Malibu Nights

Chapter 3 - Amber

"All I'm saying is if I have another setback with this damn label I'm going to lose my mind." Amber Williams sighed as she tossed her bag into the empty chair beside her. It was Sunday morning and she had just joined her two best friends at their usual Sunday brunch spot, Malibu Farm.

"How bad is it this time?" Celine asked as she took a bite of her açaí bowl. Amber had been running behind this morning. She had actually woken up on time, responded to some emails, listed to a couple demos that her friend Liz had sent her from Renegade Records, and had talked to her dad on the phone. It had honestly been a productive morning. Even though her phone call with her dad didn't go that great. He had been the bearer of bad news. It would be another week before Amber could open up her record label for new artists.

"I was supposed to open tomorrow ya know? I had a couple artist coming in and I was going to listen to them. But now my lovely father has called and says that it'll be next Monday before we can do that." Amber said adding a hint of sarcasm to the world lovely.

"Hey at least your dads helping you get the label off the ground." Sam said trying to encourage her. She rubbed Amber's arm gently. 

"He just feels guilty. That's the only reason he's helping me get it off the ground. He only saw me a couple times a year for the first 18 years of my life and when I moved to college he was so distraught about me being so far away from him." Amber had moved to New York City for college. Her father had never been very involved in her life, he was far too busy running his own successful record label, Renegade Records. It was kind of funny though. Despite the fact that he had little influence on her growing up, Amber's dream was to open a record label of her own. Thus, Pacific Coast Highway Records was born.

"C'mon Amber, at least he's trying. I know it was super selfish of him to put his job before you and your mom, but he obviously feels bad and wants to make things right."

"Well he's got a lot to make up for." Amber said taking a sip of her iced tea and looking out at the beautiful Pacific Ocean. The trio was sitting at a table right near a large window. The view was absolutely spectacular. Celine was the next to speak, knocking Amber out of her daze and onto a new subject.
 

"Sam will you please tell us what's up with you and Noah Brunson. Spill, I need all the details." Sam blushed, pulled Milo's letter out of her bag and dove into her explanation.

"So, Milo left last week. We had an argument and I told him that I wasn't really happy and that I felt like I deserved better. The next morning when I woke up, he was gone and all he left was this letter." She handed the letter to Celine, so she and Amber could examine it. They read it and Sam continued. "Noah came and got me the next morning and I've been hanging out with him since.
 

Amber picked her fork up and took a bite of her oatmeal. "Do you like him? I mean he's hunky, famous, and Hollywood's golden boy? He's perfect right?" Sam laughed.

"I mean, I definitely think I could fall in love with him, but I just got out of this serious relationship with Milo. And Noah's just my costar, he's a friend that's it." Celine and Amber grinned at one another.

"Oh my god, will you two leave it alone. Amber why don't we focus on getting you a man?" Ambers eyes widened. It wasn't a secret that Amber hadn't been on a date in a good 7 months.

"Absolutely not. All men do is disappoint."

"Is it because of your dad? Because if it is Amber I promise they aren't all li-"

"Stop Cel please, I love you so much but please spare me of this "you'll find someone someday who treats you right and makes you forget about your dad" nonsense. I know you found a good guy and Sam you found Noah and he's famous, so you get double the points, but I don't want a boyfriend. I am far too busy with this label to get involved romantically with anyone right now." Sam rolled her eyes at Amber's comment.