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I side-eyed June and Tiff. They gave me hard glances back, remaining nonchalant, though alert.
It’s not that I thought Justin was going to murder me or anything, especially not here, but the guy gave off weird vibes, and I still hadn’t gathered why he was making small talk with me on the couch. His perfectly combed hair and square teeth reminded me entirely of Patrick Bateman, and his uppity style didn’t do much to help the image. He was handsome in that sort of way, I suppose, but…weird. Off.
I kept my smile intact as he spoke to me.
Justin explained, in a rather strange way, that he was a huge fan of my work on Instagram. That he believed my platform and outreach were out of this world amazing as if posting pictures of myself at the gym was solving world hunger or something. After bombing me with unnecessary and untrue compliments, he insisted I help the guys with their social media, claiming they weren’t keeping up with it as well as they should’ve been and they needed an extra hand while they got this album finished and promoted.
Truthfully, it was a fair point, and it sounded like a nice gig. No one could deny that they were posting less frequently now that they had actual careers to worry about, which was a shame really, because it was social media that got them the fame in the first place, and their fans missed them. I’d seen plenty of followers asking why they didn’t post as many videos, or why they didn’t respond to as many comments. Having a look behind the scenes, it was easy to answer those questions, but their fans still deserved that connection, in my opinion.
Besides, I was already spending time with the group constantly. What difference would it make if I filmed some of it and edited it into content? It’s exactly what I was doing for my own business, so I could just lump their videos in with my editing time. Everyone collectively kept an eye on comments and messaging, so I wouldn’t need to handle that all alone. Plus, I’d get a little extra money, and if I could direct that piece toward charitable efforts, then my earnings from my own account could go entirely toward my life, my parents, and my savings. The puzzle pieces fell into place before my eyes.
“You’ve been in a few music videos too, done a few dance shows, haven’t you?” Justin asked, leaning into the back of the couch with an elbow as he faced me.
“I did some low-budget stuff in Madrid, yeah.” I clamped my hands between my legs and nodded with a polite smile. I had absolutely no idea what any of that had to do with being a social media manager. Then again, if anyone else had asked, I wouldn’t have questioned it. He just seemed like the type to have ulterior motives.
“You could model for these guys, do some videos, some shoots. Every punk band needs pretty girls, right?”
I disagreed with that last statement on a couple of levels. One, the boys were not a punk band, but I wasn’t about to explain the nuances of the alternative scene to a man with a button-down and a quiff. Two, June and Tiff were objectively two of the most beautiful women I’d ever met, and I’m not just saying that. So, the band already had pretty girls. I glanced at them. “Have you asked Tiff or June?”
Justin shrugged casually as he whispered, “They don’t have your looks. Forgive me for saying so.” I didn’t. What an absolute dick. Why the hell did the guys let this dude hang around? How did Jonah even tolerate this? “Besides, they’re girlfriends.”
“I’m treated differently because I’m single?” I asked, heat jumping to my cheeks. Because I was single, more vulnerable, and less threatening than June and Tiff, if I had to make an educated guess. They were smart and confident. I was a chronic confrontation-avoider.
“No, no!” Justin placed his arm around my shoulders, and I tensed, though I kept on grinning. People could see us, after all, and I preferred to keep the weirdness as contained as possible. You know…to avoid confrontation. “It’s not that. What I mean to say is…the girls are a little more…low key. June is a master’s student. Tiff has culinary school. They’re going in other directions. But you’re a model. I’ve seen your pictures and videos. Your talents fit in here, and I think you could go far.”
I guess that made a little sense. Besides, it wouldn’t be so much working with Justin, but working with them. I glanced at the boys, and my discomfort kicked to the side. “I think I’d want to talk to the guys about something like that. The girls too. Everyone would need to agree.”
“Well, let’s do this. Let’s start with the social media stuff. You can lend a hand with content creation and posting, and we’ll see what else follows. Does that sound good?”
I watched Jonah singing behind the glass. I knew he wouldn’t say no. I didn’t think any of them would. But…still. “Let’s get June and Tiff over here and see what they think.”
The offer really did interest me. I didn’t care for the sexy music video stuff like I used to. I didn’t care for it at all, actually. But the management stuff was absolutely my niche. I loved seeing the boys for who they were behind the scenes and, with their permission, I would’ve loved to capture that and share it with the world. I knew their profile could use a lot of work because I followed them, and I knew exactly what they needed. That was my job, after all.
Justin waved the girls over and explained his thinking. They thought it was an excellent idea. I made sure—twice—that neither they nor the boys would think it was an overstep. They assured me it wasn’t, but I still planned to check again with Jonah, Oli and Noah.
When the band finally finished what they were doing, earning their first break of the afternoon, Jonah pulled me aside. He didn’t let me ask if he’d mind me on the team nor did he give anyone else a chance to say a single thing. We stepped outside the room quickly as if he were in a hurry to get away.
“Jojo, are you okay?” I asked as we stood in the empty hallway.
He breathed in and out once, took a pause, and smiled. “Doesn’t it feel nice to shut the door on everyone and be alone?”
I looked around myself at the quiet corridor, realizing I could take off the polite smile I’d been wearing for Justin. My shoulders dropped an entire inch, and I turned back to my friend. “Yes.”
He looked down at his feet. “What did Justin want?”
“To hire me.”
Those piercing, green eyes shot up in an instant, a new wave of nerves rippling through them. Not exactly a pleasing reaction to see. “At the…” Jonah’s voice went soft and croaky. “At his nightclub?”
“Nightclub?” I didn’t even know he had one, nor was I interested in returning to the nightlife scene. “He wants me to film your content, edit some pictures and videos for your social media, and give your account a facelift while you finish the album.”
He nodded, some of his tension melting away. “Did you accept?”
“Not until I talk to you, Oli and Noah. June and Tiff already said it’s okay.”
He lowered an eyebrow. “You don’t need to ask permission to accept a job, Kai.”
I blinked twice, realizing how silly it sounded when he phrased it that way. “No, but…” I had my reasons, and I was sure they were totally valid. I shook my head. “I didn’t want to overstep. This is your project.”
