Categories > Original > Romance > Just You and Me
Chapter 26 In-studio Decision
The whole day after Aina's date with Alden she skipped work and just stayed in bed. Luckily, the other interns willingly covered for her, telling Ms. Holmes that she was under the weather. When they got home Chan and Jacqueline tried everything they could to get her to get up, but to no avail.
"Does anyone know what happened last night?" Chan asked. "This really worries me."
"I was up when she came home, but she didn't tell me anything," Joe said. "It did look like she was crying."
"Maybe Alden did something," Rahul said. "Ever since the first day of working for them he was the only one I didn't like."
"You don't think that he... you know, raped her do you?" Jacqueline asked.
Immediately getting worried, Joe got up and went to talk to Aina. He shut the door and saw that she was facing away from him, towards the window. He walked over to where she was facing and sat on the floor. She was awake, just staring blankly at nothing.
"Aina, we need to talk about last night," Joe said. "Did he hurt you?"
Aina just shook her head. Joe placed his hand on the side of her face and rubbed his thumb against her cheek.
"Did he rape you?" Joe whispered.
Aina shook her head again.
Joe nodded and said, "Then tell me what happened. We can't stand to see you like this."
Aina slowly sat up and patted the seat next to her. When Joe was sitting comfortably she proceeded to tell him the story. "Joseph, I was just so scared. This never happened to me before and I was scared," she said as she started to cry.
Joe pulled her into a hug and said, "It's gonna be okay baby. I'll make sure everything's okay." He then kissed the top of her head.
* * * *
The next day at work the interns were called into aconference room once again.
"Please tell me they're getting us away from Mrs. Gilbert," Jacqueline wished causing everyone to laugh.
When they entered the room Ms. Holmes, Mr. Sellers, Mrs. Gilbert, and TBWTLNJ were all in there.
"Good morning everyone. Ms. Andrada are you feeling well today?" Ms. Holmes asked. After getting a head nod from Aina, she continued to say, "Have a seat please. Today we will inform you of who the two people that will be working in the in-studio are."
Joe looked at Aina sitting next to him, knowing that she was uncomfortable being in the same room as Alden. She looked back and reached for his hand under the table.
"Well, there has been a lot of good feedback about all of you, no bad ones," Mr. Sellers said. "So we've decided that you 5 should pick one of the two for the in-studio."
"There is one person I have in mind that I think would be able to handle this, but we really want to hear what you have to say first," Ms. Holmes said.
The room was quiet. Aina looked at the others and they all nodded, encouraging her to speak up for all of them.
"Umm..." Aina started to get everyone's attention. "I think the four of us," she said motioning for Chan, Jacqueline, Rahul, and herself, "agree that Joe should be in the in-studio."
"Is there any reason behind that Ms. Andrada?" Mr. Sellers asked.
"Well, for one thing he is a music major and second, he has a passion for it," Aina said. "The rest of us are just doing our job, just like Joe is, but he wants it more."
"Very well said Ms. Andrada. I'll have to agree with you on that one," Ms. Holmes said.
"Was he the person you had in mind Alicia?" Mr. Sellers asked.
"Actually no. No offense Mr. Jonas, but I think this other person will be able to handle whatever comes her way. She's been helping with not only Mrs. Gilbert and Mr. Sellers, but she's also been helping with photographers, musicians, and roadies with utmost precision," Ms. Holmes said as Aina slowly looked up at her. "So Ms. Andrada, if you want the last in-studio spot, it's yours."
"Uhhh..." Aina looked at the rest of her roommates. After getting encouraging smiles and nods she said, "Okay!" Causing her roommates to laugh at her.
"Okay, well the rest of you, follow me. You will be my assistants for the rest of the term," Ms. Holmes said as she lead the three interns out of the conference room.
"Excuse me," Joe said excusing himself so that he could follow the others. "Ms. Holmes?"
"Yes Mr. Jonas?" She acknowledged as she turned around.
"I was wondering if I could talk to you about something later."
"Of course, stop by my office when you're done with your shift."
"Okay, thank you," Joe said going back into the conference room.
"You two can pretty much relax for today," Mr. Sellers said to Aina and Joe as he came back in. "We're just going over some things before going into the studio tomorrow. Now, shall we get down to business?"
"Actually," Alden's voice sent unnerving shivers down Aina's spine. "I have a new song I think would be great on our next album."
"This should be interesting. Jonas, Andrada, coffee for all of us," Mrs. Gilbert ordered. "And you," she said referring to Alden, "is it really necessary to wear sunglasses indoors?"
Alden removed his sunglasses revealing a large black eye.
"Woah! Where'd you get that black eye!" Sam exclaimed sounding a little too happy.
Aina couldn't hide the smile forming on her face. She looked up at Joe after she felt him tap her on her shoulder.
"Did you do that?" Joe whispered and Aina nodded her head knowing she'd burst out laughing if she said anything. Joe wrapped her in a hug and kissed her temple before they continued making the coffee.
"This is actually pretty good Alden," Aina heard Sam say.
Suddenly familiar cords could be heard and Joe suddenly stopped. Aina looked up and saw a livid expression on his face.
"What's wrong?" She asked quietly.
"That's my song."
Just then Aina remembered that she left Joe's lyric sheet in Alden's hotel room. They stood there for a moment before hearing the familiar lyrics to "Games."
"That bastard," Aina said. She was about to walk back into the conference room, but Joe stopped her. "What are you doing? Alden is stealing your song."
"Well, at least they think it's good. I don't think any of those guys in there would believe that it's mine anyway."
"Joe, I'm so sorry. It's my fault that he has it. We'll figure out how to fix this, I promise."
"It's okay. Just come with me after work to Ms. Holmes office," Joe said going back into the conference room with some coffee as Aina followed behind him with the rest.
The whole day after Aina's date with Alden she skipped work and just stayed in bed. Luckily, the other interns willingly covered for her, telling Ms. Holmes that she was under the weather. When they got home Chan and Jacqueline tried everything they could to get her to get up, but to no avail.
"Does anyone know what happened last night?" Chan asked. "This really worries me."
"I was up when she came home, but she didn't tell me anything," Joe said. "It did look like she was crying."
"Maybe Alden did something," Rahul said. "Ever since the first day of working for them he was the only one I didn't like."
"You don't think that he... you know, raped her do you?" Jacqueline asked.
Immediately getting worried, Joe got up and went to talk to Aina. He shut the door and saw that she was facing away from him, towards the window. He walked over to where she was facing and sat on the floor. She was awake, just staring blankly at nothing.
"Aina, we need to talk about last night," Joe said. "Did he hurt you?"
Aina just shook her head. Joe placed his hand on the side of her face and rubbed his thumb against her cheek.
"Did he rape you?" Joe whispered.
Aina shook her head again.
Joe nodded and said, "Then tell me what happened. We can't stand to see you like this."
Aina slowly sat up and patted the seat next to her. When Joe was sitting comfortably she proceeded to tell him the story. "Joseph, I was just so scared. This never happened to me before and I was scared," she said as she started to cry.
Joe pulled her into a hug and said, "It's gonna be okay baby. I'll make sure everything's okay." He then kissed the top of her head.
* * * *
The next day at work the interns were called into aconference room once again.
"Please tell me they're getting us away from Mrs. Gilbert," Jacqueline wished causing everyone to laugh.
When they entered the room Ms. Holmes, Mr. Sellers, Mrs. Gilbert, and TBWTLNJ were all in there.
"Good morning everyone. Ms. Andrada are you feeling well today?" Ms. Holmes asked. After getting a head nod from Aina, she continued to say, "Have a seat please. Today we will inform you of who the two people that will be working in the in-studio are."
Joe looked at Aina sitting next to him, knowing that she was uncomfortable being in the same room as Alden. She looked back and reached for his hand under the table.
"Well, there has been a lot of good feedback about all of you, no bad ones," Mr. Sellers said. "So we've decided that you 5 should pick one of the two for the in-studio."
"There is one person I have in mind that I think would be able to handle this, but we really want to hear what you have to say first," Ms. Holmes said.
The room was quiet. Aina looked at the others and they all nodded, encouraging her to speak up for all of them.
"Umm..." Aina started to get everyone's attention. "I think the four of us," she said motioning for Chan, Jacqueline, Rahul, and herself, "agree that Joe should be in the in-studio."
"Is there any reason behind that Ms. Andrada?" Mr. Sellers asked.
"Well, for one thing he is a music major and second, he has a passion for it," Aina said. "The rest of us are just doing our job, just like Joe is, but he wants it more."
"Very well said Ms. Andrada. I'll have to agree with you on that one," Ms. Holmes said.
"Was he the person you had in mind Alicia?" Mr. Sellers asked.
"Actually no. No offense Mr. Jonas, but I think this other person will be able to handle whatever comes her way. She's been helping with not only Mrs. Gilbert and Mr. Sellers, but she's also been helping with photographers, musicians, and roadies with utmost precision," Ms. Holmes said as Aina slowly looked up at her. "So Ms. Andrada, if you want the last in-studio spot, it's yours."
"Uhhh..." Aina looked at the rest of her roommates. After getting encouraging smiles and nods she said, "Okay!" Causing her roommates to laugh at her.
"Okay, well the rest of you, follow me. You will be my assistants for the rest of the term," Ms. Holmes said as she lead the three interns out of the conference room.
"Excuse me," Joe said excusing himself so that he could follow the others. "Ms. Holmes?"
"Yes Mr. Jonas?" She acknowledged as she turned around.
"I was wondering if I could talk to you about something later."
"Of course, stop by my office when you're done with your shift."
"Okay, thank you," Joe said going back into the conference room.
"You two can pretty much relax for today," Mr. Sellers said to Aina and Joe as he came back in. "We're just going over some things before going into the studio tomorrow. Now, shall we get down to business?"
"Actually," Alden's voice sent unnerving shivers down Aina's spine. "I have a new song I think would be great on our next album."
"This should be interesting. Jonas, Andrada, coffee for all of us," Mrs. Gilbert ordered. "And you," she said referring to Alden, "is it really necessary to wear sunglasses indoors?"
Alden removed his sunglasses revealing a large black eye.
"Woah! Where'd you get that black eye!" Sam exclaimed sounding a little too happy.
Aina couldn't hide the smile forming on her face. She looked up at Joe after she felt him tap her on her shoulder.
"Did you do that?" Joe whispered and Aina nodded her head knowing she'd burst out laughing if she said anything. Joe wrapped her in a hug and kissed her temple before they continued making the coffee.
"This is actually pretty good Alden," Aina heard Sam say.
Suddenly familiar cords could be heard and Joe suddenly stopped. Aina looked up and saw a livid expression on his face.
"What's wrong?" She asked quietly.
"That's my song."
Just then Aina remembered that she left Joe's lyric sheet in Alden's hotel room. They stood there for a moment before hearing the familiar lyrics to "Games."
"That bastard," Aina said. She was about to walk back into the conference room, but Joe stopped her. "What are you doing? Alden is stealing your song."
"Well, at least they think it's good. I don't think any of those guys in there would believe that it's mine anyway."
"Joe, I'm so sorry. It's my fault that he has it. We'll figure out how to fix this, I promise."
"It's okay. Just come with me after work to Ms. Holmes office," Joe said going back into the conference room with some coffee as Aina followed behind him with the rest.
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