Catch Me When I Fall

“This is your last day man and you’ve officially lost. Why don’t you just hand the keys over now?” Marty says, egging me on.

I finger the keys in my hand, knowing that tonight there will be one less on the key chain, “I’m keeping it until midnight tonight.”

He laughs, “Whatever you say dude. Feel free to get it washed before you hand it over.”

“I’ll never bet again. This was so fucking stupid,” I mumble.

“Why? Because you lost?”

“Because we were screwing with another person.”

“Justin, Paige Jenkins is not a person, you said so yourself. She’s a sleaze writer, she has no feelings and as much as I love the compassion you’re dishing out now you sap, she’s not the person to give it to.”

“You don’t know her,” I argue.

“But I know her kind and you do to. We don’t make bets to hurt people unless they deserved it.”

I pet Bella on the head as she lays it in my lap. I’m down my favorite car all for the sake of hurting two people. Alright, I’ll admit I would still like to stick it to one, but the other… Yesterday was fun, probably the most fun I’ve had in a long time.

“What are you thinking?” Trace asks, pulling up a chair.

“I’m thinking about PJ.”

“Are you going to tell her about the bet?”

I stare at him, “Are you fucking kidding me? Why in the world would I want to tell her that?”

“Do you really care about her?”

“And that has to do with this because?”

“Because if you really care about this girl you need to tell her the truth.”

I blink at him for a minute, “If I did care about Paige, which I’m not saying I do, why would I then hurt her by telling her I was trying to sleep with her to get back at the articles she wrote and the boyfriend who’s an ass.”

Marty laughs, “You two are unbelievable. Why are we talking about how this tramp feels?”

“She’s not a tramp.”

“Right. What real girl with half a brain has a one night stand with you or any other guy?”

“Her boyfriend cheated on her, she needed an escape,” I argue.

“Why are you defending her? I don’t get it,” he says, shaking his head.

I stop playing with the buttons on the new stereo, “Because I’ve gotten to know her and maybe I feel she doesn’t deserve this.”

“Now I know you’ve lost your fucking mind. She’s called you a man whore remember? She said you would fuck anything in a skirt,” he spats, throwing magazines my way that Johnny had given me over the period of the last few months. Funny I never bothered to look at the writer’s name.

“Maybe I feel differently now.”

“You’re a pussy, that’s what you are Timberlake.”

I sigh and throw the headphones down, “I’m out of here.”

“Where are you going?” Trace calls out.

“Anywhere but here.”

________________________________________________________________________

I sit at my desk, the finished product in my hands. I finally finished the article, no regrets. Marie knocks on my door and smiles, “Hey Paige.”

“Hey Marie.”

“Listen we need you to go with Todd and stalk some celebrity.”

I look up from my article, “Why?”

“I don’t know, they must be a prominent celebrity. Dax called from the scene but his cell phone was breaking up and I couldn’t catch who he was following, just this address. Go find Todd and get the scoop,” she says, handing me the slip of paper.

I look at the paper, “Alright.”

She smiles, “I’m so glad we have you with us Paige. No one gets the dirt like you do.”

I hesitantly hand her my article, “And this is for you.”

“Oh your article, I’m looking foreword to reading it.”

My thoughts are otherwise but I get up and grab my coat, walking out to our company car. Todd is loading his camera in the car, “Get in babe.”

“Here’s the address,” I say, handing him the slip of paper.

“I know, Dax called back and said he was walking around New York’s Barneys. He doesn’t look like he’s in a good mood and we all want the photos. I hear Star, Us Weekly and People are already there.”

“Who?” I ask buckling in.

“Justin Timberlake.”

My blood runs cold and I try and think of an excuse as to why I can’t go but it’s too late as we pull out of the parking lot. Todd hands me some film and he speeds down the streets, “Put that in for me hon.”

I slowly pop the back of the camera and put the film in. I check the batteries and try not to focus on who we are about to try and get a rise out of. It’s my job. It’s what I have to do.

“Here we are,” Todd announces as he parks the car and we hop out, running down the street until we see him. I try not to let my feelings get the best of me, fingering my own camera in my purse.

We push through the crowds of paparazzi and Todd starts to snap photos, calling out to Justin. He ignores everyone and continues to walk. Todd elbows me, “Get out your camera doll.”

I try not to let my hand shake as I take out my camera and turn it on, taking a shot. When did this become so weird?

“Hey Timberlake, planning on any naked strolls because I’ve got the camera,” Todd shouts as he snaps the shutter over and over.

Justin spins around and looks like he’s going to yell out something but spots me and stops in his tracks. There is nowhere I can hide and everyone there looks at me as they take his picture. He gets this sad look on his face and turns back around, walking away.

Everyone pushes foreword and someone hits me in my side, sending me flying to the pavement. I hold my side and cry out. Damn it had to be the side I hurt right? I look up to see Justin looking at me. Don’t do it. Don’t do it.

The rule we have in the magazine is if anyone is hurt on the job we keep going. Todd is already moving around Justin as he stares at me. He takes a step towards me and I shake my head. He ignores me though and comes over to me, bending down next to me, “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine, go on,” I whisper.

“Come on,” he says, picking me up. I close my eyes and I try to cover my face. He puts his coat over my face as he takes me over to his car, putting me in the passenger seat as he goes around and gets in. Camera lenses are pressed up against the glass, only this time they are shooting me as well.

“Do we need to get you to a hospital?” he asks, starting the car and pulling away from the streams of paparazzi, leaving them rushing for their cars.

“No, I just want you to take me home,” I cry feebly. I’m such a baby.

“Are you sure?”

“I’m positive.”

He takes the side roads, I assume because he’s looking to lose anyone who might be trying to follow us. Finally after what seems like hours he pulls into the driveway. I just sit in defeat as he comes around to my side and picks me up, carrying me into the house and setting me down on the kitchen table, “Where does it hurt?”

“Everywhere,” I mumble.

Justin goes into the freezer and gets some ice out, putting it in a bag and placing it on my side, “Is this better?”

I start to cry for absolutely no reason at all and he frowns, which jus looks blurry through my tears, “Paige are you really hurt?”

I shake my head no, “This is all your fault.”

“What?” he asks, looking at me like I’m crazy.

“You. I used to do my job with no guilt. I did it well. And then you come along and I can’t even think anymore. I wrote the most fucking stupid article that Marie is going to be pissed about and it’s all your fault.”

“Maybe you have a concussion. Do you want me to call asshole for you?”

“Scott is away on vacation.”

“Weren’t you supposed to go with him?” he asks, using his thumb to wipe away my tears.

I sniff, “How did you know that?”

“He told me when he called.”

“He called you?”

Justin lifts my shirt up and looks to see where I got hurt, “When he found out you were writing my article. You know, right after you stupidly chose to stay with him.”

“I did it for my job,” I protest.

Justin blows a few strands of stray hair from my face, “We all know that’s not true. You don’t know how to be alone Paige.”

“No it’s not,” I argue, though I know it comes out so awkwardly that he must know I’m lying through my teeth. “This is not happening to me.”

Justin bends down and moves the hair out of my face, “Are you alright, for real?”

His blue eyes pierce mine and I reach out grabbing his face with my hands, “And the truth is, I really, really like you.”

“I have that affect on a lot of people.”

I lean in and press my lips against his tenderly. It takes about three seconds before we are mauling each other, ripping the clothes off each other’s backs. Justin grabs my ass and picks me up, pulling away from my lips, “I don’t know where your bedroom is.”

I groan in his arms, latching onto his neck, “It’s that way,” I point to the door on the right.

He puts me on the bed as he pulls my jeans off. I reach for him and pull him on top of me, undoing his jeans as he shimmies them off his hips. He tangles his fingers in my hair as he kisses my bare skin. Damn he knows what he’s doing.

“Paige,” he groans. Even that sounds sexy.

“When did you learn how to do this?” I breathe, biting my lip.

“I’ve always know how to do this.”

“Not when you’re drunk.”

He stops and looks up at me, “Excuse me, I am always good, drunk or otherwise.”

I start to giggle, probably because I can feel him against my thigh and it’s making me a little dizzy, “Um, no.”

He moves his way up my body, kissing every few inches of skin as he removes the last of my clothes, “Maybe you were too drunk to remember.”

I run my fingers over his skin as he sucks on my neck. I’m in heaven right about now. He taps my forehead with his finger, “What are you thinking?”

I settle back into the bed, “I’m thinking that there are women all across the world fantasizing about you at this very moment and if you had asked me two months ago if I would sleep with you, I would have said not in your dreams.”

“And now?” he asks, hovering dangerously over me.

“I’d say I’m not one for foreplay and to do what God intended you to do.”

He slips carefully between my legs, careful not to hit my side or lean on it, “Whatever you want princess.”

________________________________________________________________________

I wake up to see Paige curled up right next to me. Apparently she’s a spooner. She’s too beautiful for words and I find it amazing that I ever could have held animosity towards such a stunning human being.

My cell starts to ring in my pants and I reach over the bed, fumbling to get it out before Paige wakes up, “Hello?”

“So you can drop the Jag off at my house around twelve.”

I look down at Paige and start to whisper, “I don’t think so buddy.”

“You can’t go back on our bet man.”

“I didn’t.”

I hear silence on the other end of the phone, “You slept with Paige Jenkins?”

“You better believe it,” I reply back rather proudly.

“I don’t believe you.”

I move the sheets up around her body, “I’m in bed with her as we speak.”

“Send me a picture then.”

“What? She’s sleeping, I’m not about to do that.”

“Then I get the car. You could just be saying that to keep your precious car.”

I swear under my breath and cover Paige up before taking a quick picture of her and sending it over to Marty, “How do you like that?” I say before flipping the phone closed, curling up next to Paige. She sighs in her sleep and nuzzles her nose right next to mine.

I lean over and kiss her on the nose before laying back and drifting off to sleep.

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