reputation | tom blyth

surprise

February 2023
Los Angeles

The last chorus of 'Fast Times' echoed through the massive suite of the Ritz-Carlton hotel as Campbell harmonised to her own voice coming from the speakers. She's never been so happy to be on such a tight schedule before. It's what her work was like, running from one commitment to the next, too busy to stop and breathe, but this time it served as a welcome distraction from the events of the past few days, and for the first time, she bit her tongue when she thought to complain about her shoes making her feet blister, or the band not sounding quite right in rehearsal. She woke up earlier than usual, excited to head to the studio and finish the song she and Leroy'd started writing just a few days ago. After her team suggested she finds someone to date, or someone to at least pretend to, she called Vinnie. She knew he wouldn't mind helping her out, besides, they did get along very well. If she still believed in love maybe they could've been something. He drove down to the studio around midday, picking an oat milk latte on the way, sensing the girl would need every bit of energy to get through the never ending day of appointments, rehearsals and meetings. He hugged her tightly when he arrived, staying just long enough for her to play him the new song. 'Technically, it's about how fast life passes us by, how we should make sure to live every moment to the fullest and appreciate the present while we're in it because we don't get any rewrites...', the blonde talked him through the thought process behind the lyrics, '...but, because my team wants to get the press to see me as 'the girlfriend' again and not the 'side chick', we had to throw in a couple lines alluding to our 'relationship'...and i sincerely hope that's okay with you...', she held her breath, afraid he was going to say no, afraid he's changed his mind about helping her. He smiled cheekily, bringing up the second verse lyric she had written about him, 'you think i speak in a perfect cadence?', he teased with a wide grin on his face as she softly hit his heavily tattooed arm in a playful protest, 'don't make me change it', she threatened with a mischievous smile. Picking up her shoulder bag and laptop from the couch in the corner, she hugged her producer goodbye, thanking him for his work and time before taking Vinnie's hand, letting him lead her to his car to drive her to rehearsals. They arrived at the empty dance studio around 2pm. Vinnie offered to help her carry the equipment inside but she refused, too stubborn for her own good. So he took a picture instead, posting it to his instagram story already playing the game as well as she was. There was no denying it, they made a good team. Vinnie sat patiently through the four hour long rehearsal, helping tune guitars when needed, carrying water bottles for the band and whispering encouraging words to Campbell whenever he'd feel her concentration slipping. They had ran through the set list more than four times, making sure every beat was correct and every guitar riff in place. Campbell kept switching between playing the keys, the guitar, and dancing freely- all while staying on top of her vocals. While she enjoyed writing music, she knew no greater joy than performing. She came alive whenever she stepped on stage and everyone could see it. Some people have talent, some have beauty, and some people have the 'it', Campbell James Law had it all. They debated on the order of the set list for a while, wondering if they should play her latest EP in one go, from start to finish, or mix her older hits in-between to keep things interesting. The only thing they were decided on, was that 'Fast Times' was the closing number. She had Peter pull some strings and convince her label to let her release it as a surprise. She was going to perform it live on Jimmy Fallon's late night show and officially release it on streaming platforms immediately after, but Campbell's great plan was slipping from her grasp the more she grew frustrated with the rehearsal. She knew it was all happening too fast, expecting her band to play every note perfectly when she'd only finished the song earlier that day, but something told her it had to happen, they had to perfect it in a week. Letting her head hang down, with her blonde waves falling over her face, she tried to concentrate on her breathing. If people liked the new song as much as she did and if she could pull off a surprise release, maybe it would overshadow all the negative press she's been getting lately. Maybe the world could finally focus on her talent again instead of worrying who she spends her time with. 'Let's go again, from the top', she spoke into her microphone, her band hesitantly picking up their tools and instruments as she paced around a circle, hoping to garner enough energy for a decent performance. 'Cammie, it's been enough for one day...you have another week of rehearsals ahead of you, you'll get it right...', Vinnie interrupted, noticing the tired faces of her instrumentalists, '...you all need a break, don't push yourself too far'. The band started packing up their equipment, as Campbell dropped to the floor. Sitting on the edge of the stage, she let her tears fall, staining her cargo maxi skirt. Vinnie sat next to her, wrapping his arm around her, holding her close to him as she cried. 'It's been ages since i last stood on stage...the 'Donna Pericolosa' tour was over three years ago...what if i'm not good anymore?', she voiced her concerns, breaking his heart in the process. It was hard to believe someone this talented was so insecure and so unaware of their real power and potential, if she wasn't good, there was no hope for anyone else either. 'What if i let everyone down?', she looked up at him, her mascara staining the tears running down her cheeks, 'that's nonsense, Cam...you're doing so much better than you think you are'. He stood up abruptly, holding out his hand for her to hold, 'come on, i'll take you to your fitting'. He parked his car at the Ritz-Carlton around 6pm. Campbell had fixed her makeup during the drive, looking every bit the picture perfect popstar she was. It was hard not to notice the paparazzi surrounding the hotel, with their heavy, clunky cameras and their terrible attitude problems. They could somehow smell whenever a celebrity was near, the same way predators in the wild sniff out their weaker prey, so it wasn't a surprise that it didn't take them long before they noticed the couple sitting in the parked car. The blonde leaned over to kiss Vinnie goodbye, lingering by his lips for a moment longer than necessary, giving the vultures with their thousand dollar cameras enough time to immortalise it. He wished her good luck before trying his own, mischievously asking her to send him pictures of all the dresses she tries on. 'You wish', Campbell replied through giggles, 'drive home safe', she added before taking her shoulder bag and exiting the car. She walked across the street through the entrance, shielding her face from the camera flashes and ignoring the countless questions, accusations and rumours thrown at her. Peter met her at the door, immediately leading her to the elevator where he wasted no time informing her of all the updates and changes she'd missed. 'So, the Grammy's are confirmed! You are on the guest list and you get to take a plus one...we can discuss later who the smart PR choice for that would be...', her manager gave her a pointed look, she knew he wanted her to take Vinnie, make people believe they're a real couple, that they're serious and seriously in love, '...we confirmed the crew for the music video, the director you wanted is on board, we're holding auditions for the dancers tomorrow and if all goes by plan we could have it done before you fly out to New York...'. Because Campbell felt it was so urgent to do the unexpected and get people talking about her music again, they were in an overwhelming rush. Rehearsing for a live performance was one thing, but planning, recording, editing a music video and writing down a promotional plan was a whole different beast. She let out a deep breath to steady herself as they arrived on the top floor. She walked straight to the suite her team had booked for her. They had the first fitting earlier in the week, doing most of the hard work then. All that was left to do today, was to confirm the custom changes that were made since. 'I think the Helmut Lang dress is the one! Paired with the Valentino platform pumps of course', her stylist Laney admired her own work, 'something casual but chic for your late night debut!', she held Campbell's hand, making her spin around to see every angle of the look. The tight black dress fit her figure perfectly, 'can we add tights or something? i feel like i'll freeze in this', the blonde hasn't been to New York before, but she's heard of its unkind winters, walking around in only a short dress probably wouldn't be the best choice for her health, 'we can do some black tights? and i've found the most beautiful zebra print coat for you in a vintage shop! We'll keep you warm, don't worry', Laney eased her mind, immediately finding a solution. 'For the performance, we've got the sequined Ludovic De Saint Sernin dress, i had it tailored to fit your waist tighter and we also shortened it like you asked', she moved on to the next outfit, handing her the item along with a pair of Jimmy Choo boots for her to try on. Campbell spun around in the mirror, admiring the way the dress complimented her body, 'man...i love sequins', she chuckled softly, turning her head towards the door when it opened suddenly. Her manager Peter walked in the room along with her agent, Maya, their expressions not too cheery. Campbell felt her heart sink, preparing herself to hear more bad news, 'we've got bad news and good news...which do you want to hear first?', Peter started, straight to the point. Maya rolled her eyes at his bluntness, she's always had a softer approach, 'Luke's wife liked a few...unkind tweets...about you...while that isn't ideal, i think you and Vinnie did well today to sell your relationship', she started. Campbell shook her head in disbelief, she was tired of being dragged into drama where she's done nothing to deserve it, she wondered whether she should return the favour of being shady online or be the bigger person and reach out personally, explaining how she's only met her husband twice and had no intention of ruining another marriage, her mother was so convincing when she'd accused her of ruining her own parents'. 'All three venues confirmed the bookings and i personally think we'll have three sold out shows, your fans are very vocal about how much they miss seeing you on stage', Maya smiled warmly, knowing that the popstar had been feeling uncertain about her comeback, '...and another thing...', she took a deep breath as Campbell braced for the impact, 'we've booked you for an interview with Zach Sang, he's a great guy but his team will put the pressure on you to talk about topics you'd rather avoid...i know you'd rather sweep everything that's happened under a rug and pretend it doesn't exist but this could be a great opportunity for you to share your side of the story, to set the record straight...maybe even fire some shots back', she raised her brows, carefully examining the blonde's face for her reaction. Campbell sighed, pushing her hair out of her face before nodding in agreement, there was no use fighting it. If her team thought it was wise to bring up all the drama and share her experience of it, she'd believe them. It was nearly 9pm when they started packing up the clothes in suitcases and cleaning around the suite. Peter and Paul had spent the rest of her fitting secretly flirting in the corner under the pretense of talking business, while Laney had Maya help her decide which outfits the popstar should wear at her shows. The venues were small and intimate and all three girls together decided it would be best to keep the whole vibe casual. Picking out statement jeans, leather jackets and baby tee's, they were giggling with excitement, feeling like little kids in a candy store. Closing the door of the empty penthouse suite, Campbell walked towards the elevator, grabbing her phone out of her shoulder bag to call an uber as she was distracted by the message on her home screen.

Vincent
if ur not doing anything tonight
wanna come over?

CJ
oh u just cant get enough of me
can u

Vincent
shut up
i changed my mind

CJ
no
u cant
im omw

She smiled at the screen, waiting in the cold for her Uber to pull up, 'well, would you look at that! your blonde did get brighter!' the man in the driver's seat exclaimed through the open window of the car. Campbell couldn't stop the grin that threatened to swallow her whole face, it was him! The sweet uber driver who unknowingly gave her the greatest advice on one of her first night in LA was here, and this time she couldn't lie about her fame status, with the few paparazzi still taking pictures of her without a shame. She entered the car, directing him to Vinnie's address before speaking up, 'you know, i think about what you told me that night constantly, it's kept me going through some pretty tough times, so...thank you', she looked at him with sincere gratitude, 'i'm Campbell...i sing sometimes,' she felt he deserved an introduction. He gave her a mischievous look before directing his attention back on the road, 'oh i know, i've got daughters...i'm Morrison', she chuckled at his confession, committing his name to memory. 'Here, take my business card, you call and i'll cancel all other clients, whenever you need a ride', he offered, opening the glove compartment on her side of the car to pull out a small gray card with his name on it. She thanked him, safely storing it in her wallet, 'would it be okay if i wrote a little message for your daughters? to thank them for their support and remind them that they've got a great dad?', he looked at her in surprise, he was afraid to ask but since she's offered herself...'you'd do that? please! it would make their year!'. Campbell wasted no time in tearing out a couple pages of her journal, she recognised the street they were driving on. Shakily she wrote down a thank you note as she cursed over the turns and bumps on the road ruining her usually neat handwriting. 'There, thank you again, i'm sure ill see you soon', she handed him the paper along with a 50$ bill for the drive and exited the car with a small wave. Morrison returned the gesture before driving away, leaving her standing in-front of Vinnie's house, confused over the silence and the darkness surrounding it. Vinnie always left the lights on, she'd scolded him about wasting electricity countless times before. She made her way to his front door, trying to spell away the nervousness creeping up her spine, something felt off. She rang his doorbell and jumped in fear as it suddenly opened, a strong arm grabbing her waist and pulling her inside the dark entryway. She was paralysed in fear for a moment before the lights came on, revealing about 50 people- some of who she knew and some she didn't- all standing in Vinnies house yelling 'surprise!'. The messy haired boy pulled her in a hug as her heart kept racing, her mouth open in shock. She hit his shoulder but he only held her tighter, 'i can't believe you, i thought i was going to die!! what is this?', she finally found enough air to breathe, still overwhelmed over the whole scheme. She noticed Madison in the crowd, along with Shawn and Nick, a couple people she knew but never met before and total strangers alike. 'It's your birthday in about 2 hours, we're celebrating.'

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authors note:
its campbells bdaaaayy
were making plans for NYC
tell me what yall want to happen hehehe