Is this seat taken- lainy122 on Archive of our own

Chapter 5

Fortunately - or perhaps not so much - it was the beginning of awards season, so it was only a few nights later that Louis found himself across the road from the Golden Globes, wearing another borrowed suit and chewing his lip indecisively.

This was a terrible idea.

Like, the first time had been a bad idea that happened to go well, but this was a truly, remarkably, just simply awful idea.

Louis really needed to stop letting his friends goad him into situations that may result in jail time.

He had arrived earlier this time around, as his head was clearer and he was aware he might need some leeway if there were complications. The Golden Globes was a much more high profile event than the music award show he had snuck into, so Louis wanted to have some time to re-strategize if things didn't go according to plan.

Things were not going according to plan.

For one, there was a lot more press out the front this time - they were all stationed outside to get photos of guests arriving, rather than inside for the promotional shots of artists winning, like before. The fences around the building were also much higher than the other property and topped with razor wire, which, seriously? Surely that was just a tad excessive.

"Louis!" A voice said loudly behind him, interrupting Louis' careful assessment of the building.

Louis turned to see Miranda power walking towards him. Remembering how he had completely ignored his pager, every instruction he hadn't bothered listening to in the first place during her pre-event lecture and basically been the worst seat-filler ever (considering he hadn't ever sat down), Louis felt his stomach sink.

Great, he was going to get busted before he even crossed the road!

"I'm glad you're here early this time," Miranda said with a smile as she caught up to him, which was...not what Louis expected her to say.

"Didn't want to get caught out again by security," he replied easily anyway, masking his confusion. Why wasn't she pissed at him? He had done a laughingly appalling job under her watch - surely she had noticed?

"Good thinking!" Miranda said with that false enthusiasm a lot of people in Hollywood employed when they wanted something. Linking her arm with his, she began to drag Louis across the street to the event venue. "I'm glad I caught you alone, I wanted to have a bit of a chat."

That sounded incredibly ominous, and also vaguely like a sexual proposition.

"Oh?" Louis hoped his voice sounded adequately neutral, because it felt like this woman was either going to throw him in front of a bus or throw him onto a bed, and he wasn't sure which way it was going to go. Or which was more horrifying.

"I wanted to compliment you on your work!" Miranda said, ducking behind the press who were still setting up their photography equipment and television cameras, ready for when the big celebrities started to arrive. She barely flashed her pass at security before leading them into the building.

What? His work?

"I've heard nothing but great things about the way you worked the room at the music awards last week!" she continued with a wink, confidently navigating the maze-like corridors of the building. "Everyone was completely charmed, including a lot of the artists!"

Louis decided not to point out that he was actually mates with a lot of those artists, which probably had a lot to do with their apparently glowing reviews. Which, why were they giving reviews anyway? Had she been purposefully asking about after him? What on Earth for?