the shower. It doesn't take him long to shower. He comes out with his hair relaxed on his forehead instead of his signature swept up quiff.  He's comfortable, like me now, wearing a white Nike T-shirt and navy blue athletic shorts.

"Food's on the way." Nate announces while rummaging through the fridge settling on a beer. He hands me a Diet Pepsi and settles next to me on the couch.

"This week was hectic." I sigh while watching him flip through the channels.

"Yeah. That's your fault Banks." He smirks, settling on some stupid gold channel.

"Hey, if I didn't keep you busy what would you be doing right now?" I raise an eyebrow at him and curl up against him. He puts his arm around my shoulder and takes a swig of his beer.

"I'd find someone." 

"You're disgusting,  Hollan"

****

*James*

"Hey James"

I jump a mile a mile and drop my phone.  I had no idea anyone was in the lobby and Julia scared the crap outta me.

"Jesus!" I quickly pick up my phone and have an idea why Julia is here. Again. She's always losing her card keys. "Ah, Miss Moretti . Lemme guess-"

"One, you really gotta stop being so formal around me. You know my name. We literally talk every single night since I checked in. "

"Ahem, sorry, 'Julia'. " I roll my eyes at her and give her a sarcastic look.

"Two. What if I just came to say hello to my favorite front desk guy, Hmmmmm?"

"Yeah, sure. Let me get ya another key." I register another key for her room and watch Julia head to the coffee bar next to the front desk.

"Thanks James."  She makes herself a coffee and comes back to grab her key.

"Ya know, the powers that be are gonna start charging your room for all this extra plastic you keep losing." I hold the key up away from her reach, letting it dangle over her head . Juli puts her coffee down and jumps up to grab it. Surprisingly she  was actually able to snatch it from my grip. Impressive for a five footer. I literally tower over her small frame. 

"If the so called Powers That Be charge my room its just going to Hollan's account. I'm sure he won't go bankrupt."

I sit back in my chair and pretend to scroll through Instagram before I ask my next question, making sure not to make eye contact. "So how's that going anyways with your little pop-star, miss celebrity." That came out wrong and Julia can sense my jealousy towards Nate Hollan. I mean, of course I'm jealous of him. any man in their right mind would be.

"I don't know. All this still feels like some a weird dream," Julia casually leans against the front desk. I finally put my phone down and look up at her, leaning back in my chair resting my arms behind my head.  

"Is he nice? He seems decent."

"Who, Nate? Yeah, he's wicked nice, actually."

I scoff kind of obnoxiously. Her Northeastern accent comes out full force when she talks sometimes and it's so funny. She sticks out like a sore thumb here and I love it. I REALLY love it. She's different. 

"What? Wicked?? Wicked nice??" What the heck does wicked nice mean? Is he wicked or nice? You can't be both.

 "Really. He's REALLY nice. Like genuinely nice. Not fake nice. You know what I mean."

"That's good to hear. Real nice and fake nice are hard to differentiate around here these days." I swivel around in my chair a little, feeling comfortable around Julia and glad she came down to visit me. It makes my shift fly by having her around.

I'm really starting to feel something for her. I have since the moment I laid eyes on her, but I can't tell if she feels the same way. She's so hard to read.

"It seems like there's a lot of fake EVERYTHING here." Julia admits, and I laugh, making her smile.

"You're not kidding there. It's actually fucking ridiculous." Shit. I just dropped the F-bomb. I quickly sit upright and look around, making sure no staff or visitors are around, relieved that it's just the two of us here. 

"Sorry." I quickly run my fingers through my hair nervously. "That slipped. How unprofessional." 

"No judgment." 

"But seriously, do you know how hard it is to find a decent date that's NOT fake around here? It's awful. I've lived here all my life, and it's only getting worse. I swear I once flirted with a store mannequin, thinking it was Sabrina Carpenter." True story.

Apparently I caught Julia off guard while she was sipping her coffee and she literally spit her coffee out all over the counter. I jump out of my chair and can't stop laughing now. Hysterically laughing until my eyes start to water.

"Oh my gosh, I'm SO sorry!" Julia scrambles to grab some napkins. I walk around the counter to help her out because she is really struggling and I can tell she's embarrassed. She doesn't realize I'm right behind her and turns around fast. Bumping her face  into my chest.

There's a moment where time stopped. The tension was felt by both of us. I can tell she feels it too.  She's so close to me right now. I can smell her vanilla perfume she always wears. I look down at her and place my hands on her hips to steady her. But more than that. I want to kiss her, right here and now in the Marriott lobby. It's all I can think about. 

Julia won't look up at me though. She just stares at my Marriott name tag. When she smashed into me her hands landed on my chest and she has yet to remove them, making my heart double in pace from her touch alone.

"Hey," I boldy remove my hand and lift her chin up slightly, making it impossible to not make eye contact with me now. I can't help but shift my eyes down to her lips. 

"Hey," Julia whispers back as I take a step closer and notice she doesn't take a step back. She's feeling what I'm feeling. I lower my head and tilt it slightly as my pulse pounds in my ears. I can feel her breath on my face.  This is really happening. I'll finally be able to feel her lips on mine, and she's letting me. 

Right when my  lips brush against hers, ready to kiss her, a family of four pull their luggage on wheels across the lobby, snapping us back into reality. Shit. The moment is gone.

We simultaneously back up and kneel down to pick up the napkin mess  left on the floor.

"I got this, miss." I say, professionally while picking up the pile. For a second, I look straight into her big brown eyes, with a slight nod, then focus back on picking up the napkins. We pick up the last of the mess silently as the family approaches the desk, not really paying any attention to us. Their hands are full, with a toddler not willing to listen. They're waiting to get checked out.

"Thanks for your help, sir," Julia replies and grabs her key card, leaving quickly.

"Of course." I politely smile not giving away the tightness in my stomach from being so close to kissing Julia, and start checking the family out.  "How may I help you?" Back into employee mode just like that. 

I do my job and then the lobby is quiet again. All I can think about is Julia. We were so close to kissing. She wanted it too. It's consumes my mind for the rest of the night.