Stardust
Over My Shoulder
On her way to the meeting with Paul, Lilly still couldn’t believe that she’d really gotten the job. Only after she’d signed her contract, did it slowly sink in that she had her first big job. Paul told her to enjoy the rest of the weekend and be here on Monday at ten so they could start going over the documents he’d just given her. Her task for the weekend was to study the schedule as well as the requests that had come in.
Her arms full of documents, Lilly left the room. When she tried to open the door to the corridor, the documents slipped from her arms and fell to the floor.
“Oh, shoot,” she muttered under her breath, squatting down to pick her things up. For the day she’d opted for jeans and a simple black top with a plaid shirt. This was more her, more casual, and Paul had approved of it.
“Wait, I’ll help,” she heard someone say just above her head. When she looked up, she saw the guy that had been introduced to her as Louis right in front of her. He was gathering her documents while Liam stood next to the door, holding it open so it wouldn’t hit Lilly in the back. Because he was leaning down, she could get a glimpse of the tattoo across his chest, but quickly averted her eyes again.
“Thank you,” Lilly said once they were both standing again, and Louis handed her the documents he’d gathered together.
“Lilly, right?” Louis said with a smile and stepped aside so that Liam could let the door fall shut.
“Yes. And you were Louis and Liam, correct?”
The two boys looked at each other, before Liam addressed her again: “Yeah. You’re not a fan, I guess?”
Her cheeks turned pink. “No, you got me. I know a couple of your songs, but that’s about it to be honest, but I did my research.”
“No need to be embarrassed.” Louis studied her face, the pink cheeks, her light green eyes through the glasses. She looked much more at ease in these clothes than she’d done the day before. “It’s actually a relief.”
“Louis’s right,” Liam added, crossing his arms over his chest. “That makes working with you a whole lot easier. It wouldn’t be very helpful if you would start screaming when you see us. Not that all fans are like that, of course.” He smiled at her before looking at Louis. “We talked about you yesterday.”
“Really?” Lilly cocked her head to one side, curious to know more. “And what did you come up with?”
“That it will be fun to have you around on tour.” Liam stepped aside to let someone through.
“But you don’t know me.”
“Well, we saw the portfolio you gave Paul and we were really impressed.” Louis pushed his hands deep in his jeans pockets, his eyes still on Lilly. “Let’s just say that we think you’ll fit right in. Paul is great, and he wouldn’t have chosen you if he didn’t think that you were the right person for this job.”
“Is this a compliment?” she raised one eyebrow, still clinging on to the documents. She didn’t want them to fall down a second time. That would be really embarrassing in front of the people she was now working for. Despite working for them, she couldn’t help the question.
Both guys started smiling at that. Liam nodded and added: “It definitely is. Welcome on board. I hope you’ll be able to tolerate the craziness that will ensue from time to time.”
“From time to time might be an understatement,” Louis mumbled. When Lilly asked him to repeat this, because she hadn’t heard him, he just said that it wasn’t important. Somehow he had a feeling that Lilly would cope quite well with the behavior and “craziness” of the band. She was probably not much different from them.
“Thank you.” Lilly caught a glimpse of her watch. “Oh crap.” Her eyes widened in panic. Mary would be at her place in ten minutes and Lilly wouldn’t make it home in this time. Not with the traffic as it was that day. “I’ve got to go. I look forward to working with you.”
“Likewise,” Louis said, opening the door for her so that she could eventually get going. They’d obviously kept her around long enough. He was curious where she was headed in such a hurry.
“Ready to go?” Liam looked at Louis who was still facing the door. “Hey!”
“What? Yeah, I’m ready to go.”
“What was that all about?” Irritated, Liam started walking towards the exit with Louis. They had been here to talk to their stylist, Caroline, to talk some things for the movie premiere in London through, so that this was out of the way.
“Nothing, just lost in thought.” Louis shook his head
“Okay,” Liam said, still keeping an eye on Louis, but not pressing the matter further. “So, Harry knows that I’m coming with you?”
“Sure, he said, he’ll take care of the food.” Since Zayn had a date with his girlfriend and Niall had seized the opportunity to go and visit his family for a few days, the three of them were the only ones left. Louis had suggested watching a movie at his and Harry’s apartment to Liam. Harry had said he’d take care of everything, which probably meant that they’d have tacos for dinner and cupcakes for dessert. Yeah, Louis and Liam could live with that for the day.
Meanwhile, Lilly was rushing home, but she was still late. Her car was parked and she walked up to the front door. Once inside, she immediately saw Mary’s shoes next to the door. Her shrill voice echoed through the hallway, because she was playing with Lilly’s brothers Max and Tom.
“There you are,” her mother Therese greeted her, standing in the door to the kitchen. “They’re in the living room. Is everything alright?”
“It couldn’t be better.” Lilly stepped up to her mother, kissed her cheek, and then entered the living room. Mary got up immediately, shooting her an accusatory look. “I know I’m late, I’m sorry. Let’s go upstairs so I can tell you all about my new job.”
“Ohh, I can’t wait!” Mary’s face lit up and she gave the boys their cars, so that they would be occupied while she went upstairs with her best friend. Lilly put the documents she’d been carrying down on her bed and collapsed next to them. Mary on the other hand, looked around and stopped dead in her tracks when she saw a photo on Lilly’s desk. “Why is there a photo of One Direction on your desk?” She turned towards Lilly who slowly raised her head. “Have you suddenly become a fan of them or something?”
“I work for them.” Lillian slowly sat up on her bed, crossed her legs and leaned back a little. Her eyes were set on Mary, whose face was devoid of all color. Slowly she settled down on the chair in front of Lilly’s desk.
“You’re kidding me, right?”
“I’m actually not.” Lilly flipped open the top document that showed the tour schedule. She’d have to put all that in her calendar so that she could plan other things around it. “It was a surprise for me as well, but Paul, their tour manager, wanted me to work with him, so here I am. And so far the guys have been really nice.”
Not that she’d talked that much with them, but Liam and Louis had been very forthcoming, as well as Harry. She was actually looking forward to getting to know them better.
“Oh man, that was not at all what I had expected.”
“Yeah, same here.” Lilly couldn’t suppress the smile that was tilting her lips upwards. “And I’ll go to the movie premiere in New York, then it’s back to London and late in October it’s off to Canada and America.”
“That means I’ll have to be here for weeks without you, right?”
“We’ll skype, okay?” Lilly quickly got up to go to Mary, take one hand in her own and squeeze it lightly.
Mary let out a laugh. With a grin still plastered on her face, she said: “I’ll be alright without you for some time. This is a great chance for you. I’m really happy!”
Thank God. This was what Lilly had hoped for. It made it much easier for her to leave. There was still enough time until that would happen, but Lilly had to get used to the idea of being away from her friend and family for longer than just three weeks at the longest.
Her arms full of documents, Lilly left the room. When she tried to open the door to the corridor, the documents slipped from her arms and fell to the floor.
“Oh, shoot,” she muttered under her breath, squatting down to pick her things up. For the day she’d opted for jeans and a simple black top with a plaid shirt. This was more her, more casual, and Paul had approved of it.
“Wait, I’ll help,” she heard someone say just above her head. When she looked up, she saw the guy that had been introduced to her as Louis right in front of her. He was gathering her documents while Liam stood next to the door, holding it open so it wouldn’t hit Lilly in the back. Because he was leaning down, she could get a glimpse of the tattoo across his chest, but quickly averted her eyes again.
“Thank you,” Lilly said once they were both standing again, and Louis handed her the documents he’d gathered together.
“Lilly, right?” Louis said with a smile and stepped aside so that Liam could let the door fall shut.
“Yes. And you were Louis and Liam, correct?”
The two boys looked at each other, before Liam addressed her again: “Yeah. You’re not a fan, I guess?”
Her cheeks turned pink. “No, you got me. I know a couple of your songs, but that’s about it to be honest, but I did my research.”
“No need to be embarrassed.” Louis studied her face, the pink cheeks, her light green eyes through the glasses. She looked much more at ease in these clothes than she’d done the day before. “It’s actually a relief.”
“Louis’s right,” Liam added, crossing his arms over his chest. “That makes working with you a whole lot easier. It wouldn’t be very helpful if you would start screaming when you see us. Not that all fans are like that, of course.” He smiled at her before looking at Louis. “We talked about you yesterday.”
“Really?” Lilly cocked her head to one side, curious to know more. “And what did you come up with?”
“That it will be fun to have you around on tour.” Liam stepped aside to let someone through.
“But you don’t know me.”
“Well, we saw the portfolio you gave Paul and we were really impressed.” Louis pushed his hands deep in his jeans pockets, his eyes still on Lilly. “Let’s just say that we think you’ll fit right in. Paul is great, and he wouldn’t have chosen you if he didn’t think that you were the right person for this job.”
“Is this a compliment?” she raised one eyebrow, still clinging on to the documents. She didn’t want them to fall down a second time. That would be really embarrassing in front of the people she was now working for. Despite working for them, she couldn’t help the question.
Both guys started smiling at that. Liam nodded and added: “It definitely is. Welcome on board. I hope you’ll be able to tolerate the craziness that will ensue from time to time.”
“From time to time might be an understatement,” Louis mumbled. When Lilly asked him to repeat this, because she hadn’t heard him, he just said that it wasn’t important. Somehow he had a feeling that Lilly would cope quite well with the behavior and “craziness” of the band. She was probably not much different from them.
“Thank you.” Lilly caught a glimpse of her watch. “Oh crap.” Her eyes widened in panic. Mary would be at her place in ten minutes and Lilly wouldn’t make it home in this time. Not with the traffic as it was that day. “I’ve got to go. I look forward to working with you.”
“Likewise,” Louis said, opening the door for her so that she could eventually get going. They’d obviously kept her around long enough. He was curious where she was headed in such a hurry.
“Ready to go?” Liam looked at Louis who was still facing the door. “Hey!”
“What? Yeah, I’m ready to go.”
“What was that all about?” Irritated, Liam started walking towards the exit with Louis. They had been here to talk to their stylist, Caroline, to talk some things for the movie premiere in London through, so that this was out of the way.
“Nothing, just lost in thought.” Louis shook his head
“Okay,” Liam said, still keeping an eye on Louis, but not pressing the matter further. “So, Harry knows that I’m coming with you?”
“Sure, he said, he’ll take care of the food.” Since Zayn had a date with his girlfriend and Niall had seized the opportunity to go and visit his family for a few days, the three of them were the only ones left. Louis had suggested watching a movie at his and Harry’s apartment to Liam. Harry had said he’d take care of everything, which probably meant that they’d have tacos for dinner and cupcakes for dessert. Yeah, Louis and Liam could live with that for the day.
Meanwhile, Lilly was rushing home, but she was still late. Her car was parked and she walked up to the front door. Once inside, she immediately saw Mary’s shoes next to the door. Her shrill voice echoed through the hallway, because she was playing with Lilly’s brothers Max and Tom.
“There you are,” her mother Therese greeted her, standing in the door to the kitchen. “They’re in the living room. Is everything alright?”
“It couldn’t be better.” Lilly stepped up to her mother, kissed her cheek, and then entered the living room. Mary got up immediately, shooting her an accusatory look. “I know I’m late, I’m sorry. Let’s go upstairs so I can tell you all about my new job.”
“Ohh, I can’t wait!” Mary’s face lit up and she gave the boys their cars, so that they would be occupied while she went upstairs with her best friend. Lilly put the documents she’d been carrying down on her bed and collapsed next to them. Mary on the other hand, looked around and stopped dead in her tracks when she saw a photo on Lilly’s desk. “Why is there a photo of One Direction on your desk?” She turned towards Lilly who slowly raised her head. “Have you suddenly become a fan of them or something?”
“I work for them.” Lillian slowly sat up on her bed, crossed her legs and leaned back a little. Her eyes were set on Mary, whose face was devoid of all color. Slowly she settled down on the chair in front of Lilly’s desk.
“You’re kidding me, right?”
“I’m actually not.” Lilly flipped open the top document that showed the tour schedule. She’d have to put all that in her calendar so that she could plan other things around it. “It was a surprise for me as well, but Paul, their tour manager, wanted me to work with him, so here I am. And so far the guys have been really nice.”
Not that she’d talked that much with them, but Liam and Louis had been very forthcoming, as well as Harry. She was actually looking forward to getting to know them better.
“Oh man, that was not at all what I had expected.”
“Yeah, same here.” Lilly couldn’t suppress the smile that was tilting her lips upwards. “And I’ll go to the movie premiere in New York, then it’s back to London and late in October it’s off to Canada and America.”
“That means I’ll have to be here for weeks without you, right?”
“We’ll skype, okay?” Lilly quickly got up to go to Mary, take one hand in her own and squeeze it lightly.
Mary let out a laugh. With a grin still plastered on her face, she said: “I’ll be alright without you for some time. This is a great chance for you. I’m really happy!”
Thank God. This was what Lilly had hoped for. It made it much easier for her to leave. There was still enough time until that would happen, but Lilly had to get used to the idea of being away from her friend and family for longer than just three weeks at the longest.
11/16/13