Hollywood's Bleeding - Post Malone

New Beginning

The PR office is quiet this morning and Ophelia thinks they are in luck - no fans or media. Austin parks out back like Joe had done the day before and they open the back door to the lobby. But as they do they both hear the chanting of fans. "Fuck," Austin whispers under his breath and then makes a call on his phone. "What the fuck man. There are fans and media down here.  I have her with me. What do we do?" he says in a rather annoyed tone into his phone. Ophelia stands awkwardly next to him while he listens quietly to whoever he phoned. He cuts the call and looks at her. "Don't freak out, ok. My team notified the fans and media, they do that to keep me in the spotlight - promo shit. I need you to go through the lobby first and up to floor five. Oliver will be waiting for you. I will follow in fifteen minutes," Austin explains. Ophelia wants to say no, she is nervous about being alone with Oliver but she knows it's just her insecurities. "Ok," she whispers and steps forward. "Hold onto that bag tightly, baby," Austin says patting the bag with all Jim's jewelry inside it.

She enters the lobby and just like yesterday no one bothers to even look up as she walks through. Not even the security guards at the front desk. She gets to the elevator and presses the button, waits for a few minutes for the doors to open then steps inside. As the doors close she sees Austin appear in the lobby and all pandemonium breaks out. There is so much screaming and flashes of light that Ophelia is suddenly grateful that they had not noticed her. She enjoys the quietness the elevator brings when the doors finally close. Her heart starts to beat in her chest and her palms get sweaty, she is on the brink of an anxiety meltdown as she watches the numbers slowly flash from one to five. At five the elevator doors open before she can take a deep breath and then she can't do much else because Oliver, Tracy, and Xolani are all suddenly in her face. Talking at the same time. Asking way too many questions about why he and Austin came here together, where is her head at, how did they get to the PR office, whether anyone had seen them, what had been said last night, and where had Austin been all of last night? Just question after question. Every time she goes to answer a question someone else asks another question so she tries to answer that one. She feels trapped and stupid and pathetic and she does not know how much longer she can stand there without bursting into tears and causing a scene. She clutches her bag and starts walking backward, hoping to just get back on the elevator and escape but she slams into the closed elevator door. The elevator has left already and with three people around her and a solid door behind her she has no choice but to stay where she is. She buries her head in the bag as she feels the tears spill over onto her cheeks. She hates crying in front of people, it shows them how weak she is.

Then suddenly the elevator doors open and she falls back into the elevator, bracing for impact, but she is caught in a set of strong arms and then she can hear Austin's booming voice above her. "What the fuck is going on here? How about you all calm the fuck down and not rip into my girl like you fucking own the building," he says. Everyone goes quiet. Austin steadies her and turns her around so his body is blocking her from everyone's sight. "It's ok, baby," he says wiping her tears and fixing her hair. Then he takes her hand and pulls her back out of the elevator facing everyone. "You are all fucking dickheads," he says. "Sorry, but we are all a little freaked out. Why are you two together? Who saw you on-" Oliver starts but Austin cuts him off. "Pipe down, Oliver. Everything is under control," he says. "Funny, that is exactly what you said when I had to bail you out of jail after the shit you caused. It was not under control then and it is not under control now!" Oliver says raising his voice at Austin. Ophelia feels like she is watching a movie. Oliver and Austin look strangely similar. Both giant stocky men. Although Oliver is in a suit and Austin is just in black jeans and a t-shirt. They look like they are cut from the same cloth. "Don't fucking talk to me like that! I fucking own you!" Austin says and grabs the front of Oliver's shirt in a fist. "Fuck you man," Oliver shouts and grabs Austin. "When I am done with you, you will be crying like a little bitch," Austin shouts at Oliver.