Temporary Lovers || sm

FOUR

Signed Contract
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The loud unexpected sound of my phone ringing wakes me up early the next morning and I nearly fall out of bed because of it. I look at the time before answering and groan when I see it's only seven in the morning. I then check the caller ID and see Denise is the one with the nerve to call and wake me up at this hour. Sliding my thumb across the screen, I answer.

"Hello?" I try not to sound groggy but I'm sure it's noticeable I just woke up.

"It's about time you answer! This is highly unprofessional, Alyssa! Way to make a first impression. You need be down here at the studio in thirty minutes or we'll find someone else to take your spot." And with that she hangs up leaving me confused and in a hurry. I then notice that she had called four times prior and I hadn't heard a single one.

Quickly, I jump out of bed and with no time to think and plan out an outfit I slip on an Adidas hoodie over my white tank top, some black leggings and my grey Nike sneakers. I tie my hair up in a high ponytail and completely disregard doing my makeup. After putting on some deodorant and perfume and brushing my teeth I'm out the door in five minutes. I text Denise letting her know I'm on my way before I begin driving.

Thankfully traffic isn't too bad at this hour so I'm able to get to the studio in a little over ten minutes. I rush through the doors and assume they're in the room we met in the day before yesterday. Making my way to the room down the hall my assumptions are proven correct when I see the same people as before sitting in their same spots at the table.

"I'm sorry, what have I missed?" I sot next to Shawn and he gives me a tired smile. It looks like he woke up not long ago himself.

"Nothing yet, we were waiting on you." Denise snips. Maybe we should have done this later, it's becoming clear that no one got enough sleep. "We wanted to get this done before there were too many people out and about to see us coming in and out of here." She pulls out two small stacks of paper stapled together and hands Shawn and I each one. "Here's your contracts. They state everything we've already discussed and you just have to sign and date the bottom of the last page and we'll be good to go."

I take the pen from Thomas and Shawn and I exchange glances as if to silently make sure both of us still wanted to go along with this. We sign our names on the designated line and Denise takes them back, sliding them into her folder. "Just to catch you up, today is December 29th. You will be acting as Shawn's girlfriend for thirteen months. When the contract ends Shawn will be finishing up his tour and you can then choose whether or not you'd like to renew your contract. You will be required to go on any date management schedules, any event Shawn is invited to. You will be provided clothes, hair and makeup stylists for each outing you attend that is scheduled by the management team. You must give all the passwords to any social media accounts you have and know that his management can post whatever they'd like whenever they choose. You must progress the relationship as they tell you to do so. Don't do anything you're not instructed to do. We don't want them thinking the relationship is moving too fast or too slow so they will be instructing you both on what to do. Also, since both of you are seeing someone else I highly suggest you break it off with them but if you choose not to, you must not be seen in public alone with them. If you are with them then you both need to be there. You mustn't be off without each other with your partner. I think that just about covers it all."

I nod slowly as I take it all in. I'm actually doing this. I'm actually going to pretend to be a stranger's girlfriend for over a year. This is bizarre, right? Am I the only one who finds this remotely strange. Especially considering the fact that he already has a girlfriend but she's not what his management team is looking for. I guess it's true what they say; money talks. Money is the motive in this case. Shawn seems like a really great guy and he could possibly be a really great friend of mine in the future but if that paycheck wasn't what it is, I truthfully wouldn't even consider going along with this.

"Now," Marissa speaks. "You first public outing will be tomorrow. The media outlets have already been notified and they will be waiting to see Shawn at the Grove. They're not expecting anyone else to be with him so it will come as a surprise when they see you." She looks at me. "There will be multiple dates like this where you'll just be seen together. As we progress and the people start to become curious you'll begin holding hands and hugging, kissing each other's cheek. Things like that but we're going to ease into it in the beginning."

We both nod letting her know we understand. I can already tell they're really serious about this and it's extremely intimidating. I'm afraid I'll do something out of line and get fired right away. I don't imagine they'll be too lenient when it comes to mistakes.

"Do either of you have any questions?" Thomas asks us.

We glance at each other then shake our heads. "Nope." I answer. "I think I've got it."

"If either of you have any concerns or questions don't hesitate to contact either one of us. We want to make this as pleasant for you as possible, it's not meant to feel like a chore. We want you both to have fun but just remember that it is, first and foremost, a job and it should still be taken seriously." Denise tells us.

"Don't worry," Shawn says. "I think we'll be able to figure it out." He smiles at them then at me which I return kindly.

This may not be so bad.

*****

"It starts tomorrow." I tell Preston as we sit in the nearly empty diner.

"So this is pretty much the last time we get to go out together for the next year, huh?" He eats a french fry.

I nod sorrowfully. "We've just got to think positively. It'll be over before we know it and we'll have a nice place to live and life will be perfect."

"I suppose you're right." I dip a fry into my milkshake and he scrunches his nose at me. "That's a disgrace to french fries. I don't know how you eat that."

I laugh. "Because it's delicious! It's the perfect mix of sweet and salty, I don't know how you don't like it."

"It's just wrong. Just like pineapples and pizza."

"Don't get me started on that. You're lame if you don't like pineapples on your pizza."

He rolls his eyes and chuckles at me. "You're lucky I love you."

I grin cheekily. I'm going to miss this. Just spending time with Preston, laughing and simply enjoying each other's company. I'll still be able to see him if we go to each other's houses but it's different. I'm going to miss him.

He smiles at me and takes a drink of his own shake. "What's going on with you?" I ask him.

He shrugs a bit. "Same as usual; school, work, dealing with Kyle and Tyler's endless bullshit and repeat."

Kyle and Tyler are his roommates. They're cousins and Preston has been friends with them for a while but he's getting tired of living with them. They've been sharing an apartment for three years now and he's over it. They like to have a lot of people over all the time and between work and school, Preston is exhausted and doesn't have the patience to put up with that all the time. That's why this is so important.

"I'm sorry, Babe. You've just gotta hang in there a little bit longer."

We finish our meals and continue talking until the waitress comes by and tells us it's time for them to close so we leave and go back to my place where we fell asleep on the couch together while watching a movie.

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