Limelight || A Shourtney Story

.16 heading for disaster (shayne)

There were two things in the world that Shayne hated most.

The first, naturally, was the consistent nagging and lack of trust that Sarah had in him. Shayne knew he wasn't the easiest client she had, but she never failed to remind him how disappointed she was in him. Her phone calls to meet with him usually made him feel like a 16-year-old getting caught drinking by their parents. It all came from a place of love - that he knew for sure. And she had been a bedrock for him throughout his career.

Okay, so maybe he didn't hate it. But it was sure as hell annoying.

The other was letting down the people closest to him. He tried to be loyal and reliable - two characteristics that he valued in others. But when Shayne didn't think things through or somehow miscommunicated, the consequences left him feeling rotten. He hated hurting others.

Somehow, he wound up in a situation where both occurred on the same day.

As he entered Sarah's incredibly organized, mod-deco, colorful office space, he knew he was in trouble. She was already standing when he arrived, and her expression was so tense that Shayne thought he saw her vein throbbing out of her temple. The abstract, happy aesthetic of the room seemed to mock him as he sat down.

"You've got to be kidding me," Sarah groaned. "You were doing so well for, like 5 months. What happened?"

Firm hands pivoted her monitor towards his gaze. The TMZ tweet was pulled up, alongside the thousands of Twitter replies from fans and trolls alike. The image of Courtney's hooded figure was permanently ingrained in his mind.

"I'm so sorry, Sarah. It was an accident, I swear," Shayne groaned. He buried his face in his hands.

Sarah crossed to the front of her desk, sitting on the elevated surface in confusion. Her elbows rested carefully on her thighs, while her legs swung beneath her. Her sharp, turquoise eyes narrowed with confusion.

"Hmm?"

"I really tried to be careful. I had rented out a private room in a restaurant, but paparazzi were already there. I had to bring my date to my house and made her wait overnight to try to make the reporters clear out. I should've checked again."

Sarah let out a heavy sigh, the warm exhale releasing the tension in her shoulders. "At least you actually thought things through this time."

"Trust me, the last thing I expected was to see that photo on my feed this morning. It's a mess," Shayne mumbled. His eyes downcast with disappointment.

A warm hand extended to pat his shoulder. Sarah gave a sympathetic smile to him. "Look, kid. I know you've been working hard, and this was the first red flag you've had since that night at Mercury Blue a few months ago. But you have to be aware of these reporters at all times. I can't protect you all the time."

"I know," Shayne agreed, nodding.

"You're lucky SMOSH is in post-production. That's gonna be our loophole when the Padilla executives call me about this. It wasn't in our original agreement," Sarah reminded.

"So, I'm not in trouble?" Shayne questioned. His eyes widened with confusion.

"Technically no. This is more of a warning. I'm not dropping you," Sarah grimaced with a tight smile. "But you need to promise me you'll be more careful. You're lucky this chick covered her face this morning."

His heart tightened in his chest. Hearing Sarah speak so casually about Courtney elevated his heartrate. The blond barista deserved more than that.

"She's not just a chick, Sarah," Shayne corrected.

"What are you talking about?"

"Courtney, the girl. She's ... something special. She is funny and kind, and she's unbelievably strong. And she's beautiful - not in a fake way, you know what I mean?" Shayne clarified.