A/N Again the disclaimer. I do not know personally anyone mentioned. This is purely a fiction exercise. Also because English is not my native language you may have to excuse some mistakes I may write. That being said I hope you enjoy it. :)
Next day, after the interview, you send Grant the details of his fittings in the next morning. While at work you practically have no other option than having Grant on your mind all the time. After all he's your only client. You have just finished updating his facebook page with a video of his interview from yesterday's morning and you're now heading home. The fact that you find yourself thinking of him even when you're out of work annoys you. You just reprimand yourself for letting yourself get a bit too informal with him, after that late breakfast of yesterday. 'But it was fun... Oh shut up, he's your client, you're not supposed to have fun...' You seem to have two voices arguing with each other inside your head.
Grant on the other hand was at home after shooting some more scenes for 90210. He sees your email with the details for tomorrow and he wants to call you but he can't find any plausible reason to do that so he just sighs. 'I could just call to tell her I got the information... Maybe that's too much for a call... I'll just send a text saying I'm gonna be there.' He texts you the message and then Doug, his roommate, shows up.
"Get your butt up from the couch, Gustin. We're heading out for dinner and then a bar. Kevin is coming too."
"No, I don't feel like going out." Grant complains.
"Oh, come on, just for some drinks. We're not gonna be too late."
"We'd better. I have fittings early tomorrow and then the crucial screen tests for that role..."
"I know, and this will help you to clear your mind a bit. It'll be good, come on."
Grant eventually nods. "Ok let me just change."
"Move!" Doug laughs.
After having dinner, Doug, Kevin McHale and Grant are now at a bar. After one beer Doug decides to go for a look around, obviously to check on the girls.
"So, I've been scanning the place. And the winners are definitely those over there..." He points to a group of four people on the other side of the bar.
Grant and Kevin try to look but there are a bunch of people blocking their view.
"They're cute and pretty, one is particularly good-looking and hot, they seemed nice and fun... There is of course a downside. It's three girls and a guy. If the guy is with one of the girls then it only leaves two girls..." He pouts.
Grant shakes his head laughing. "You're crazy."
Kevin laughs too. "So, your idea is..."
"Let's just approach them, introduce ourselves... But let's make this clear, the hot one is for me, ok?" He giggles.
Grant smirks. "I told you I'm not really in the mood for that... The last thing I want is to hit on girls or have girls hitting on me."
"I know... But you can just talk... You don't have to hit on them... Look at them and tell me if I'm not right." Doug looks at the other side again and now all of them can see the group of four people he's referring to. "The one in the black dress is the one I meant. But the others are very cute too."
Grant looks at group precisely when the girl of the black dress puts an arm around the guy's shoulders and turns her head to kiss his cheek. "Shit."
"What? Isn't she hot?" Doug asks. "Of course, it also appears that she's the one dating the guy..." He smirks. "Obviously."
Grant smirks too. "Forget your plan of hitting on her or her friends."
Doug raises an eyebrow surprised. "Why? The other girls are free..."
"That's my publicist. The other girls are coworkers. The guy is most likely her boyfriend. Some Nate guy." He remembers you saying Nate's name during that phone call when you were at home.
"What?! That's your publicist? Really?" Doug seems very surprised. "Wow, you weren't lying when you said she was hot."
"Yeah." Grant nods a bit disappointed.
Kevin raises an eyebrow. "That's the bossy one? She looks nice..."
"She's bossy when she's doing her work but she can also be fun." Grant smiles remembering your breakfast yesterday..
"Looks like the whole package." Kevin chuckles.
"And whole packages are unfortunately always unavailable." Doug adds. "And yeah, I heard one of the girls calling the guy Nate when I passed by."
Grant smirks. "Yeah..."
Doug doesn't seem to notice. "Grant, my friend, we don't need to look like fool guys hitting on the girls. You'll just say hi to your publicist and you'll go along with you. Then you introduce us." He grins victoriously.
Kevin laughs. "Seems perfect to me."
Grant shakes his head. "Oh come on, I told you I'm not in the mood."
"Come on you, don't be rude. You'll just say hi to her. You don't need to do anything else except introduce us. Simple as that."
Grant takes a deep breath. "All right. But I swear, if you guys embarrass me..."
Doug smiles. "Worry not, we won't."
"Yeah, we won't." Kevin nods grinning.
Grant rolls his eyes and he stands up, heading your way.
You're drinking your cocktail when you notice Joan's change of expression. She opens her eyes and you notice she's looking behind you. You turn your head and immediately you're staring at Grant and two other guys. You recognize Kevin from Glee and obviously from the love tweets with Grant.
"Oh." You just mumble surprised.
"Hi..." Grant smiles somewhat embarrassed. "We were on the other side of the bar when I realized you were also here... Just wanted to say hi..."
"Oh, right. What a coincidence..." You smile surprised.
"Yeah, so... this is Doug, my roomate and Kevin, the one from the love tweets." Grant giggles as he introduces you to the guys.
After that you introduce your friends too. "Ok, so this is Joan, you've met her at the offices, that's Sophie and here is Nate. Guys, this is Grant, Doug and Kevin."
They all say 'hi' and you just feel you need to invite them. It's the polite thing to do, even though you don't know how you feel about socializing with Grant outside the work environment. "So... Do you guys wanna sit with us?"
Doug immediately nods. "Sure. Thank you."
"Ok, make room." You tell your friends. You squeeze Nate against the wall to make room for Grant to sit next to you on your couch and on the other side of the table Doug sits with Joan and Sophie. Kevin sits on a chair between the two couches and facing the wall.
"So, enjoying a night out, uh?" You say looking at Grant.
"Yeah, I was not really in the mood but they dragged me..." He rolls his eyes at Kevin and Doug.
"There's always 'mood' for a night out." Doug jokes.
You notice Grant looking discreetly but strangely at Nate. At the same time Nate wraps an arm around your waist to pull you even closer to him and he whispers some words in your ear. Grant looks at you two feeling uneasy.
You roll your eyes smiling. "Ok... Hey, Grant, Nate thinks I'm being rude because I haven't officially introduced you both..."
Grant frowns and thinks to himself, 'Jeez, I get it, you're the boyfriend, she's with you, no need to get your hands all over her and make her introduce you that way...' He tries his best pleasant smile and says, "well, I'm here."
You giggle. "Right. So... Grant, meet Nate, your future stylist."
Grant gasps, "What?"
Nate extends his hand to Grant. "Pleased to meet you, I hope... Looks like you're disappointed." He chuckles amused.
Grant is still very surprised. He shakes hands with Nate eventually and scowls his eyebrows. "No, not that... I'm just surprised, that's all. I surely didn't see that coming..."
You frown intrigued. "Why not? Were you expecting Rachel Zoe?" You and Nate laugh loudly at your own joke.
Grant shakes his head and snaps somewhat harshly. "I wasn't expecting my publicist's boyfriend, that's for sure."
"What?!" You and Nate laugh even more loudly. Kevin and Doug are very entertained talking to Joan and Sophie that they aren't even aware of the conversation going on between you, Nate and Grant.
Grant looks at you as if you and Nate were crazy insane.
When you finally control your laughter you explain, "Nate is not my boyfriend in the literal sense of the word. I love him, sure, I live with him sure, he's gorgeous sure," you caress Nate's cheek tenderly, "he's adorable, sweet, cute, fun, smart and all that but unfortunately to me, he's 100% gay." You pout at Nate teasing him.
Nate pulls you closer and kisses your cheek. "You spoil me. If by any magic I turn straight I promise I'll marry you, sweetheart." He giggles.
Grant is now chuckling amused, all his moodiness is suddenly vanished. "Ok, sorry for the misunderstanding..."
"It's ok. We're cool. Right?" You look at Nate who nods smiling, "perfectly cool."
"Hey, I promise you Nate will do a perfect job on you. He's brilliant in what he does."
Grant nods smiling. "Sure, no problem. I trust you both."
"Ok, do you want something to drink?" You ask Grant.
Grant nods. "Yeah, I'll get a beer." He stands up and asks, "Do you guys want anything?"
Doug and Kevin ask for beers and you stand up too, "I'll go with you to help, we have the drinks for free." You grin.
Grant giggles. "Really? Amazing."
"The bar has a contract with the agency. We do a lot of events here, we handle their publicity and we can have free drinks when we come here." You explain as you walk to towards the barman you know.
You ask for the drinks and you notice Grant smiling like a fool. "Anything funny?" You smile too.
Grant shakes his head. "No... It's just, I almost didn't recognize you, without your whole professional look."
"Oh. Am I that different?" You chuckle.
"A bit. But you do look amazing. Nate's work?" He jokes.
"Hahahah! No, my own work, thank you very much. Nate specializes in men's styling. Don't worry, he's experienced and works regularly for some A-list guys. You'll be in good hands."
"I don't doubt it. You just have to look at him to know that." He grins.
"Yeah, he looks good, doesn't he? And not gay at all. You can't imagine the amount of girls that hit on him... If we are together he usually makes them believe we are a couple so that they will leave him alone. I can't really blame him, I do the same to get rid of an eventual guy that comes bugging me... We have each other's backs basically." You shrug with a smile.
"Nice..." Grant smiles. "So, that means there's no real boyfriend to do that job..." He looks at you interested.
"Oh." You feel a bit embarrassed. "No. I don't have time for that. I'm just like you now, not interested in relationships, just focusing on my work and career."
Grant nods. "I understand."
You two walk back to the table with the drinks. You all spend about an hour talking when you all decide to leave as everyone has work to do next day.
"So, I'll be waiting for you at 8AM as we had agreed. I'll take you to Nate's atelier then, ok?" You smile to Grant when you're saying goodbye.
"Sure." He grins happily.
"Ok, See you tomorrow then."
"See you. Good night."
Finally you all leave the bar.
You're driving back home with Nate.
"So... That was the famous Grant Gustin. He's nice and I think he does respect your work. Even too much, if you know what I mean..." Nate laughs.
"Oh, Nate!" You exclaim chuckling.
"Seriously. Do you want my honest gay opinion? He's gorgeous, of course. Too bad for me he's obviously 100% straight. Come on, you surely noticed the way his mood changed when he figured I wasn't your boyfriend. He was almost annoyed before and then all of sudden he was all smiles and happy and nice... And the way he looked at you... He almost needed someone to wipe off the drool." He laughs loudly.
"Oh stop. He's my client."
"And he's also an attractive pretty boy of your age who obviously has good taste in girls."
"I told you he has just broken up with a cheating girlfriend. The last thing he's interested now is girls."
"Hahah! Right. That may be true, but there are some things your mind can't control. Like chemistry and attraction. If he wasn't your client how would you feel about him?"
"I don't know... He's my client, that's what matters now. Can we please stop talking about work? And I mean Grant. He's work for both you and me."
"Ok, right." Nate giggles entertained.