Behind the Curtain

14

I'm driving, excitement of finally meeting up with Lauren after what felt like forever. My phone buzzes, breaking through my thoughts. It's a call from Lauren.

"I'm on my way now, Lauren," I say, trying to focus on the road.

"Alright but if you don't mind could you make a quick stop for me pleaseeeeeee?"

"Lauren."

"I just sent you the details, thank youuuu," she adds.

"Mhm." I say, already pulling up the message she sent. The request is straightforward, a quick stop to pick up some pastries.

I make my way to the bakery, the aroma of freshly basked goods filling the air as I walk in. I resist the urge to swipe a croissant for myself and instead gather the assortment of pastries Lauren ordered.

Arriving at her house, I park in the driveway and take a deep breath. It feels so good to be back here, in the familiar setting of Lauren's home. I gather the pastries and head to the front door. Before I could even get a chance to make my presence known, Lauren bursts out to greet me.

The door swings open, and Lauren practically leaps into my arms. I staffer slightly, struggling to keep my balance while holding the pastries.

"Y/n!" Lauren squeals, her arms wrapping around me tightly. "I've missed youuu!"

I laugh in response to our excitement. "It's been so long, I thought I'd never see you again!"

We hug each other fiercely, and I finally set her down, though she keeps clinging to my side. The warmth of her embrace and genuine happiness makes my heart swell. Lauren and I have been best friends for ages, and every reunion feels like a special moment.

She ushers me inside, her energy contagious. "Come in, come inn! Everyone's dying to meet you. I tell them so much about you."

She leads me to the back yard, it's filled with chatter and the clinking of glasses. Lauren introduces me to her friends one by one. "This is Carys, and over here is Deana, and I'll make rounds and you can meet everyone else," she says pointing to the different groups.

"Hey, I'm Y/n," I say, extending a hand to Deana and Carys. "Nice to meet you two," I say, slightly taking more interest in Carys.

Deana smiles warmly. "Lauren's told us a lot about you, and we've seen that you work closely with Beyoncé, that's so cool."

"Yeah, that's right," I reply, trying to sound casual. I'm used to this question by now, but it still feels a notch surreal to talk about my work with Beyonce in such a relaxed setting.

Lauren brings around the first round of wine, I drink up and get comfortable.

As the evening progresses, the conversation flows easily, Lauren's friends seem genuinely interested, and they ask questions about what it's like working for one of the biggest names in the world.

"Y/n, now you know you have to tell us what it's like working with her," Deana asks curiosity evident in her eyes. I groan, not really wanting to take the attention to talk about my job here.

"It's a lot of fun," I say, taking a sip from my drink. The alcohol is starting to kick, and I feel more relaxed. "We travel a lot, but it can be exhausting because sometimes it'll be out of no where," I chuckle. But her as a person, she's overall a very genuine person, she's driven and knows exactly what she wants. There's never a dull moment."

Another friend, whose name I haven't quite caught yet chimes in. "What's she like.. you know, like behind closed doors?" I can tell by the delivery of the question that she was trying to ask that in a subtle tone, trying not to come off as off-putting.