My L490 - Part 1

Chapter 6 - The Contract

After getting home last night I was so tired, I fell on the bed and passed out, I woke up to my alarm playing L490 loudly throughout the apartment, I wasn't sure where my phone was, I fell out of bed, and ran around the apartment with eyes half closed, almost smashing into my coffee table. Finally after the song played through twice I found it underneath my bag, goodie bag and my coat which I threw on the sofa the night before. I checked my phone and saw I had 3 notifications, 2 messages, one from Emily thanking me again for everything the night before, one from my best friend asking about work and one missed call, from an unknown number, that was strange...

I cleared the notifications and put the coffee on, I needed to be awake for today, checking the time, I saw I had a couple hours to get ready and get to the hotel. As the coffee brewed, I inhaled deeply, I loved the smell, I thought back on the crazy few days, meeting the band, working at the shows, getting offered a job, I couldn't even explain how excited I was.

As I got dressed I finished my second cup of coffee and looked at my outfit for the day, my dark blue jeans, black boots and my black tank top and a black jacket to top it off. I left my hair loose, and I added some eyeliner and gloss, and I was out the door. As I climbed in the car, I realised I didn't look inside my goodie bag, with a few mins to spare I ran back upstairs and opened it up, looking inside was the normal items, a band tee, a couple wristbands, but under everything were a pair of sunglasses, they looked so familiar, I took them out and looked at the branding on either side of the frame, nothing there except for a single S, but it didn't look like a normal letter, it was shaped like a spark of lightening. 

Strange, why would these be in here? I shook the bag upside down to see what else was in there and a small note fell out, it was plain white and as I picked it up, I immediately smelled the cologne that had made me shiver, I held it to my nose and I knew immediately who had put this in the bag, I opened it slowly and read it, my hand shook with shock, I read it again and again. I had to go, I pushed the note in my back pocket and ran out the door with the sunglasses held firmly in my hand.

I arrived at the hotel at 9:30, and walked to the coffee shop, Emily was sat waiting for me, as I walked in we hugged and I sat down, that waiter took my order and I looked forward to my black coffee. "Thanks for the gift bag, love the items in there, are you sure that EVERYTHING in the bag was for me?" She smiled "Yes, why?" I frowned and when she saw my confusion she smiled again "What's up?" I didn't want to mention the sunglasses just yet, so I let it slide "Nothing, just wondering." My coffee arrived and it smelt like a little piece of heaven, as I took a sip, Em asked "So? You ready to sign your life away?", I smiled and said, "As ready as I will ever be!"

We finished our coffee and paid the bill, as we made our way to the hotel meeting room I started feeling nervous, my hands were sweaty and I rubbed them on my jeans, Em noticed and said "Don't stress, it's only us, and Liam the lawyer, and he's not that scary", I glanced at her and smiled "As much as you say that, I am still pretty nervous, but thanks for the reassurance". She led the way to the dark brown door, why does everything have to be brown I thought, smiled and slowly made my way across the threshold, to my future.

As I entered the room, directly across the doorway, a pair of caramel eyes looked directly at me and a fire lit inside me, the same fire I felt when he stood inches away from me a couple days ago, I felt my heart race and my cheeks flush, he was here, I didn't realise he would be, but of course he would, why wouldn't he, he had to be, these thoughts swirling around my head and I couldn't shut them up. 

I looked around the room, one lawyer, Liam, Jay, Tom, Em, me and him. "Well you better get comfortable Jason said looking at me, I looked into the ice blue eyes, hoping for a solace from the fire burning inside me as I could feel the caramel eyes burning onto my skin, "Great!" I said a little too loudly, and sat next to Em, HE was sitting to opposite me a little to the right, and Jason and Tom next to him. Liam, who was at the head of the long table, came over to me and introduced himself, he explained the contract, as he set it in front of me and told me where to sign once I had a proper read through, he told me to ask as many questions as I needed and he would be happy to explain.

It took about an hour, I asked a lot of questions, and we went through the details and redid a few points. Everything looked good, I was excited again, as I asked the questions I needed to look up at Liam and noticed those caramel eyes and that cheeky smirk teasing me from across the room, he knew what he was doing, he knew the effect he had on me, did he enjoy the torture? Did he enjoy playing this game? 

As I signed the last page I felt like I could dance and sing and run around the room screaming at the top of my lungs, I am sure if I was alone in my apartment I would, but in front of my new employers, I was quiet and listening to the details of the flights, the documentation I needed to bring along tomorrow so I could secure my visa. As Liam got up to leave to process the contract, Jason explained that because I would be new to LA, I would be staying at the main house, he called it The Den, he said I could stay there for a couple months until I found my feet. 

"Thank you, that really is amazing, I am so happy, thank you for everything!" I smiled, Tom and Em said they had to meet with a few marketing and promo executives for lunch and as I was about to get up Jason said "Why don't you join me and my brother for lunch? Would be good to get to know you better" I turned and looked directly at them both, I smiled and said, "Sure... uhm, yea". How on earth was I meant to sit at a table with him in such close proximity, when I couldn't even string a sentence together when he is around!