First You Fall

Chapter 2

Judging by the less than thrilled looks on the faces of her staff Maisie could already tell how this meeting about Niall's action plan was going to go. Kyle literally leaned forward and laid his head on the table in front of him while Janina's eyes rolled so far into the back of her head she might have needed surgery to unstick them later.

Maisie sat down,

"Guys-"

"C'mon Maisie..." Janina interrupted, "Really?"

"What?" Maisie asked, "We've never discriminated who we've provided services to in the past, why start now?"

"But he's a...I mean...how bad could it be?" Kyle asked as he picked his head up off the table, "Did he do something really scandalous like...open the peanuts in the mini bar and not pay?"

Janina snickered as she covered her mouth with her hand. Maisie looked between them,

"You two are being ridiculous."

Janina threw her hand out,

"Well what has he done? I haven't seen anything and I watch TMZ religiously."

"Harvey is never going to ask you out." Kyle commented.

Janina flipped him off.

"Right, he hasn't." Maisie continued, "But judging by how persistent his manager was, there is definitely something going on with him. And we are in the unique position of being proactive this time instead of reactive. He hasn't done anything we need to clean up...yet."

Janina shrugged,

"So send him to rehab. Isn't that how all celebs apologize for their misdeeds these days?"

"I don't think it's as serious as a stint in rehab just yet. Nolan just wanted us to see what we could do before things happen like that. You know as well as I do that once the shit hits the fan it becomes harder for us to do the job."

Janina raised her eyebrows and nodded. Maisie had her there.

Maisie heard Sloan's voice greeting someone who came in the door just then. She shot both Kyle and Janina looks,

"He's here. Keep your comments positive and don't be the assholes I know you are."

She finished her sentence just as Sloan walked Nolan into the conference room,

"Ms. Dalton this is-"

"Nice to see you again Mr. Gates." Maisie said as she interrupted Sloan and walked forward, offering Nolan her hand, "I hope you've had a better day than you did yesterday."

Nolan shrugged,

"Can't get much worse."

Maisie gestured to Kyle and Janina,

"These are my colleagues. Janina Benson and Kyle Moore. They'll be helping us to figure out an action plan today."
Nolan shook both of their hands before taking his spot on the other side of the table. Maisie sat down next to Janina, a notebook sitting underneath her clasped hands,

"Alright...let's get started."

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Niall could feel the buzzing of his phone but couldn't hear it ringing. Someone must have muted his phone last night without him looking. He tore at his sheets and pillows, flinging them onto the floor without a care before he finally found it smack in the middle of the bed. How the hell it got there was a question he would never be able to answer due to his level of intoxication last night when he finally made it home.