Here, together

Bloom - Chapter 4

Sam Elliot is in an interview. Her hair is perfect, and so his her make-up. But inside, she is crumbling. The year started with an awkward kiss, camera flashes, and being in love and anxious. There was humidity, turquoise blue and then a fight, and a break-up — all in the span of a few days.
Andrew Wilde slipped from her fingers, so Sam Elliot packed her bags and left the Caribbean vacation they had been planning for weeks.
New year, new her, she thought sadly on the plane ride home.
Back in New-York, she almost didn't have time to catch her breath, she was back in the scheduling and planning and meetings. Carla was trying everything she could to let the word out that the reason for the break-up was simply timing : Andrew Wilde and Sam Elliot are two very busy pop stars with big schedules and they called it quits amicably.
Sam breathes in and out and tries to look normal and poised, even a little graceful. This interview is part of the plan to win back the public's love and attention, she can't be dwelling about Andrew right now, and she should not be thinking about the pictures people sent her of him with various girls. For the past few weeks, Sam has been pushing deep down the humiliation of having mistaken, once again, casual interest for love.
In front of her, the interviewer (some thirty something man called Steve) reviews his notes. He got a list of approved questions in advance. He can't ask about certain topics, and he should definitely touch on others. These are the conditions under which we have agreed to to do this.
"I am so honoured to meet you, Sam..." Steve begins.
He asks about Sam's new album, the upcoming tour, the sales that broke records.
Sam answers saying she's really proud of this new music, that it's all about her life as a 20 something living freely in the greatest city in the world — New-York, obviously — and hanging out with her friends. Of course she's excited for her upcoming tour, and she's incredibly surprised and aghast by the sales of the record.
Sam Elliot doesn't talk about how, actually, her team and herself spent many meetings elaborating marketing strategies to reach those exact numbers, and even more.
"So Sam, any chance you'll make time for boys in this really busy schedule in the next few months?"
And there it is. That was the kind of question that was infuriating to Sam Elliot. These kind of questions would usually make her grit her teeth and bite the inside of her cheek to stop herself from saying something she'd regret.
But today, it's all part of the game.
"Boys !?" Sam Elliot says, like she's never heard of that word before. "No, I don't have any time planned for them. Don't know them, don't want them, don't care at all."
The interviewer laughs, and press:
"Sure, but you can't avoid them at all, you know?"
"Oh, it's not about avoiding anyone. I just have other things on my mind right now. I just released a whole record about hanging out with my friends, and I'm really about friendships at the moment. I want to hang out and try new things, like I don't know, go roller blading or go for a picnic in Central Park with... Olive Rivers, why not — she seems fun. These are the types of things I care about right now."
After Sam has left the hotel room in which the interview took place, she sits in a limo, driving to the gym. The interview was broadcasted live and people are already reacting to it, tagging Olive so she sees Sam's comment about her. A few minutes later Olive tweets "@SamElliot I bring the basket, you bring the blanket ?"
Their friendship meet-cute officially happened.
Sam's phone buzzes, indicating she just received a new message.

Olive
You looked great in that interview! ;) Love your hair.

Sam
Thanks, I grow it myself.

Olive
Haha! ;)
You doing anything tonight ?

Sam takes a moment to think. The next time she's supposed to see Olive is in exactly a week, to attend a friend's birthday party together. There will be paps, and people at the event will be taking pictures, thus slow launching their friendship in the world.

Sam
Nothing planned. We have something scheduled next week tho

Olive
Want to hang out tonight ?

Sam wonders if Olive knows there will be no paps to document this? Is this offer to hang out simply handed out of the kindness of her heart?

Olive
We don't have to, but I just had a bad day, thought it might be nice to talk

Sam exhales. She knows a thing or two about bad days, and she could use a friendly ear right now.

Sam
Text me your address? I'll be there.