A/N - My apologies for being late in writing/posting this chapter! I've had it outlined for weeks, but am just now getting to it! I'm wrapping up The Nanny, planning a sequel, working on Trials, and I got a video program & am playing with vids :D My creativity is going everywhere lol
You guys are very smart-you've picked up right away that April has a thing for Jackson :) Good job! Now, I just wonder if you'll realize the irony of some of these names hehehe Enjoy!
Chapter 4 - Late Hours
Jo tossed her hair over her shoulder as she rehearsed a scene with Arizona Robbins, a woman her age who was playing her resident. "But we're not doing anything!" she exclaimed, folding her arms over her chest.
The blonde actress raised an eyebrow. "What you do in your personal time is not my business, Williams. Not that I even care anyway! All I'm saying is, if I catch him favoring you again, I'll make sure you don't see the inside of the OR for a month!"
The brunette opened her mouth to continue her lines, but shook her head instead. "God, you delivered that line perfectly!"
Arizona sighed with relief, bringing her hand to her chest. "You really think so? It's so hard for me to play this badass resident..."
"But you are badass," Jo encouraged with a smile. "Come on, let's keep going." She cast a glance to her script before looking back to her costar. "You can't do that! He's your boss!"
"I'm not afraid of him," Arizona sassed. A wicked smile curved the corner of her mouth. "You know, Williams, banning you from the OR would be unprofessional of me. Perhaps I should just do the professional thing and let the Chief know of your relationship with Dr. Luddington."
Jo widened her eyes. "Please don't do that, Dr. Capshaw. Please! I'll do anything, I swear!"
The blonde's smile turned evil. "I was hoping you'd say that. You're on rectals today, Williams."
The actresses were interrupted by someone clapping. Glancing over her shoulder, the starlet noticed her publicist standing next to a man with a dark-haired child at his side. Jo was guessing it was the girl from Last Wish. "I need to..."
"I get it," Arizona nodded and pat her arm. "Great acting today. That scene is gonna rock!"
The brunette bid her costar farewell and joined her publicist. "Hey, April, what's up?"
"Jo, this is George O'Malley with Last Wish," the redhead motioned to the actress and then the man at her side. "Mr. O'Malley, this is Jo Wilson."
"Nice to meet you," the starlet spoke pleasantly and shook his hand. "You must be Samantha," she directed to the girl at his side.
The dark-haired, blue-eyed ten year old gasped. "You know my name?" Her eyes moved to Mr. O'Malley. "How does she know my name?"
"I told you, she's excited to meet you," George smiled and ruffled her hair. "It seems no introductions are needed."
A brief silence settled in before Jo extended her hand to the child. "Would you like to tour the set?"
Samantha's eyes widened. "I can do that?"
"Of course you can, come on!" The actress took the girl's hand and lead her around set, showing her the operating room, the pit, and the basic hospital hallway. A small part of Jo was slightly concerned that a ten year old was watching a show like Scalpel-the show's content was entirely too mature for anyone under sixteen. Not to mention all the blood and sex. Yeah, the show didn't show nudity, but...some of the scenes were fairly intense. Luckily the brunette wasn't required to participate in those scenes. Not yet, anyway. "So, how long have you been watching Scalpel?"
Samantha hung her head and bit her lip before casting a shy glance to the actress. "My parents won't let me watch it," she frowned. "They said it's an adult show, and I can't watch it. They just pull up your scenes on the internet so that I can see you."
Amid the relief, Jo melted inside. How precious! This wonderful little girl who was fighting cancer wanted to see her. "That's so sweet of you," she said as tears filled her eyes.
Samantha grinned. "I saw you in that Christmas movie last year, and I've been following you ever since. You're so pretty!"
"Not near as pretty as you!" The starlet lead the child over to her chair. "You wanna sit?"
The young girl looked to Jo's chair with wide eyes. "I can really sit here?" she whispered.
"Yeah, go ahead," the brunette smiled, her smile growing as Samantha's eyes lit up. "Keep it warm for a second, okay? I'll be right back." Jo passed her a soda before moving over to George. "What's the story with her?" she asked, nodding towards Samantha. "I thought Last Wish was cancer and stuff." It was clear the girl had a full head of hair, so she wasn't taking chemo or radiation.
"It's a brain tumor," George informed her quietly. "Inoperable."
"Oh no," the actress gasped.
"She only has a few weeks left."
Jo brushed the back of her hand across her eyes as tears rolled down her cheeks. "What does she need? Is there anything else she wants?"
George shook his head. "Meeting you was the last thing she wanted. Oh, and to go to Disney World." He chuckled sadly. "She chose you over Disney, Miss Wilson."
"April!" the starlet called, an urgency to her voice.
"Jo?" the publicist questioned as she hurried over.
"I want you and Mr. O'Malley to arrange for Samantha and her family to spend the rest of her time at Disney World, on me."
"O-On you?" April clarified, pulling out her phone and making notes.
"Yes," Jo nodded. "She can stay at whatever resort she wants, ride however many rides she wants to ride, and buy whatever she wants." Her gaze shifted to George. "Can you make sure all of this happens?"
"Yes, Miss Wilson," George nodded, nearly speechless. "Th-Thank y-you."
"April will give you the details." The starlet nodded before returning to Samantha. "Everything okay over here?" she asked brightly.
"Jackson Avery just walked in," the girl replied, her eyes fixed on the older man.
"You like him, huh?" the brunette smirked.
"He's so cute!"
Jo giggled. Ah, to be young and innocent again. "Would you like to meet him?"
"I can't meet your boyfriend!" Samantha exclaimed. "What would I say?"
Right. Her boyfriend. "He's a really cool guy." That much was true at least. "Come on." The starlet extended her hand and motioned for the young girl to follow her. "Hey, Jackson," she greeted as the two approached the actor.
"Hey," Jackson replied, turning towards the voice of his costar. "Who have you got with you, Jo?"
"This is my new friend Samantha," the actress introduced. "Samantha, this is Jackson."
"H-Hi," the girl stuttered, biting her lip and looking away.
"Samantha, that's a nice name," Jackson smiled. "What brings you to the set today, Samantha? Did you win a tour from the radio station?"
Jo stepped closer to him. "She's with Last Wish," she informed him quietly.
"Oh," his voice dropped, but he kept his face emotionless. "Did Jo show you the wardrobe?"
"No," Samantha shook her head.
"Well, come on," Jackson extended his hand to her. "I'm sure we've got a pair of scrubs that will fit you."
"I can have a pair of scrubs?!"
"I'll even autograph them," the actor winked.
Jo smiled as the two headed towards wardrobe. That side of Jackson, she liked. But the side of him that was snarling at her boyguard... The thought of Alex made her scan the set, spotting him in a corner alone. "Hey," she greeted after crossing the warehouse to join him.
"Hey," Alex nodded, taking a sip from his bottled water. "You done for today?"
"Not even close," the actress sighed. "Arizona and Callie are still running their scene."
"Didn't April say that Derek guy would be pissed if you were late?"
"Derek's a bit dramatic," Jo smirked and grabbed his bottle of water, taking a sip.
"Dude," the bodyguard frowned.
"Shut up," the brunette rolled her eyes and passed him the bottle.
"Can I sell this on eBay now?" he teased before taking another drink. After a few seconds of silence, Alex cleared his throat. "So, uh, is Jackson your boyfriend?" Yeah, yeah, he knew that April claimed they were only "acting", but that kiss looked intense.
"No," Jo shook her head and crinkled her nose. "God no."
"That kiss looked pretty convincing, Princess."
The starlet gave him a smirk. "You're not jealous, are you, Alex?"
"No," he shook his head and grinned. "God no."
"Ugh!" she slapped his arm, then looked out over the set. "Mark thinks being linked to Jackson will be good for my career. I've gotten more commercials, photo shoots, and interviews since dating Jackson, so I guess Mark was right."
"Sounds like prostitution to me."
Jo's eyes widened as she looked to her bodyguard. "What?!"
Alex shrugged. "You're getting pimped for higher bids." He shrugged and looked down. "I dunno...I guess I just wouldn't want to be dating someone unless I wanted to date them...I picked them, you know?"
"We're not dating."
The bodyguard raised an eyebrow. "Do you go out with him?"
"Only to public events."
"Do you kiss him?"
"Just when the cameras are around."
"You're dating him."
"Shut up," the actress rolled her eyes and spotted Jackson and Samantha returning from wardrobe. "Catch you later, Karev."
The next hour was taken up with the 'couple' giving Samantha the royal treatment. They took pictures with her, signed autographs, and even convinced Derek to put her in as an extra for a wide shot of the hospital lobby. The girl was on cloud nine! It was the best day of her life!
"Thanks for hanging with her," Jo said as she and Jackson waved goodbye to Samantha and George.
"She's a cool kid," the actor shrugged. "Sad story though."
"Yeah, really," the actress murmured and shook her head sadly.
"Jo! Jackson!" a familiar voice rang through the set.
"Crap," Jo muttered as Jackson's arm instantly slid around her waist.
"Meredith Grey," he confirmed.
Meredith Grey was the first photographer that caught wind of Jo and Jackson dating. Of course, she only took the bait that Mark fed her. "If it's not my two favorite lovebirds!" she greeted as she approached the couple. "Taking a break between scenes?" she asked, holding up her camera.
"Yeah, uh, we're up next," Jackson spoke as his costar went mute. "What a surprise to see you, Mer..."
The photographer's eyes settled on the brunette. "You forgot, didn't you?"
"Forgot what?" Jo blinked, her mind drawing a blank.
Meredith sighed heavily. "I planned this photoshoot with April two months ago!"
"The photoshoot!" Jo jarred, snapping her fingers. "Right, right! I didn't forget you, Mer, I promise!" She made her eyes all wide and innocent and looked to Jackson. "I guess it just slipped my mind..." It never hurt to imply that her hunky boyfriend made all thoughts slip from her mind.
The photographer sighed dreamily. "You two are so lucky! Can I get a few shots of you together? It's for The Guide, so I'm sure they won't mind if..."
"Wilson, Avery!" Derek barked, marching over and interrupting the trio. "Arizona and Callie finally finished their scene, so I hope you're ready. We're way behind, and I'd like to get this in three takes, max."
"Derek, I was talking to them," Meredith frowned, her hand going to her hip.
"Sorry, I've got an episode to shoot."
"It won't take long, I promise!" the photographer insisted. "I need just a few shots of Jo, and maybe one or two of her with Jackson. It will only take fifteen minutes, I swear!"
The director hesitated, his eyes moving up and down the woman. "Fine, but on one condition." His eyes danced as his tongue smoothed over his lower lip.
Meredith felt a blush rise in her cheeks, but forced her tone to remain confident. "What is it?"
"You have dinner with me tomorrow night," the man proposed.
"I have plans," the photographer sassed.
"Friday night then."
"I might be busy then too..."
"Then you don't get my actors," Derek smirked.
"Okay, fine," Meredith agreed with a teasing smile before turning her attention back to the couple. "I promise, I won't take much of your time."
Jo, Jackson, and Meredith moved to a quiet corner where Meredith set up a quick backdrop, lights, and began snapping pictures. "You did it again," Jo hissed as the photographer left to get another roll of film.
"Did what?" Jackson snipped, putting a distance between them.
"You grabbed my ass! You know I can't stand it when you grab my ass!"
"Like you have one," the pretty boy quipped. "Besides, it was for Meredith's benefit, not yours."
"Ugh," the starlet frowned, rolling her eyes. "And you totally caught me off guard with that kiss earlier!"
"It was practice for when the cameras are on us, cupcake."
"Don't call me cupcake!" the brunette snapped as Meredith returned. "I can't stand it when you call me cupcake!"
"I know," her costar grinned.
"Aww, are you having a lover's spat?" the photographer asked with a pouted lip.
"You caught us," Jackson spoke up smoothly before Jo could ruin things. "She wants thai for dinner, and I want sushi. Maybe we'll compromise and order hibachi instead."
Jo rolled her eyes as Meredith giggled and drooled all over the cocky actor. 'Dating' Jackson drove her crazy. Freaking crazy! She hated being tied to someone for a popularity boost, and it was clear that Jackson resented it as well because he annoyed her as much as possible. Her costar purposely did things to piss her off, and the starlet was ready to shove her knee between his legs and tell Mark to kiss her ass. "Hibachi sounds great," she jarred as two pairs of eyes settled on her.
"The spat is over," Meredith announced happily and held up her camera. "Let me grab a few more shots, okay?"
Jackson removed himself from the shoot; he wasn't Jackson Avery, the actor who was forced into this ficade of a relationship to boost his career. No, he was Jessi Luddington, the doctor who was quickly falling for his intern Camilla Williams. Forcing his mind to enter the mind of the character was the only way the pretty boy could stomach feigning romance for his costar. Not that Jo wasn't gorgeous, but Jackson just simply was not interested. Not even a little bit. As Meredith continued snapping pictures, the actor's gaze naturally shifted to the one person he was interested in.
The redhead was staring at him as well and turned away quickly when his eyes met hers.
April couldn't stomach watching Jo and Jackson paw all over one another and pretend to be in love. Yes, the publicist knew it was a stunt and that the two were pretending, but...it still hurt her to her core to see the guy she was crushing on shove his tongue in someone else's mouth.
"Beautiful!" Meredith grinned and snapped a few more pictures. "These are going to look great! I'll send you the proofs as soon as they're developed."
"Thanks, Mer, you always make me look beautiful," Jo praised as she stepped away from Jackson.
"It's easy to do, trust me," the photographer smiled as she gathered her things. "I'll touch base with you soon."
Alex felt himself relax slightly as the woman left and the two actors separated. He couldn't explain it, but the bodyguard did not like what was going on with the costars. Sure, they could say it was for publicity all they wanted, but...a man couldn't kiss someone as beautiful as Jo and not feel anything. It wasn't possible! Jo was gorgeous! A man couldn't touch her and think nothing of it. Again, not possible! Alex wasn't buying this whole publicity stunt. Maybe the actor really had a thing for Jo, but she couldn't stand him? Rejected him a few times even? Maybe Jackson was the one who approached Mark just so he could cop a feel of a beautiful woman. Whatever was going on, the bodyguard planned to get to the bottom of it!
Hours passed as the actors rehearsed scene after scene. It was amazing that a two minute segment of a television show could actually require an hour of filming; everything had to be just right according to Derek. Derek Shepherd was a perfectionist, and he wanted everything perfect-the perfect tone, the perfect look, and the perfect delivery.
Late into the evening, the director finally turned and yelled, "That's a wrap!"
Jo yawned as she approached her entourage. "Back to the hotel?" she asked and turned tired eyes to Mark.
"Afraid not, kiddo," the manager replied. "We've got to meet Reed in twenty minutes."
"Oh, that's right," the starlet sighed. "The interview for Rising Star."
"You remembered," April chirped and handed the actress a bottled water.
"Can't you reschedule?" Alex frowned as his eyes remained on the brunette. It was clear to him that the woman was exhausted.
"We can't," the publicist shook her head. "Tomorrow is even more packed than today!"
The bodyguard's frown deepened as the manager and publicist lead the tired actress to the limo outside. How could they keep pushing her?! Jo had already had a long day, and if tomorrow was even busier, the girl needed her rest. "I think she needs to go back to the hotel."
"You're not paid to think, Karev," Mark snapped. "Now get in the limo."
The bodyguard did as he was told, but he made sure to give the manager a go-to-hell look before climbing into the limo. Alex gazed out of the window and ignored the conversation circling around him; it was probably best if he didn't know what they'd put the young woman through the next day.
An hour and a half later, Mark, April, and Alex sat at one table while Jo and Reed sat at a smaller table adjacent to them. Mark always made sure to keep a close eye on the starlet-he gave her a bit of a freedom, but he was always near in case things went wrong.
The more Alex saw, the more he realized how poorly he had misjudged Jo. Sure, it seemed her life was amazing on the surface, but...he was tired after one day in her life, and he was only her bodyguard! What must the actress feel like? In ten hours the starlet had entertained a sick child, done a photoshoot, shot several scenes for a hit series, and now she was having an interview over dinner? When did the woman ever get a moment of down time?
"I still can't believe you put Jackson to the wall," the manager chuckled, interrupting his thoughts.
"How was I supposed to know who he was?" Alex frowned. "I saw some guy groping Jo, so I had to stop him."
"He wasn't groping her," April said quietly.
"His hand was on her ass," the bodyguard countered. "Anyway, what's the deal with him, Mark? Jo said you set her up with him?"
"He's good for her," the older man shrugged before taking a sip of his wine. "Jackson has been in the business a few years longer than Jo, so he has good connections. When their characters hooked up on the show, I saw an opportunity. They can be the new Edward and Bella."
"The new what?"
"Twilight," April whispered to her friend. "The fans went nuts when the actors were dating in real life. Their careers soared, and they benefited from one another."
"Until that whole cheating incident," Mark shook his head. "Amateurs."
Alex sat quietly for a few moments before clearing his throat. "I'm sorry about the whole pool thing. I didn't think it was that big a deal..."
"Everything with Jo is a big deal."
"Yeah, I get that." The bodyguard took a sip of wine before speaking again. "I just thought she could use a little fun."
"It's fine," Mark replied. "Harmless fun is fine. Just make sure the fun remains harmless."
Alex swallowed a lump in his throat; it was clear that the manager was basically warning him to not try anything with Jo.
The older man took a sip of his wine and glanced over to Jo, watching the starlet yawn. His eyes narrowed as she yawned again. "Reed, we're done," he announced and tossed his napkin onto the table.
"Wh-What?" Reed stuttered, looking over as the man approached the table.
"We're done," Mark repeated and motioned for April and Alex to join him.
"I've barely asked ten questions!"
"We'll conference call tomorrow," the older man stated and motioned to the actress. "Jo has had a long day, and she's exhausted. We'll do this another time."
"But..."
"We will do this another time."
Reed grit her teeth. "Okay, fine. Call my office tomorrow."
"Sure thing," Mark shrugged as he paid the tab. "Come on, Jo, we're going to the hotel."
"I'm fine, really," the starlet said between yawns.
"You're not fine, you're exhausted. You need your rest."
The actress didn't have the energy to argue with him, because deep down she knew that her manager was right. She hadn't gotten much sleep over the past week, and today had taken a lot out of her. Plus, the thought of a warm bed was too much to resist.
Alex put his arm around Jo's waist as she staggered from the table. "I've got you," he said quietly as he caught her when she tripped.
"Thanks, Karev," the brunette murmured between yawns.
The bodyguard helped her into the limo and sat beside her, encouraging the starlet to use his shoulder as a pillow and rest her eyes. Moments later she was sound asleep. When they arrived to the hotel, Alex helped Jo from the limo and lifted her into his arms. "I've got her," he assured Mark when the manager raised his eyebrows.
"Keep those hands where I can see them, Karev."
Alex rolled his eyes as Mark followed him to Jo's room. "I can take it from here, man. I'm just going to put her to bed."
"Then you won't mind my company."
As annoying as it was, the bodyguard couldn't blame the man for being protective of the starlet. Especially after their history. Alex eased her onto the bed gently, not bothering to even take off her shoes; Mark would probably break his arm. Instead, Alex pulled the blanket over her and took his post outside of her door.
It was becoming more and more clear to him why he was called to be Jo's bodyguard. April had always believed in fate, and she had spent their entire friendship telling Alex that everything happened for a reason. Nothing was coincidental. There were no accidents.
As he sat outside of her hotel room, Alex realized that being Jo Wilson's bodyguard had in fact happened for a reason. It was his job to free the starlet from her prison and show her what it was like to have a real life.
