Say Anything You Want, I'll Turn the Music Up

Say Anything You Want, I'll Turn the Music Up♥ James Diamond{BTR!}

Chapter 3: Big Time Job

A job. That was my punishment for "getting my car towed". (Even though technically it was my mother's fault. She didn't pay my insurance for the month or renew my registration, then "forgot" to tell me I couldn't be driving it or it would get towed at any given time no matter where I parked. I'd told her my Civic was parked in front of Rain's house—I had ended up going back to her place at the end of the night after I finished freaking out and she called a friend to come pick us up outside Boulevard3—that we'd been at her house all night. In spite of my terrible lying, she bought it.)

So I needed money if I wanted to get my car out of the impound—which required renewing both the insurance and registration before I could even pay for that—and I was flat broke. Saturday was my allotted time to scour as many businesses as I could. It was two weeks till summer vacation, so even though I needed a car now, it was the ideal time to get my applications in and get called back without worrying about school. Originally I'd planned on taking college classes at the community college this summer, but I also needed money for those anyway.

So far I'd been around the immediate area of LA and no one was hiring, not even the fast food places. I hadn't dressed up for nothing, so I put in a few applications anyway. Now I decided to try some swanky Hollywood places; I would probably make more money at those anyway, if I could get by with having no experience whatsoever.

Record companies were everywhere. Rocque Records, Hawk Records... I loved music more than anything, but I didn't have the musical ability—I couldn't sing or play instruments to save my life—to work at one.

I was dressed professionally, but that didn't change the fact that the only thing I was good at was school (I couldn't lie, sing or play an instrument, get a boyfriend or flirt with a boy. That leaves school).

I continued walking until I walked straight past a large grandiose building... and backtracked. The Palm Woods. Where up-and-coming Hollywood stars live and have fun all day long in the lounge, near the pool, with other almost-famous people... Palm Woods was notorious. Even Lindsay Lohan stayed there. So I've heard anyway. I bet they payed real good, judging by the size and the amount of rich tenants. Not that they would hire a commoner, but this day was all about trying, and the worst that could happen was not getting a job while simultaneously getting kicked out...

I drew in a breath, steeled myself, and strutted through the door. The lobby of Palm Woods was larger than any hotel's that I had been in, with Hollywood's future and current stars lounging in the chairs and on couches. I took it in for a moment then went up to the front desk. A desk plaque that said "MANAGER" was on the counter; an overweight man wearing glasses and a suit with a name tag that said "R. Bitters" stood behind it.

"Hello," I said cheerily, putting on my I'm-confident-and-have-this-job-in-the-bag face. "I'm Harper Rae."

"Is that name supposed to mean something to me?" R. Bitters asked. His voice was annoying and nasally, and he seemed really mean. "If you're not an actress or singer, I'm not interested."

I ignored him. "I was just wondering if you were hiring." I smiled like a sweet little girl.

He snorted. "No," he said, closing the case.

Normally I wouldn't take defeat so easily, but with this guy I knew being my feisty self would get me nowhere but kicked out. So I smiled friendly once again and was just about to turn and walk off when a voice said, "Well, well, well. What do we have here?" That voice sounded vaguely familiar. I looked to my side where the voice had come from...

MOTHER—

"James," I said in a too sweet voice. "What are you doing here?" James Diamond was leaning against the front desk with a condescending smirk on his face. Not a smirk like the last time I saw him, but more of a payback-is-now-immanent smirk.Oh shi-talking mushrooms...

"Uh, I live here," he said in a duh! voice. "What are you doing here?"

"I was just leaving," I said. I started to back away again. I normally wouldn't have apologized, and it was the worst fate imaginable that I would try and apply at the place James Diamond lived—because I had planned on never ever seeing him again; LA's a big place. I should have guessed though after he mentioned his band—but now seeing him here I did feel just a little bad. "And look, I'm sorry about the other night—"

"She was asking for a job!" Bitters interrupted me with a maniacal laugh. "Can you believe it?"

James smiled wide. "Bitters," he said, making his pitch go up and down several times in just that one word, "give the girl a job." Bitters scoffed. James stepped toward me and put his arm around my shoulder. "How can you resist this face? Make a face," he whispered to me loudly. I pushed his arm off my shoulder but pouted, playing along. Hey, if this guy had forgiven me and was going to get me a job at the famous Palm Woods...why not?

"Easily," Bitters said, dismissing us.

"Okay," James said. "But how can you resist...this face?" As he said 'this face' he did this really weird thing where he moved his head and wiggled his fingers on either side of it. Was this guy serious? He was, he was totally serious, he was that dumb.

"Even more easily," Bitters said. "I hate you. Why on earth would I do anything for you?" I was starting to like this guy...kind of. If it hadn't been me getting money and a job at stake.

James Diamond made a face at him, then jumped over the desk, knocking a bunch of stuff off on the way. I crossed my arms over my chest and waited, even though my gut told me I should leave right then. Maybe I stayed because I wanted to see what this guy was capable of or how he could manage to coax this (no pun intended) bitter man.

When Bitters and James Diamond got done whispering fiercely to each other, James emerged from behind the desk, this time walking around it the proper way.

"Well..." Bitters said somewhat reluctantly. "I can't afford to spend anymore money. But we have been needing a pool boy...or girl. You can start today." I was instantly suspicious. There was no way on earth this guy would ever have hired me. I cast a sideways glance at James. What had he done? What had he said that was so convincing it made R. Bitters hire me on the spot? I knew it was nothing about my overtly charming personality, that was for sure. A bribe maybe? A promise of something? I vowed to myself to get to the bottom of it.

Bitters reached from behind the counter and handed me what I assumed to be my new uniform. It was folded up and I didn't bother unfolding it to see what it looked like.

"James, dude," the cute Hispanic boy from the car the other night ran up breathless, interrupting us, "Gustavo willkillus if we're late again. Come on!" The other two guys I had seen the other night stood at the doors of the Palm Woods, looking annoyed and waving for James and this other boy to hurry over there. He ran off again without even waiting for James to follow.

"Welcome to the Palm Woods, Pool Girl," Bitters said.

Either I was totally lucky or totally screwed.