Limelight

Take One: Present Perfect

Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction, and I do not intend to ship anyone. All characters and events in this story, even those based on real people, are entirely fictional. I used their names so you can put a face on the characters.

Author's Notes: P' means an older person, and Nong means a younger person in Thailand.

- - - o o o - - -

"HAPPY Birthday, Kath," Bright greeted his best friend of ten years. He placed a small cake with lighted candles in front of her and smiled softly. "Make a wish before you blow, okay?"

Kath nodded and closed her eyes. Then, she put together her hands and said her wishes mentally. She blew the cake momentarily after opening her eyes. Her black eyes sparked with happiness as they met with Bright's hazel eyes. "Thank you for this lovely surprise. I thought you had forgotten my birthday. I saw your IG stories, and you're still working."

"It happened yesterday. I told my team to post the stories today to fool you," Bright confessed while grinning sheepishly. "Are you happy? I rented out the whole restaurant so we can have privacy."

"Of course I am." She tucked a hair beneath her ear.

He faked coughed. "I want to tell you something important..."

"What is it?" she asked.

"Kath... we've been best friends since we were eight," he started, sighing deeply. "You know me like the back of your hand. But, lately, I've realized that I...like..."

His speech was interrupted when his phone rang. He groaned. "Talk about bad timing..." he murmured and turned it off. He looked back at Kath and smiled. "Sorry about that... so I was saying... I realized that I really like..."

His phone rang again. "Damn it..."

Kath giggled. "It's okay. Answer your phone. I can wait."

Bright groaned and picked it up. "Yes, Bright Mendez speaking," he paused. "Yes, I'm in the middle of something... what do you mean it doesn't matter?" his perfectly sculpted eyebrows furrowed while listening to the person on the other end. Then, after a few minutes, he sighed. "Yes... I'll be there. Bye."

"Who was that?" Kath asked worriedly. "Are you in trouble?"

Bright looked away. "No, I'm not."

Kath understood right away that he was indeed in trouble.

"My manager called me. She told me she'd sent a link on my Viber, and I should check it out."

His phone pinged, and he immediately picked it up. Kath looked over his phone and gasped.

"It was us," she muttered, pointing to a picture of them on the FashionGuard, a gossip website akin to Dispatch of Korea. They create lousy blind items and bad publicity, often from unverified sources. In other words, they are just there for the clicks.