Like Real People Do

Red Bell Pepper

The one with the set up.

//

"No."

Both the word and the amount of conviction and fire with which Jaxon directed it at Amy piqued my interest. Shifting slightly where I was sitting on the floor of the dressing room, helping Finn and Audra build structures out of Legos, I turned my head so that I could listen in more closely to the conversation being had a few feet to my right.

I knew it wasn't really any of my business, but to be honest, now that Jaxon and I were back to having a fully functional employer/employee relationship, I was craving some drama in my life.

"At least think about it," Amy urged.

I glanced briefly up and to the right to see Jaxon cross his arms over his chest defiantly and shake his head, keeping his gaze direct and cold. "No."

"Come on, Jax," Amy let out an exasperated sigh, "Be mature about this."

He rolled his eyes, uncrossing his arms to tug his fingers through his hair, his tone changing from stony anger to pleading. "Aimes, I told you, I don't wanna talk about this anymore."

It was none of my business. But that didn't stop me from getting involved.

"Everything alright?" I asked, smiling sweetly up at the pair before I could rationalize all of the reasons why I really should just keep my mouth zipped.

"Yep," Jaxon replied immediately, only glancing at me momentarily before returning his gaze to Amy, his eyes begging her not to counter his response.

But apparently Amy wasn't in the mood for being sympathetic, so she directed her next question at me. "Do you know who Natalia Borgens is?"

"Natalia Borgens?" I blinked, standing and brushing off my jeans as I envisioned the gorgeous redhead who had been on the posters in the windows of Victoria's Secret the last time I had dared to enter. "The supermodel?"

Grinning triumphantly, Amy nodded. "Exactly."

I had no idea why me knowing about the existence of a supermodel made Amy happy, but Jaxon got the memo, because he increased the fire in his glare towards his assistant. "I said no."

Amy saved me the trouble of having to ask what the hell was going on. "Natalia's people got in contact with me this morning and she wants to be set up on a date with Jaxon."

"Wow."

I probably shouldn't have been surprised. After all, Jaxon was an eligible bachelor and if I was famous, I'd want to be set up with him too. And apparently this kind of thing happened all the time. Amy was constantly informing the boys that there were all these up and coming young ladies who thought they were attractive and asking whether they'd be cool with going on a publicity date.

Generally speaking, the band was too busy to say yes, and Amy respected that, but I understood why she was more insistent this time. Natalia Borgens was ultra-famous. To the point where dating Jaxon wouldn't even be beneficial to her because she was already more popular than him. Which meant that her sole purpose in reaching out to him would be because she genuinely wanted to get to know him better.

"I know, right?" Amy said, breaking me from my epiphany that I wasn't the only person in the world who would be down with dating Jaxon, "Why the hell would a supermodel be interested in him?"

"Thanks, Amy," Jaxon groaned. "Why is this so important to you anyway?"

"It's extra publicity, which can't hurt, especially during the tour," I wasn't sure that was true, seeing as the tour was sold out, but I supposed having Jaxon's name in the tabloids piqued interest, which could boost album sales. Amy shrugged, speaking softly in hopes that a change of tone might change his mind. "I'm not asking you to marry her. It's just one date."