Chapter Text
Blaine is running late. He is late for his first day at work. He’s not the type to be late to anything. Blaine has always been 15 minutes early for everything. But, today is not the day. He is still getting used to the LA traffic and didn’t leave his apartment early enough to get to work on time.
Blaine had moved to Los Angeles just a week ago. After graduating from Harvard with a Business Management degree, his older brother had offered him a job at his company. Cooper Anderson owns one of the top talent agencies in the country. CAA was created when Cooper’s dreams of becoming a big Hollywood star didn’t pan out like he had hoped. But, it turns out that Cooper is really good at getting other people famous. Since moving out to Los Angeles after high school to pursue his dream of becoming an actor, he had made a lot of friends and connections in the industry. With his good looks and charms, he had made great relationships with studio heads and network executives in Hollywood over the years for his clients to get cast in movies and shows. CAA has some of the A list celebrities and the agency has a reputation in Tinsel Town for making stars out of newcomers.
Blaine is going to be starting as a Junior Agent. He’s excited about it; his new job, new life, and living in a new city. Granted, Blaine didn’t dream of becoming a talent agent. He wanted to play baseball professionally. He dreamed of pitching for the Reds or the Dodgers, until an incident during Freshman year damaged his right wrist to a point where he can no longer play baseball at a competitive level. Blaine was devastated, but he’s making the best of it. He worked hard in high school and got into Harvard. He decided to study business, so he can get into any field he wants to get into. He is still in the process of finding his next dream. When Cooper offered him a job as Junior Agent at CAA, Blaine took it. What better place to find your dream than in the city of dreams?
But, Blaine’s first day of finding his dream is not turning out so great. Cooper is not going to be happy with him for being late on his first day. He is thirty minutes late. After parking his car in the underground parking garage of the office building. Blaine grabs his messenger bag and runs to the elevator. He presses the up button to call the elevator but nothing happened. He starts to panic until he remembers his employee badge that was given to him last Friday during orientation. He pulls out a lanyard that is dangling from the back pocket of his messenger bag and scans his badge on the panel. The up button lights up green and Blaine presses it to wait for the elevator.
When he gets to the 9th floor where the CAA offices are located, he scans his badge again to open the glass door to enter the main reception area. He puts the lanyard around his neck, so that his employee badge is dangling in front of his stomach. He smiles politely at the receptionist before rushing over to Cooper’s office. His brother is going to kill him for being late.
Blaine walks past the offices of senior agents who are busy on the phones or meeting with clients. He then walks into a large open space office area where Junior agents sit. He imagines one of the empty desks in the room is his, but he needs to see his brother first.
Blaine walks straight toward Cooper’s office at the end of the open office space. The blinds are covering what normally is all glass walls of Cooper’s office, so he knows his brother must be in a meeting.
“Hi there! I think you are in the wrong place. New client mixer is going to be on the second floor in the Rose room.” A soft voice says from Blaine’s right side.
Blaine turns to see the most breathtakingly gorgeous man he has ever laid his eyes on. He takes in a breath and tries not to stare, when he realizes he’s supposed to respond.
“Oh, I’m not here for the new client mixer.” Blaine responds as he walks over to the man’s desk.
“Oh.” Mr. Gorgeous moves his mouth in an ‘O’ shape as he looks at Blaine. “I thought you were one of the new actors we signed on.”
Blaine chuckles shyly. “Um, I’m flattered, but no.” He pulls his lanyard out to show his employee badge. “I’m a new Junior Agent. My name’s Blaine.” He offers his hand with a smile.
“Oh my God, I’m so sorry! You’re Cooper’s brother.” He stands up to shake Blaine’s hand. “I’m Kurt. Kurt Hummel. Cooper’s executive assistant.”
“Nice to meet you, Kurt.” Blaine replies brightly before looking around the office, where he sees some agents on the phones and some desks that are empty. He figures some of the agents are out with their clients or at the mixer that Kurt mentioned. “I’m afraid I’m late for my first day. Coop is going to kill me.”
Kurt chuckles. “Don’t worry, he’s been in a meeting for about 40 minutes. Some PR crises for one of our clients.” He whispers the last part to Blaine as he leans closer and Blaine gets a whiff of spicy vanilla scent from him that is intoxicating. “I’ll show you your desk. Cooper doesn’t need to know that you came in 30 minutes late.” Kurt says already leading Blaine over to an empty desk across from his own.
Blaine smiles, completely touched by Kurt’s kindness. If he wasn’t already falling for this gorgeous man before, he sure is now. “Wow, thank you.”
“Here you are!” Kurt says pulling a chair out for Blaine.
Blaine chuckles and sits down in his chair after putting his messenger bag down on the desk. “Thank you!”
“Your email should be already set up and there should be a welcome email from HR in your inbox. If you have questions about your computer, just ring up IT. Their extension is on your phone.”
Blaine looks up at Kurt with a smile. “Thank you so much for your help. It's extremely nice of you.”
“Of course! Cooper has been talking nonstop about his little brother joining the company. He’s very excited to have you on board.” Kurt replies.
“How long have you been working here?” Blaine asks curiously. Kurt looks to be about the same age he is.
“Just over a year.” Kurt replies leaning against, Blaine’s desk. “I started here about two months after graduating from college.”
“Let me guess, you are an aspiring model.” Blaine guesses. “No, wait, actor.” He snaps his fingers. “You went to drama school.”
Kurt tilts his head back and laugh, exposing his long neck and flawless, porcelain skin for Blaine to admire. “I’ll take that as a compliment?” He replies as a question, to which Blaine shrugs with a smile. “No, uh, I went to FIDM. I want to design clothes and have my own label.”
Blaine raises his eyebrow, impressed. “So, what are you doing working as an assistant at a talent agency?” He asks and Kurt frowns. Blaine scrambles to apologize. “Oh, I’m sorry I didn’t mean to offend you. I was just...”
Kurt puts his hand on Blaine’s shoulder. “It’s ok, Blaine. I’m not offended.”
Blaine feels his skin tingle with goosebumps from Kurt’s touch. He’s disappointed when Kurt removes his hand.
“I’m not sure if you know, but fashion world is very competitive. I had interned at Teen Vogue while I was in college, but just helping out at photoshoots and steaming garments backstage at runway shows don’t really take you far. I was making connections but wasn’t getting any job offers at design houses or with designers. I met Cooper at a Young Hollywood party that Teen Vogue was hosting. He was there scouting new talent to sign to the agency.”
Kurt smiles fondly thinking of the memory. “He, like you.” Kurt gestures toward Blaine. “thought I was an actor. He tried to sign me on.” Kurt chuckles softly. “But I gently turned him down and jokingly said I would much prefer to get at job at his agency than be one of his clients. He looked at me and said ‘Done’. I thought he was joking. We continued to talk and I told him about working at Teen Vogue and going to FIDM, and dreaming about becoming a designer one day. Before he left, he gave me his business card and said he would see me on Monday at 8 am sharp and to dress well because I am now his executive assistant.”
“Wow!” Blaine breathes. “That’s quite a story.”
“Yeah. I showed up that Monday morning dressed in my best outfit. He had my offer letter typed up on company letterhead. It was all very official. I knew he was serious then. I was more surprised when I saw the salary amount that he was offering me. I wouldn’t be making even half that amount if I had gotten an assistant position at a fashion house. I was right out of college. I needed the money to pay back my student loan and be able to afford my apartment and other living expenses. I didn’t want to financially rely on my Dad anymore. Cooper seemed like a nice guy, so I took the offer. The rest is history.” Kurt finishes his story.
“So, you’re happy with your decision then?” Blaine asks. For whatever reason, that was important for him to know. He just met Kurt and yet he wants to make sure Kurt is happy.
Kurt smiles brightly at Blaine with his blue eyes sparkling. “Yes. I’ve learned a lot working at CAA. Even though I’m not in the fashion industry, I am learning a lot about the entertainment industry and my connections from the fashion world come in handy time and time again when Cooper wants to get one of our clients to be the face of a design house or a fashion brand. But I still draw sketches from time to time. Who knows what can become of it someday, but for now, I am very happy at CAA.”
Blaine smiles. “Did you know that Cooper named the agency after himself?” He leans close to Kurt as if he’s sharing a secret. “CAA is his initials. Cooper Andrew Anderson.”
Kurt bursts out laughing and doesn’t hear the door to Cooper office opened and people walk out.
“Blainey! Stop telling all my secrets to my assistant and get in here!” Cooper calls Blaine over, stopping the two from laughing and look over to him. “And you!” Cooper points at Kurt, giving him a glare that doesn’t look anywhere near convincing to show he’s angry. “Don’t believe anything he says and get back to work.”
Kurt stops laughing and smiles at Cooper before walking back over to his desk. “You need to be at the New Client Mixer on the second floor in thirty minutes, Coop.”
“Thanks for reminding me. Did you finish...”
“Yes.” Kurt replies. “I proofread it and sent it back over for you to sign.”
Cooper smiles at Kurt. “That’s why I keep you around. Thanks, Kurt!” He says before putting an arm on Blaine’s shoulder. “Come on, Squirt!”
Blaine groans as he follows his older brother into the office. “Please don’t call me that.” He whines before shooting Kurt a glare when he hears him laugh.
Once they are seated in Cooper’s office, Blaine looks around the impressive view of the city through Cooper’s floor to ceiling windows.
“So, are you settling in ok?” Cooper asks, studying his brother.
Blaine smiles before glancing over at Kurt, who is typing on his computer. “Yeah.”
“Oh no!” Cooper shakes his head and says with a warning tone. “No, Squirt.”
“What?” Blaine feigns innocence.
“Not Kurt. Don't even think about it.”
Blaine frowns. “Why not? He’s gorgeous! Not to mention, kind and smart, and did I mention gorgeous?”
Cooper sighs. “Yes, Kurt is all of those things and more. But B, I know you. You don’t just jump into relationships with both feet. You dive into the deep end and completely submerge yourself. You’ve probably already planned out how you want to propose to Kurt and how many kids you want to have.”
“Two. A boy and a girl.” Blaine responds immediately proving Cooper’s point. “Come on! You know I’ve always loved kids.”
“You just got here, Blaine. This is the beginning of your new career. You can’t get distracted with boys. This is Hollywood! It’s cut throat out there. I need you to be laser focused! I gave you this job because you’re my brother. Whether or not you have a future here at CAA is entirely up to your performance. Nepotism can only get you a foot in the door. I won’t treat you any differently because you’re my brother. If you mess up, there will be consequences. No amount of phone calls from Mom is going to stop me from firing your ass.” Cooper tells Blaine firmly.
Blaine nods, impressed with his older brother. He’s always seen Cooper as his goofy older brother. It’s nice to see Cooper being a responsible business owner who is tough but fair. Cooper just earned a lot more respect from Blaine.
“Alright, I know I need to focus on work. I’ll leave Kurt alone.” Blaine says before looking longingly at Kurt.
“You can be friends, Blaine. I’m not saying ignore Kurt completely. Just keep it platonic, alright? I want you to succeed, little brother. I also want you to be happy and find love. But I also know how you get so lost in a relationship that it becomes your life. It hasn’t worked out well in the past. All I'm saying is get yourself established in your career first. Love and marriage will follow suit.” He says before looking over at a picture frame on his desk of his family with a smile.
Blaine smiles at Cooper. “You’re right. Work is my first priority for now. Tell me what to do. What’s my first assignment?”
Cooper types on his computer. “Your first assignment is to go to the New Client Mixer with me. I’ll introduce you to your first clients. I’ll start you out with two to see how well you can handle them. At the end of the 90-day period, we’ll reevaluate and review your performance. If you make it through 90 days and can get your clients booked for some jobs, auditions count, then you’ll come on board and become a permanent team member of CAA. My goal for you is to be a Senior Agent by your one-year anniversary at the agency.”
“Challenge accepted.” Blaine says before he shakes Cooper’s hand.
He can do this.
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Blaine spends most of the day getting to know his clients. One of them is Ella Grace, an 11-year-old girl from Australia who’s got a great potential to be a big star. She’s done a few commercials, but Blaine wants to get her into a show.
His second client is Sebastian Smythe, 21-year-old model turned actor. He had a small part in one of the Disney Channel shows, but he’s aching for more.
“I’m better than some guest star on a Disney Channel show, Cooper! Get me an agent who can get me into auditions!” Sebastian had yelled at Cooper at the mixer.
Cooper then introduced Sebastian to Blaine and Sebastian all but eye fuck him the entire time they were talking about future opportunities for Sebastian. Blaine did his best to keep it professional and not let Sebestian’s flirty comments distract him.
After the mixer and meeting with his clients, Blaine goes back up to the office to find a stack of scripts on his desk. He looks at the large pile of scripts and looks up to find Kurt smirking at him.
“Cooper told me who your clients are. It’s my job to keep the information updated in our database and also to weed out scripts I think that would be good for each agent’s clients.”
“There’s like 10 scripts here.” Blaine says eyeing the pile.
“16 actually.” Kurt replies. “I put post-its on the front of the scripts with either Ella’s or Sebastian’s names, so you know which ones are for which.”
Blaine smiles gratefully at Kurt. “Thanks Kurt.” He plops down into his chair and picks up one of the scripts on the top. “So, any of these good?” Blaine begins to flip through the script.
“Oh, I didn’t read them.”
Blaine raises an eyebrow at Kurt in question.
Kurt shrugs. “I’m an executive assistant! Not an agent. I sort through scripts based on the synopsis and find out which parts they are having auditions for. I hand them over to agents who have clients that might be good for these roles. It’s your job, as an agent, to read the scripts and when you find some that you like and think your client would be a good fit for the role, you get them an audition.” Kurt explains before sighing. “Really, I’m doing all the work here.”
Blaine chuckles and rolls his eyes.
He’s witty and has a sense of humor.
Blaine sighs dramatically. “Fine! I’ll read them.”
Kurt smiles before looking back at his inbox. “Good.”
“It’s almost end of the day. Do you want to go grab dinner and keep me company while I read through these? My treat.” Blaine asks casually.
Kurt smiles. “Rain check? I already got plans tonight.”
“Fancy Hollywood party?” Blaine guesses.
“Actually, my boyfriend’s opening night at the Pantages. He’s the lead in Anastasia.” Kurt replies with so much pride.
Blaine forgets to breathe for a second and lets the news wash over him.
Boyfriend.
Kurt has a boyfriend.
Kurt has an actor boyfriend.
“Oh.”
Kurt smiles. “Yeah. Maybe you can come see the show with me next time. I’ll ask Adam if he can swing another ticket.”
Blaine forces a smile at Kurt. “Sure.”
He looks down at a script in his hands trying to concentrate on reading. He reads the same paragraph 4 times before he gives up. He begins to pack up his stuff and carries all 16 scripts in his arms.
“I’m gonna head home to tackle these. See you tomorrow.” He tells Kurt solemnly.
Kurt smiles up at him. “Ok, see you tomorrow Blaine. Maybe we can go to lunch together tomorrow. Cooper is going to be out for a lunch meeting with Bradley Cooper. I’ll show you one of my favorite lunch spots around the corner from the office.”
Blaine feels his heart rate speed up at an opportunity to spend time with Kurt arises. “Sounds great! I’m looking forward to it.” He replies, smiling genuinely back to Kurt before waving goodbye at Cooper, who waves back at him from his office.
As Blaine drives home, his thoughts do not leave Kurt. Cooper is not wrong when he said Blaine jumps in too deep too quickly, but this feels different. Kurt feels different. From the first moment he has laid eyes on Kurt, something inside of him awakens. Kurt makes him feel things he hasn’t felt since his wrist injury that ended his baseball dream. Kurt inspires him to dream again. To dream of a future where Kurt is by his side. He came to Los Angeles to find a new dream, and he’s going to work hard to find it. Whether it’s with CAA or he ends up taking a different career path in the future, there is one thing he knows for sure.
He wants Kurt.
Not just in a sexual, lustful way.
He wants Kurt in his life, in his heart, in every fiber of his being, but most importantly, he wants to be Kurt’s.