THREE

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Reassurance
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Shawn and I spent the next hour and a half getting to know each other better. We had to leave Toast because more people were coming in and he was getting recognized so we ended up going to the recording studio he uses to record most of his songs. He decided it would be a good idea to introduce me to some of the spots we would be staying at for long periods of time so I can get used to everything. He's a really pleasant person to be around so far. He's kind and easy to talk to and he's a great listener. I'm grateful he's not a pompous, self absorbed jackass.

I've been at home for a little over an hour now and I've been reading over the list of rules I had been given yesterday for pretty much the entire time.

• All requests made by the management are required to be met.
• All social media accounts will become open for all managers to post as you whenever needed.
• You must also consult with managers before posting anything about the relationship.
• If there are any breaches of this contract you will be fired and will be required to pay the entire amount written on the contract. ($20,000)
• You are expected to accompany Mr. Mendes to any event he attends. If for any reason you aren't able to attend an event, management must be notified at least a week in advance.
• When Mr. Mendes goes on tour (starting March 5, 2018 ending February 16, 2019) you will be required to join him throughout the entire tour. If for any reason you have to leave during the time of tour, management must be notified a week in advance.
• All dates will be planned by management. Clothes, makeup and hair stylists will be provided for each date and event.

It's a lot and it's certainly going to take some getting used to but it'll be worth it in the end. I hope Preston doesn't take the news too bad. Just then my phone begins to ring, breaking the silence filling my apartment.

Speak of the devil.

"Hey, Babe." I answer happily.

"Hey, Gorgeous, I was just calling to check on you and see how you're doing. You never told me if you heard back from those people yesterday."

"Oh, yeah they called me back."

"That's great, Babe!" He said cheerfully into the phone and the nerves begin to settle once again.

"Yeah but I didn't get the job. I got a different job but I'd rather tell you about it in person. Can you come by tonight?"

"Uh, yeah sure." He sounds confused. Rightfully so. "I'll be there in fifteen, see you then. Love you"

"Alright, love you too." With that I hang up and groan loudly. How am I going to do this? Of course he's not going to joyfully support and accept the fact that I'm basically openly cheating on him and I'll have to act like he doesn't even exist. Not to mention I'll be gone touring the world for a year without him. It'll be tough but I hope he trusts me enough to be supportive of my decision.

I take the time to clean up my living room before Preston gets here to help take my mind off of the situation for a moment. Fifteen minutes go by faster than I hoped and he's soon knocking on my door. I walk across the wooden floor to the door and open it, revealing his smiling face. He leans down and pecks my lips quickly and walks inside when I move out of his way. "So what did you want to talk about?" He asks me as he sits on my couch.

I sit on the other side of the small couch and grab one of the corner pillows, hugging it to my stomach comfortably. "Well.." I bite my lip unsure of how to start. "I did get a job but it's not as a model."

"Okay..?" He looks at me waiting for me to continue.

"You know Shawn Mendes, right?"

"The singer?"

I nod.

"Yeah, I've heard of him. Why?"

"I was hired to be his girlfriend.." I say quietly, my eyes looking everywhere but at his face.

"You were hired to be his.. girlfriend?" He says more like a question. "What does that mean?" I hand him the papers and he reads them silently. I chew on my lip anxiously as I watch his eyes read over the words. "So what you're saying is you have to pretend to be this guy's girlfriend for an entire year?" His blue eyes look at me.

I nod once again. "I was confused at first, too but I read the papers and I only have to go on occasional "dates" and events with him. It's got great pay and that's the only reason I accepted the job."

"What does that mean for us, though?"

"It doesn't have to effect us at all. He's got a girlfriend so it's not like we're going to actually become close or whatever. It's just a job."

"Yeah but what happens when you're recognized wherever you go and we can't be seen together because you'll be accused of cheating?" Now he's starting to get upset.

"Pres, it'll be fine. The year will fly by before you know it and things will go back to normal." I scoot closer to him and take his hands in mine. "It's like an acting job, none of it's real."

"And you've got to go on tour with him for over a year."

"We can still talk everyday. I promise we'll be okay. You just have to trust me." I look at him.

"I do trust you it's just.." he sighs. "That's a long time Aly."

"I know, Babe."

"But, if this is what you want to do then you have my full support."

A wide smile grows on my face and I place a kiss to his lips. "And this is why I love you." He chuckles quietly and wraps his arms around my waist, pulling me to him. "I'm only doing this for us. $20,000 a month. We'll be able to get a place in no time." I lay my head on his chest.

He kisses the top of my head and hums lowly, not saying anything else.

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