Friday, September 16, 2022

Staring out of the car window, she wonders if there's a way to back out of this agreement. After all, she'd been overly stressed during the negotiation. On the other hand, a month isn't that long.

"How does one interview a bodyguard?" Nat inquires as Harry navigates to the Full Stop offices. "I mean, I've read their resumes, and they all clearly have experience. But what does one look for?"

"First of all, love, they prefer to be called 'personal protection agents'."

The snort escapes her before she can hold it back. "Sounds like birth control. Or like the PPE everyone was wearing and freaking out over during the pandemic."

Harry giggles. "I think I said it wrong. Maybe it's 'executive protection agents'. That's probably better than the other way."

Nataley looks again at the names and their skills. Her heart pounds at the thought of interviewing them. What questions should she ask? As they park in the lot outside the Full Stop offices, her stomach churns.

"Ready, love?" Harry asks, taking her hand and kissing her fingers.

Nataley takes a deep breath. She has a choice, and she knows it. Right now, she could say she doesn't want to do this, and Harry would start the car and drive them home. He probably wouldn't even give her too much hell about it. What makes her pause is the fact that giving up now would without question mean the end of her time with Harry. He's given so much towards making their relationship work. If she can't address this one giant hurdle, they are through. Done. Fini. No more. No turning back. He's given her a lifeline, and she needs to at least give it a try. Although her anxiety is high, she nods at him, and they exit the vehicle.

Upon entering the offices, they find three women seated in the reception area, and she assumes they're the candidates. One is reading a magazine, but surreptitiously watching them enter. Another keeps her eyes on the ceiling, maybe meditating? The third woman unabashedly observes them, her eyes roaming behind them to the door before taking in Nataley's look from head to toe. Her gaze encompasses Harry but doesn't linger, and Nataley feels...intrigued.

At the door to Jeffrey's office, she whispers to the manager, "That one," as she nudges her chin in the direction of the third woman.

It's rare that Jeffrey appears curious about anything. Oh, he's polite and kind and incredibly smart at his job, but his face rarely gives away any emotion. So when he raises an eyebrow at Nat, she wonders what she's done to get this kind of extreme reaction from him.

"Don't you want to talk about this first? Discuss what questions to ask?" The manager asks.

"Nope. I want to talk to her."

Staring at her for several seconds before making quick eye contact with Harry, Jeffrey waves the two of them into his office before calling "Cynthia?" Jeffrey beckons the woman inside, directing her towards a seat at the conference table.

Cynthia. Nataley removes the resumes from the folder she has been clutching, rifling through to find the woman's information. Scanning the paper, she's not even mildly surprised to find some celebrity names, but also CEOs and dignitaries.

"I'm Nataley." Reaching her hand across the table, she greets the body-- uh -- executive protection agent.

"It's a pleasure." The woman's grip is firm, and her confidence radiates like a sundial.

"This is Harry, and you already know Jeffrey."

Nodding to each man in turn, Cynthia returns her attention immediately to Nataley, clearly identifying who in the room has the power amongst these three. It's heady, and at first Nat is concerned that she doesn't know what she's doing, but with the woman's acknowledgement, Nataley summons her inner Stevie. What would her godmother do in a situation like this?

"You were watching me as we came in," Nataley asserts, and Cynthia agrees with a slight bow of her head. "Tell me what you saw."

"The male --" she signals to Harry, "-- is solicitous towards you, letting you enter the office first while holding the door. It exposed him but kept you safe. No one entered after you, and I noticed that no one was waiting outside the door either. Your outfit is simple and stylish, but I suspect you can move quickly if you need to. Your purse is a problem. You need to either carry your additional items in pockets or wear only a cross body bag. I wouldn't want to be slowed down by you dropping a handbag if we had to leave a location quickly."

Processing Cynthia's words, Nataley jumps into the narrative, "I don't want a -- an executive protection agent. Not really."

"Good. Cause I don't want to be one for you."

Her words stun Nat, and she blinks, her inner Stevie processing the statement. It doesn't sound like a complaint or that Cynthia is turning down the job. Quizzically, Nataley tilts her head. "Say more."

"From observing you, I think my job would be to teach you as much as I know about how to survey your surroundings, seek out escape routes, and plan ahead for all possibilities. You hire me for two months, and you get a personal trainer, an evasive maneuver driving instructor, and the knowledge that's currently inside my brain about how to keep yourself --" she glances at Harry "-- and the people in your life safe."

Nataley leans forward, crossing her arms on the table. "You mean you would train me to be my own bodyguard?" She doesn't bother with trying to find the correct terminology. This idea captivates her. The idea that she could learn the same skills as someone in the job and no longer need that person.

"You would still need protection for high profile events where the public or your stalker could find you easily."

Unease sweeps through Nataley, and she shifts her gaze from Cynthia to Jeffrey to Harry. "How did you know I have a stalker? Did Jeffrey tell you when he called to set up the interview?"

"No, ma'am. It was a calculated guess based on the information I had. You're the one who needs the protection. You're the one Harry defers to in this situation. You're the one who just told me you don't want the services of someone in my line of work. That wraps up into a package of someone who is trapped in a situation she would like to avoid. Most likely not an abusive ex, although that was my second guess."

"Not your first?"

"No. You're too emotionally strong to have been the victim of repeated, ongoing abuse. The way these two sat back and let you take charge told me that it was a stalker. Something you cannot control, but would like to have some power over."

"Fuck me," Nat breathes. "You're hired."

Neither Jeffrey nor Harry moves at her words, and all Cynthia does is hold out her hand. "I'm honored to be working for you, Nataley. I've got a standard contract that will include a non-disclosure agreement to protect your privacy. Mr. Azoff mentioned a one-month trial?"

"Not if you can do what you promised in two months. If you can do all of what you claimed in that time frame, then that's the package I want."

At those words, Jeffrey rises and approaches Cynthia. "Looks like you've got a new client. Let's follow up on the details."

Just like that, Nataley has a brand new bodyguard. Holy shit. Tingles race up and down her arms and legs at the realization of what she'd done. This was exactly what she needed. Standing from the table, she starts to walk to the office door, pausing with her hand on the doorknob.

"How do you stay in business?" Nat asks, twisting to look at the woman who is settling in to negotiate her contract with Jeffrey.

"Sadly, there's always someone who needs to learn the skills I have to teach. Plus I do a lot of traditional security work at events. This kind of work, though, is what feeds my soul. To be clear, I don't make this offer to everyone. Some people only get standard practice from me. Others, like you, need this instead." Cynthia's businesslike tone carries a message of exclusivity that now encompasses Nataley.

Nat smiles and softly replies, "I'm grateful."

With that, she and Harry exit the office and step out into the sunshine.

"Holy shit, H. Why didn't you tell me that was an option?"

"Honestly, I didn't know. You feel better now?"

"Better?! It's like a 10 ton weight has been lifted from my shoulders, Harry! I feel like I could dance a jig right here in the parking lot."

His laugh is full-throated. "Best not to. My fans occasionally look for me here, and you don't have the skills yet to fight them off."

"Dork." Climbing in the passenger side, she draws the door closed. "Should I feel badly for not even talking to the other two women? I mean, they wanted work too."

Harry's mouth turns up in a grin. "You Stevie Nicksed that shit so hard. No need to do anything more."

Now it's Nataley who can't help her laughter. It bubbles up like a sip of the most expensive champagne.

"We are celebrating! Ysabel or Nobu?"

"Harry!" Appalled, Nat lightly smacks his shoulder. "We cannot go out in public together."

"Wanna bet? One phone call to either restaurant, and we can have a private room ready for us."

While she knows Harry is serious, the last thing she wants to do after just hiring a bodyguard is put herself in danger. "Can we order takeout instead?"

Harry winces, "Okay."

"Don't give me that look. They got really good at takeout over at Nobu during the pandemic." Nat's standing her ground on this one. "We could also just go home and have some more of that Cap'n Crunch cereal."

With the press of a button on his steering wheel, Harry uses Siri to call the restaurant, placing an order for sushi takeout as he drives in the direction of Malibu.

"Just a reminder that we don't have to wear clothes if we're at home," she smirks, and Harry perks up.

"Very true! Excellent idea."

Nataley adjusts the radio to a country station where Cam's "Changes" starts playing. Knowing Harry won't mind if she sings along to this song he co-wrote, she belts out the words. As the song fades, Harry smiles, "Are you suggesting we get it on in the backseat?"

Glancing behind her, Nataley shakes her head as the next song begins. "I'm too old to contort myself into that space."

"Even for me?" Harry's lower lip juts out in a pout that reminds Nat of Noah which reminds her that tomorrow is the day of reckoning with Duane. Does she have the guts to do what needs to be done? Guess she'll find out.

"Hmmm?" she asks, having forgotten his question.

"You okay, love?"

"Of course!" She puts on her bravado. Perhaps she should run the plan past Harry? But she knows he will put the kibosh on it if he knows the details so she swallows the topic, hoping that he doesn't hold a grudge for keeping this so close to her chest.

Food picked up and settled on the floor beneath Nat's feet, Harry clears his throat once they are on the freeway again. Dread fills her, afraid he's going to suggest going to the exchange tomorrow with Duane.

"I've got a strange request, Nat. Would you indulge me?"

Despite her seatbelt, she shifts so that she faces him more directly. "We've tried everything sex-related, Harry, but if you've learned something new, I'm on board. Unless it's a threesome. I draw the line at some other hot chick or guy who is better looking than me sharing our bed." Honestly is always the best policy when it comes to their erotic adventures, and she means what she's said.

"So a guy who isn't as gorgeous as you would be okay? That's a bit rude, isn't it? How do I tell a potential partner he's in the mix because my girl doesn't think he's handsome?" He asks with a smirk, so she knows he's teasing.

Nat relaxes, cause sex with Harry is always adventurous, so whatever he's got in mind, she'll try. Even if it fails, they will have fun.

"Will you be terribly disappointed if it's not connected to our bedroom antics?"

"Hmmm...are you suggesting a location other than the bedroom? I'm down for that, but that backyard seems to be a bit exposed. What are you thinking?"

"Ah, yes. The backyard is quite open, and Chuck would be upset that we had taken over his bathroom. Speaking of which, remind me to go scoop his poop soon so it doesn't build up."

"That's what you're thinking about while I'm wondering about new sexual positions and what I'll wear?"

"Actually," he clears his throat again, "I was thinking about an experiment of sorts." A moment of silence follows this, and while he draws in a deep breath, Nat holds her own. If I shared my set list for the next tour, would you create some rough draft lighting plots for it? I've got the stage set up that Molly has put together."

Stunned, Nataley watches his face as a muscle in his jaw tenses and releases. Focused on the road ahead, he doesn't look at her, and she's relieved. Tour isn't for several months now, and she's only heard the new album minus a couple of songs once since he doesn't plan to release until February.

"Like the whole show? It would take some time, and I'd need to listen to the songs in playlist order. More than once to figure out transitions and such."

His hand gesture indicates that these are pesky details. "That's not an issue, Nat.

"You're serious, aren't you?"

"I'm not taking the piss, Nat. I would like you to rough sketch some design plots for at least the first three songs."

Her heart pumps at the same pace as a racehorse running the final lap of the Belmont. Placing a hand on her chest, she attempts to slow her breathing. "What would you do with them?" If she's merely making them for him to use as artwork or toilet paper, there was no way she would even attempt it.

"Um..." he shifts in his seat as he takes the exit for Gabe's house. "I want to show them to Stu. See if he can give you some feedback that might help." Parking in the alley, he switches off the ignition. "If you really want to go for being a tour lighting designer, then Stu can give you some tips."

That's true. Why hadn't she thought of it before? For fun, she's been redoing other people's concerts, but why not start fresh? Create something from scratch that no one else has yet done?

"Okay, H. I'm willing to give it a try."

"Cool. Let's eat and listen to the opening song. Might as well get your brain wrapped around the possibilities."

"Nope," she vigorously shakes her head as she rises from the car, holding the takeout in her hand. "If I'm going to do this, I need to listen to the entire set list from start to finish. And I need to immerse myself into what Molly has already created for designs and colors."

Shutting the car door, she punches in the gate code. Excitement courses through her veins. What a unique challenge and learning opportunity!

When Harry doesn't follow, she turns to glance at where he's standing by the Range Rover, his hand still on the door.

"What?" Nat asks, cocking her hip to one side.

"I fucking love you," he announces.

"Same. Now let's go let Chuck out. Poor baby probably has his legs crossed."