It was supposed to be a normal day for Racheal Riley. It was just a normal day. And it might just have stayed that way, had it not been for an invitation. An unexpected invitation and one she couldn't help being intrigued by. After all it wasn't every day that Emma Watson dropped by your office.

Well, not her office exactly. More the Channel 4 offices. Which was where she had bumped into the young budding actress. Literally.

'Oh..I'm sorry.' Rachel could still remember the mortification in her voice before she even looked up and realised exactly who she had bumped shoulders with as she slipped out of the lift. 'It's..Emma Watson isn't it?'

That question had sounded so stupid in her head, but as so often happened when she was surprised her mouth just took over without any real input from her brain.

'So my agent tells me.' The youthful brunette said with a casual shrug that send her curly hair bouncing softly before settling again against the shoulders of her crumpled blue shirt. 'You'd think I had forgotten who I am the number of times I'm reminded of that. Does yours keep reminding you are Rachel Riley every five minutes?'

'Not really.' Rachel hesitated before replying, this whole conversation feeling a little surreal. 'Did your agent send you here?'

'Yeah..seems someone wants me to make an appearance on Celebrity Big Brother. Intriguing enough maybe but I don't think I could commit to it so I at least wanted to come and say that in person.'

'The life of a big celebrity huh?' Rachel said with a smile. 'Everyone wants a piece of the new guy on the block. Well..new girl maybe. I'm guessing you've been bombarded by invitations to lots of fancy New Years parties?'

'One or two.' Emma replied. 'I'm not going though. I'm thinking of holding one of my own. You should come. It will be fun.'

'Seriously?' Rachel asked with a laugh. 'Me? You do know I do daytime tv right? I'm not a big name or anything.'

'I know.' Emma replied. 'Still I'd love it if you came. Here. Save the date. Got to run.'

'I...well..thank you.' Rachel said uncertainly as Emma quickly scribbled a few lines on a scrap of paper that she slipped into her hand before moving away into the lift leaving her feeling a little confused and flustered in a way she didn't fully understand.

Perhaps it was that sudden flustered feeling that kept the invitation bouncing around in her head as the run up to New Years approached, where all the really had to look forward too was the usual office party. Certainly now that she and Jamie had split up. Which seemed more palatable than the dreaded 'D' word. So faced with either that or being home alone with a bottle of champagne and her memories Rachel had slipped into something casual yet stylish and headed out into the evening.

Yet standing here now outside the Penthouse door before her, she couldn't help doubting her choice of outfit. Especially if beyond the plain dark stained door before her awaited glamorous celebrities dolled up to the nines while she would no doubt look plain in her red blouse with pink flower print which was both cut to reveal a tempting flash of cleavage and delicately ruffled around the sleeves and waist, the hem of which barely touched the black skirt that flowed down to her knees and matched perfectly her black satin heels. Even her hair delicately curled around her shoulders felt hideously plain at the moment.

Pushing down those doubts before they took hold and she scurried home, Rachel extended a finger to press on the buzzer beside the door, the shrill noise cutting over the soft music she could now hear from the other side of the door. Her heart pounded as she waited the long seconds that felt like hours, each one marked by the footsteps she heard approaching.

'Rachel. You made it.'

Rachel held back on the sigh of relief she felt upon seeing Emma standing before her. While the young brunette actress did look stunning with her hair pulled back into a tight bun, her outfit wasn't the paragon of excessive glamour she had been dreading. She seemed to have been comfortable with the casual look too. 'Come on in. Everyone is already here.'

'Who is everyone?' Rachel asked, somehow imagining a impressive gathering of celebrities, one where she would be little more than a smudge on the
steps of stardom.

'Just a few friends. With you it makes five.' Emma said casually as she lead her through the penthouse, the music growing stronger and bringing with it the sounds soft conversation that washed over her as she was lead into the spacious lounge where four faces she instantly recognised sat at there ease on one of the expansive leather couches; faces that brought Rachel out in a broad smile. This might be fun after all.

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Since I'm back in full flow with this first Patreon piece of the New Year, I figured a teaser was in order. Its not set in stone and will undoubtably go through some changes, but it works as a beginning for what I have in mind. And if you'd like to help shape what I have in mind, you could do worse than checking out my Patreon and the story polls soon to be created there.

www.patreon.com/white66