Couple for Hire [Shourtney]

16. The One Where They Answer

Hey, guys! How are you all doing?

I've finished all updates I have for this week! Next week's the last week of this book, and I'm kinda sad it'll be over soon. This was a lot of fun to write, and I'd say out of my ten books, this one's my third favorite.

Anyway, let's get started with Courtney's POV and see ya!

-/-/-

I go home a few hours after the shoot. We had to get back to the rental, and Shayne drove me home. Wordlessly too, and I know why. I open the door to my apartment, now a mess of cup noodles, a lot of dresses on the floor, scattered piles of makeup, and shoes. I look at myself in the mirror as I take off my dress, put my hair up into a bun, and rid my face off makeup. I look at myself now, just shorts and a bra and teary eyes and just a complete burnout.

"Alright, God," I mumble, my voice quivering. "Maybe you could... give me another sign if what I'm doing is right."

But I look around my apartment, and I know that I couldn't rely on signs anymore. I'm 26, and starting a business based on a drunk thought was not ideal. I couldn't afford to be the same girl from so many months ago who would just laugh off a sprain, never worry about marriage questions during Thanksgiving, and charge at life with little money in my pocket. I had to get my ducks in a row, and to do that...

"Alexa?" I say, crossing my arms. "Can you play some Queen?"

So I begin cleaning my apartment. Sure, I was exhausted like hell, but if I didn't do it now, I wouldn't do it at all. While singing along to Freddie, I put my dresses up, get some of them steamed up to smoothen its wrinkles, and I put them all back into my wardrobe, on the side where I keep clothes that I don't wear anymore. I put my shoes back on the shoe stand, I sweep every room, I even take the time to vacuum some spots in my carpet. Even when the clock ticks twelve, I'm still up and cleaning, now in a lower singing voice so as to not disturb the neighbors. I fluff the pillows on my couch as I go through the boxes Tommy left by. I put stars on the important events that I remember.

COUPLE FOR HIRE
History of Events
Compiled by Tommy Bowe

APRIL 2021
- WEDDING: Jace and Emma*
- BIRTHDAY: Markie Davis (c/o Chloe and Becca Davis)*

MAY 2021
- WEDDING: Grayson and Josie*
- BIRTHDAY: Gina Craig
- BIRTHDAY: Poppy Ng
- OFFICE PARTY: Sen. Gordon Wills
- WEDDING: Nathan and Charlotte*

JUNE 2021
- BIRTHDAY: Derrick Jackson
- BIRTHDAY: Betty Dallas*
- WEDDING: Chase and Lana
- OFFICE PARTY: ServiceCycle*
- BIRTHDAY: Tina Nguyen

JULY 2021
- WEDDING: William and Daisy
- WEDDING: Kaitlin and Halle
- BIRTHDAY: Baby Michael Scott
- OFFICE PARTY: Paolo's Knit-Knots
- BIRTHDAY: Laverne Terrence
- WEDDING: Teddie and Darcie*

AUGUST 2021
- BIRTHDAY: Baby Rose Fenty
- BIRTHDAY: Ten-ten Delos Reyes
- BIRTHDAY: Alice Chang Li
- WEDDING: Kendall and Jo
- WEDDING: Matty and James*

I skim through pictures of me and Shayne, laughing at the ones we took at parties, including chin selfies, photo booth souvenirs, stolen shots, and during meetings. When I flip to the next page, I tilt my head in wonder.

COUPLE FOR HIRE
Event Review
Written and compiled by Shayne Topp

APRIL 2021
- Wedding: Jace and Emma
Score: 8/10
Review: This was our first booking! Pretty solid for a wedding, and that's considering how they held everything together even though some business stuff came up. We also got a bit of extra cash by pretending to be the best man and the maid of honor.