Baby, Please. • 𝐓. 𝐁𝐥𝐲𝐭𝐡

𝟎𝟎𝟏

CHAPTER ONE: "i prefer blondes"

"Fuck."

"Calm down, Allie," the blonde begged, pushing against the opposite car door to create as much distance between them as possible.

"I can't," Allie gagged into the back of her newly manicured hand. "I'm going to fucking throw up." Her head was dizzy with the stress of her first high-profile appearance, waves of nausea overtaking her every other minute.

"Just think of how expensive your dress was," she reasoned, becoming more distressed at the thought of their night being ruined. "And if you throw up, I throw up. I don't care if you're the only way I'm getting into that premiere, I'll push you out of this limo."

Allie laughed, even if she knew there was no way that Dani was kidding. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes and trying desperately to ignore the loud roar of the media outside her door. She ran her hands through her dark, straightened ponytail for comfort, forcing herself to relax as they slowly came to a stop. Dani slid over to her side, placing a comforting hand on Allie's back as she popped open the car door.

The response was immediate. Allie was all too aware that they would only have a few seconds before the cameras moved onto something more interesting; if Dani did not know, she was about to find out. Through the blinding flashes and muddled yells of paparazzi asking where her dress was from; Allie had a moment of euphoria. This was everything she had worked for the past year, and the nausea was so worth it.

The pair was ushered into the venue, Allie giggling at the blissed out look on Dani's face. "If we ever fight: I'm sorry and I was wrong. Because there's no way I'm ruining my chances of being  your plus one for anything like this in the future."

"Don't worry," Allie adjusted the straps on her short, black dress. "I wouldn't dream of bringing anyone else to one of these things."

"Allie," a voice shouted among the cacophony of attendants. Allie looked around with a smile on her face, easily recognizing the voice through months of working closely with it. "There you are," Olivia enveloped the slightly taller woman into a tight embrace.

"It's so great to see you," Allie gushed honestly. "What are the chances we'd both be in Berlin the same night, huh?"

"Not sure," the younger of the two teased, playing into the joke. "Might have something to do with a certain song in some movie playing tonight." It was laughable, conversing so casually about such a pivotal moment in their careers. A year ago the producers of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes had reached out to Allie, Olivia and a multitude of other artists to create an original sound track for the movie. Allie and Olivia had been paired to produce the main theme of the move: Can't Catch Me Now.

"Small world," Allie agreed, nodding convincingly. "It was so great to see you, honestly. But I better go find our seats," she gestured to Dani, who was standing patiently to the side of them.

"Understandable, I'm going to hit up the snack bar."

Dani visibly brightened at the mention of food, "Oh, I'm so in. Allie, is it okay if I meet you over there? I'll get you some M&Ms."

"Yeah, go ahead. Just don't make me sit alone too long." The group parted and Allie made her way through the crowd of special guests, stopping briefly to greet the few she recognized. Taking special care to keep good posture, she swept across the room searching for any sign of the theater. Her frustration doubled by the minute as she traveled farther away from the main area, still without any indication of where she was supposed to be.

Suddenly in a deserted hall, Allie opened another door, leading to the fifth bathroom in five minutes. She slammed it shut, whining under her breath as defeated tears pricked in the corners of her eyes. "Uh, could I help you?"

Allie jumped and gave a short yell at the sudden voice, turning with wide eyes to see a tall man standing closely behind her. "You could start," she began while taking a deep breath, hand over her chest in an attempt to stop her racing heart, "by not trying to fucking kill me."

"Oh," he spoke with an almost indistinguishable hint of humor. "My apologies, but really, can I help you with something? I don't think you're allowed back here."

Allie tried not to get distracted by his english accent, which she was notorious for being a sucker for. Instead she decided to completely ignore his questions, making a show of looking him up and down through her thick lashes. "I prefer blondes."

He laughed loudly and suddenly, surprising the both of them. Allie tried to hide how the sound instantly made her smile, this time when she gazed at him she paid attention. She came to a pretty easy conclusion: he was cute, almost making her regret using her favorite line. Almost. "Well," he smiled through his words, eyes tracing the one she mirrored. "In about ten minutes, you'll get your wish."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Allie leaned against the wall behind her, feigning nonchalance as he hesitantly creeped closer to her. She smirked cheekily at him, earning a shaky smile in return. "Is there something I can help you with, handsome stranger who's name I don't know."

"Pretty sure I asked you first, twice," he now loomed directly in front of her, hands shoved in his pocket as he took his turn to inspect her. "And am I mistaken, or did you just call me handsome? I thought you preferred blondes."

"Things change," she sassed, face coming dangerously close to his before she mentally decided she needed to chill. It was fun flirting with someone she had just met, but she needed to back down before she gave him the wrong idea. She came to have fun watching a movie with Dani, that was it. "If you must know, I've been lost for...about the last ten minutes. I can't find the stupid theater."

"You realize that there were signs, like, everywhere? Right," he teased, making her furrow her brows in disbelief.

"Obviously not, seeing as I'm here and not watching a movie."

"So sassy," He sighed, taking a quick glance down at his watch. Scratch that, his Rolex.

"I know. It's one of my best personality traits. Now, if you would be so kind, could you show me the way to this theater?" Allie would be lying if she said she was in a hurry to end their conversation. She liked the chemistry and the flow of conference between them, but Dani would be getting worried, and that meant Allie only had a few more minutes to live.

"Oh right," he hummed, grabbing Allie's hand and yanking her off the wall. She stuttered, scurrying after him to try and keep up with his long strides. He weaved through the different hallways until they returned to where Allie began, taking a right towards a pair of double doors; the man opened them to reveal a large sitting room with a giant screen on the far wall. "Here you are. M'lady."

"Oh, I like that," she teased. "Thank you so much, my good sir." He nodded, a small smile on his face that she quickly returned. She started into the theater, afraid it would start without her, but quickly turned to address him one more time. "My name is Allie, by the way. Allie Asturias, assuming you'd like to have a way to chase the girl of your dreams."

"You're very right," he laughed. "My names, Tom Blyth. Assuming you'd like to know what your future last name will be."

She turned and pranced down the aisle so he would not see the look on her face; she knew it was all fun and games, but it was pretty easy for delusion to set it. As she approached the table she found Dani seated at, Allie racked her brain for why his name sounded so familiar.

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