While all eight of the new starts of "Beyond the Lights" had signed their contracts, it seemed like none, or very few of them, were actually excited to be starting in the hyped up series. Michael wasn't really either, but he thought that he was the only one who actually had a good reason to resent the idea of being on the show right now. He knew that he was going to be forced to face how unfaithful he had been to Kate, and doing so while not being broadcasted on national television had clearly already been difficult enough for him. The idea of the reality show itself wasn't so bad, and he probably would have actually looked forward to it if Kate hadn't been a part of it as well. He knew that there was no way to spin what he had done as being right. There was no justification, no other "love at first sight" girl who had been a part of the affair, who he was still in love with to this day. It was just him being stupid and impulsive, and losing a girl who had truly loved him. He knew he was going to be made to look like an asshole, and he thought that he deserved that reaction from Kate, but not from the whole world. That was a kind of backlash that no one wanted to deal with.
He tried to reach out to Kate before the show started, and on multiple occasions, actually. The last time that she had actually spoken to him was the day after she initially found out about the cheating, and it was a screaming fit that followed the one from the night before, where she told him he had three hours to get all of his stuff out of her driveway. Even after that, though, he continued to try to call and text her, but after two weeks of being sent to her voicemail, it was clear that she wasn't going to budge. He knew that to a girl like Kate, who prized her dignity and image so much, cheating on her was the ultimate betrayal, and being completely cut off was expected. He thought she could have at least been mature enough to forgive him for the purpose of the show. Maybe it spoke to his selfishness, but he felt like it was unfair for her to continue to be mad at him to a point where it was going to affect his image on the show.
The fact that she wasn't going to budge had Mike staying away from New York for as long as possible. He had only flown into New York from California an hour ago, and between getting all of his luggage into a car headed for the Rockefeller penthouse and then getting one for himself, he knew that he was barely going to make it there by the time he was supposed to. He was never a fan of bunch, because it usually meant either missing breakfast or lunch in favor for the other, and he just wasn't that kind of guy. Why anyone would purposely skip out on the chance to eat baffled him, so even after eating his own breakfast, and then lunch at the airport, he had half the mind just to not show up at the Rockefeller's house. It wasn't like he was welcome there, and he knew he wouldn't be missing anything positive, anyway.
Luciana had sensed that Michael was resistant to the idea of the show the day before. At first, he had totally been on board with it. At the time that the show was pitched to everyone, he and Kate were still and healthy couple, and her brother had really seemed on board with the idea. He was the time of guy who lived off of attention, and she associated his success as a model with that ego, so it made sense that he would love some extra, paid camera time. She thought that even with his scandal with Kate, Michael would get over it and still be into the idea of being on television, but just to make sure, as she and Serena were on their way over, she decided to call Michael.
"Yeah, I'm excited," Lucy responded after Serena told the driver to let them off. She smiled at her sister genuinely. Serena was so full of life and energy. Luciana definitely wasn't dull, but she sometimes admired how confident and alive her sister always seemed. "I hope it's not either. Have you spoken to Kate lately? She hasn't answered any of my messages, and I know Mike said she wants nothing to do with him. Hold on, let me call him before we go up. I want to make sure that he's on his way." She paused a few feet away from the Rockefeller's building and called her brother.
"What's up?" Michael answered, picking up his phone on the first ring. He knew it was Luciana and that she was probably wondering where he was, so he was tempted not to answer it, but the buzzing in his pocket was bothering him, so he answered on the last ring. Besides, he was only a block away, so he didn't want her getting worried, like he knew she would, if he didn't answer. "Hey, Mike. How was the flight?" It would have been easier for Luciana to just demand to know where Mike was, but she wasn't that type of cold or demanding person. She didn't get worked up easily, and tended to be more concerned with her family and friend's well being over anything else. "It was alright. Did you need to ask me something, or what? I'm pulling up now, so -- oh, I see you. I'm hanging up." Just because of how genuinely nice Lucy tended to be, Mike usually felt bad if he was being short or uptight in his responses towards her, but he was feeling abnormally nervous right now. "He's here," Lucy smiled as her brother hung up, and she picked out a car pulling up at the curb. "Elliott texted me too, so let me answer him and then when Mike gets over here we'll go in," she thought out loud as she typed a response out to Elliott.
To: Elliot, Charlie
The Belluccis have arrived ;D!