Wait for Me
Two
Grace stood speechless. "Wait, did you say 'Justin Bieber'? As in the small town kid from Canada who defied all odds and made it big all from YouTube videos created simply as a way to connect with his grandmother? That Justin Bieber?"
Sasha chuckled. "Yes, Grace. That's the one. Now, we know you love him, but you have to be professional about this."
Carrie added, "My obsession was with Michael Jackson. I think Linda's was actor and singer David Cassidy."
"Actually, Carrie, it was his brother, Shaun." Linda corrected, a smile playing on her lips.
Carrie nodded a silent apology.
"But, regardless of who our celebrity crushes were, the point is we all understand. But there's a time to be a fan and a time to be professional."
Grace inhaled deeply and nodded. "I'll try my best."
"Would you like to talk to him before the show to calm your nerves a bit?" Carrie suggested.
"Would that calm me down or just make it worse?" Grace wondered aloud.
"Here, right this way." Sasha led her to a back room.
"You're on in thirty minutes, ladies." A producer, informed them.
Knock, knock.
"Justin? There's a young woman out here that would like to meet you before the show."
"Sure. Come in, please."
He sounds so sophisticated and well-mannered. Grace thought.
Grace's heart pounded so loud, she was sure that he could hear it on the other side of the door.
"Relax, Grace." Sasha whispered in her ear.
She turned the doorknob with a shaky hand. Justin was standing in front of the mirror, adjusting the sleeves on his jacket, exposing his tattoos. He turned to her with a smile on his face.
"Hi. I'm Justin. How are you?" He held out his hand.
"Hi, Justin. A little nervous. How are you?"
"I'm well, thank you. Why are you nervous?"
"Well, first off, I'm usually just an intern here. But this morning, my manager called and told me that one of the regulars was sick, no one could get hold of her back-up and that everyone had requested that I do the show in her place. It'll be my first time ever being a part of the interviews."
"Oh, you'll do great. Don't be nervous. It'll be fine. Believe me. What's you're name, by the way?"
"Grace, but you can call me Gracie."
"Gracie. That's a pretty name. Here. Sit down."
They walked to a couch on the opposite wall. "You look really young, Gracie. Pardon my asking, but how old are you?"
"I'll be twenty-one later this year." She sat up straighter.
"Do you drink?"
She shook her head. "No, but I will admit I had taste of alcohol about a year ago when I visited my hometown."
Justin raised his eyebrows. "Ah. We have a rule-breaker on our hands, eh?" He chuckled lightly.
Grace smirked. "Well, it's not breaking the law where I come from."
"And where would that be?" He asked, a hint of playfulness in his voice.
She smiled. "Canada."
His eyes brightened and he sat back. "You're Canadian?"
She nodded. "Je suis Canadien." (I am Canadian.)
His eyebrows raised once again. "And you speak French, I see."
She smiled. "I didn't mean to show off. I just finally saw a good time to use it."
He chuckled. "No, no. It wasn't taken as showing off."
There was a knock on the door. "Ten minutes, Grace."
Grace knew the voice. "Thanks, Jim." she called back.
Grace stood up, as did Justin. "Well, I should probably get going. I don't want them to freak out if they don't know where I am."
"I should go meet with Scooter, now that I think about it. But before you go, may I have your number?"
Shock rushed in again as she realized that he wanted her number. She quickly told him the digits.
He messed with his phone for a minute, then shut it off and looked up at her. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing. I'm just still nervous." she confessed.
A second later, she felt two strong arms wrap around her body. She let herself melt into his warm embrace as she put her arms around his waist and rested her head against his chest.
"Thank you, Justin." she whispered.
Jim knocked on the door and let her know it was five minutes until showtime. She thanked Justin again and told him what an honor it was to finally meet him. She waved once again as she walked out the door. She walked back to him and whispered in his ear, "Je taime beaucoup." (You mean a lot to me.)
She checked her phone, as a force of habit. Three unread messages.
You'll do great, sweetheart! Love you! - Mom
Don't stress, sis. Relax and have fun! - Angela
Unknown.
She tapped her finger against the screen.
You'll do great today. You're so beautiful. Je crois en toi. - Justin
(I believe in you.)
She smiled and put her phone away. She followed Carrie, Sasha and Linda out onto the sound stage and glanced at the cameraman.
"And we're on in 3, 2..."
Sasha chuckled. "Yes, Grace. That's the one. Now, we know you love him, but you have to be professional about this."
Carrie added, "My obsession was with Michael Jackson. I think Linda's was actor and singer David Cassidy."
"Actually, Carrie, it was his brother, Shaun." Linda corrected, a smile playing on her lips.
Carrie nodded a silent apology.
"But, regardless of who our celebrity crushes were, the point is we all understand. But there's a time to be a fan and a time to be professional."
Grace inhaled deeply and nodded. "I'll try my best."
"Would you like to talk to him before the show to calm your nerves a bit?" Carrie suggested.
"Would that calm me down or just make it worse?" Grace wondered aloud.
"Here, right this way." Sasha led her to a back room.
"You're on in thirty minutes, ladies." A producer, informed them.
Knock, knock.
"Justin? There's a young woman out here that would like to meet you before the show."
"Sure. Come in, please."
He sounds so sophisticated and well-mannered. Grace thought.
Grace's heart pounded so loud, she was sure that he could hear it on the other side of the door.
"Relax, Grace." Sasha whispered in her ear.
She turned the doorknob with a shaky hand. Justin was standing in front of the mirror, adjusting the sleeves on his jacket, exposing his tattoos. He turned to her with a smile on his face.
"Hi. I'm Justin. How are you?" He held out his hand.
"Hi, Justin. A little nervous. How are you?"
"I'm well, thank you. Why are you nervous?"
"Well, first off, I'm usually just an intern here. But this morning, my manager called and told me that one of the regulars was sick, no one could get hold of her back-up and that everyone had requested that I do the show in her place. It'll be my first time ever being a part of the interviews."
"Oh, you'll do great. Don't be nervous. It'll be fine. Believe me. What's you're name, by the way?"
"Grace, but you can call me Gracie."
"Gracie. That's a pretty name. Here. Sit down."
They walked to a couch on the opposite wall. "You look really young, Gracie. Pardon my asking, but how old are you?"
"I'll be twenty-one later this year." She sat up straighter.
"Do you drink?"
She shook her head. "No, but I will admit I had taste of alcohol about a year ago when I visited my hometown."
Justin raised his eyebrows. "Ah. We have a rule-breaker on our hands, eh?" He chuckled lightly.
Grace smirked. "Well, it's not breaking the law where I come from."
"And where would that be?" He asked, a hint of playfulness in his voice.
She smiled. "Canada."
His eyes brightened and he sat back. "You're Canadian?"
She nodded. "Je suis Canadien." (I am Canadian.)
His eyebrows raised once again. "And you speak French, I see."
She smiled. "I didn't mean to show off. I just finally saw a good time to use it."
He chuckled. "No, no. It wasn't taken as showing off."
There was a knock on the door. "Ten minutes, Grace."
Grace knew the voice. "Thanks, Jim." she called back.
Grace stood up, as did Justin. "Well, I should probably get going. I don't want them to freak out if they don't know where I am."
"I should go meet with Scooter, now that I think about it. But before you go, may I have your number?"
Shock rushed in again as she realized that he wanted her number. She quickly told him the digits.
He messed with his phone for a minute, then shut it off and looked up at her. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing. I'm just still nervous." she confessed.
A second later, she felt two strong arms wrap around her body. She let herself melt into his warm embrace as she put her arms around his waist and rested her head against his chest.
"Thank you, Justin." she whispered.
Jim knocked on the door and let her know it was five minutes until showtime. She thanked Justin again and told him what an honor it was to finally meet him. She waved once again as she walked out the door. She walked back to him and whispered in his ear, "Je taime beaucoup." (You mean a lot to me.)
She checked her phone, as a force of habit. Three unread messages.
You'll do great, sweetheart! Love you! - Mom
Don't stress, sis. Relax and have fun! - Angela
Unknown.
She tapped her finger against the screen.
You'll do great today. You're so beautiful. Je crois en toi. - Justin
(I believe in you.)
She smiled and put her phone away. She followed Carrie, Sasha and Linda out onto the sound stage and glanced at the cameraman.
"And we're on in 3, 2..."