𝐑𝐄𝐏𝐔𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 | 𝘢.𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘢𝘯

𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞

2013

New York woke up with the sun peeking between the skyscrapers, illuminating the city with a golden glow. In an elegant apartment in Tribeca, Brooklyn Williams sat on the floor, surrounded by dusty vinyl records and notebooks filled with hastily scribbled song lyrics. Light poured in through the large windows, but she barely noticed. Her mind was caught between unfinished chords and melodies that refused to fall into place.

Her phone vibrated for the third time in less than five minutes, pulling her out of her creative daydream. When she looked up, she saw the name on the screen: "Mum."

"Hi, mum." Brooklyn said with a smile in her voice, trying to sound more enthusiastic than she actually felt.

"Brooklyn, sweetheart. How are you? Have you been outside today?" her mother asked, sounding concerned.

Brooklyn rolled her eyes in amusement. Her mother was always worried about her, especially since she had moved to New York.

"Yes, mum, I'm fine. And no, I haven't been outside yet." Brooklyn replied, already anticipating what would come next.

"Brooklyn Diane Williams! You can't spend the entire day cooped up in your apartment! You need to get out, breathe some fresh air, live a little!" her mother scolded with an authoritative tone.

Brooklyn smiled at the familiar nagging. It was comforting to know that despite her success, her mother still worried about her as she always had.

"I know, mum. I'll go out, I promise. Maybe I'll take a walk through Central Park later." Brooklyn replied, trying to ease her mother's concerns.

"That's more like it, sweetheart. Enjoy this beautiful day. And please, remember to wear your hat and sunscreen." her mother warned.

Brooklyn chuckled softly. Her mother had always been like this, worrying about even the smallest things.

"I will, mum. I love you." Brooklyn said fondly.

"I love you too, sweetheart. Have fun and don't work too hard." her mother replied before hanging up.

After the call, Brooklyn sat for a moment, thinking about their conversation. Even though it could be a little annoying at times, she felt grateful to have someone who cared so much about her.

Taking her mother's advice, Brooklyn decided to go for a walk. She dressed casually, put on sunglasses, and prepared to enjoy the sunny day.

At first, Brooklyn thought it wouldn't be necessary to bring William, her personal bodyguard. After all, she was just going for a walk in the park, what could possibly go wrong? However, barely twenty minutes after leaving her apartment, she found herself surrounded by paparazzi.

The photographers quickly swarmed around her, shouting her name and trying to capture the perfect shot. Brooklyn felt overwhelmed by the sudden attention and stopped, feeling trapped.

"Brooklyn, over here! A smile, please!" one of the photographers shouted as others relentlessly clicked their cameras.

Brooklyn glanced around, searching for an escape. She felt exposed and vulnerable, regretting not listening to William and asking him to come along.

She dashed through the streets, desperately searching for a place to hide. That's when she spotted a small vinyl and record store on a nearby corner. Without hesitation, she slipped inside and hid among the record shelves.

Brooklyn's heart pounded as she crouched behind the shelves, praying the paparazzi wouldn't find her. She stayed there, breathing deeply and trying to calm her nerves, listening to the murmurs of the photographers outside.

Several minutes passed, though they felt like hours to Brooklyn, before the paparazzi finally drifted away. Letting out a sigh of relief, Brooklyn stepped out of her hiding spot and approached the store's counter.

The store owner, an older man with a long gray beard, looked at her curiously.

"Can I help you with something, young lady?" he asked kindly.

"I just needed a place to hide for a moment. Thank you for not giving me away." the singer offered a grateful smile.

"No problem, dear. You're safe here." the man nodded understandingly.

Feeling grateful for the refuge, Brooklyn decided to browse the store. As she wandered through the aisles, examining the vinyl records and admiring the album covers, she became so distracted that she didn't see the person in front of her.

The collision was inevitable, and Brooklyn nearly dropped the records she was holding. She looked up to apologize and found herself staring into the surprised eyes of a young woman.

That woman was Alex Morgan, whom Brooklyn immediately recognized from a TV commercial when the U.S. won the Olympics last year. However, to Brooklyn's relief, Alex didn’t seem to recognize her.

"Oh, I'm so sorry." Brooklyn quickly apologized, picking up the records from the floor.

"Don't worry, it was my fault. I was so focused on looking for music that I didn't even see where I was going." Alex smiled kindly.

"Yeah, I was pretty distracted too. Records tend to have that effect on me."

"Well, at least we can say we have good taste in music." Alex joked.

Brooklyn smiled, feeling at ease in Alex's company. For a few minutes, they chatted casually about music, exchanging recommendations and sharing their favorite songs.

To Brooklyn's surprise, Alex didn't mention anything about her singing career, and Brooklyn decided not to bring it up either. For a moment, she could forget the media attention and simply enjoy the company of someone new and fascinating.

After a while, they parted ways with a smile, each going in different directions. As Brooklyn left the store, she felt grateful for the chance encounter and for meeting someone who saw her as just Brooklyn, not the famous singer Brooklyn Williams.

When she returned home, Brooklyn found a pleasant surprise on her phone, an Instagram notification. It was a message from Alex.

"Hey Brooklyn! I wanted to apologize again for not recognizing you earlier at the record store. I just realized who you were. I'd love the chance to make it up to you. Would you like to meet up again?"

Brooklyn smiled as she read the message. She was glad Alex had been kind enough to reach out, even though the mistake wasn:t hers. She quickly replied:

"Hi Alex! Don't worry about it at all. I'm glad you decided to write. I'd love to meet up again. How about we grab some coffee?"

After sending the message, Brooklyn waited eagerly for Alex's response, wondering if this chance encounter at the record store might be the start of something more.