A/N: I'm horrible and soooo sorry!! I know that it's been like a month since I updated the first chapter. I've just been so busy with school and extra curriculars that I haven't been able to write much. But I'm home sick today with not much homework, so you guys get an update. Yay! I know I warned you that I won't update truly regularly, but that didn't mean that you'd wait for months on end! FYI: I do tend to be a perfectionist - something my BFFs are trying (and failing) at fixing, so I don't normally post unless I'm completely satisfied.
Special thanks to: supastarby9, Loves to read 15, AllForLoveAndHappiness, digigirl02, XxloveismexX, headstrongbears, Dramione x3, palmbeach, xmollyx, and sophieloveschocolate.
FYI: All mistakes are mine, no beta and my BFFs aren't the best proofreaders.
Disclaimer: All I own is the bubble that I live in, everything else is up for grabs.
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Chapter 1
Just a day, just an ordinary day … just a boy, just an ordinary boy – Vanessa Carlton
~*~*~
It felt refreshing to have the snow fall on my face. The cold droplets of frozen water melting on my skin transported me back to kindergarten, a time when things were so much simpler. It was a time when jobs and deadlines didn't exist, when my friends and I could giggle without being frowned upon, where boys had cooties and were considered either our best friends or 'yucky'. Snow was different to me, it was cleansing, magical, heavenly, and mysterious. My best friend Sharpay, on the other hand, would just tell you that snow is a pain in the ass to deal with, especially in $525 stilettos from Manolo Blanik. In my opinion, snow is something that doesn't deserve the 'pain in the ass' label it is issued. The snowflakes that were creating New York City into a winter wonderland deserved a much more appropriate label. I mean one doesn't walk into Barneys expecting to find merchandise from JCPenny's – it's just not right. At least, that was what I was pondering while walking through the falling snow.
~*~*~
I glance up and down the street hoping to catch sight of a yellow cab instead of having to walk the rest of the distance to a local coffee shop where I was meeting the girls. Unfortunately for me, every single cab seemed to be taken; leading me to walk those seven or eight blocks in my heels. Wrapping my scarf tighter around my face, I smile as the flickering lights of Madison's Café come into view. It was a welcomed beacon from the below-freezing temperatures outside. Entering the café, a slew of teenagers rush out – obviously late for classes – and I finally reach my intended destination, a small table at the back of the room – three spots already occupied.
On the right side of the table, with her back to me, sat Taylor McKessie, her black locks were swept up in a sophisticated bun and a blood red coat was hanging on the back of her chair. Directly across from her was Sharpay Evans. The blonde bombshell was a vision of pink, her flawless face holding a slightly rosy hue due to the cold. Next to Sharpay sat petite Kelsi Nielson, her light brown hair was curled tightly and partially hidden by a winter hat. The composer was chatting excitedly with the other women. I approach the table leisurely, unconsciously adjusting my white pea coat while at the same time a hand comes up to run through my dark brown curls – it's habit I've never really quit.
"I cannot believe that I left sunny California for this," I overhear Sharpay exclaim as I wave to the owner of the café, Jeff Madison. He waves back and continues to take orders. Kelsi sees me first; the smile on her face is unmistakably happy. Sitting down in the last chair, Taylor and Sharpay smile in way of greeting.
"Hey Brie," greeted Sharpay in a peppy voice. "Haven't seen you in awhile, deadlines killing your social life?"
I roll my eyes at Sharpay's attempt at humor. "I'm not the only one who's been private lately, ahem Miss Evans."
"Oh please, my job requires me to fly all over the world. All you have to do is walk to the local Barnes and Noble and talk about some book," scoffs Sharpay.
"Alright, let's stop this before it turns into a full out bitch match," Taylor groans next to me.
"Let 'em at," Kelsi declares. "They haven't seen each other in months; it's not like they actually mean it, right?"
"Please, in California, if you're not all happy and bubbly and whatever the hell else, it's like you're an alien," complains Sharpay as she takes a sip of her non-fat latte. Jeff comes around and places my regular vanilla latte and blueberry muffin on the colorful mosaic tiled table before moving on to the next group of customers.
Taylor laughs until her BlackBerry Pearl starts vibrating on the table. "Shit, I thought I had the morning off."
"And I thought you loved your job?" I taunt. Taylor works as the right hand woman to the Mayor of New York City – I don't know her exact title, but the job is high profile. I believe it has something to do with the fact that she spends more time with Mayor Bloomberg than his wife does. The time consuming and stressful requirements do piss Taylor off sometimes though.
"Are you kidding me? You three are the ones with the good jobs, I got the crappy one just like I get the crappy men," sighs Taylor toying with a cream cheese smothered bagel. "I just don't understand why they can't let me have one morning to myself. I'll be right back guys."
I share a rueful smile with Sharpay and Kelsi as Taylor walks out of the crowded coffee shop and into the brutal cold. "Why do our conversations always transfer to the topic of men," I ask. Both Sharpay and Kelsi shrug. "I mean, do we not have anything better with our lives than to complain about our non-existent relationships?"
"Where's the fun in being tied down?" asks Sharpay incredulously. "If we didn't always dump the guy, you wouldn't have a job."
I guess she's right. The inspirations for my books are always caused by my girlfriends' hopeless search for love.
"Speak for yourself Shar," Kelsi counters. "I happen to want to find a steady man. I mean, I'll be turning thirty in five months. My mom told me that the minute you hit that age, it's harder than ever to find a partner."
"I would not bother with the advice from your mom," announces Sharpay.
I can't blame her. Kelsi's mom is old-fashioned. She tried to get Kelsi to marry this guy in her senior year in college at Julliard, didn't quite turn out well considering the fact that Taylor and me found him screwing Kelsi's roommate one afternoon – but that's a story for another day.
"She's not that bad," I hear Kelsi state.
Reentering the conversation, I put in my two cents, "Kels, remember you-know-who?"
Sharpay looks at me in alarm while Kelsi's normally happy face, falls a few notches. Whoops, I probably should've just left that little bit of history in my head.
"Oh my God, I didn't mean to bring him up," I hurriedly say. "It's just that, uh, I mean, well…" I falter and mentally smack myself. Nice going Montez.
"No," Kelsi says stiffly. "Gabi is right, my mom isn't the best in that department, but she still managed to find the right guy. So maybe there's still hope for the rest of us."
I hear Sharpay choke on the last of her omelet. "Are you frickin' kidding me?"
Ah, Kelsi just opened a whole other can of worms with that remark. I happen to believe she's right in the idea that we can still find 'the one'. Sharpay on the other hand cannot be persuaded to our side of the argument. She believes that marriage is overrated and a whole bunch of explicative phrases. Of course, it could be contributed to the idea that her 'high school sweetheart' left her the moment he realized she was a virgin at senior prom.
"Whatever the hell you just said please tell me you were kidding," exclaimed Sharpay to Kelsi.
I roll my eyes. Yet again I have to play referee between my two best friends. But that doesn't mean I'm not going to put in my own opinion. "Come on Pay, don't you ever think of Mr. Right? Prince Charming? Don't you actually want someone to tend to your every whim when you need it? A support system besides your best friends?"
Sharpay stares at me like I just grew another head. Uh-oh this isn't good.
"You did not just suggest the idea that you want to marry a guy. After Drake and Zac, I thought you were done?"
Drake Tanner and Zac Masters were two of the many guys I've dated, but they were my only two serious relationships – until I realized that Drake was fooling around behind my back and Zac was married to another woman. There were others too, but they didn't do anything, well, nothing that deserved to be written about at least.
"Just because those two were asses, doesn't mean that another guy could possibly be the right one," I shrug; it's hopeless to fight Sharpay.
Sharpay rolls her eyes as her iPhone starts singing Britney Spears' Circus. "Sorry guys, gotta take this," announces Sharpay. Taylor had left a little while ago when she finally hung up her phone, muttering something along the lines of 'son of a bitch' under her breath. Now with Sharpay's departure, Kelsi leans across the table.
"I didn't want to say it in front of Shar and Tay but, Jason Cross asked me out to that Italian bistro over on 95th," she squeals. "Can you believe it?"
I grin at Kelsi, knowing this was huge.
"He's a major name in the publication circuit," she adds. "Have you heard of him?"
Had I heard of him – uh yeah I had. Jason Cross was the big shot of the publishing world. I actually had a few of my own manuscripts run by him, but that was when he wasn't so well known and I hadn't met Josh. I also knew that he was the bachelor in the high profile world - biggest player at times too. But I wasn't about to tell Kelsi these little details about Mister Cross. So I settled for the nondescript version.
"Yeah I've heard of him. Just in passing though."
"I'm not buying this 'who needs marriage' crap Sharpay is playing up," states Kelsi. "I'm gonna try and make this work."
Good luck sister. I smile and nod, "When are you meeting up with him?"
"He's picking me up from the theater around 7 pm."
"Tonight?"
"Yeah, why?"
"We were gonna go to Prowl over on 35th and get wasted," I sigh. Prowl is this major club in the celebutante world. Anyone who's anyone hangs there. It's the crème de la crème of Manhattan society, which of course means that my girlfriends and I were going to be there.
Kelsi rolls her eyes, "Oh well, just get wasted without me. It's not that hard."
"Fine, have fun with Jason Cross and tell me everything, even the kink."
"We are not having sex on the first date."
"That's all Pay does," I state nonchalantly, munching on the blueberry muffin.
Kelsi wrinkles her nose in disgust, "I'm not Sharpay."
"Right sorry," I giggle before giving Kelsi a quick hug. "Have fun, I gotta go before Josh has my head on a platter for being late."
"Deadlines, course. Good luck with the publisher," Kelsi calls out as I head out the café. I wave goodbye before I exit the café and attempt to hail a cab.
~*~*~
"I'm almost there Josh calm down," I yell into my iPhone while tossing a couple of twenties at the cab driver.
"There are some big associates here this morning Brie. I don't have to remind you that they are here to see you," Josh Martin, my publisher, states pointedly.
This was so repetitive that I could recite word for word what Josh would say next, and presumably so could he. I imagine Josh in his usual J. Crew sweater and khakis, his dirty blonde hair overrun with hair gel, a venti Americano from Starbucks on his desk, and his fingers in a steeple as he chatted with me; his BlackBerry Storm on speaker. It takes all of my willpower to not ask Josh if that is exactly how he's positioned.
"Don't worry, Josh I'll be there in ten."
"You better," he warns before hanging up.
Blowing my bangs out of my face, I become focused on checking my purse to make sure I have my latest manuscript, so focused in fact, that I completely miss that a guy in a suit – obviously late for a meeting – is running straight at me. Always a little late on the reactions, I don't see him until he plows through me; catching me off guard and making my new Kate Spade fly out of my hand.
"Whoa," I hear someone behind me exclaim. "You ok?"
Turning around, I spot my Kate Spade in large calloused hands. Glancing up, I find my savior to be handsome guy. Probably a little under six feet, the guy had a warm smile that reached these gorgeous azure eyes, slightly covered by honey colored hair.
"I'm fine," I smile to the stranger. "Thanks for asking."
"No problem," he shrugs. I gesture to my purse and he sheepishly extends it to me. "Right," he says drawing the word out. "This is yours isn't it?" he teases.
I nod shyly, taking the bag. "Thanks," I murmur. He nods a twinkle evident in his ocean blue eyes before waving goodbye and heading toward the subway. Turning around I enter the high rise and mentally smack myself for the second time that day. Why the hell was I acting shy? Normally, with guys like that, I dropping my number on them somehow. Groaning, I check the time on my phone. Great two minutes late, Josh is going to have a field day. But waiting for the elevator, walking down the hallways of Josh's office, all I could think of was that guy…
So um, how'd I do? Did you guys like it? Please review and tell me! Maybe I'll update faster knowing that people enjoy this story...
