Behind The Bright Lights

Chapter 1

'I won't be late!'

The tail end of an obviously heated conversation outside the door of Nate's recording studio caused him to look up from to pile of letters he was looking at to the closed door hoping it was his show guest finally making an appearance two hours late. The door burst open revealing a stunning blonde woman in big designer sunglasses. She was carrying a big handbag in one hand, iPhone and keys in the other but these were discarded on the front door table as she stepped inside closing the door behind her.
'Well, that certainly is not true. Not according to my watch at least.' Nate said glancing at his wrist watch. The blonde woman frowned in confusion causing Nate to smile at her gorgeous face and he explained 'Just now you said you wouldn't be late.You are late.'

'Oh,' the confusion cleared and she smiled revealing perfect white teeth 'you heard that? My boyfriend.' She explained, 'I don't know where he gets the idea that I'm always late.' She rolled her eyes.

Nate smiled and shook his head as she approached him stretching her long arms for a hug.

'Good to see you, Rocki. It's been long.' He said accepting the embrace.

'Too long.' She pulled away and looked down at him as she towered over him in her heels 'You haven't changed much. 'Definitely still short but...cuter.' She noted tapping her chin 'Got a girlfriend now?'

Nate chuckled. 'You haven't changed much either. You are still rude.' He wasn't short he was average height but Rocki was, however, taller than most guys in her heels but those long legs made her lots of money as a model.

'Not rude- direct.' She corrected looking around the studio. 'There's no one here.' She observed walking around the well-it studio.

'Really?' Nate gasped in mock shock. 'What happened to everyone?'

Rocki rolled her eyes 'Goofy sense of humor...' she flicked a finger to represent a tick. 'Check.' She smiled at his goofy grin.

'No sense of humor...' he imitated her gesture, 'Check.'

She rolled her eyes again and muttered something which sounded like 'real mature'. 'Seriously though, where is everyone?'

'Rehearsal is tomorrow.' Nate stated with a shrug knowing fully well that Rocki wasn't going to be happy.

They had known each other since third grade and grown up together but different career paths had separated them. He had followed his path as an interior stylist and later became a talk show host, while she on the other hand was an international model- a good one too. If anyone didn't know her, they were probably deaf or blind or both. His team had decided it was time for an audience boost so they had decided to invite the famous model to the show and the fact that she and Nate were childhood friends had her agreeing in a heartbeat. But Nate knew she was no pushover.

'What?' Rocki swirled around to face him 'Tomorrow? Why didn't anyone tell me?' She threw her hands up and watched as Nate dropped the pile of letters in the 'out' tray on the enquiries desk appearing nonchalant. 'Nate?'

'I knew you were going to be late- as always,' he turned to face her 'so I took the liberty of inviting you a day earlier.' He smiled adorably at her potentially livid expression.

'Did it occur to you that I might have had plans today?' she asked him narrowing her eyes the way she did when she was trying to intimidate her prey but it was all lost on Nate who shrugged his broad shoulders again.

'It did but I figured it was better this way.'

'Better for whom? Certainly not me. I'm gonna kill you.'