FALLING FOR SHAWN

Chapter 9 - Wasted

Shawn took his bow, the audience was on it's feet, his first live performance of the single had gone down well. As he straightened, he looked at Camila, back in the front row next to Taylor Swift after presenting an award earlier, and the look she gave burned through him. Shit, he was in trouble tonight. He needed to get off stage quick because he had a flash of where things were heading and his body was getting ready for it. He didn't need THAT on prime time television.

He made it back to his dressing room to change back into his suit, but he was one of the last performers and it didn't seem worth going back out there, so he watched the last fifteen minutes of the show from the green room first.

"Good job buddy," Andrew said, slapping on the back. "Going to the after party?"

"I don't think so," Shawn said, thinking that he probably had other plans.

Andrew frowned. "It's a good chance to network, especially after your first performance, I think you should go."

Shawn felt frustrated, and not just physically, but because he knew that Andrew was right and he had promised a few people he would see them there, prior to seeing Camila yesterday.

"Yeah, OK, I will go for a while," he conceded and Andrew looked happy, chatted about a few things then headed off. Shawn got changed into the after party outfit Tiff had him bring with him but first took out his phone and texted Camila to call him as soon as she was able and moments after the houselights came up when the show had ended, his phone rang.

"I'm off to the after-party at 40 Love, are you going?

"You're going to a party?"

"I promised some people earlier in the week I'd go, and Andrew said I should, since it was my first performance, I need to network and shit."

She sighed and he closed his eyes and ran his hands through his hair.

"I'd rather have a quiet night....at home...." He didn't say 'with you' but the inference was there, he hoped she understood.

"Yeah why not?" she said with forced enthusiasm. "A lot of my friends are going."

"Will I see you there?"

"Maybe," she said, and he smiled. It wouldn't be such a chore if she was there.

***

Camila got off the phone feeling a little disappointed, but in truth they had made no actual plans, and he was right, her management would have encouraged her to go if she was him, in fact if she didn't have plans of her own for him she would have suggested it herself.

She had a change of clothes to wear for after, because originally she had intended to go with Taylor to another event, but she had declined once she thought she was going to a more private party. It was a cute short jumpsuit, white with a halter neck and plunging vee neckline. She had towering white platform heels and she had her hairdresser take her hair down and straightened. It took longer, so she'd be a bit late, but it was worth it. She smiled in the mirror. Actually, this could be a bit of fun, she thought. She was going to make that boy wish he'd taken her straight home.

She entered the bar and found it full of semi-wasted celebrities, and she looked around for Shawn, who would normally tower over most of the guests. She was concerned when she didn't see him and then she got a look at the bar. He was standing behind it, pouring drinks, red in the face, his curls damp with sweat. He was pretty gone already. She felt her heart sink. So much for her plans. She headed toward the bar, ready to make him wish he'd made better choices, but she was waylaid by one of her friends, hugged and kissed and then dragged into a group of artists singing and jumping around to old songs. She let herself join in for a while then ducked out and made a beeline for the bar, needing a drink as well as a chance to berate Shawn.