Without Me

Rap God

Ashley rung her sweaty palms around in her lap as she waited in the dressing room to be called on the set. It turns out she was doing a full interview with Jimmy Kimmel, which she hadn't know before because well there were a few chat show hosts with the name Jimmy. However, Marshall had done interviews with Kimmel and Ashley had been there so the interviewer part wasn't what made her nervous. It was the questions he could ask her that filled her with dread.

''Ash you're on in a minute you might wanna go to the walk-on part,''Paul called out, poking his head around the door of the dressing room she had been assigned. Ashley shook her thoughts away and took a deep breath, before standing up from her chair to follow Paul out of the room.

How she wished Marshall had come with her instead of stopping at one of the recording studios in the city. Although he did promise that he'd turn up and maybe catch the end. Maybe being the word she dwelled on the most, to her it meant that he'd turn up if he was bothered not if he had time. Ashley knew that he'd probably be too caught up in the music and the next time, so she was well aware that she would see him would be back at the hotel. Not that she minded, she was used to the empty promises Marshall made by now, it really wasn't the first and probably not the last time he did it either.

''Now my next guest is better known for her production work more than anything else, but let me tell you she's got a great voice on her too. Please welcome Ashley Jackson,'' Paul had to give her a little nudge in the back to make sure she moved. Eventually, she did and luckily the audience was too engrossed in cheering and clapping to notice the delay between Jimmy's announcement and her actual presence.

Ashley made sure to put on her best smile as Jimmy pulled her into a friendly hug. Something she hadn't been expecting was him to whisper if she was ok, she sent him and nod and a weary smile. It struck her as an odd thing to say because his tone made him sound as if he thought she wasn't ok.

''This must feel strange to you right?'' Was the first question he asked once she'd settled down in the chair opposite the desk he was sat up.

''Yeah normally when I do stuff like this I'm not usually alone. I'm normally with this apparently really good rapper guy called Eminem,'' the audience laughed a little at her response and it made Ashley feel a little bit more relaxed. She hoped the more she spoke, the more relaxed she'd become.

''I think he's a rap god or something,'' Jimmy muttered jokingly looking down at the cards he had sat in front of him.

''Nah I wouldn't go that far,'' Ashley added, she couldn't help but let out a laugh of her own. After the audience had finished clapping and laughing along with the comments about Marshall, Jimmy decided to ask something else.

''A few weeks ago 50 Cent of all people came out and said you had some music hidden away somewhere, is there any way we're going to hear it. Because well we've all heard you sing on many of Em's tracks?'' The question didn't take Ashley by surprise, it was one she had been expecting and subsequently prepared an answer for.

''Well first off I wasn't exactly happy with Curtis when he decided to tell the world I had a ton of recorded shit. Um but yeah it may be releasing soon,'' she answered and there were a few gasps and excited whispers coming from the audience.

''Could we have a hint, please. Like the title or some tracks,'' Jimmy asked giving his best pleading look. It was obvious the audience was intrigued to because they had gone silent as if wanting to hang on to every single word she said, not daring to miss a detail.

''It will come out when it comes out and be called what it's called when it does,'' Jimmy gave a chuckle before Ashley then added, ''that's all you're getting sorry guys,'' the audience let out aws after not getting the information they wanted.

''That answers my next question of when will it be released. The answer in case you missed it was when it comes out,'' the audience laughed. Jimmy waited for them to quieten down before carrying on, ''right it was your first Met Gala ever on Monday. let's see a picture,'' the audience made more noise as a photo of her and Rhianna together popped up on screen.

''That's Rhianna not entirely sure how popular she is these days,'' Ashley remarked and Jimmy let out a chuckle.

''Pretty popular I'd say. Now did you spend the whole Met with her because many of the pictures are of you two together,'' the audience laughed as more photos flipped across the screen all of her and Rihanna.

''It's kinda like your first day of school really and you only know like one person. So since this was my first Met and Rihanna was one of the only people I knew and liked, I spent most of it with her,'' Jimmy nodded along with her explanation and many of the people in the audience hummed in agreement.

''That's very true. Um I've always admired the way you just walk past the paparazzi whenever you go down a red carpet resulting in pictures like this,'' Ashley laughed as a picture of her from the early two thousands where she had completely ignored the cameras, which meant the picture that appeared to show the side of her as she walked along. The next picture he showed was one Ashley had completely forgotten about, it had been the premiere for the film 8 mile and she'd gone with Marshall to the event. The picture showed Marshall pulling her towards him by her arm to stop her from walking away from one of the cameras.

''Jimmy I ain't got time to stand and pose for people who are probably just gonna photoshop and airbrush the shit out of my pictures. That's why I don't do many photo shoots. Well, I do but I pull out once they show me the pictures because they look nothing like me,'' Ashely could see the audience nod in agreement at her statement.

''I didn't know that was the reason I just thought you didn't like having your photo taken.''

''Oh that too,'' Ashley added and the audience laughed again.

''I've heard that you've to know Marshall for near enough twenty years now.''

''Unfortunately yeah,'' Ashely replied.

''I didn't think I was that bad,'' the unexpected voice behind her made her leap up from her seat to turn around and see Marshall stood there his hands in his pockets. His lips quirked a little as he tried not to smile or laugh at her, much like the audience was at that moment.

''You're an asshole,'' she shouted as he pulled her into a hug.

''I'm very much aware of that,'' he quipped back, letting her go so they could sit down together. When he'd said he was going to maybe turn up at the end Ashley had thought he'd meant backstage.

Marshall actually appearing on the set was even better than she had hoped, because the moment Jimmy asked him a question, she couldn't help but just sit and stare as he explained how they had met and become friends. He even added the bit about the drug dealer paying her medical bills and how she'd stayed with Proof for a couple weeks after being shot.