One hundred and fifty. That was the number of times Hailey Finch paced the emergency waiting room while she waited to find out how Jasper was faring. The waiting room was now synonymous with torture in Hailey's mind. The light green tiled floors squeaked under her shoes every time she turned to make another trek back to the other side.

Why did he have to run out after her? It was a mistake letting the moment get as far as it did. She was chastising herself for almost kissing one of her clients, as her shoes squeaked again, signaling another turn. Sure, this particular client was a hot rock star that made her feel things she had never felt before. All that aside, it still didn't matter. It had been a mistake. Over and over again she saw his face as the cab hit him and her stomach dropped as the fear that he might be really hurt, or worse, passed through her.

Please be ok, she prayed, as she continued to pace the floor. He was going to be pissed when he got out of the hospital. There was no way he would want to be anywhere near her. Goodbye promotion, most likely goodbye job, and without a doubt goodbye Jasper, she told herself repeatedly. A tear streaked down her face and she wiped it away with a hurried swipe. Why did the goodbye Jasper part hurt the most?

Hailey stopped pacing to tap away on her tablet updating all of Jasper's social media accounts and answering well wishes from his fans. She wanted to do her job until the very end. He deserved at least that much. This was exactly what he needed to get back in the good graces of his fans, after his naked picture scandal. His dirty socialite ex-girlfriend, Tara, had hacked into his account and posted naked pictures of them both. Not once stopping to think of The Weeds’ younger fans. It still made Hailey mad that Jasper’s sponsors started pulling out immediately after the pictures. They were sponsoring a bad boy rock star. What did they expect him to be doing, baking cookies on his time off? After that thought, getting hit by a car was a PR's dream. Even though Hailey was positive Jasper wasn't as badass as he pretended to be, it still didn't mean he wasn't going to have a healthy sex life. He was gorgeous for crying out loud. She really needed to get that out of her head.

Getting Jasper’s account had been a dream come true, and now she was going to lose it over some stupid weak moments. Why did he have to lean in to kiss her? Why did she have to want it so bad?

“Fuck, man. I'm going to start knocking on rooms if they don't tell us where he is soon.” A man with a Scottish accent was talking to another guy as they walked into the waiting room.

She stopped pacing around number two hundred and stared at the two men interrupting her pity party. Hailey had never met them before, but she had seen enough pictures to recognize the other members of The Weeds.

Dustin, the man that was about to start playing peek-a-boo with the other patients in the hospital was also Jasper's best friend and the bass player for the band. He had shaggy hair that looked amazing even though it was unkempt. It was dirty blond, and he sported one arm of tattoos while the other was bare. Liam, the band’s drummer, clapped him on the back before they both noticed Hailey at the same time.

Dustin smiled at her as he strutted over. “Yes, I am the bass player for The Weeds. And yes I will take you back to my room when I find out that my injured friend is ok.”

Hailey stared at him, her ears ringing with the sexy Scottish accent being blatantly flirty when a New York taxicab had just hit his best friend. No wonder Jasper was all messed up. His friends were assholes.

“I'm sorry, what?” Hailey asked, putting her tablet away in her purse on her side so she wouldn't assault him with it. She needed it and was sure it was more important working than being used as a battering ram.

“Dude, you made her speechless,” Liam told Dustin as they gave each other high-fives. He was a little more rocker with a black spiky hair cut and tattoos all over both arms.

“It's alright, sexy woman. Let's get you out of those hideous clothes. I'm sure they will look better on my floor.”

Hailey tugged her clothes closer to her body as her anger peeked. “You disgusting piece of shit. Your best friend and lead singer is in the hospital because a car struck him, and you want to hit on me. What kind of friend are you?” she seethed, poking her finger on his incredibly hard pec.

“Ahh, you're a Jasper whore. Sorry, doll, I didn't realize. Although I can tell you, he normally doesn't mind sharing with me after he is done. Did you find out where he was from his social media, and then come down here to kiss his boo-boos?”

“What is wrong with you? Are you fucking brain dead?”

“Hailey Finch?” A nurse popped in the waiting room and stared at the scene in front of her.

Hailey removed her finger from Dustin's chest. “That’s me.” She walked around the two band members, who were now staring at her as if she had something growing from her head.

“Mr. Daly is asking for you. Would you come with me please?”

“Gladly.”

“Wait. Your Jasper's PR lady?” Dustin asked, and he had the good graces to look embarrassed.

“Yes, I'm Hailey Finch. I suggest getting your priorities straight. Your friend is in a hospital room and you’re looking to get laid. You are a despicable example of a human being.”

“I'm sorry. I’m so fuckin’ sorry,” he told her.

“You should be disappointed in yourself, and your mate who just stood there.” Hailey walked out of the room and giggled quietly when the nurse gave her a high-five.

“Good for you. Don't let those boys get to you. Especially when you have one that is hot as the summer sun asking for you. Whew!”

“How is he?” Hailey asked, her heart pounding wildly as she walked next to the nurse.

“He's had better days, but he'll live. I don’t know everything but the doctor is tending to him now and he will be able to answer your questions.”

The nurse stopped in front of a door and opened it. Hailey stood outside and twisted her ankle back and forth not making a move to walk in.

“Go on,” the nurse said to her before pushing her through the open door and closing it with a loud click.

“I'm Dr. Griffith. I'm assuming you’re Ms. Finch.” An older doctor wearing a white lab coat held out his hand for her to shake.

“You can call me Hailey. How is he?” Even though Hailey was in the same room as Jasper, she refused to meet his eyes. She was afraid of what she might see. After the cab hit him, the vision of him lying unconscious on the ground still vivid in her mind. Hailey wasn't able to assess his damage, so she really wasn't sure what to expect.

“He’s going to be in some serious pain the next couple of weeks. He fractured his ulna and we’re waiting for the nurses to come back and cast him up.”

She interrupted, “ulna is where, I’m sorry?”

“In his arm.” The doctor smiled. “He also has a fractured tibia and fibia in one leg because he somehow managed to take the impact on his right side. There was a nasty cut on his head that we bandaged up. We will be monitored to make sure there isn’t any bleeding or a concussion that’s been delayed.  Right now, we’re going to keep him here overnight and then reevaluate tomorrow.”

Hailey’s eyes filled with tears. Every word the doctor spoke felt like another nail in her career coffin, and the overwhelming worry she had been feeling for Jasper was at its breaking point.

“He's past the curtain on the right.”

Her hands clasped together so she wouldn't shake the doctor for being so nonchalant. Those injuries sounded really bad. “You’re sure he’s going to be okay?” Her voice was weak, and she imagined Jasper completely bandaged up with just his eyes showing and his legs cast all the way up. How would he even move?

He smiled at Hailey and patted her on the shoulder. “He’s in good hands, we couldn’t give him much for the pain though so it’s making him a little loopy. We won’t be able to give him anything strong until we clear a concussion off possible injuries.

“Thank you,” Hailey mumbled.

The doctor patted her on the back and walked out into the hallway presumably to get Jasper's discharge papers ready. Hailey hoped his band members, as disgusting as they were, waited and didn't leave. She had a feeling one of them was going to have to sit with him after he canned her ass.

“Hailey,” Jasper's voice called to her from behind the curtain.

She had been so preoccupied with ignoring him she hadn't noticed the blue curtain separating his bed from the door. Now or never. Hailey brushed the tears from her face and walked over to the curtain before sliding it over.

Jasper was laying on a hospital bed, his arm propped up with pillows. She didn't look him in the eye just yet. She needed courage. It seemed to be taking a while to build up and she wasn't going to push it.

“Come over here, Little Bird. It hurts to turn my head and you're too far away.”

With leaden feet, she shuffled over to his bed and stared at the outline of his legs under the white hospital blanket.

“Why won't you look at me?”

She shook her head. The sound of his voice broke her heart. She had feelings for Jasper and now everything was ruined.

“I don't look that hideous. Come on, Hailey what's on your mind?”

Hailey finally moved her gaze from his legs to his face. He looked tired and the sheen in his eyes showed that he was in pain as the doctor told her he would be. She reached over and brushed a stray piece of hair off his forehead noticing the bandaged spot above his right temple.

He grabbed the hand that was still touching his hair and linked his fingers with hers. “Don't worry. The doctor said I’m in good hands. Next time I try to kiss...”

Hailey panicked and yanked her hand away from his before he could finish his sentence, she couldn't talk about the kiss.

“Are you going to fire me?” she blurted out trying desperately to change the subject about the kiss. He had every right to fire her, and frankly, now that she knew he was fine, she didn't care about her job. Sure, it would suck, but right now, the relief she felt seeing him in one piece would carry her through the job hunting process.

“What?” He tried to sit up but hissed when he moved.

Hailey put her hands on his chest and gently pushed him back down to the bed. “Are you going to want another PR person to represent you? I'm not saying I blame you if you do. I would just like a heads up so I have time to start looking for another job.”

It was as if a rock was sitting on her stomach. As much as it hurt to ask him if she still had a job, waiting to find out her fate hurt worse.

“Why would I do something stupid like that?”

“Because I was unprofessional and tried to kiss you. You’re my client. That was very bad of me.” She rubbed her chest trying to dislodge the pressure that was building up.

“Hailey, you are the hardest working person I have ever known. You constantly have your tablet in your hand. I've never seen someone more dedicated to her work. I would never want to fire you.”

A whoosh of air escaped her lungs. She closed her eyes and said a small thank you to whoever was listening.

“As for the kiss. I leaned in just as much as you did. You were the one with the level head and ran out before things got out of hand. Which we both know at that moment we wouldn't have stopped with just a kiss. I don't want anyone but you. And I don't want you in any other bed but mine. And maybe an orange soda.”

Hailey opened her mouth to argue but two giggling nurses, and what appeared to be a giggling female doctor entering the room interrupted her.

Jasper smiled at them and Hailey wondered if he meant what he said, or if he was just talking through a lot of pain and adrenaline chaser. Did he mean he wanted her? No, he’d meant he wanted her as his PR person, right? Shit, she hated when she did that, double thinking. Could she leave her firm for Jasper? Hailey worked hard to get where she was at Big Deal. The PR business was like the good ole' boys club and for a woman to be successful was few and far between. She was just starting to make her presence known. Her pigheaded boss told her that women couldn't handle the success and end up falling for their client and ruining their career and reputation along with it. Hailey had told him he wouldn't have to worry about her doing anything that would ruin her reputation especially with a client. She was dedicated to making something out of herself and Big Deal was her starting platform. She wanted to be proud of who she was as a person. Her boss took a chance by hiring her. Hailey hadn't done anything wrong since he’d said she had the job.

She shook her head as she watched the young Asian doctor pull his broken arm up so she could start wrapping it for the cast. They were discussing which color he should get while giggling like schoolgirls. The other nurse had his hand in hers and it was dangerously close to her boob. Hailey wouldn't have been surprised if the nurse slipped and he got a handful of her boobs by “accident”. She pulled up Jasper's hospital gown so she could assess the damage and explained how she would be wrapping them.

Hailey averted her gaze when his lean cut muscles came into view. Looking around the room, she noticed the other women's gaze glued to that particular spot.

When he explained that he was like a superhero and even a New York City cab couldn't take him down, Hailey almost gagged. For the moment, she remembered why falling for the client was a bad idea. They can be superficial airheads. She decided it was her time to leave after that comment.

“I'm going to go back to the waiting room and tell one of your band members that you’re going to need some company. I'm glad you are feeling better.”

 “Don't leave me, Little Bird. I want you to stay with me. I've never broken a bone before. I need you.” The nurses and the doctor all cooed at him and Hailey had to stop herself from rolling her eyes. He gave her the biggest most pathetic look she had ever seen, and she steeled herself to be strong so she could walk away from him.

“Jasper, you look like you are in good care. The doctors have patched you all up. You don't need me. Besides, I'm sure your band is worried about you and will want to come and see you.”

Jasper laughed and winced as he reached for his broken ribs. “Don't leave me. I'm scared.” His eyes widened and Hailey thought she eyed a bubble of a tear.

Jasper reached out his hand and his eyes implored her to take it. Hailey exhaled deeply asking for the strength to do whatever she was going to need to do. She stepped closer to the bed and put her hand in his. He smiled at her and never left her gaze as the nurses quieted down and did their jobs no longer flirting with him. They kept shooting Hailey curious glances but didn't say a thing. Their expressions said it all. Envy and jealousy filled the air as they continued to attend to his dressings. Hailey occasionally caught a glimpse of wide eye rolls and raised eyebrows, but paid no attention to it.

Was she honestly thinking of leaving the job she worked so hard for to be with Jasper? He was obviously clouding her brain, and she needed to get away so she could get her head straight. Hailey wouldn't look into her heart and really figure out how she felt. If anything, she was so stubborn she could keep feelings and thoughts back like a pro.

Yes, she had worked hard to get where she was but lately she had started to notice the shine of the job was slowly starting to wear away. Some of the business wasn’t that great. The politics and straight up lying, even if it meant ruining someone's life, was now an everyday occurrence in her firm. She knew of some other PR agents in town and had heard them talking about the underhanded things they did to protect their client and it made her feel sick with disgust. Before Bruce and Hailey, there had been three other PR agents working for Big Deal, and they were ruthless.

It was hard for Hailey to have to make a socialite look like a martyr when they did something bad. The celebrities seemed to think they were above the law, and sadly, they were right. Hailey had seen people get off for doing some of the most horrendous things just because they were on TV at some point in their life. They owned police officers, judges, you name it. How was that even fair? It made Hailey cringe anytime a big account was spun in the favor for the client when they were in the wrong. That was why Hailey volunteered so much for the kid’s charities around the city. It was also the reason Hailey brought Sam, the elderly security guard for Big Deal lunch after his wife passed away. Or why Hailey liked to feed the homeless any chance she got. It felt like she needed something to balance all the lying she had been a part of. She was starting to realize that she was never going to find a balance. She also realized that her days in the business might be numbered. When she took Jasper's account she decided she was going to do it all on the up-and-up. No lying or fudging the truth, if anything she would try to steer him down a better path. Maybe if she was able to do the job with some form of morals and dignity attached to it, she would be able to find the shine in it again.

This balancing act was something Hailey tried to push away every night so she could go to sleep. Sure, those PR people had moved on to bigger companies, but they were still doing the same things where they were, and truthfully, it was worse the higher up one went.