I battle my way through the crowd of photographers and reporters that had now formed outside the reception doors. I follow Will around the corner of the building to where he had parked the rental Mercedes. The sun is now high in the clear blue sky but frost settles on some of the car's windshields. Aeroplanes fly low in the sky just above the skyscrapers leaving white trails behind them, the loud engine sound becoming therapeutic to listen to against the hustle and bustle of the city. I can feel the press on my heels, the camera clicks echoing in my ears as I step down into the front seat of the car. We speed away from the sea of photographers rushing up to the curb, I turn my head to watch the dismal scenery of stacked grey cylinder blocks fly past the window. I don't know how but the city seems even duller in the daylight. Will attempts to make conversation in the heavy silence, I'm still hungover and mardy about last night, I'm also anticipating how well my label meetings will go today. Will's sensed  I'm in a shit mood, he's let me be all morning- leaving me to mope about the hotel room.  He occasionally darts his eyes from the road over to my slumped body in the passenger seat, judging if he should try and talk to me or not.

"Well, I think that went well right? The board will be happy."

I stay silent, I don't even want to acknowledge him until,

"What was up with you and Berkeley's Assistant before I came in? It looked...really tense- "

"Jesus nothing, she's just massive pain in my ass... back off out my business William." I snap back.

"Oh yeah?" he says winking at me.

I know he won't drop this, he will pry and pry until he's got something. I might as well just tell him, feeling the need to eliminate the headache I already have planted in my brain.

"Fine! We met at the bar last night." I say bluntly, my eyes still staring out of the window.

Met was probably an overstatement. My manager keeps his eyes squinted on the road and I can practically hear the clogs clicking in his head trying to place her in the bar, but of course, the first thing to fly out of his mouth is,

"Oh my Christ Colten please tell me you didn't sleep with her!"

Of course. I laugh inwardly though, I would have had to tie her to a chair and muzzle her before I actually got to fuck her.  Actually... that doesn't sound too bad, oh god Colton stop, I do not have time for a cold shower right now. I could really do with a good fuck since Miss PA scared away those two beauties last night. 

My eyes finally snap around to meet Wills concerned expression,

"What? No, you must be having a fucking laugh. She's a fucking brat who's done everything in her power to piss me off." I calm myself down a bit before proceeding,

"She works at that bar, Nikis, and last night she smashed into me holding a tray of drinks, she completely ruined my limited edition shirt and scared away my girls. Then she has the nerve to say it was my fault! MY fucking fault."

I'm now inches away from his face, waving my hands around and shouting. He rolls his eyes and says nothing, keeping his hands firmly on the steering wheel. After I've calmed down, he tries to 'rationalise' with me,

"Come on Colt, she can't have been that bad? She seemed really nice?."

Really? Did he listen to anything I'd just said? I stare back at him clearly puzzled; he rolls his eyes again smirking.

"You can't fool me, Colton, you spent most of the meeting staring at her from across the table. You're not the most subtle mate." He lets out a chuckle.

"I wasn't staring! I was just... assessing. I mean after seeing where she worked last night, how the fuck did she get a job like that. She's hardly an office level working woman let alone a place like Berkeley's." And she's nice to fucking  look at.

"Wow, Colt that's a real asshole thing to say. I don't know what you saw last night but I thought she was doing her job professionally and pretty darn well. You saw the way Berkeley reprimanded her! And in front of clients! She didn't deserve that shit. It was our fault we were late not hers. Maybe stop using your ass as a hat and look at the bigger picture. What if someone said to you that you don't deserve your job because of what you do in the evenings? Cut her some slack, working two jobs it hard, especially if she has to deal with your ass." He lets out a huff and turns his eyes back to the road.

I was shocked by his mini-rage, and over a woman, he just bloody met, especially little miss Spiller. 

He was right about one thing though, I barely paid attention during that meeting. When I turned around in the lobby, I was flabbergasted. Utterly shocked and confused. I couldn't believe that the same spitfire I saw last night in her skimpy server outfit covered in whisky was also stood in front of me again but this time as Berkeley's PA in her sleek office outfit. I spent most of the meeting wondering how her loud obnoxious mouth managed to land a job in an office like this. Her lack of manners was still present today, didn't surprise me at all. It was amusing watching her shout obscenities at me only solidifying my point of how the hell she got the job in the first place.

As soon as we stepped foot in the board room Berkeley wasted no time laying into her for being late, barked at her for holding us up. Will tried to interject and tell him it was his fault because of the parking situation but he didn't seem to care, he was solely focused on giving her a hard time, that was made evidently clear when he made her run to his office several floors above to fetch a pen he 'couldn't write without'. I didn't see him use it once.  I couldn't help but feel smug when he gave her a hard time. A grin settled on my lips which pissed her off even more. It felt good to watch her finally get put in her place- that place being below everyone else in the room.

She sat down the table from me after passing out coffees and taking our coats. Her black nails typed away on her laptop keyboard the entire meeting, not once acknowledging me. Staying silent unless she was spoken to and took written notes only when asked. She was exhibiting a bright red skintight dress which hugged her curves perfectly, she had a black blazer over the top which flowed just below her hips. She had covered her deliciously tanned legs in sheer black tights which flowed into a pair of sleek heels that slapped against the hard marble floors. This outfit left much more to the imagination and made her perky ass stick out even more. I watched it bounce up and down as her shoes hit the floor in the lobby. She looked much more... together than she did last night, probably because she wasn't covered in alcohol and her hair wasn't matted to her neck. Instead, it flowed across her shoulders elegantly, shining under the white ceiling lights in reception, her make-up was neat and tidy, not smudged across her face or under her eyes. A layer of blush pink lay delicately across her plush lips and small, back wings flicked off her eyes under her false eyelashes which enhanced her deep sparkly eyes. She looked elegant and pretty not just sexy, she totally had 'girl next door vibes.

When she bought us back down to the lobby, she looked happy to get rid of us, which made me laugh, I might as well get one last dig in,

"I guess if you haven't lost your job, I'll see you tonight Spiller." I winked then left watching confusion then panic set on her face.

"Is that alright Colton"

I feel a jab in my side.

What? 

I jolt up scanning the long table for which one of the faces just spoke. I clear my throat pretending to have been paying attention to whatever they were discussing. This is my third meeting of the day and I have no idea what it's even about, I never usually have any impute in these anyway and after my... little outburst last night it's probably best I just stay silent and keep my head down.

The suited men all look at me waiting for an answer.

"Uh, yeah sure," I say moving my eyes around the people, they all look slightly shocked until one of them raises his eyebrows and says,

"Wow no push back from Colton, this must be a good idea then" they all chuckle.

For fuck sake they all treat me as if I'm a stroppy twelve-year-old girl going through puberty, I roll my eyes and sink back into the chair.

"I've got two on the shortlist already for the new support act but no new songwriters yet. There's three more acts left for all of you to see at the bar tonight and then we'll discuss back at tomorrow's meeting. There's one girl who's playing tonight who I think we can kill two birds with one stone with. She's a regular at Niki's and draws in a big crowd. She writes her own songs and honestly, some of them are better than the songs our songwriters we've employed here write. I think we might be able to take her on as the opening act and a songwriter for Colton's album. There's something about her that this label missing, she'd be a great addition" a scout said formally addressing the executives.

"Well, we'll see how she does tonight and discuss tomorrow." The chairman declares from the end of the table, he gets up and everyone follows suit abandoning their leather swivel chairs and empty gasses of water. They collect their iPads, laptops and work binders and head out of the glass door.

Tonight, we're all going back to Nikis to watch a few more performers before they decide who they want and whether they need to keep looking for more sappy songwriters. Although I've already been formally warned to be on 'my best behaviour' tonight since embarrassed the label last night with my ' alcoholic manwhore' ways. Will told me this morning he was woken up by a seething Tessa at an ungodly hour to be scolded down the phone about my behaviour. She apparently said she was fed up seeing me on every social media platform getting off with some random girl or falling out of some strip club pissed.

Sometimes I just don't understand their pathetic logic. Jerome and Tessa have always wanted me to showcase my 'bachelor lifestyle' they say it brings in a bigger fan base. They also want me to stay away from 'relationships' they don't want any distractions to keep my from my music and touring. However, they get so pissed off when the tabloids capture my 'manwhore' moments or me enjoying my nights out but that's what they wanted in the fucking first place! Tessa never misses an opportunity to tell me off or repriamnd me for something stupid, especially after my last attempt at a... relationship. I can my temper rising as I think about it, the last time I wasn't single. I grind my jaw and take deep breaths through my nose, the last thing this hangover needs is me flying off the handle at something that's now irrelevant.

After the meeting, someone from the label drives me and Will back to the hotel where I'm bundled back into my room and met with a fuck ton of stylists, make-up artists, my PR team and my PA. I only have a few hours before my show tonight to get ready and do some preshow interviews before the usual hands-on fan meet- and- greets. I hate meet-and-greets, they're the worst parts of touring. They're full of girls who come up to you crying and constantly want to touch you and hug you, I'm a person not a fucking doll. First things first though, I am bloody starving.

I turn to my PA Laycie,

"Can you get someone to bring me a burger or something, I'm fucking famished." She drags her nails across my back as she leaves the room.

Sweat trickles down my forehead and into my eyes, I clutch my electric guitar in my left hand using the right to wipe my damp fringe back off my face. I can feel my blood rushing around my body, my endorphins going crazy. My pulse beats erratically in my ear, my breathing heavy and shallow. My grin stretches from ear to ear as run from under the stage to the main backstage area, my dancers, band and production crew all slap me on the back as I pass through them, I nod at a few of them before continuing towards the dressing rooms. Tonight, was a fucking rush. I was actually proud of the performance I put on and I actually really fucking enjoyed it. I love being on stage and performing in front of mass crowds. It probably sounds so cliché and so fucking soppy, but I actually feel myself when I'm performing, I feel like I'm eighteen again, singing for the love of it and not just to sell albums and tickets. I feel alive and in the moment, not worrying about the next interview I have to go to or the next contract I have to sign. Even the press can't attack me whilst I'm on stage, they can only listen to me and watch me. Ever since I was young, all I've wanted to do is make music, play it and have people listen to it, listen to what I have to say in the way want to say it, watch me in awe as I perform and feel the rhythm. Recently I've really hated and dreaded going on tour, I used to love it but over the past couple years it's all become less about the music and more about me as a person and the promotion of Colton Jax- 'Sexy Heartthrob'. But tonight, I felt like I was doing it for the music again and I was just Colt Jax Hemmings, the seventeen-year-old with a guitar and a dream. Cliche right?

I near the dressing rooms where I knew the executives will be waiting for me, they like to check in on me whenever I play in London to give me some 'constructive criticism', basically tell me what I can do to draw in more money. Suddenly the hurried clapping of heels against the stone floor echos off the cinderblock walls around me,

"Colton, babe."

I turn around to find Laycie in a sheer mesh dress and tall shiny black heels, she's let her blonde hair down and it flows just below her shoulders. She catches up to me and places her hand on my chest.

"You were amazing tonight...such passion and fire." She drawls in my ear and I can already feel my dick trying to break free of my zipped pants.

"Oh yea, you really think so?" I whisper into her ear, biting on her lobe gently as I pull away, "Maybe I could come and show you some of that passion and fire later?" I carry on, my hot breath now on her neck.

Laycie has always been easy, she's not overly great at her job, a bit scatty from time to time and often Will has to clean up after her and fix what she does wrong but she's pretty good between the sheets so that's why I've kept her on for the past few years.

I stare down at her revealing choice of attire and my mind wanders back to the last time she was in my bed, her body on top of mine again and the thing she did right before she was about to—

"Colton! My main man! That was one hell of a show boy! Come in and have a drink with us"

I snap away from Laycies neck and turn to see a hefty man leaning around the door frame of one of the dressing rooms, John I think his name is or Joseph? I don't know and I don't really give a shit. I drop my hand that was resting on her cheek and walk over to John or Joseph with a big smile accepting the whisky glass from his hand. Dude just cost me another bone. What is it with people cockblocking me this week?

Several whiskies's later me and the executives pile into the back of two black SUVs and the drivers start navigating their way through London traffic towards Nikis.

When we get there, we're led in by the same big dude on security as yesterday but today we're given a more private booth on the Perspex balcony away from the mass of people gathered in the middle of the bar, it overlooked the stage nicely. A small sexy redhead comes to take our orders, flirting and winking with every man at the table, she even tries her luck with a few of the females. We order a round of whiskies to start and several shots of tequila, I told Will I'd keep a relatively clear head tonight, but that doesn't stop me knocking back four shocks of neat tequila and a whisky. I can feel his warry eyes watching me as I tip the third tequila down my neck, I just give him a reassuring pat and proceed to shoot the fourth one as Isaac one of the scouts, sits down at the table,

"I spoke to Niki and there's three more performers tonight, the first one is a band who is already on our shortlist, the second one is a male duo and the last one is a solo performer. The last solo preformer is the one Katy and I have had our eyes on for a while." Isaac says catching the attention of the table, Katy continues,

"She's got natural performance ability and her songs are incredible, she's defiantly got that spark I haven't seen in a songwriter or a performer in a long time. I really think we could put this girl on tour with Colton and have her write for him as well."

A girl ay? I hope she's hot, that would make the next few months way easier. I might even have a choice out of Laycie and this new chick whilst I'm on the road or I could have them at the same time...

"I think you should sign the girl," I say causing an eruption of laughter and a few eye rolls from the female members of staff.

"Good lad" Tanner slaps my back laughing.

Megan death stares me from across the table and shouts over the laughter,

"I think we should too... but based on her talent and unique spark, not so you can get your dick wet on the road Hemmings. Laycie not keeping you satisfied now?"

That fucking bitch, I looked at Laycie who was glaring back at her. What I do with Laycie is meant to be kept a secret, it's not like we're in any kind of a relationship, it's just a quick usual fuck from time to time. However I could get ribbed so hard for this if anyone found out I was sleeping with my PA, appropriation and sex in the workplace bullshit... but thanks to Megan they just had; I look forward to the hour-long phone call with Tess tomorrow morning, I have no idea how Megan even know about it in the first place, just as I'm about to deny it,

"You weren't supposed to tell everyone, Megan!" Laycie hisses across to her, she just shrugs.

Of course, Laycie and her big fucking mouth.

The men around the table all seem to be enjoying this little catfight, the women just look unimpressed and Will, well Will... actually I can't really tell how Will feels, half of him looks completely unphased but the other half looks disappointed. Great. I reach for another shot; the rest of the night just seems to go downhill from here.

The second act is drawing to a close and the fifth tray of drinks is being delivered to the table by the same server. The whole evening I've been looking around subtly for the little drinks spiller, I haven't seen her serving anywhere so I presume she's behind the bar, I've craned my neck to check a few times but being on the balcony I could only see the mass of people waiting to be served drinks. Maybe she even took the night off after I told her I was coming in tonight, is the little spitfire scared I'll get her sacked? I chuckled; I think after this morning she finally learnt her fucking place. I'm still pissed at the way she spoke to me though; nobody speaks to me that way, especially in that rough London accent. I thought all English people are meant to sound posh, but she just sounded like an annoying yappy terrier. Maybe I should even charge her for my shirt? Make her really pay for pissing me off. I'll be glad when we don't have to come back here again, although I wouldn't mind seeing her in her 'uniform' again.

After a bit, the main bar lights dim, and a few coloured lights come up on the stage, a dark silhouette walks out and places two guitars in separate stands, one looks like an acoustic and the other an electric. I'm tired and bored now, its nearing two am and all I want to do is go back to the hotel, maybe get Laycie to massage all my achy muscle and fall into a deep sleep, I pull out my phone and start to text Jayden, he would have finished his show in Brazil by now and I should probably just check in with him. The main spotlight illuminates the figure as she walks up to the mic stand and places her hands firmly around the microphone.

"Hey guys, thanks for coming out and sticking around to see me! I know it's quite late but as always a massive thanks to Niki." She starts, she somewhat sounds familiar, she doesn't sound posh but now I'm coming to realise that only a handful of the British population does actually sound posh. As she finishes her sentence there's a loud wolf whistle as the Dolly Parton look-alike stands on the bar and shouts,

"WE LOVE YA CHICKEN"

This draws my eyes away from my phone and down to her slim-waisted figure. The crowd and singer chuckle. I bring my eyes up to the girl stood on stage and for the second time today I'm shocked and I have no idea what to say. My mouth drops open and my eyes widen on the embellished figure stood CenterStage. Will elbows me in my side and leans into my ear,

"Is that Miss Lastra or is my age catching up with me?"

I say nothing. She's stood there in ripped baggy jeans held up with a black belt accompanied with a black lacey tank top that pushes her boobs up. She's wearing slightly more makeup than earlier, but it only enhances the beauty she already has. Her hair's even more straight than it was this morning and she's changed the nude lip for a siren red. She finishes the look with a pair of white Air forces that are severally discoloured.

"My names Gigi for those of you who don't know and it is a pleasure to be singing for you tonight! A few of you might know this one as its one of my favourites to perform." She speaks through the mic as she goes to pick up a white electric guitar from the stand and starts strumming at the strings, a backing track comes in and she starts to sing.

Her voice is captivating and so full, it's like the whole room is in trance from it, either singing along or swaying and dancing to it. It's raw and so full of emotion, like you believe everything she's singing about. Her range is truly impressive, she can belt fucking effortlessly and with such ease and her riffs and runs are clean and Hella smooth. Her string work is exceptional and only further compliments her ability I can't peel my eyes away from her, she looks like she belongs on the stage like she owns the goddam thing.

She starts her set with a few energetic songs and ones people know well before she places down the guitar and puts the mic back on the stand. She combs her hand through her hair and the crowd settles down attentively looking at her,

"I wrote this song a few weeks ago and it's... it's taken a lot of encouragement to actually preform it form you tonight... mainly fro my best friends" there's a sudden eruption from the crowd,

"WE FUCKING LOVE YOU BABY!"

"THAT'S MY FRIGGING BESTIE"

She glares down at two people near the front of the crowd and the bar starts laughing.

" Thanks for that guys, anyway this song means a lot to me and pouring my heart into it and working to perfect it has been my outlet recently... annnddd I'm going to stop rambling now so you can just listen to it" She suddenly becomes all awkward and ridged.

Jesus Christ next we're going to get fucking crocodile tears, I swear all-female artists like to give out emotional shit about their music. She runs quickly over to the piano that's sat further back on stage,

"This is called Broken Estate" she breathes before delicately touching the keys, playing melancholy chords. Her voice is like velvet, smooth and warm. The lyrics are unique and heartfelt, you could tell this was coming from a dark place, a broken place.

"When will I get out of here,

Broken by these warm and salty tears,

Tell me where did I get lost,

Can you really ever pay the cost,

Of these broken estate dreams"

She held power over the audience. The lights went black and the house lights come up, the crowd cheers and screams, she does a quick 'thank you' and scurries off the wooded stage with her guitars quickly.

I don't know what to think, I'm still trying to piece it all together, I never thought spiller would be some kind of  Whitney Housten-Ariana Grande lovechild singer.

She wouldn't belong on tour though. She's small scale, there was a big turn out tonight at the bar, but the DJ yesterday had a bigger one. Also, I'm not sure what her bartended reputation would do for the image of the tour or me. I can't have someone like her on tour with me, she already fucked me off enough and I've only met her twice. The scouts that had been watching her for weeks, they must have seen she works here and her... mannerisms, and they know it wouldn't look good for the label if someone like that was signed to them. She'd probably flop anyway.

I go back to texting Jayden and ignoring what the intoxicated men and women around the table are saying. The table decides they want more alcohol, so much for keeping a clear head I'm already sloshed, and Katy waves her hand in the air signalling for a server. I can hear heeled boots walking up to the table, but I can't be bothered to lift my now heavy head up at the same redhead again.

"Hey, guys what can I get you? Another round of whisky?" The server says readjusting her skirt at my eye level, looking like she just ran up the stairs.

"How about an album my dear?" John or Joshua pipes from the end of the table.

WHAT? I whip my head up to find the spitfire stood in front of me with a confused expression.

"I'm sorry what?" we both say at the same time as she turns to glare at me with her glassy eyes.

* As always apologies for my spelling and grammar mistakes!

I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Please vote and carry on reading if you did! I've already written the next chapter, I just need to edit it!

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Thanks for reading,

Iz x