Rachel Berry is a successful Broadway star with a reputation as a demanding, cold and heartless diva who cares for no one but herself. Truth is, she is none of those. Due to some events, Berry is forced to have a new assistant; one that will change her world without meaning to. Eventual Faberry. AU
A/N: Thank you all for the 100+ story alert messages I received in less than a day. On the other hand, less than 10 reviews. Which makes me wonder if I am doing something wrong. So please feel free to voice your opinion, good or bad. The outline of this story is set but could be swayed one way or another, if need be.
A/N 2: Hope this chapter answers some questions.
There was something about the blonde standing outside her door. The way she smiled, almost in a shy manner, and that spark in her hazel eyes. Rachel couldn't quite pinpoint what it was; she just knew something was there. She noticed the woman still had her hand out and put her manners to good use.
"Rachel Berry." The brunette said while shaking her hand. "Come on in."
Quinn stepped into the flat and was blown away by the massive space for what she was told, was a two bedroom apartment located on the Upper West Side of New York City. Then again, she knew the singer was rich and famous and could certainly afford a place like the one in front of her.
The living room decorations were simple yet elegant. A long black and chic couch that seemed quite comfortable was in the middle of the room, in between two chairs that completed the set. Next to it was a table with some flowers on the top and near the wall was what appeared to be a 50' Television set; all minimal decorations to say the least. As she turned to face the brunette, some glass doors caught her eye on the far corner and that's when she saw it. A balcony that based from where she was standing showed a breathtaking view of Central Park. A gut instinct told her that an awful amount of hours were spent in that balcony. Truth be told, she herself would love the opportunity to have a flat on the 23rd floor of a beautiful building, like the one she was currently standing in.
Quinn caught herself daydreaming once again and fully turned to the singer who motioned for her to sit on one of the chairs.
"So Quinn, I am told that Amanda talked to you about this position. I have not spoken to her yet since she is still in labor but rest assure I will be speaking to her very soon. Do not bother to lie or enhance your skills because sooner or later I will find the truth and you do not want to know what happens then. So as to not waste anyone's time, state why you are capable of becoming my assistant and we will go on from there." Rachel had stopped her speech once she saw Quinn's eyes grow bigger and bigger as she continued to talk. Truth was that if the woman in front of her was who Amanda had sent, then she would give her a chance and try not to scare her, at least not right away.
The blonde took some deep breaths before talking, trying to calm her nerves but her voice still gave her away.
"Ms. Berry, I have worked as a personal assistant for a well known photographer for the past 2 years. I will be honest with you and say that ultimately, that is what I would like to do, photography."
Rachel raised her eyebrow at that. At least she was being honest with her intentions.
"B- but, um… in the meantime, I am trying to learn the ins and outs of this industry. As your personal assistant, I would make sure that if and when a problem reaches you, it has already been taken care of and solved by me."
The brunette tried hard to not chuckle. There, in front of her, was what seemed to be a very nice, almost naïve, young woman. Did she really have an idea of how brutal and crazy things would be? It almost reminded her of a younger version of herself. Then again, if Rachel could survive the chaos, so could Quinn.
A little test would be helpful right about now and with that in mind, Rachel smiled.
"Ok, Quinn. Let's test your skills."
The poor woman visibly swallowed before straightening her shoulders, trying to compose herself.
"It is now 7:15pm" Rachel looked at the wall clock. "If hired, you will be required to accompany me to the Grammy's in a couple of days. There is a lot left to do. Call 'The Peninsula Beverly Hills' and tell them, no, demand that I have the same suite I stayed in last year. I also need to meet with my stylist this Wednesday morning, let's say 9am. Also –"
Quinn had frantically reached into her purse to pull a notepad and a pen. She would have given thanks, that she had those items in her purse, to anyone that listened if she weren't so busy trying to write everything down and keep up with the woman in front of her who was talking way too fast. Had she even taken a breath?
"- airlines to accommodate the move. The practice is Thursday and I cant afford to be missing a band member, just because someone couldn't do their job right. Call my chef and have him set all meals for LA. Oh, and talk to Gary to make sure he is at the airport on time. I refuse to take a cab again after the last fiasco."
The blonde's hand had started to hurt from all the writing, yet she couldn't stop her smile. That meant she was getting hired, or closed to.
"Talk to Eric so he can give you all the contacts and I need this done by 8pm today." And just like that Quinn's smile disappeared. Forty five minutes? "If you can't manage to get it done, do not bother showing up tomorrow."
Sensing the sudden panic in the room, Rachel sighed. "I know how this looks but-"
No, she would not explain herself. She had vowed to not do that again. Taking another breath, she looked at Quinn and said "You will be compensated for your hard work. What's what the papers used to say a couple of years back? Oh, that's right. For all you up and comers, last a month as the bitch's assistant and you can have any job you ever want." She smirked while speaking but Quinn could tell there was sadness as she spoke.
"Ms. Berry, I understand. I will call you with the confirmations tonight. Now if you will excuse me, I will get started." With that she stood up, nodded towards the singer and proceeded to walk out.
There was nothing on TV so she had settled for a FRIENDS rerun. Her eyes kept glancing over to her nightstand where a digital clock was telling her in bright, green numbers that it was now five minutes till 8'oclock.
Quinn had seemed more than capable of handling the multiple tasks given to her. Her concern was on how she would deal with the others, particularly with pompous assholes. That's why she had thrown in a couple of names in the list, that she knew would give the blonde a really hard time. Why prolong it when she would have to deal with them anyway; might as well find out now.
Add to the fact that Quinn seemed a little too nice to be true. Last time she fell for that, she had ended in the papers and having to make several lawsuits. Even thinking about all that still hurt. She would try to deny it but in the comfort of her room, the walls would often come crashing down. It was in those moments where tears weren't able to be held back.
She shook her head to snap out of it and notice the exact moment the clock changed from 7:59 to 8:00. She reached for her phone to call Eric and let him know when the screen lit up.
"Rachel Berry speaking"
"Ms. Berry, I am calling to let you know that all appointments have been confirmed. The suite has been taken care of and your personal chef has all meals planned for the week. I have spoken to the entire band and given them a set time to practice, thirty minutes before you will show up, so they will be all warmed up. Stylist, makeup and hair has been set and as per requested, they each will bring 10 different looks so you can pick accordingly. I spoke to Eric and gathered all appointments for interviews and have fit them into your schedule, giving you plenty of time to rest in between. The composer has changed the arrangement and will be sending you a new copy tonight. The flight accommodations have been changed and last but not least, Ryan will be traveling back from England a week early to meet with you. Although I must say he was not happy with the change."
The singer could not deny she was quite surprised Quinn managed to do all that. She definitely didn't expect for Ryan to comply. It was all interesting, very interesting indeed. Guess she had a new assistant after all.
"Excellent! See you tomorrow at 9am outside the theater." With that, she hanged up.
While on the other side of the line, Quinn had a grin on her face and had no shame in admitting she had done a fist pump, ala jersey style. And why was she even watching that show? Her guilty pleasures were bound to hurt her at some point. In the mean time she was going to celebrate tonight, maybe get a slice of pizza with some wine. She couldn't wait to tell Amanda she had passed the test.
Back in the flat, Rachel reached for the phone once again and placed one last call before going to sleep.
"Eric, she's ok. Place a background check on Quinn Fabray and have it delivered to me tomorrow morning. I want to know every single detail about her life. No excuses"
Her manager complied and called it a night.