“Hop you little plumber. Hop! Hop! Hop!” Harper scrunched her face aggressively talking through her teeth at the television, pressing down the red circles on the controller.

It’s Thursday night, which meant two things in Harper’s world. She reached down for her guilty pleasure and bit into it before she went back to her plumber in overalls that she had a standing date with.

Dun dun dun da dun dun dun…

“What the F-?” She so ungraciously blurted out as she jumped from the couch around the room before realizing that the noise barreling through her sound waves was only her phone.  She hurried across the room, finally reaching it. The name on the screen wasn’t so uncommon.  “Good evening, Harper Lawrence.” She answered professionally, not hinting that she was taken off guard at all.

“Harper… finally!” A chipper voice reined through the receiver.

“What’s wrong Alice?” She asked sighing heavily that her night was interrupted. She could hear that Alice was inside her closet at work, shuffling clothes hangers from side to side. The girl didn’t know what it meant to go home early.

“I prepped all of your outfits for the next few days; I needed you to approve them. Where are you?”

Harper rolled her eyes annoyed. In a world where she could be in a different city every day, sometimes working before the sun was up until the sun was way down. She would work any other day of the week no matter where she had to fly to, as much as Harper loved her job, this was her only night to herself, this was her serenity and she needed this alone time. That plumber in overalls and his turtles kept her sane. “It’s Thursday Alice, I’m at home.”

“Oh, right. I’m sorry. I forgot this was your early night.”

“I’ll be at the office early tomorrow, no big deal. Go home Alice, enjoy the rest of your evening.”

She kicked herself back on the couch, resting her feet on the table in front of her, taking another bite of her enormous classic burger from Bill’s, her favorite luxury item.  She places the square remote back into her hand. “Mario, let’s get you to the castle and find Peach!”

*

The beautiful people.

Everyone strives to be just like them. From the clothes they wear to the color of their hair, but if you really knew them, their deep dark secrets and truths over the publicity that is created for them, would you still idealize them? Harper Lawrence flipped through a magazine, doing her typical research as her makeup is being put on. With a fake smile on her face, she looked up at her producer and began to talk through her teeth, “Seriously? Them again?”

Kristy sighs along with her. “I’m sorry. They somehow bring in the viewers.” She has been the producer of the entertainment portion of network for almost eight years. She came along the same time Harper started as in intern for the network.  Kristy watched as Harper learned every detail of the industry, from the bottom to the top and always knew Harper would end up in the chair on camera.

Working for a national television network, Harper knew she had her fair share of different kinds of interviews. Some of which are live, so you have to expect the unexpected at all times. She had the knack for being able to make a flub, just another sarcastic move in her playbook. But there were a group of people Harper hated to interview, and it annoyed her to the core to interview socialites or a reality television star.

Toni applied the makeup to her face and Harper continued to rant about what she had to do today. “Why can’t we be strict and only interview the ones who actually have talent, you know the ones that are on set all day for months filming a movie, or people that spend countless days in a recording studio coming up with the incredible album that will last generations, instead of these people who are a waste of our time?”

Kristy chuckles under her breath as she always does when she knows Harper is right and there was nothing either of them could do about it. “… They’ll be here in twenty.”

Being the professional she is, she reviewed her notes and prepared the questions she needed to ask. She could fake an interview better than most can do their best interview, and today was going to be proof of that.

Harper jumped out of the chair, her hair and makeup were perfect, “Thanks Toni!” heading down the hall she stops in the doorway of Kristy’s office.

“Kristy Lorraway… yes… today?... Everything alright?” She raises her finger in the air, ensuring Harper that she sees her standing in the doorway patiently waiting for her to finish her phone call so she could make one more snide remark before walking into the dreaded interview of a family that is known for exploiting each other just to make another dime. They had a great plan and were making more money than she was making in a year, but she had to remind herself that every dollar she earn, was respectfully earn.

Her producer was smiling as she continued to talk on the phone. “Of course we would love to have him on our show… we will make it happen... five o’clock is fine… See you then!” Kristy smiles again, this time at Harper. “Did ya need something?”

“I just wanted you to know that once again I set in a makeup chair to make this face presentable just to go waste some time with ‘those’ people…” She laughs. The joke was over but she couldn’t resist.

Kristy stands and walks to the front of her desk, “Maybe I have something you will enjoy today then?”

Harper face lit up with excitement. “Will I need more makeup?”

“You don’t need any makeup.” Kristy said slightly jealous of Harper’s flawless skin.

Harper laughed shaking her head, “Who is the interview with?”

“Timberlake. They asked if we could move up his interview, to tonight.”

“As in…?” She smiled nervously.

“And Harper…” Kristy stopped her from leaving the office. “He specifically asked for you.”

Her palms instantly became clammy and a shiver ran down her spine.  “I’m an entertainment reporter?” She asked confused as to why this interview was given to her.

“It’s Friday,” Kristy continued ignoring her question. “And it’s the first weekend you haven’t been out of town, you don’t mind staying late to do it?”

“It’s the President of the United States.” She smiled whole heartedly at her. Hoping she didn’t see the fear that had to be written all over her face. “I think I can stay late for that.”

Kristy swatted her hand at Harper, “Go waste some time… you’ve got something major to do tonight.”

Harper found herself waiting in the interview room, under the hot camera lights, flipping through her infamous note cards, those cards were almost as famous as televisions most pimped out family she was waiting to arrive. They were already twenty-seven minutes late. The words seem to blur in front of her. Nothing was making sense and all her personal notes were not lining up. Her mind was wondering to the interview that was going to happen later in the day, she found herself nervous. Really nervous. Her hands were trembling. Her thoughts scattered.

What was he thinking, coming to me? She thought to herself.

If anyone could make her nervous, it was him. If there was anyone that could make her run and hide in a closet, peaking through the crack of the door, it was him.

It had been nearly a year since she had seen him face to face. That last encounter wasn’t so fantastic. And everything she thought she could control was out the window at this point.

Exhaling a deep breath, attempting to focus back on what she was doing. She couldn’t for the life of her think of what else they could possibly be doing that would keep them from making another public appearance and banking another couple grand in their bank account. As the minutes ticked by, she was not only frustrated, she was hungry. She had skipped lunch to make sure she was ready for when this godforsaken family arrived. The last thing she wanted was to be forced to make small talk with them.

Fifty two minutes after their scheduled time, a posse of people came storming through the door. “If the paparazzi would leave me alone, I would be places on time.” The over confident starlet rambled out. They all plop down on the chairs in front of her, the makeup artists touching up their already overly makeup-ed faces.

At this point level of annoyance was at an all time time. She does the only thing she can think of doing, other than kicking each and every one of them in their face. “We are going to have to reschedule this. I have another interview scheduled in less than ten minutes.” Harper is looking down at her watch. The twinge of happiness she gets from declining them, made her entire day. Hell, it probably made her month. Nothing could happen that could top that moment and the look on the faces of the talentless family that was in front of her.

The mother, and manager, has the look of shock on her face before finally speaking, “No one cancels on us. Do you know how many other networks would love to have my daughters on their shows?”

Harper placed the television smile on her face, “You are more than willing to call one of those other networks. However you were an hour late for your scheduled interview, which shows a lack of respect for others on your part. It doesn’t take an hour to come one city block in New York City. Paparazzi or not.” Harper unhooks her mic pack and steps through the lights. She knew what hotel the network booked everyone at. They had no real excuse except they thought they could just get away with coming and going as they please. Not in Harper Lawrence’s world, not today. “Now I have to touch up my makeup because I’ve been sitting under these lights waiting for all of you to arrive and I have an important interview to prepare for.”

Very confidently she walked out of the office knowing she would probably never have to interview them again.

“… Can you believe the nerve that woman has. Seriously? I will have her fired.” The Barbie like daughter piped in her opinion as she exited the room.

The more genuine, life altering smile was on her face as she slipped past Kristy’s office and headed towards her own office. That’s where she remained for several hours. Most of that time was spent staring at her computer screen, accomplishing nothing. She was staring off into a blank stare for most of her day. She had no idea what or even why he wanted her to interview him. 

She lowered her head breathing as calmly as she could. Her foot tapped against the leg of the chair. She fidgeted with her cards, full of information.  Suddenly the hallways were silent, shoes scuffling across the freshly waxed floors.

She knew what this meant. 

Her heart started to palpate even faster.

As her eyes fluttered open, she sees two men dress in black suits hovered in her doorway through the mirror.

 She knew what was coming next.