Working Girls


Chapter Seven


Mitchie tried not to freak as Shane Gray walked her to her car. Of all the people to run her over with a grocery cart it had to be him. She didn't know why she'd decided to be all mysterious. He was going to find out who she was tomorrow, and he did seem nice. But the thing about working in Hollywood is that everyone talked. Assistants tended to look out for each other and warnings were passed around in an effort to be helpful. When Mitchie got the job as Tess's assistant one of the first warnings she'd received had been about Shane Gray. He'd date anything that wore at most a size 8 dress, but he never stuck around for very long.

So Mitchie thought she'd take that off the table right away. She'd be his friend, but nothing more. She wouldn't add to his never ending line of girls. She had no idea where this Torrey thing came from though. Maybe she just didn't want to risk him knowing she was Tess's assistant. She really didn't know, but either way she wasn't going to go back on it now. She unlocked her car and they loaded her groceries into her backseat. They made small talk as they did so and once all her groceries were in the backseat there was an awkward pause.

Shane cleared his throat. "So, I guess this is it?"

Mitchie nodded. "Guess so."

He stuck his hand out for a shake and she took it. He flashed a crooked smile at her and winked. "It was nice to meet you, Torrey."

"And you as well, Popstar," Mitchie said with a smirk before she released his hand. He waited until she was inside of her car before he headed to his own. Mitchie waited until he was out of view before she pulled out of her parking spot and headed home.

That was certainly an interesting turn of events. She'd never expected she'd meet Shane Gray for the first time in the grocery store. It just seemed so…normal. She really hoped that small taste of normal carried over to tomorrow. She wouldn't want to see Tess's reaction if today's events made things awkward in the studio tomorrow.


The next morning Mitchie was picked up by the car Axel had hired for Tess and then it headed to Tess's massive house in Beverly Hills. They arrived on time but Tess wasn't ready. Mitchie called her cell phone and heard a deep voice talking in the background. She said she'd be right out and finally Tess's front door opened but it wasn't Tess that came outside. It was Luke. Luke headed for his massive SUV and left the house in a hurry. Apparently Tess's date had gone well.

A few minutes later Tess exited the house in a surprisingly casual outfit and a very dark pair of sunglasses. She was running late and it showed in her appearance.

The door to the car opened and Tess motioned for Mitchie to scoot over. Mitchie tugged at her dress to keep it from hiking up as she scooted over to the next seat. The car took off as soon as the door was closed and Tess immediately pulled off the shades and glared at Mitchie.

"Don't say a word," Tess demanded.

Mitchie held up her hands in surrender. "I wasn't planning on it."

"Good, how late are we?" Tess asked.

"About half an hour," Mitchie told her as she glanced down at her watch.

"Half an hour is easily fashionably late," Tess said with a dismissive wave of her hand.

"Well, I hope Brown Cesario and Connect Three agree with you," Mitchie said with a sigh. "It'll still be another half an hour at least with Traffic."

"They're big boys," Tess said as she rolled her eyes. "They can deal."

Mitchie sighed nervously. Arriving after Shane meant she couldn't hide. They'd walk through the door and there would be no stopping him seeing her. She was a little worried about how Tess would react. Tess had known the guys for several years. They weren't friends or even friendly acquaintances or at least they hadn't been while Mitchie was around, but that didn't mean Tess didn't have some unwritten rule about how Mitchie was supposed to interact with them.

Mitchie said a quick prayer and hoped yesterday wouldn't be the start of a never ending drama.


Caitlyn sighed and glanced down at her watch as she sat next to Jason in the recording studio. She and Jason were leaving at around 4 to start preparing dinner for Nate and Ella. She was going to do everything at Nate's and she even had a few ideas in mind for setting the mood. Tess was already an hour late and she hoped it wasn't a sign of how the rest of the day would go.

The door to the studio opened and Tess walked through. She didn't look bothered by the time in the slightest. She smiled brightly at the people in the room before she spoke. "Good, we're all here. Let's get started."

Nate huffed and Caitlyn smirked at his right leg as it bounced nervously. Nate was anxious for this day to be over and knowing Tess she would unintentionally drag it out. Caitlyn was glad she'd gotten herself and Jason out of the full day. Tess's assistant, Mitchie, slowly walked in behind Tess and Caitlyn noticed she was acting very strange. She kept looking down or away and finding different ways to hide her face. Caitlyn was beginning to think she didn't want to be seen.

Mitchie dropped one of her folders and Caitlyn watched as Shane picked it up for her. Mitchie winced and bit her bottom lip as Shane finally got a good look at her face.

"I—what—Torrey?" He asked in surprise.

Mitchie cleared her throat. "H—Hi, Shane."

Tess's brow furrowed and she glanced at Mitchie in confusion. "Torrey? Who the hell is Torrey?"

Mitchie stuck her hand out toward Shane. "I don't think we've technically met, Mr. Gray. I'm Mitchie Torres."

He grinned and shook her hand eagerly. "Nice to meet you, Mitchie."

She smirked secretively at Shane. "And you as well."

"Okay, what the hell is going on here?" Tess asked sternly.

Shane chuckled and changed the subject. "So, how about we start looking at this song? I don't know where you found this song writer, Tess, but she's pretty amazing."

Caitlyn noticed Tess give Mitchie a meaningful look before she spoke. "Yeah, she's very talented. Hopefully, she'll keep writing and won't do anything to screw this up."

No one other than Tess or maybe Mitchie knew what she meant so they all stared at the two of them in confusion. Caitlyn cleared her throat and checked her watch again. "Okay, we really need to get this show on the road. Brown's got a meeting at 4 and Jason and I are going with him. So, chop-chop, let's go."

"Oh, hello, Caitlyn," Tess sneered. "I didn't see you there."

Caitlyn glared at her and caught her underlying message. "You're no one." Caitlyn's jaw tensed and she ground out the sentence, "It's a pleasure to see you again too, Tess."

"If you two are done being passive aggressive I'd like to work on this arrangement. I need to be out of here by 6 at the latest," Nate said with a huff. "Let's start with the intro."

They all got to work on the song while Caitlyn, Mitchie, and Brown observed. It was rough going at first because Tess wanted more of a dance pop influence while the Grays preferred a more rock and roll sound. Caitlyn tried not to roll her eyes at Tess's suggestions. Every one of them would make the track sound unnatural and over produced. Things that definitely didn't fit this song. The song itself was very sad and organic. It's why Caitlyn thought the guys made a smart decision by agreeing to this duet. It was their kind of song and they would do very well with it. She could feel it.

If only Tess wasn't their duet partner.


Finally, four o'clock rolled around. They hadn't gotten much done, but Brown gave Caitlyn the signal and she immediately pulled Jason from the room. She was ready to get away from Tess. Once they were in the hallway Jason smirked at her.

"I knew it wouldn't take you long to get out of there."

"Shut up," Caitlyn said with a smirk. "You know I can't take Tess in large doses."

"I got a key from Nate so we can raid his place. Do we need to go shopping first or do you have everything you need?" Jason asked.

"I've got it all boxed up at my place. I know Nate's kitchen is probably pathetic so I've got some of my skillets and other tools boxed up too," Caitlyn said. "So we need to go buy my apartment first. Is that okay?"

"That's not a problem," Jason told her.

"Good, I'm actually pretty excited about this," Caitlyn said with a grin.

"Is there a reason you wouldn't be?" Jason asked. "You love to cook."

"Yeah, but I usually only cook for myself…or you," Caitlyn told him. "I don't normally get to cook for other people."

They made it to his car and he took Caitlyn by her apartment to pick up the supplies that she needed and then headed straight to Nate's building. He lived in a very fancy building. It was older but it was known around LA for housing the rich and famous. The security was tight to ensure the privacy of the residents and guest lists had to be strictly maintained. Caitlyn and Jason had to show their IDs on the way in to confirm that Nate intended for them to be there. Nate had private Elevator access so Jason had to insert a key into the panel and turned it to make the elevator ascend.

"So, what am I going to be doing tonight?" Jason asked while they were inside the elevator. "I'm not gonna be cooking, am I?"

Caitlyn chuckled. "I'm going to have to teach you one of these days."

"But not today?" Jason asked fearfully.

"Not today. Today you are going to be my waiter, and you're going to decorate while I cook," Caitlyn told him with a smirk.

"I can do that," Jason said with a smirk. "Totally plausible for me."

Caitlyn chuckled. "Good. This is gonna be fun."


Shane rolled his eyes as Tess agonized over yet another tiny adjustment to the song. He stood up from his seat and decided to let Nate handle this one. Mitchie was sitting in a chair in a corner of the room looking extremely bored so Shane made his way to her. He cleared his throat as he sat down next to her.

"So, Torrey is Mitchie and Mitchie is Tess Tyler's assistant?" Shane asked with a grin.

Mitchie blushed and nodded. "Yes." She laughed nervously before she continued. "I'm not sure why I didn't tell you my name yesterday. I think…I think I was afraid you'd assume I had some sort of ulterior motive."

Shane nodded. "That's understandable, I guess. I'm glad you didn't just disappear though. I was afraid I'd never get to see you again."

She quirked a brow at him. "Easy boy, you're starting to sound like a leading character in a romantic comedy."

"And there's something wrong with that?" Shane asked.

"No offense, but you're Shane Gray. I've been warned about you," Mitchie told him.

He sighed. "Of course. From Tess?"

Mitchie looked confused. "From Tess? Should Tess have told me something?"

Shane's eyes widened. "Oh! Um, no. No. I just thought…I mean she's your boss so—"

"You dated Tess, didn't you?" Mitchie asked with a pointed look.

He bit his bottom lip and nodded. "Yeah, I did."

Mitchie groaned. "Oh, great. Did it end well?"

"Um, do I have to answer that?" Shane asked fearfully.

"No, I guess not," Mitchie said with a sigh. "But I think you already gave me the answer."

"Hey! Flirty girl," Tess called irritably. "I'm not paying you to flirt with my fellow artists."

"Sorry, Tess," Mitchie mumbled.

Shane glared at Tess and opened his mouth to say something but Mitchie kicked his leg as he sat next to her. He immediately closed his mouth and his jaw tightened. Tess shouldn't talk to Mitchie like that. Of course, it was probably his fault she was talking the way she was. Her ex-boyfriend was openly flirting with her assistant after all.

"Mitchie, I'd like a bottled water, please," Tess said. "There's a machine down the hall."

Mitchie nodded and stood up. "Right, of course."

Shane watched her go and then turned to say something to Tess, but he jumped when he found Tess standing mere inches away from him.

"You listen to me, Gray," Tess said with a glare. "You already screwed up my last assistant, and she was good. Now, I've finally got this one trained and you are not going to mess this up. Stay away. I do not want her to fall down on her job because you decided to play with her emotions. Let her be the one girl in Hollywood you don't screw over, Shane. Because if you break her…I will hurt you. Got it?"

Shane's eyes widened. It almost sounded like Tess…cared. Like she was protecting Mitchie. Sure, on the surface her request sounded selfish but Shane could tell there was a deeper meaning behind it. Somehow, Tess had made a friend. She would never admit it, but she had.

"I—I got it, but I can't promise that," Shane said nervously. "I think I…like her."

Tess rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Sure you do. Just remember. I warned you."

"Okay, really?" Nate asked. "It's already five o'clock, people. Can we put a halt on the drama, please? I'm leaving in one hour. I don't care how little we've finished."

Tess quirked a brow at Nate. "What's got your boxers in a wad?"

Shane stifled a laugh before he responded. "He's got a date."

"And he's giving up work to go on this date?" Tess asked in surprise.

"Yeah, we were shocked too."

"Must be some girl," Tess said with a teasing grin. "Nate's a workaholic."

"You know, I am still in the room," Nate said with a sigh.


Jason watched Caitlyn buzz around Nate's kitchen. She seemed to have a handle on everything and he had no idea what he should do to help. He smiled slightly as he watched Caitlyn work. She was a well oiled machine in the kitchen. A lot like she was at work. She was probably the best multi-tasker he knew. She could handle almost anything. His smile faltered a little bit. She'd been working for Brown for a long time now. In fact, it was hard to remember Brown's last assistant at all.

But Caitlyn's job with Brown was originally supposed to be a means to an end. She didn't want to be an assistant forever. She wanted to produce, and somehow that hadn't happened for her yet. Caitlyn tapped the whisk on the edge of a sauce pan before spinning in a graceful circle in front of the stove. She was humming the song they'd been working on today. He held back a sigh as he thought. She deserved a chance to produce. If anyone deserved a chance at their dreams it was Caitlyn.

He would have to do something about that, but not tonight. Tonight was supposed to be about Nate and Ella's date…mostly. He cleared his throat. "So, what do you need me to do, Caity?"

"I need you…to put out the candles and the flowers," Caitlyn said as she pointed to the last bag on the table. "I want there to be no doubt on what the mood is supposed to be in this place."

Jason nodded and smiled. "Can do. One romantic atmosphere coming right up."

"Could you set the table while you're at it?" Caitlyn asked sweetly.

"No problem," Jason said as he grabbed the bag and left the kitchen.

"Thank you, Jason!" Caitlyn called after him. "You're a saint!"

"No, I'm really not!" Jason said with a chuckle.

He decided he would set out the candles first and then fill in with the flowers. He put together a centerpiece on Nate's dinner table that he thought Caitlyn would approve of and then spread the other decorations throughout the apartment. He stopped and glanced over his work. He thought it looked pretty good. Once the candles were lit and the lights were dimmed it would be downright beautiful. He walked back into the kitchen and grabbed Nate's dinnerware and flatware and set Nate's small round dinner table for two.

By the time he finished his project nearly an hour had passed. He walked into the kitchen and leaned against the counter next to the stove. He smiled at Caitlyn. "Are you in a place where you can stop and come see my work?"

Caitlyn grinned and nodded. "Sure."

She set the burners to low and checked whatever was in the oven before she followed Jason out of the kitchen.

She gasped and smiled brightly. "Perfect, Jase. Absolutely perfect. This is going to look so amazing."

"Now what should I do?" Jason asked.

"Remember the clothes that were in that bag you picked up?" Caitlyn asked.

He nodded. "Yes."

"I need you to put them on," Caitlyn said with a grin. "That's your wardrobe for tonight."

"There was a bowtie and a cummerbund in that bag, Caity."

She giggled and nodded. "I know. And you're going to look adorable."

Jason quirked a brow at her and sighed. "This better be worth it."

She smiled before she quickly leaned in and kissed his cheek. "It will be."

He gave her a shocked look as he brought a hand to his cheek. She pulled the clothes out of the bag and placed them in his arms with a wink.

"Now, I have to get back to cooking. I think you can handle putting those on."


It was six o'clock and Nate was officially done. It would take him half an hour to get home and then he'd have ten minutes at most to get ready so he decided to get ready at the studio. He'd have more time and he wouldn't risk being late to pick up Ella. As he headed toward one of the restrooms he heard Tess hurrying Mitchie out of the building. Tess had done her absolute best to keep Shane and Mitchie from being alone together for last portion of the day. That was a huge mistake in his opinion. Making Mitchie forbidden would only make Shane work harder to win her over.

But that wasn't his problem. That was between Mitchie and Shane, really. Tess should probably stay out of it. He had a feeling she wouldn't, though.

Nate locked the bathroom door behind him and quickly changed into a pair of nice slacks and a light blue button down. He checked his watch and his eyes widened. Why did time pass so quickly when you were in a hurry? He changed shoes and put on a bit of cologne before he checked his hair. His curls had gotten a bit out of hand but he had nothing to tame them with so he was stuck with them. He grabbed the bag he'd brought with him, and rushed out the door.

He should get there just in time as long as traffic wasn't too terrible. He contemplated calling Caitlyn and Jason before he left, but he decided that if they'd messed anything up he didn't want to know.


Ella took a deep calming breath as she finished drying her hair. Her make up was on, hair done, and all that was left was her wardrobe. What did a girl wear on a first date in with a famous musician? Should she dress formal? Semi-formal? Casual?

She bit her bottom lip, and glanced at her watch. She really needed to hurry.

She closed her eyes and tried to mentally picture an outfit. Pants and a top? Definitely not. Skirt and a nice blouse? Maybe. A dress?

Yes.

She flipped through the items in her closet until she came across her newest dress. It had a white bodice and warm pink colored skirt. The skirt was covered in lace and stopped just above her knee. It had pretty white decorative straps. It looked pretty without seeming too formal. She quickly picked her accessories to match and then clipped back one side of her hair with a matching fabric flower. She smiled at her reflection before picking out a light pink jacket to wear over it.

The buzzer from downstairs rang out and Ella looked at her watch once more.

He was right on time. She took a deep breath and nodded at her reflection in her bathroom mirror. "No pressure or anything. It's only the first date you've had in years. And with a guy you really like. No big deal." She gulped and sighed. "Now I'm talking to myself. Great."

She grabbed her purse and headed down to the door at the bottom of the stairs where she knew Nate would be waiting. She really hoped she didn't do or say anything embarrassing tonight.

She smiled brightly at Nate through the glass door. He looked good. His curls were a bit messy, but somehow…it actually made him more attractive. She locked the door behind her and he immediately offered her his arm with a wink. She chuckled and happily accepted it.

"Why, thank you," She said in a bright tone. "You certainly are a gentleman."

Nate laughed softly and shook his head as they walked toward his car. "My manners are nothing. Jason is the king of gentlemen. Most of my father's lesson stuck in his head rather than mine or Shane's."

He opened the car door for her and waited until she was inside before he closed it. Once he was inside he pulled away from the curb and said a quick prayer that everything went smoothly.


"Alright, what do you think?" Jason asked as he turned around so Caitlyn could see the entire look.

Caitlyn smirked at him. "You look great."

"Really?" He asked.

She nodded. "You're just missing one thing." She squinted thoughtfully. "Well, maybe two things."

She grabbed Jason's hand and led him toward Nate's bathroom. She looked through Nate's medicine cabinet before she finally found some hair gel. Jason eyed her fearfully. "Um, Caitlyn, what are you doing?"

"We're going to slick back your hair. Hold still."

She hoisted herself onto Nate's bathroom counter and pulled Jason to her. Once he was standing in front of her Caitlyn put some of the gel on her hands. He wasn't standing quite close enough so she put an arm around his neck and pulled him forward. Jason was standing in between Caitlyn's legs and against the counter. He gulped as her hands dove into his curls. Was she trying to torture him? She ran her fingers through his hair to spread the gel and Jason had to hold back a groan. The answer was yes. She was definitely trying to torture him.

She ran her hands over his hair and smoothed it down one last time before she leaned back to look at her work.

"Perfect. Done."

Jason slowly opened his eyes and took a deep breath to keep his cool. Her face was inches away from his own. All he had to do was lean in just a little and they would—

"And now I need to get my eyeliner."

Jason's brow furrowed. "Your what?"

"For your mustache," Caitlyn said as if it were obvious.

"Why do I need a mustache?"

"Because its fun and you'll look adorable," Caitlyn told him as she tried to find a way off the counter without touching her gel covered hands to anything. Jason smiled in amusement as he watched her struggle before he finally placed his hands around her waist and helped her down. It didn't seem possible but somehow that brought them even closer to each other. Caitlyn noticed their proximity and blushed before she purposefully moved her eyes from Jason's lips to his chest. She cleared her throat before she spoke. "Oh, um, thanks."

"No problem," Jason said with a soft smile.

Once her feet were on the ground she turned and washed her hands. "Okay, now I'm going to get my eyeliner. You stay here. I'll be right back."

He nodded as he watched her go. This was almost too much. How was he supposed to keep being her friend if things like this kept happening? Maybe the answer was that he wasn't. He huffed and stared at his reflection. He could make a move, but what if Caitlyn didn't want that? What if he made things awkward? He groaned and leaned against the counter. Why did he have to make things so complicated?

He heard footsteps coming toward him and he stood up straight and smiled. Caitlyn hopped back up on the counter in front of him and put a hand under his chin. She pulled his chin toward her and then uncapped her retractable eye liner.

"Hold still," She said with a smirk. "I don't want to mess this up. This eye liner is waterproof."

He could hear Caitlyn breathing as she traced the liner just above his lip. He watched her closely. She bit her bottom lip as she drew and one side of her mouth was pointed upward mischievously. Her eyes sparkled with amusement and he couldn't help but think she looked absolutely gorgeous. Her cheeks were still pink from being in the hot kitchen for so long, but it only increased her appeal.

Caitlyn chuckled as she finished and leaned back. "Beautiful. You look like a snooty waiter at an overpriced restaurant."

Caitlyn moved to hop off the counter but she didn't get very far.

"Um, Jase?"

"Hmm?" He asked distractedly.

"You're, sort of, holding me in place."

Jason blinked and shook himself back to the present. His hands were around Caitlyn's waist and he was keeping her on the counter. He blushed furiously but he couldn't seem to move his hands. "I—I'm sorry."

He looked up at her and she smiled shyly at him. "It's okay."

He gulped and leaned toward her. He couldn't believe he was actually going to do this. She hadn't backed away in disgust or moved even an inch. His lips were hovering over hers and he was about to close the rest of the distance in between them when keys jangled in the door. Caitlyn jerked away and gasped.

"Shit!" She exclaimed. "They're here. I haven't finished the dessert yet!"

Jason watched her hop off the counter and sprint away in shock. He groaned miserably and followed after her. Of course Nate and Ella had to show up just as he worked up the courage to actually do something.