Hollywood Hills

by Aimee Friedman

  Alexa felt her head swimming, her heart bursting.

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  "It's not?" She slipped her arms around Seamus's neck to keep herself steady.

  Seamus shook his head, watching her intently. "It's something in here." He moved his fingers over to her forehead, caressing her ever so slightly, and then let them trail down, over her collarbone, to rest lightly against her heart. "And here."

  Alexa felt wonderfully dizzy. So this is why I thought this night would change my life. "You have a really weird way of showing how you feel, Seamus."

  "I've been a jerk." Seamus offered her an apologetic smile. "You confused me, Alexa. At first I thought you were like so many other girls I'd known, but then when I got your sense of humor ..." He stopped dancing for a minute. "I knew there was more to you than meets the eye."

  As they stood pressed close together, their faces inches apart, Alexa desperately wanted Seamus to kiss her -- but was also afraid that he would. She was worried that if they gave in to the sexual tension simmering between them, Seamus would become nothing more than another hook-up. Whatever they had would lose meaning. So Alexa pulled back, and, in doing so, happened to spot Holly across the dance floor. In her pink dress, with her hair pulled back, she could be one of many lovely starlets flitting about the party; only

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  her eyes -- wide and sparkling with warmth -- gave her away. She was talking to Jonah and Belle, and Alexa wondered what the three of them were discussing.

  "Hope you girls are loving life right now," Jonah w*as saying to Holly and Belle, playing the part of hospitable best man to a hilt. "Let me know if there's anything you need," he added, and then glanced around the tent. "By the way, have either of you seen Esperanza? I need to ask her where she put my cell phone charger."

  Holly shook her head, fanning her hot face with one hand; she hadn't seen Jonah's stuffy assistant since the ceremony. And she'd been far too busy in the past half hour getting her groove on and sneaking peeks at Zach to really look for anyone. As Jonah was saying something else to Belle, Holly did scan the dance floor -- and immediately noticed Alexa shooting her a huge smile. She and Seamus were dancing, their arms lightly draped around each other, and Holly was filled with elation -- though not much surprise. Nobody bickered as much as those two did unless they were meant for each other.

  "Charity' was looking for you," Holly heard Belle saying to Jonah. "I think she ... misses you, Jonah."

  Intrigued, Holly turned back around to see the actor give Belle a kiss on the cheek, wave to Holly, and trot off in search of his once and future leading lady.

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  "Oh, wait -- there's Esperanza," Belle exclaimed after Jonah had gone. Holly followed Belle's gaze, and then her jaw dropped.

  Jonah's assistant had finally, finally let loose. She was dancing in a far corner with one of the groomsmen, sipping from a miniature bottle of pink champagne. Her hair, appropriately, was out of its ever-present bun, and swung down her back in abundant, dark waves. She'd also shed her white suit jacket to reveal a silky white camisole underneath. Holly would never have thought it, but Esperanza was pretty ... hot. The groomsman seemed to think so, too, from the way he was dancing with her. Holly prayed Alexa was getting a glimpse of this action.

  "Wow," Belle commented with a yawn. "That's what happens when you work for a high-maintenance actor twenty-four-seven, and then get the night off." She shook her head, and nudged Holly. "I'm getting tired just watching her. Want to take a break?"

  Holly hesitated, glancing up at the stage. The whole time she'd been dancing, she'd alternated between hoping that Zach would, and wouldn't, spot her. At moments, it had seemed like the lead singer's eyes had strayed in her direction, but he gave no indication that he either noticed or recognized her. Holly didn't really mind; it was pleasure enough to listen to his unique voice, to watch from afar as he moved along

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  the stage, sinuous and confident, a rock star in Converse sneakers. "He's so sexy," Belle had said at one point, and Holly had simply blushed in agreement, keeping their connection to herself.

  Now, Belle was watching Holly expectantly, but before Holly could look back at her and say that, yeah, a break sounded good -- after all, her spice-rubbed chicken, mango sauce, and wild rice dinner was waiting -- Zach was stepping up to the mike and undoing his bow tie.

  "Folks," Zach called, wiping sweat from his brow. "We're gonna take a quick break and let the DJ we've got Samantha Ronson here tonight -- do a turn. See you again soon." He lifted his guitar up over his head and set it down by the drum set. Her face heating up, Holly watched as Zach also removed his suit jacket and then went over to say something to his drummer. To Holly's disbelief, both Zach and the drummer looked right in her direction, and Zach's face broke into a huge grin.

  "Guardian angel?" he mouthed at her, his brown eyes sparkling, and Holly gave a small nod, feeling Belle's inquisitive gaze on her.

  And then Zach and his drummer hopped off the stage and were weaving through the crowd. As the drummer a cute, short guy with long-ish brown

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  hair -- began chatting up Belle ("You must get this all the time, but aren't you Pocahontas?"), Zach stopped in front of Holly.

  "I don't know if you could tell, but I kept checking you out all night," he finally said, after they'd both studied each other for a moment. "And not in a sketchy way. I wasn't sure it was you."

  Holly smiled shyly. "What tipped you off?" she asked.

  'Your eyes." Zach shrugged. "They were the first things I saw when I came to the other day, on the beach. They're unmistakable."

  Holly wondered if it was possible to catch fire from the warmth of her own skin. She looked down, trying to come up with a response. She thought about telling Zach that his eyes were unmistakable as well, and that he looked adorable tonight, with his white shirt untucked and his brown curls framing his flushed face. But she thought the better of it.

  "You know, you never told me your name," Zach spoke, clearly not put off by Holly's awkwardness. "I like Guardian Angel, but I'm guessing that's going to get old after a while."

  Holly couldn't help her laugh. "Holly -- Holly Jacobson," she said, holding out her hand, and her heart jumped a little when Zach shook it.

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  "Zach Rose," he replied, holding her hand for a beat longer than necessary. His fingertips felt calloused from the guitar playing, but in a pleasant way. "Terrific to meet you, Holly." He paused, then rolled up his white sleeves, revealing the nicely toned arms Holly had admired on the beach not too long ago. "I should have known you'd have celeb connections," Zach went on, smiling at her teasingly. "Running off all mysteriously when I tried to thank you ..."

  "I know, I'm sorry," Holly told Zach, raising her voice over the thumping music. "Rut I don't really have celebrity connections. I just got kind of embarrassed on the beach the other day and "A Panic! At the Disco song came on then, drowning her out.

  Zach leaned close to her, close enough for Holly to make out the freckles on his nose again. "Do you want to get out of here for a second?" he asked. Holly nodded, ready to leave behind the close, sweaty crowd for a spell.

  After fighting their way through the throngs, and pushing past the gauzy blue curtains leading outside, Holly and Zach walked into the chilly, star-sprinkled night. All traces of the earlier heat and rain were gone, and Holly took a deep breath of the fresh mountain air.

  "Nice, huh?" Zach asked with a grin. "Hard to

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  believe the beach is so close. I guess there's a little bit of everything in California."

  "There really is," Holly replied, thinking of all that had happened in the short space of time she'd been in LA. She stopped to slip off her black heels, and soon she and Zach were strolling along the garden path, the grass cool and damp beneath Holly's feet. As the sounds of celebration floated out from the tent behind them, Holly explained to an attentive Zach about Alexa's run-in with Margaux in New York and the girls' subse
quent, impromptu journey to LA. "Which is what brought me to Zuma Beach that day," she summed up.

  "Therefore saving my sorry ass," Zach filled in with a grin. Holly laughed, and Zach added, "It's pretty-dope, though, how you picked up and came to Cali at a moment's notice. That's exactly what I would have done."

  He and Holly came to a stop at the edge of the hill, overlooking the houses and trees below that were illuminated by the moonlight. "I feel like life's too short not to be spontaneous," Zach went on thoughtfully. "There's so much to see in the world -- so much to taste and experience --" Zach paused, then glanced at Holly, running a hand through his dark curls. "Sorry. I get kinda carried away sometimes."

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  "No, I know what you mean," Holly replied softly, dangling her shoes from one hand. It was the funniest thing, but Zach reminded her a little of Alexa he had the same appetite for adventure, the same spark of daring that never failed to inspire Holly. That's the kind of person I need in my life, Holly reflected. Someone to remind me that things aren't as scary as they seem. "For example, I always hated flying," Holly continued, staring into Zach's deep brown eyes. "But then I realized how much I love to travel -- so I learned to like airplanes. Somewhat."

  Zach chuckled, his eyes sweeping over Holly's face. "Traveling's my passion," he replied. "Well, after music -- and surfing. Over winter break, I swam with dolphins in Australia, which was amazing. I've spent most of my life in California but I'm definitely moving to Italy or Spain sometime."

  Italy, Holly thought with a sigh; she'd always dreamed of visiting that country. She was starting to ask Zach more about his Australia trip, when a sudden crackling sound overhead interrupted her. Thinking it was thunder again, Holly looked up at the sweeping sky.

  Over the distant hills, green, gold, and red bursts were exploding and then showering down. "Is that for the wedding?" Holly asked. She'd read in People of

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  movie stars getting fireworks to go off in sync with their celebrations.

  "No, I think it's the Hollywood Bowl," Zach replied as he gazed out at the fireworks. "It's this great concert space built right into the Hills" Zach took a step closer to Holly and pointed "and every summer you can bring a picnic dinner and listen to music and look out at the Hollywood sign. At the end of some shows, they have fireworks."

  Holly nodded, picturing the idyllic place. "If I get out here at the end of August," she ventured, glancing away from the fireworks to look at Zach, "we could go."

  Zach smiled at her. "I'd like that," he said. "And it'll be my treat. I never really thanked you for saving my life the other day."

  "Oh, that's okay," Holly said nervously as Zach took a step closer to her. She waved a hand. "There's no need -- "

  "Can I try now?" Zach asked softly, and before Holly could respond, he put his hands on her shoulders and kissed her softly, his lips lingering as the fireworks boomed overhead. It was bizarre to think that Holly had held her mouth against his once before this time, it felt very different. It felt spontaneous and tender and more than a little hot.

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  When Zach drew back, Holly put a hand to her tingling lips. "I - I just broke up with my boyfriend," she told him, her pulse racing. "I don't think I can ... I need some time ..."

  "It's okay," Zach said, kissing Holly on the cheek. "Don't worry. That was just something I wanted to do right now. Live for the moment and all, you know?"

  "I know," Holly whispered, smiling up at Zach. Sometimes a kiss didn't have to be anything more than a fun, dazzling moment -- like fireworks going off.

  And sometimes, Holly decided, it was okay to have a crush. Even if that crush only lasted for one magical night.

  "Zach! We're back on in two seconds!" One of Zach's bandmates was standing outside the tent, waving his arms. "Get over here!"

  Putting his arm across Holly's shoulder, Zach led her toward the tent. Before he took the stage again, he walked Holly back to her seat, and they exchanged cell phone numbers, promising they'd be in touch when Holly returned to LA. Swaying by her table, Holly watched as Zach stepped up onstage, slung his guitar across his body again, and brought the microphone to his mouth. "I want to dedicate this next song," he said, his eyes holding Holly's, "to someone who saved my life. It used to be called 'Diving into the Deep.' But tonight I'm officially changing the title to 'Holly.'"

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  "Did you hear that?" Alexa cried, pulling back from the circle of Seamus's arms when she heard the surfer boy speak Holly's name. Alexa looked around for her friend and saw her by their table, her face lit up as if by candles. It made Alexa's heart buoy to see Holly so content, especially after her tears yesterday. "Isn't that the most romantic thing ever?" Alexa added, turning back to Seamus.

  Seamus chuckled. "What happened to you?" he asked, glancing down at her with mock seriousness. "Since when did you stop being such a cynic?"

  Since we started dancing, Alexa thought. But instead of saying the words, Alexa decided to finally surrender -- and do what she'd been wanting to do the whole night.

  She rose up in her peep-toes, put her hand against his lightly stubbled jaw, and kissed Seamus Kerr on the lips. His mouth was warm and inviting, tasting of blueberries, and as he began to kiss her back, softly and sweetly, Alexa knew that this wasn't just another meaningless makeout. She could feel in Seamus's lips, in the intensity of his kiss, how seriously he was taking this. Alexa remembered the dream she'd had on the way from Vegas -- a dream about a boy holding her, a boy who'd filled her with warmth. Now, in her mind's eye, that boy had a face. It was, without a doubt, the boy she was kissing now.

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  "That was weird," Seamus whispered, wearing a blissful smile as his lips brushed against hers.

  "What was?" Alexa whispered back, her arms around him. She was a little off-kilter from their kiss, but it had also felt so natural. So inevitable.

  "That it wasn't weird," Seamus explained, smiling even bigger, and then with one hand he slipped off his glasses while he drew Alexa in even closer with the other.

  Alexa let out a sigh of pleasure, admiring his beautiful hazel eyes, which looked different now without the glasses. There were so many things she hadn't seen about Seamus, but she felt as if she were waking from a long, long sleep. And as Seamus tilted his head and started kissing her again, long and deep, Alexa understood that she was capable of being in love. Or being in like, to start small. Her previous hook-ups and heartaches didn't matter, not when she was close to Seamus like this. Maybe it was time to let her past fall to the ground, like hair snipped by scissors. Boys don't always cause drama, Alexa realized. Sometimes, they could even help a girl get over hers.

  Resting her head on Seamus's shoulder once more, Alexa scanned the glowing tent. Zach was on the stage, singing his heart out to Holly, who looked overjoyed. Alexa did a double take when she saw Esperanza in the far corner, kissing a groomsman with

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  wild abandon. Nearby, Jonah was twirling around a contrite-looking Charity Durst, and Alexa wondered if the two of them would end up back together. And Margaux and Paul were in the center of it all, dancing and kissing, oblivious to the world.

  Holly had been right: There was something about weddings....

  Alexa lifted her face to kiss Seamus again. She wasn't sure what the next day would bring, but for the moment, in this rose-strewn tent under the starry Hollywood sky, things felt pretty close to happily ever after.

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  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Life, Camera, Action

  The word delayed flashed on the computer screen, hurting Holly's bleary eyes. According to the slightly blurry True West website, the airline strike was over, but Alexa and Holly's eleven a.m . flight to Vegas was delayed until later that night.

  This was all Holly's sleep-deprived brain was able to process as she sat on the guesthouse's living-room floor in her boxers and tank, Alexa's laptop balanced on her knees. Fuchsia bags of wedding swag -- which each contained a gift certificate to
a Malibu spa, a box of Godiva chocolates, and, lamely, a pre-released Grit and Gravel DVD were on the floor beside her, and her and Alexa's shoes lay in a tangle by the door. The scent of wild strawberries and roses lingered.

  It was eight in the morning, and both Holly and

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  Alexa had totaled about a half hour of sleep. Margaux's celebration had raged until a pale-pink dawn broke over the Hollywood Hills, with Blue Dog Babylon playing set after set. As the crowd thinned out, and the snooty industry types began to flit off to their mansions, the mood in the tent became even more vibrant; everyone even Seamus and Alexa -- had swapped partners and danced until practically no one was wearing shoes. Zach had taken a few more set breaks to dance with Holly -- though they didn't kiss again -- and Holly had worked up the nerve to ask Jonah to autograph a napkin, which she'd save as a souvenir for her mother.

  When Zach, giving Holly a see-you-soon wave from the stage, had finally packed up his guitar, and Belle's admiring drummer had packed up his drums, Holly had dragged herself outside to pick up the car, leaving Alexa and Seamus a private, good-bye-until-New-York moment. Alexa had dozed most of the way home and Holly had stayed awake by admiring the gold shadows in the morning sky, and by sucking down the espresso Vikram's staff had passed to her, and each guest, as a parting gift.

  "St. Laurent!" Holly called hoarsely from the living room, too beat to actually get up and cross the cool marble floors to Alexa's bedroom. "Update our flight's not until nine tonight!"