"Oh, Mr. Richards, I'm SO sorry," she pleaded to the disgruntled looking man waiting for her at the door. "Alarm... clock didn't...go..off," she huffed and puffed to Mr. Richards. "Maybe...lay off the fudge rounds," she joked, holding her side. Mr. Richard's couldn't resist but to laugh. "It's alright, Danielle, those things happen to us all," he said opening the door for her. Inside Our House, things looked the polar opposite of how they had appeared the night before.
Panicked and chaotic people roamed the lobby in every direction. "Welcome to the madness, Danielle." Mr. Richards led Danielle all around the building, introducing her to a variety of new faces. Finally, he led her to the actual recording studio. "You want to meet Ryan, Danielle?" Mr. Richards questioned.
"Sure," she responded cheerfully. Mr. Richards pecked on the glass window, and motioned for a tall, skinny young man to come out. Ryan entered, smiling, and shaking Mr. Richard's hand. "Danielle, I'd like you to meet Ryan Kelso, Our House's next platinum recording artist." Mr. Richards informed, slapping Ryan on the back. "Ryan, this is Danielle. She wants to produce someday, so we're letting her try things out here."
"Cool," Ryan replied, examining Danielle's body. "Nice to meet you," he said shaking her hand. "Ya, you, too."Danielle said, shining her best fake smile.
"Lane, Vince wants to speak with you in his office. Can you come up for a sec?" a voice interrupted. Mr. Richards nodded, and left Danielle and Ryan alone in the studio. "So,um...Jodie, was it?" Ryan asked cluelessly. "DANIELLE," she replied coldly. "Right, well, Danielle could you go across the hall and get me some water? Bottled water? Naya water, not that Dasani crap. Oh, and a glass to pour it in? with ice?crushed not cubed." He paused a moment. "Think you can handle that, sweetheart?" he asked, while fixing his hair in the glass.
"Ya, I think I'll survive," Danielle replied sarcastically. "Great," he said, winking at her. "Prick, prick, prick." Danielle hummed to herself as she opened the refrigerator door in the lounge across the hall. She grabbed a bottle of
Naya, then searched the cabinets until she found a glass.
With the glass of "crushed" ice in one hand, and the bottle in the other, Danielle headed back to the studio. "OH MY GOSH, I'M SO SORRY!!!" Danielle insisted, kneeling on the ground, picking up the tiny pieces of glass. "Na, it's ok," the voice responded, kneeling down with her, helping pick up the pieces. "Are you hurt? Did it cut you?" she asked, still cleaning up the mess. "No, no, I'm fine,but YOU better be careful. They don't call glass sharp for nothin, you know?" the voice relied, laughing at himself.
"If only that jack ass didn't need a stupid glass- I mean, why do you need a glass??? ITS WATER," she asked annoyed. "It's ok. Honest, I'm fine. Here, let me help you up." The kind stranger extended his hand. Danielle glanced up at his hand, and gripped it with hers, helping her rise to her feet. "I really am so.." Danielle finally
looked the kind stranger in the face, and was shocked to see JC Chasez staring back at her, smiling.
"rry.." she finished, still holding his hand. "Are you,Danielle, is it?" he said letting go of her hand. Danielle forced
herself out her state of shock. "OH!..Ya, ya that's me," she nodded to him.
"Nice to meet you, Danielle. I'm Josh, I'm the, jack ass's producer," he explained laughing at himself. "OH!" Danielle replied, embarrassed. "I didn't mean, I mean, he wasn't a- I mean?"
"Shh!" he interrupted her, leaning closer and lowering his voice. "Just between you and me, jack ass is the nice way of putting it." A smile spread across each of their faces as they both burst into laughter.
"Danielle?" Mr. Richards paged, coming down the hallway. "Ah, I see you've met Josh." Ya, I sort of, ran into him," she smiled shyly at Josh. "Well, I'm glad you two have got acquainted because the two of you are going to be spending QUITE a bit amount of time together. Ryan's waiting. He has other appointments today, Josh. Shouldn't you get started?"
"Ya, I'm there, Lane," Josh replied. Mr. Richards nodded. "You take care of Danielle. Show her some of the ropes. I've got a couple of meetings and some paper work to fill for Ryan." Danielle could feel her face burn as Josh
glanced at her. "Ok. I'll let her see a master at work!"Josh started down the hall towards the studio. "You coming?" he asked turning back around to her.
"Ya, ya, I'm right behind you," Danielle smiled. Josh gave her a little smile back, and went into the studio. "Oh my gosh," Danielle thought to herself. "Mercedes, is gonna SPAZ!"
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