Professional Publicity Stunt » Shawn Mendes✔️

nine: do you feel the same way?

A/N: First off, I'm a halfway liar because I said I wouldn't update since my wifi is down. But this chapter is too cute for me to hold on to, so I turned my hotspot on real quick to copy it over to post for you guys (and she's long, so there's a bonus). I would say I won't be updating for a while because of the wifi, but I literally just made a liar out of myself just now, so who knows. Enjoy some fluff.

By the time we land and get out of LAX, it's nearly noon. The time change has really messed with everyone, but I'm glad to be back in my normal time zone – even if it'll only last a few days, who knows.

            Shawn has the Zach Sang show in a few hours, so in the meantime, we get breakfast (or brunch now, I guess) and I finally meet Josiah, Shawn's photographer.

            "He's around all the time," Shawn laughs. "He's magical. I swear he takes pictures that I don't even know about."

            That's comforting.

            Josiah must have seen the subtle terror on my face because he does clarify, "I don't post anything before showing them to you, though, and there's a lot we just keep to ourselves."

            I smile mostly in relief. "That's cool."

            He eats brunch with us, and since we're all at the same table (all of us being Shawn, Josiah, Andrew, Shawn's security whose name I've just now learned is Jake, and me), I get to really see how Shawn is around his...friends. These people have become his friends, I can tell. They work together first, but it does feel like there's always friendship at the forefront no matter what's going on.

            "So I know what's happening," Josiah starts, immediately gaining my attention because he seems so sure of himself right out of the gates.

            I raise my eyebrows. "Okay..." Everyone knows. Well, everyone that is on Shawn's management and publicity team, so I'm assuming that includes Josiah.

            But apparently it doesn't.

            "When did you and Shawn start dating? And bro, I'm mad at you for not telling me."

            Shawn fumbles for words, at best getting out a, "We're not—" before he looks to me for some help.

            "Um, two days ago," I answer, trying to choose my words carefully. "But that's...yeah."

            "Come here," Andrew finally swoops in to save us, gesturing for Josiah to lean over. The latter does, and we can't hear what Andrew whispers, but we can gather that he tells Josiah the real truth about what he thinks he knows.

            Josiah leans back with wide eyes, then narrows them. "You're shitting me." Then he gives Andrew an accusing look as he points to us. "Look at how close they're sitting!"

            Shawn's cheeks flush red, but all I can do is bust out laughing. Because Josiah is right. We're literally sitting so close that our legs are touching, and it looks almost like I'm leaning into Shawn's chest. And his arm is on the back of the booth, his fingers barely grazing my shoulder.

            Force of habit, really. All of it is.

            "That's the best argument I've ever heard," I finally say, the laughter still bubbling into my words.

            Josiah gives us a look. "Is he serious?"

            I nod. "He's serious. It's my job."

            "It's your job?"

            "A weird one, I know."

            "This is insane," the photographer mutters. "So can I still take pictures of you guys?"