Here, together

Bloom - Chapter 1

When one is in love, nothing seems to be of interest to them except the object of their desire. That's what Sam Elliot thinks while half listening to what her friend is saying, as they both stand in a Los Angeles multi million home, a pink drink in their hands. Music is blaring out huge speakers. People everywhere are beautiful, chatting and seeming to not give a single care in the world. Sam knows most of them even if she hasn't spoken to them. Their face is on television, adds or music videos. A man passes by them, Sam recognizes him, she had a poster of him in her bedroom as a teenager.
Sam's friend, Esther Hans, is a guitarist and singer in a rock band that she started a few years ago. They're not big yet, but the tour they are about to embark on might change that. That's what Esther is telling Sam, and Sam nods, and says "Yes" and "For sure" at what seems like the appropriate moments, but her mind is somewhere else — still in bed with Andrew Wild. This very morning, she was in his hotel room.
"I don't want to leave." She told him. He was kissing her collarbone, slowly, and making it really hard for her to get up and get dressed.
"Don't." His voice sounded muffled against her skin. She could feel the warmth of his breath against her neck, and she melted a little bit more in the sheets.
Sam had started seeing Andrew a few months ago. They had met at an award's show, and talked at the after party. They hooked up, spent the next few days in bed. Then she had to go back to touring, and he had to go back to recording. They kept in touch, but long distance and young love didn't make a good mix.
Now, almost six months later, they found themselves in the same city again. It took them approximately three hours until they were in each others DMs and meeting up. Sam was falling for his green eyes, his unruly curls and that cute little dimple. She bit her lip.
"I have to." She said. There was a photoshoot for a magazine she had to get to. Sam had done crazy things for love in the past, but she never — never — had missed work.
"Will you be there tonight?" she said.
Andrew stopped kissing her. He stood up on his shoulder, looking at her.
"Of course, I want to cram in as much of you as I can before I go."
Sam refrained the biggest dorky smile from appearing on her face. She still couldn't believe that Andrew Wild — one of the biggest pop star of the moment — was here with her, naked with her. Just the thought of it made her blush.
Now, Sam is sipping her pink drink and nodding as Esther is speaking. This party is everything she would have dreamed of attending only a few years ago, just before her career took off. Sometimes she tried to remember that, so she would never take anything for granted.
"I thought you were meeting Carla here." Esther says. "Is she here?"
Esther was right. The point of coming to this party was to meet with her publicist about a very carefully planned change of her public image.
"Yes, I don't know, she must be late."
Sam looks around, and then checks her phone. She only has one text, but it's not from Carla.

Andrew
sorry, can't make it tonight xox

Sam sighs. She really wanted to see him.
"Everything okay?" says Esther.
Sam smiles.
"Yes, of course. She'll be here in a few minutes." She lies.
Esther nods, and Sam doesn't know why she feels like she can't even be truthful with her friends when it comes to Andrew. Everyone told her he was somewhat of a player, sleeping around with everybody. But Sam knew that sometimes, a heartbreaker reputation was just that — a reputation. When he's with her, Andrew is sweet, and considerate and so gentleman-y that Sam forgets all the rumours surrounding him — including the one he has a boyfriend waiting for him back in the UK. People really go a long way to create gossip sometimes.
Sam feels a hand on her shoulder. She turns around, and sees Carla, her new publicist.
"Hello, darling" Carla says.
Sam hugs her, and introduces Carla and Esther.
"It's a pleasure to meet you" says Carla, shaking Esther's hand with a soft yet professional touch.
That's what Sam had liked about Carla when they first met. She didn't take bullshit, but she was also never rude or mean. It was a fine line to walk on, and Sam wanted her image to steer from the boy-crazy girl the media created to a cool and laid back girl. Another fine line ; one she was determined to draw in the sand.
"I'll let you two go, I'm sure you have a lot to talk about." Esther says.
"We'll catch up later." says Sam.
Esther walks aways and Carla gets closer to Sam, whispering in her hear.
"She's here."
It takes a second for Sam to recall who Carla is taking about. At their last meeting, Carla had the idea to associate Sam with a perfectly all-American non controversial girl who could play the part of the best friend for a few months, or a few years. The idea is to flood the tabloids with images of her and her best friend doing every day normal things (like eating out, going to the gym, shopping) to steer the attention away from the many pictures of Sam with her ex boyfriends who always seem to end up on magazine's cover.
"Let's fight slut-shaming with girl power." Carla had said, and Sam had thought it was a great idea. They went through a list of potential candidates, girls who were not nobodys, but who were not that well-known either, so that they would have time to put Sam's schedule and interests first. They mostly landed on a girl named Olive Rivers, who was a model currently living in New-York. Sam had agreed to meet her before any contract was signed, just to see if they got along.
"Olive?" Sam says.
"Miss Rivers, yes" Carla confirms as they start to walk.
Sam can't help but feel a weird feeling in her gut. First, Andrew can't make it, then she has to make friends with a fake BFF her publicist found, because even though she's currently one of the biggest star in the country, with access to basically anything she wants, a real bff is the only thing she doesn't have. What has her night come to?
Carla scans Sam's face, and she must sense her uneasiness.
"Is that okay? I can reschedule." Carla says.
Sam shakes her head. She knows she will have to do this eventually, she might as well get it over with.
"No, it's fine. Where is she?"
Carla takes Sam outside. The patio doors open on a terrace where many trees and plants create a tropical ambiance. The music is not as loud here, some people are sitting around the pool, their feet dipping in the turquoise water. Carla walks up to a girl standing alone, looking at her phone.
When they approach, she looks up. Her eyes are as blue as the sky all around them.