up all night.

After a long couple of hours getting her hair, makeup and outfit just right, Paola was ready to head out for another event, which was sure to be boring. The only reason she had to attend was because her father was a big name movie director who had a large stake in Hollywood, which meant the Bremen family had an image to keep up with. The one thing that got Paola through the events was the prospect of the interesting people that she would meet. She wasn't talented herself, but she had the opportunity to meet some of the most talented people in the world, something most people couldn't say.

Her mother called to her downstairs, saying that the limo was ready, so she followed both of her parents out of their mansion and into the large car. It was a short drive to the charity event, but her father would still be on the phone the entire time.

---

One of the things that Niall liked most about his fame was the people that he was able to help, and attending charity events was just one of the many things that he could do. He and the boys were performing at the event, which was sure to bring in a big crowd, and they were even auctioning off a few things in hopes that they could bring in even more money for the charity.

The five boys were strewn throughout the limo that had been provided for them, and each of them were dressed in classy suits that matched their personalities, though they had been chosen by a stylist, not themselves.

"We're almost there, boys!" The driver called from up front, as if they had things they were supposed to be finishing up. Niall was just excited to see what familiar faces he would see at the event.

Liam kept glancing down to his phone, keeping an eye on the time. It wasn't that he wasn't excited about performing... He was just tired. They hadn't gotten much sleep in the last couple of days, and it was finally starting to wear him down. But he managed to appear as though he was bright eyed and awake, ready to take on the performance. "So who else is performing again?" He questioned, looking over to the boys with a faint smile.

He looked away for a second, glancing out the window as the limo began to pull up. People were strewn everywhere, some with cameras, some with signs that had Harry's name on it with his large face pasted next to it. "Looks like we're here," he added, feeling the limo stop, the screams outside getting louder.

---

Jordan was nervous. Being fairly new to the music scene meant that she still wasn't used to having to go to charity events (or events in general) and being photographed, or even performing. Her fingers were fiddling with the hem of her dress for a couple of seconds, only to be swatted away by her stylist. "You need to relax," she said, offering her a soothing smile. "This is for a good cause, and it'll be fun. Trust me."

She nodded her head slowly, watching as the limo slowly rolled into a stop, the door opening a couple seconds later. "You'll be fine," she whispered, lightly nudging Katie in the direction of the door. She stepped out, immediately putting on an easy grin as the flashes of the cameras blinded her. She took a couple steps, focusing on what she'd been told, and followed the small group of people towards the doors.

Paola and her family went through the side entrance, where they were greeted by many of her father's equals. Her mother quickly went to gossiping with some of the other wives, while her father talked business like he hadn't just been in the office all day. There wasn't anyone for Paola to talk to since her father's colleagues were either too young or too old to have children Paola's age.

Instead of saying to listen to the adults' incessant rambling, she went out into the ballroom, which was complete with hundreds of round, cloth covered tables for the guests to sit at and a large stage for the entertainment to perform. It seemed as though most people were already in the ballroom and seated, and the wait staff was moving around frantically to make sure everyone was happy with their service.

Paola made the journey to find her and her parents' table, which didn't take long since it was one of the few towards the front that didn't have any people sitting at it yet. Judging by the place cards, they were going to be sitting by the Laster's, which wouldn't be all bad.

Paola quickly sat in her chair, eyes on the stage as she waited for either the entertainment or her parents to take a seat, whichever came first.

---

"It's a girl band," Niall replied to Liam as he shrugged his shoulders. "Paul told me but I can't remember the name. I think they might have opened for us once, though. I can't really be sure." They had a lot of bands open for them since they'd gotten their fame, which was nice because they got to share the fans with other musicians just starting out. Everyone they toured with was nice enough too, even if there faces mostly blended together.

When the limo came to a stop, the boys hopped out the side and took the back entrance, because there was no way they wouldn't be trampled by fans if they went out front. It'd be nice if they could see the fans without getting attacked, but that wasn't really a possibility yet.

Liam gave a nod of his head. That really didn't help much. Sure, not many girl bands had opened up for them, but it was still hard to keep track of every single band that they'd played with. The second they were out of the limo, Liam hurried towards the entrance, thankful that there weren't any fans around. He loved their fans dearly, but he also appreciated the peace and quiet that they'd have for awhile.

The second he was inside, the stage manager rushed over to them, gushing about how nice it was to have them there, and how they had about an hour or so before they had to be on. He gave a nod of his head before turning to the rest of the lads. "Hey, I'm going to head out front, maybe mingle or something." Or get a drink, he added silently to himself. He wasn't much for drinking before a show, but he figured something small and barely alcoholic wouldn't really count.

---

By the time Jordan and the rest of her band made it backstage, she was pretty sure that she was going to throw up. "Oh my God, would you just relax?" Her bandmate, Alex, laughed, shooting her a grin. Jordan just rolled her eyes at the girl, frowning. "We do this all of the time! So what if there's more than a couple of celebrities out there? It'll be fun." Jordan just shook her head, her fingers rubbing against the guitar pick in her hand. It wouldn't be a big show that night. Instead, they'd opted for something acoustic and easy so they could let One Direction really shine.

She started pacing, jerking her head up when the stage manager said that they had fifteen minutes. Fifteen more minutes. Fifteen more torturous minutes of her stressing about hitting a wrong note, or playing the wrong chord. She resisted the urge to run a hand through her hair, knowing that her stylist would probably murder her for messing it all up. "I'm going to be sick," she announced to no one in particular, knowing that her bandmates had her her - and were probably rolling their eyes.

Paola was alone at her table for fifteen minutes before a waiter finally came buy and handed her a champagne flute, not even bothering to check her ID. They didn't really check IDs at things like this, because it usually caused a lot of problems at things like this, especially if any waiter were to say no to someone who had parents with a lot of money.

After taking a sip from her glass, Paola turned to look around the room for someone interesting to talk to, but it seemed like she either knew everyone or they were all too old to be of any interest to her.

---

Niall decided to check out the backstage area, because he always liked to scope things out a bit more before they played. He liked to be at least a little familiar with the area that way the only pressure was on the music, not on knowing where or where not to be.

As he explored, he found a group of girls getting mic'd up and assumed they were the other band that was playing. He vaguely recognized them, but it seemed like the blonde really recognized him with the way she was looking at him. He decided he should be polite and go wish them luck, so he headed towards the girls with a smile on his face. Up close, they looked more familiar than before, though the band's name wasn't coming to him.

"I just wanted to say good luck," he said to them, giving his trademark Niall smile. "Or, break a leg. Whichever you prefer."

Liam slipped in through one of the side doors, immediately being hounded by a younger looking couple. He nodded his head in agreement, his attention more on the waiters with the champagne rather than what they were saying. After a couple of minutes he managed to get away, snagging a flute and taking a long sip of it as he looked around. He spotted another small gaggle of people heading towards him, so he did the first thing he could think of.

He took another sip of champagne and darted for the nearest table, taking a seat at it with ease. "Hi," he said, instantly speaking when he realized that someone else was sitting there. "Do you mind pretending to know me?" He asked, the words spilling out of his mouth with abandon. If anything, he'd blame it on the champagne.

---

Jordan had a tendency to be over dramatic when she was around her bandmates. They were like one big family, and were entirely comfortable with each other. So when she announced that not only was she going to be sick, but she was going to projectile vomit over the first group of tables, it happened to be just as a member of One Direction approached. She could remember who he was vaguely, but his name was escaping her. Her face grew red as she ducked her head, slipping her in ear monitor on as she avoided his gaze.

Alex, on the other hand, let out a laugh, grinning up at the blonde. "I think Jordan's the only one who really needs it. She's a little woozy right now, aren't you, Jor?" Jordan looked over to her friend, scowling for a second before looking to him. "Sorry about her," she said, offering him a small smile.

Paola was shocked to have someone sitting at her table that wasn't one of her father's associates, especially considering that someone was a handsome guy no older than her. He seemed a little shaky and out of breath, like he had been running from something. If she didn't know he was part of the biggest boy band in the world, she might have thought he was crazy, but he probably just had a bunch of fans chasing him down.

"Is this one of those things where you ask me to be your fake girlfriend?" She asked, but before he could answer there was already a few people standing behind them. "Oh, my dear cousin, Liam from the old country, it's so good to see you again. How are mum and pops? Doing well, I hope. I haven't seen them since two Christmases ago."

---

"Oh come on, now," Niall said to the brunette, who looked like she was going to vomit. The other girls were right; he'd be surprised if she didn't get sick all over the place. "No need to be worried, yeah? We'll all be right here." He smiled at her, hoping to give her a bit of comfort, because she did look terribly nervous. He knew she didn't have a reason to be, though, because crowds like this usually weren't difficult to please, and the charity head wouldn't have picked the girls if she didn't think they were capable.

Liam furrowed his brow at her, confused when she spoke. "What? No," he said, leaning back in his seat. He glanced behind him, noticing the people edging closer before finally standing behind the table. He turned his attention back to the girl in front of him, adopting an easy smile. "They're doing pretty well, really liking it in the old country," he said, biting a laugh. "What about your parents? I haven't seen them in ages," he said, tilting his head as he watched her. He was surprised that she thought so fast on her feet. He was impressed.

---

Jordan made a face at him, shaking her head. "Yeah? Well as of right now, you're the only one not taking bets on when I'm going to vomit," she said, her face flushing even more. This always happened when she was nervous, the habit of saying whatever came to mind. "This uh, just still makes me nervous even though we've been doing it for like two years now," she said, giving a shrug of her shoulders as she looked up at him. "I'm Jordan, by the way," she added, hoping that he'd offer his name so she could actually remember it this time.

"Well, you remember Old Margaret's third wedding a few years back? With the alcohol and all that. It's been... about the same as that night, I'd say. Lots of dancing on the table and what not." It seemed as though Liam's fans were buying their lies, and they soon began dispersing slowly, which was actually much more slowly than Paola would have expected and what could actually be considered rude. She turned back to him with a smile on her face that could only be described as genuine.

---

He held out his hand to her, smiling as she shook it. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Jordan. I'm Niall." He paused and looked around them before leaning forward and whispering in her ear. "Would you like a shot? I always keep a bit of gin back stage. Maybe it'll help calm your nerves." He didn't always offer alcohol to girls he just met, but this girl looked desperate for help, and a good shot of gin would either calm her down or make her vomit. Either way, it would be better than whatever it was she was doing now.

Liam nodded his head as though he understood a word of what she was saying. He was used to pretending in interviews, so it wasn't too hard to pretend at that moment. He let out a hum of agreement, waiting until the people actually began to walk away before saying anything. "You're a genius," he breathed out, a genuine grin on his face. "An actual, living, breathing genius. You have no idea how much you saved me," he added, letting out a laugh. "I'm Liam, by the way."

---

Jordan reached out to take his hand, shaking it lightly before pulling away. She looked up at him, her eyes wide with what he suggested. "Uh, yeah," she said, having to hesitate a second before giving a nod of her head. She could usually handle her alcohol, so she was hoping that it would just calm her down. "Do you always offer girls shots right after you meet them?" She asked, a teasing tone to her voice as she tried to calm herself down. "Or am I just special?" She felt like she was regaining some of her footing, starting to feel a bit more like herself as she talked to him.

"I already knew that," she said with a laugh. "Not the genius thing. That your name was Liam. I think it'd be impossible not to know who you are." Though Paola had met plenty of celebrities in her lifetime, she thought Liam might be the most famous, at least when it came to her generation. There wasn't a person she knew that didn't know who One Direction was. She stuck her hand out to him, using the manners her father had taught her. "Now that I've made a fool of myself, I'm Paola."

---

Niall placed a hand on Jordan's back, guiding her to where he and the guys had stashed their stuff. "You said it, not me," he said with a smirk, his hand pressing against her back a bit more. "Now, don't blame me if you vomit. And make sure you face the other way." He reached into his bag and pulled out a flask with the Irish flask on it, which he then unscrewed the top off of and passed to Jordan. When she took the flask from him, he smiled again. "Bottom's up."

"Not impossible. I've met enough people that have no idea who I am. It's kind of nice, actually," Liam said with a smile. He liked it when he could go around unnoticed, as though he was just some other guy wondering around a city. It rarely happened, but he liked it when it actually did happen. "Paola, thank you for coming to my rescue. It's a pleasure to meet you," he said, reaching out and taking her hand in his, giving it a short, but firm shake. "So are you here by yourself?" He asked, motioning to the empty chairs at the table.

---

Jordan let out a laugh, shaking her head at him. She wouldn't admit it, but she kind of liked the way his hand felt against her back. "I'm not going to vomit. I can hold my alcohol quite well, thank you," she told him, giving him a look. She took the flask from him, shooting him a grin before taking a long sip, making a face as it went down. She handed it back to him, shaking her head slowly. "See? I'm fine," she said, already starting to feel the liquid courage seep through her veins. "Much better."

"By myself is a very relative term," Paola said, making note of the empty chairs herself. It usually went this way, with her parents mingling around until they absolutely had to be around her again. "My parents are here, but there's no telling where they're at." She paused and tucked her hair behind her, using the lull to look around for her parents, who were no where to be found. "What about you, Liam? Where are your band mates?"

---

"Well, I just thought that since you were about to vomit just at the sight of the stage I should take a few precautions," he joked, smiling as he watched her take the shot down like a champ. What a trooper she was. That gin was not mild. "Now, I'm expecting a brilliant performance from you," Niall said to her, smirking as he folded his arms across his chest. "And if you want to dedicate it to me, well, then that's just a bonus."

Liam quirked a brow at her, confused for a second until she explained. "Oh, okay," he said, leaning back in his seat. He reached for the champagne, managing to finish off his flute within a couple of moments. "Oh, they're probably backstage or something," he said with a shrug. His eyes lit up with a thought as he straightened up in his seat. "You want to come backstage for a bit? You know, since your parents aren't around yet?" He asked her, offering her a smile. "It'd be like partial payment for saving me from the horde of fans," he added with a laugh, watching her.

---

Jordan shook her head at him, letting out a laugh. "I was going to vomit at the sight of the stage, not the sight of you," she said, grinning up at him. "Dedicate it to you, a guy I just met? I'm pretty sure that the media would go crazy," she said, mimicking his smirk. "But I'd bet you like it if I dedicated a song to you," she added as an afterthought, more speaking out loud than anything else.

Paola was certain that a more interesting opportunity was not going to come along, so she nodded her head, smiling brightly at Liam. "I would love to." She had been backstage at a few shows before, but this would be much more exciting. Well, not as exciting as Miley, but that was for another reason entirely. "Oh, and this doesn't even begin to make up for that whole cousin thing," Paola joked, smiling again as she watched him

---

"Hey, I know a thing or two about the media. They wouldn't even notice," Niall assured her, shrugging his shoulders with a confident smile. "Unless it involves Harry, the tabloids don't really pay it much mind." He paused as he looked at her before shrugging his shoulders again. "And I was thinking something more like the whole set, not just one song."

Liam pushed his seat out and stood up, motioning for her to follow him. "Hey, at least I didn't go for the fake girlfriend thing," he told her with a grin. The thought hadn't even crossed his mind, though. The boys had enough trouble as it was for real girlfriends, let alone fake ones. "You'll have to follow me. Since you don't have a pass, I'll have to be the one to let you in," he explained.

---

Jordan quirked a brow in his direction, mildly surprised. "So you can do just about anything and they won't care?" She questioned, looking up at him with surprise. She would have thought that any news concerning any member of One Direction would be news worthy. "Whoa there, the whole set? I think you're getting a head of yourself. You're up for like, one verse and chorus, maybe."

"I was just trying to save your butt," Paola said, shrugging her shoulders as she stood up to follow Liam. She noticed for the first time how tall and fit he was - both desirable traits, not that she was looking. She walked beside Liam as the security guard let the two of them by without a second glance. She guessed he was her golden ticket.

---

"As long as Harry's not the one doing it, the press doesn't seem to care. The rest of us fly under the radar most of the time," Niall chuckled, running a hand through his hair. "What would I have to do to get the whole set?"

"Thank you for that," Liam said, sincerity ringing throughout his voice. He stepped passed the guard, not even realizing that he let them in without a second glance. By now it was all normal to him. He glanced around, trying to spot the lads before he turned back to Paola. "It's not that exciting back here, really. Usually it's much more interesting when we're on tour, and we don't have to act respectable," he said, a sly grin on his lips.

---

"Lucky you," Jordan said, shaking her head at him. It seemed more and more all of the girls were under the scrutiny of the media, although none of them wanted it. "Oh, a lot more than just giving me some alcohol," she told him, tilting her head as she looked up at him. "Quite a lot more, really."

"No offense, Liam, but you seem like you'd be awful at trying to act respectful," she joked, crossing her arms over her chest as she walked back stage with him. She could just imagine all the shenanigans he and the boys got into, and she highly doubted they could just turn it off. She knew herself just how difficult it was.

---

"What about a bet?" He asked, raising his eyebrow as he looked down at her. "I say I can drink you under the table. Tonight, obviously. not before the set." He paused and folded his arms across his chest. "If I'm right, you have to dedicate your next show to me. If you somehow manage to outdrink me, I'll dedicate our next show to you. What do you say?"