I Wanna Be Yours (Arctic Monkeys Fanfiction)

3) Since when was dating apart of the plan

"Can you tell me when to find Mr. Lester?"

The lady at the front desk looks up at me with an unexpressive face. "Top floor, room B12." Then she looks down back at her computer and keeps typing. Helpful, this one. 

I walk to the elevators--still in the lobby--and press the top floor button, loving the elevator jazz playing softly. I sway my hips a bit, but stop before I get to the top. After the doors open, I walk down the hallway (B6, B8, B10, ah, B12) and take a deep breath before knocking on the door. 

The door creaks open a bit. It's Colin, with his rounded face and brown hair. "Leah," he says in a business fashion, holding the door open for me. I step in and look around the office. It's bigger than half my house. But to be fair, my house isn't that big. The glass windows shape the back wall and let in sky light, brightening up the modern contemporary place. 

To the right is Matt, Nick, and Jamie mumbling awkwardly, and when they see me, they stop. Way to rain on this parade, I think to myself. Colin does that manager quick-smile thing, a polite but not inviting look, and shakes my hand. "Pleased to meet you, Leah....?"

"Greene," I supply for him. 

"I PUT 'IH ON THE ROCKS JAMEH," Alex shouts from the back room, muffled by the door. He shoulder bumps the door open, carrying four drinks of Camerena tequila. He gazes downwards, focusing on the task of not spilling. "You'll like it better. I added a kick ta it but it wasn't that cold, don't worry--"

Alex looks back up as the door closes behind him and sees me. He looks a bit upset, and confused. He looks to Colin. "I thought you said you were just talking to her on the phone," Alex mutters. 

Colin smiles to me. "Yes, but to ask to come on down here. After all, she had to sign a few papers."

I clear my throat. "Wait, what papers? What do I need to sign?"

Colin ignores me. "It's okay Alex, she's harmless. The police wouldve checked her before signing her release for the night. Her friend told us the story, she was telling the truth."

I raise my hands in the air. "If I was lying my nose would probably stretch ten feet," I laugh. 

They look at me and it makes me feel uncomfortable. "Um, Pin--"

"Pinoccio, yeah," Alex grumbles, walking over to the far end of the couch and giving the drinks to his mates. 

Colin clears his throat this time. "So we were never going to press charges or get a restraining order, since you're not a threat to my boys."

Nick looks at him weirdly. "But you said--"

"Forget what I said," Lester interrupts. "you boys would've never agreed to the real reason I told you she needed to come here." 

"Shouldn't you have told us?" Nick asks, a bit upset. 

I look over to Alex, who's sipping the tequila in silence. He staring right at me. I avoid my gaze. 

"Ah, probably." Colin props himself up so that he's sitting on his desk. "Let me get to the point. The media will eventually let go of whatever they call a "scandal" between you two," he pauses and looks to Al and me, even though there wasn't anything going on between us, after all, he still looks at me like I'm psychotic--"but that will take time. We can't afford that or let rumours ruin reputation. 

"Basically what I'm saying is that you pretend to be in a relationship for a few weeks, break up, and everybody will see it as a harmless three week fuck-around nothing personal or meaningful relationship--"

"No way," I say. Out of the corner of my eye I think I see a flash of hurt in Turner's eyes but when I take a glance, they're hardened. "I mean, I don't want more drama--"

"But that's exactly what will happen if we don't do something," Lester says. "Hollywood might say you were a one night stand mystery girl, and follow you back to your home to get the scoop--or say that Alex here ordered a stripper for a few hours, or even hired a prostitute--"

I play with the hem of my jeans while Alex speaks up. "The press might even hurt Arielle again."

Something in my chest hurts for a second, but it passes and I forget it happened. "Why can't you just bribe them?"

Colin rolls his eyes. "I can only bribe one company, not every one in the state. If another press finds out about the bribe, the whole situation could blow up."

I stand up. "I'm out of here. I don't care, the press can fuck themselves. Just tell them the bloody truth," I say, and get up to leave the office. 

I hear Colin sigh as I reach for the handle. "One year in prison."

I look back at him, furrowing my eyebrows. 

"I said I didn't want to press charges, but that doesn't mean I can't." He looks to the ceiling and folds his hands across his lap. "I can't bribe the press, but that doesn't mean I can't bribe you."

"You sick son-of-ah-bitch," I say, crossing my arms. 

Colin gets up off his desk, and the rest of the band mumbles something I can't process. "It's only a few weeks. Plus, you get to hang around us and live the rock-n-roll dream and then slip into your utterly boring useless rural oblivion where you can spend the rest of your life." He pouts his lip mockingly. "Pwease."

I slowly take a deep breath in, and a deep breath out. "Fine."

"Great! It's settled then. You'll be staying the night with the boys in the hotel you had your...mix-up in. There will be more paprazzi, but we want the attention on this fake relationship. We'll get people to help you fake it." 

Alex finishes his drink off in one gulp and storms off into the other room. 

"Moody as 'ell," Matt laughs, walking off to go talk to him. 

"Any questions?" Colin asks.

"I need to call my mother and tell her--" I begin. 

"Oh, no, no. I'll get right on that. We can't be telling her the plan."

"But she's my mom--" I agrue. 

"Ta ta," Colin says. "You have nothing to worry about. Anything else? No? Okay."