Hollywood Snowfall

by Heather C. Myers

  ---

  “Zoë!” Erin exclaimed from her room. “Jessica! Come here, please!”

  Two pairs of feet thundered into Erin’s small room, and both pairs of eyes noticed their friend staring at her laptop screen. Of course both, girls knew that their best friend was e-mailing Johnny Barker, but never did she call them over to have them read the e-mail.

  Erin,

  I am so happy you changed your mind. Below should be two tickets; one for your flight here and one for your flight home. You will be flying into Kennedy International Airport and someone there will pick you up and take you over to the hotel where I’m staying. I have reserved you your own room so you do not have to worry about where you stay.

  The weather is surprisingly warm for New York in winter, so pack accordingly. Also, there will be a couple of nights when we’ll be going out, so please bring anything semi-formal as well.

  See you soon,

  Johnny

  “Oh my gosh, he’s paying for you,” Jessica said, reading the e-mail again.

  “You know what this means?!” Zoë exclaimed, clapping her hands together. “Do you know what this means!?”

  “That even though I insisted on paying for myself, he went ahead and paid for me?” Erin guessed.

  “Shopping!!!” Zoë exclaimed, louder than her last one. “O-M-G, we are going to make you look so sexy that he’ll simply be dying to touch you. You lucky bitch! It’s happening, Holl! You are a sliver away from going steady with Johnny Barker! On December nineteenth, you will be on a non-stop flight to New York heading straight for Johnny. Let’s hope your plane doesn’t crash or anything…”

  “Really nice, Zoe,” Jessica said with the roll of her eyes.

  “Shopping time?” Zoë asked.

  “I think I have good clothes here,” Erin replied.

  “Listen,” Zoë said, “if Johnny’s paying for your way, you should at least put effort into your appearance. Not saying that you don’t, but he’s Johnny Barker. Make him want you, even if he’s wanting you from a distance, hmm?”

  “Maybe…” Erin said, biting her lip. “I’m nervous.”

  “As you should be,” Zoë said, “but not to worry! Jessica and I are here to help.”

  “I’m sure,” Erin murmured with a smile on her face.

  ---

  December nineteenth, at six thirty at night, Erin was sitting on a plane in first class, her lips bleeding slightly because of how much she had nibbled on them. She would not be merely seeing Johnny Barker, but she would be seeing him alone. Zoë was right; she was afraid. When he came into the movie theatre, there was always that barrier that blocked the two from actually interacting. Erin almost had a heart-attack when Bert thrust down that barrier by making her escort him to and from his movie. But even watching a movie with him, there was something else to focus on. It would almost be like being stranded with Johnny Barker, and although it had sounded tempting when she knew it would never happen, she was now dreading to spend time with him alone.

  It was hard for Erin to sleep on the plane when she had all of these thoughts and insecurities running to and from her mind. She caught maybe an hour on the six-hour direct flight, and once she landed, her heart hammered so mercilessly, she thought she was going to have a seizure of some sort. Luckily, she managed to keep her composure, and walk out of the plane with her purse and backpack. She grabbed her phone and quickly called Jessica to tell her she had made it safely, telling Zoë, not to worry, that she would give her a more detailed report later. She walked to the baggage claim and met her driver who had held a sign with her name on it.

  “My name is Joe,” he said with a warm smile. He was wearing black sunglasses, and appeared to be in his early sixties. “Please, ma’am, let me lead you to the car and I will fetch your luggage for you.”

  “You can call me Erin,” Erin said with a smile. “Don’t worry about the luggage; I can get them myself.”

  “I must insist,” Joe said politely. “You look exhausted, no offense ma’am.”

  Erin did not deny his statement, and allowed the man to escort her to the black town car. Once she was securely in the car, she immediately fell asleep.

  ---

  Johnny came down after Joe called him for assistance with the young woman. Of course, Johnny assumed that he meant her bags, but when he came down to the car, he found Erin sleeping soundly, her head resting against the cool window. Luckily, it was night, and there were only two people at the hotel’s front desk who were not paying any attention. Johnny sent Joe to check Erin in while he thought of what to do. He stared at her through the window, afraid to wake her up. She looked so serene sleeping there, as she had when she fell asleep on his shoulder. He smiled at the thought. Deciding she would be much more comfortable on a bed than in a car, he ever so carefully opened the door to the car, just as Joe hustled out to retrieve her bags.

  Erin’s head fell off of the car door as it opened, but Johnny quickly caught her shoulder in his palms. The feel of his hands on her face caused her to blink rapidly, and then yawn. Johnny watched her with an amused smile; her nose crinkled when her mouth opened to yawn. Her eyes shut back again, and she sighed in content, obviously still asleep. Johnny carefully reached over the woman and unbuckled her seatbelt, guiding it back in its proper place so it wouldn’t injure the sleeping girl. Then, he curled inside and gently reached under Erin’s mid-back and knees, picking her up and out of the car. Joe was right behind him to close the door, the luggage already been taken care of, and followed his employer and the sleeping girl with the hotel key.

  Erin’s head hit Johnny’s shoulder in just the perfect place so that he and she were both comfortable. Even in all the movement going on, she had not opened an eye. Johnny walked in the hotel, not caring if the hotel staff recognized him or not. He was amazed at how light she was, and it was hard for him to look where he was supposed to be going when he wanted to make sure he did not wake her up. The casual attire she had chosen to wear on the plane, the way she put her hair into a messy ponytail, the way he had still to see her with makeup did not do wonders to enhance anybody’s viewing pleasure, and yet her engulfing USC sweater, her heather-grey sweatpants, and brown flip flops, the way her hair fell in her face, made Johnny think she was one of the most beautiful girls in the room. She did not need makeup to look beautiful, like so many of the Hollywood starlets he had previously and regretfully dated. She looked quite humble, quite comfortable.

  Joe and Johnny proceeded in and out of the elevator in silence. Neither man wanted to take the blame for waking Erin. Once they elevator pinged, indicating their stop, Joe walked out first so that he could open the door for Johnny and Erin. Once his employer was securely inside, he left the two to their privacy.

  Johnny placed the woman in his arms softly on the king-sized bed, her luggage already brought up and placed in the living room. He studied her once again, but all he could do was make out the shape of her in the darkness. He shifted the blankets around a bit until she was fully covered and he was sure she would not get cold. It was hard for him to leave the room, but he had to due to the fact that he still had one more day before his official break from shooting. As he left, he looked at her table to make sure his note for her was still there, in plain view. It was, and with one last glance back at the sleeping woman, he left, anticipating the following day.

  ---

  Erin woke up with a smile upon her face for the first time in a long time. Her head snapped up when she realized she was no longer in Joe’s black town car, but rather, in a hotel room. I’m really here, she thought to herself as she got out of bed. She walked over to the window and threw open her curtains to see the skyline of New York City, crowds of people walking from place to place, traffic filling up the whole block. New York was much different from California, she realized with a smile. Turning from the window, she proceeded to look around the room. Besides the amazingly comfortable bed, Erin had a television, a coffee table, a couch with a pull-out bed, a bath
room with a coffee machine accompanied with an assortment of different coffees, teas, and hot chocolates, and finally a closet, with a couple of empty hangers, one that held a robe, a spare blanket, and her luggage.

  She walked back out to the front room and saw a letter with her name on it. She smiled and her eyes danced when she realized who it must be from. Her fingers itched to tear open the letter, but she remained as calm as she could so she could keep this letter for a very long time. She smiled at his rather messy handwriting but blamed it on his gender.

  Erin,

  Welcome to New York! Again, thank you for coming. Your luggage is in the closet with your purse and backpack. When you read this, I will be at the studio, shooting the last scene before break, and I would love it if you would come down here to visit so you can see what it is like to film a movie. Joe will be arriving at the hotel to pick you up at three o’clock, so please make sure you’re ready. You do not need to worry about getting past security; Joe will have a badge for you to wear.

  See you soon,

  Johnny

  Erin glanced at the clock to see how long she had until she had to get ready. 12:34pm, the clock read. Immediately, Erin dropped the letter and dashed into the bathroom to take a hot shower. She washed her hair with little shampoo bottles and nearly burst out laughing when she realized the hotel offered both shampoo and conditioner instead of simply the former.

  After her shower, she went through her luggage, grabbing a bag of toiletries and clothes, and began to brush her teeth, and then her hair, pulling it back into a ponytail. She began to heat water in the coffee machine so she could have some tea, and while the water was warming up, she slipped on her outfit that she would wear. It was nothing fancy; tight, black capris and a female-cut Greenbay Packers jersey. It rested just where her bellybutton ended, so there was a gap of flesh between the shirt and capris. Slipping on her flip flops, she poured the hot water into a styrofoam cup, grabbed the Irish tea bag, and placed it into the hot water. Once the concoction was mixed, she sipped it and smiled with content.

  Erin was ready except for one thing: make up. For a moment, she debated onto whether or not use some, but ultimately decided that mascara and lip gloss wouldn’t hurt and would assist with making her look somewhat presentable. After that, she finished her tea and grabbed her purse and her hotel key before leaving the room to meet Joe on the street.

  Joe was waiting outside of his car, reading a newspaper and chewing on a tooth pick. His face lifted when he saw Erin, and he quickly folded the newspaper and opened the car door for her. He was still wearing his dark sunglasses and his uniform, but his smile was still warm.

  “Good afternoon, ma’am,” he said after he slipped in and started his car. “How was your sleep?”

  “Long,” Erin said with a smile from the backseat. “And refreshing.”

  “You weren’t disturbed by the noise outside your window?” he asked her curiously.

  Erin shook her head. “No,” she said. “I live in Los Angeles, so I usually fall asleep to the sounds of the freeway. It comforts me, in a way. One time, I visited my dad in Michigan, and it was so hard to sleep in the silence, you know?”

  Joe smiled to himself at her babbling. “I understand,” he said and then reached over to his passenger seat and handed Erin a necklace with a badge on it. “Here is your badge; don’t take it off, it lets people know that you’re supposed to be there.”

  “Thank you, Joe,” Erin said, slipping on the badge.

  Erin watched the scenery of New York pass by as Joe drove through the traffic. By the time they had reached the studio, it was a quarter past four. Joe drove through the guard’s gate after flashing him his badge. When the guard looked at Erin, she fumbled a bit before showing him her badge as well. He waved them in and then Joe drove down a lot before stopping the car. He turned to look at Erin.

  “Are you coming in with me?” Erin asked, suddenly incredibly nervous. Joe shook his head and Erin bit her bottom lip. “I’m going in alone?” Joe nodded this time, and hopped out to open the door for her.

  “You look fine, ma’am,” he said as Erin wearily stopped out. He pointed to a door. “Just walk through that door and it should lead you to where you need to go. If you get into any trouble, remember that you know Johnny Barker, all right?”

  Erin nodded, but she was still unsure. Gulping and holding her head high, she began to walk where Joe had pointed here. I belong here, she told herself. There’s no reason to be nervous. I belong here, I belong here…

  “Greenbay sucks,” a voice said from behind her.

  Her head snapped in the direction of the voice. It was a man, a bit older than she was, a smirk on his face. He had messy brown hair and clear blue eyes, well-built and very tall. He was currently wearing black slacks, and a New York Jets shirt. Erin narrowed her eyes at him and cocked her head to the side.

  “I’m sorry, but Brett Farve is the best quarterback ever, and anyone who knows anything about football should know that,” she said.

  “Brett Farve is old,” the man commented.

  “Yeah, but he still kicks Chad Pentington’s ass,” Erin said.

  The man smirked and stuck out his hand. “I’m Greg,” he said. “And from the name on your badge, you must be Erin. Well, it’s nice to meet you. How can I help you?”

  “I’m here to see Johnny Barker,” Erin said.

  Greg rolled his eyes. “All right, let’s get realistic here,” he said. “Mister Barker never has any guests, so who are you really here to see?”

  “Uh… Johnny Barker,” Erin said as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Check your list or whatever you have. He invited me.”

  “Why would he invite somebody like you?” Greg asked suspiciously, crossing his big arms over his chest. “Not that you’re bad looking or anything, but you’re so young. Are you one of his groupies, or something? A girl he’s sleeping with?”

  “I’d like to speak with someone who actually knows what they are doing,” Erin said. “I have a badge and I’m here to see Johnny Barker. It’s none of your business what I’m here for, so why don’t you get it through your thick head!”

  “Erin!” a familiar voice exclaimed, and within seconds, Johnny Barker himself was standing next to Erin with a smile. “You came!” He looked her up and down, never seeing her in actual street clothes before. She looked absolutely fantastic. “Was Greg giving you a hard time?” he murmured as the two left Greg’s presence. “You seemed pretty upset…”

  “No, it’s fine,” Erin said, brushing off whatever Greg had said about her. She looked at Johnny from the corner of her eyes. God, he looked good. He still had his short, dark hair, his moustache, his goatee, but he was currently wearing a white wife-beater and sweatpants, and on his feet were flip flops.

  “Well, this is a movie set,” he said, throwing his arm out. “This is where I’ve been for the past month.”

  He then proceeded to introduce her to anyone and everyone within reach, from the director of the movie to the production assistant’s assistant. Johnny seemed to know everybody and was a good terms with everyone involved. Save for Greg, everyone was incredibly nice and polite, and when they passed the food table, Erin’s stomach rumbled. It was only then did she realize that she had not eaten anything since a bag of peanuts on the plane. She grabbed a couple of carrots and snacked on them as Johnny was ushered back to start filming.

  Erin watched him with interest. He was an incredibly intense actor, one who stepped outside the box with the roles he took. He transformed so well into his character, and no matter what, he looked good. His eyes, she realized as she watched him, conveyed so much emotion that he did not even have to speak to get his message across. How lucky she felt just then, that he had chosen her above all other women to be there. The way he looked at her when he first saw her, pure and utter happiness. She couldn’t help but reflect the same feeling in her own eyes at seeing him there, being there with him. It was then that she decided she woul
d not be nervous with him; she would try to maintain a level of sanity. She would have fun. And once everything was sorted out, if everything worked out, she would let herself fall in love with him.

  After the shoot, Johnny made a beeline for Erin, who was patiently watching him from the side. The two smiled when they saw each other.

  “Let me change,” Johnny said, “and then the crew is going out for some drinks and karaoke. How does that sound?”

  “That’s cool,” Erin said. “I don’t have to get up there, though, do I? I’m just going to take pictures.”

  “What?!” Johnny exclaimed. “And miss out on all the fun? Not on my watch Miss Sanders!”

  Before Erin could protest, Johnny ran into his trailer and came out in a white collared long-sleeved shirt and blue jeans. He placed his hand gently on the small of Erin’s back, the skin-to-skin contact causing her skin to break out in goosebumps and a shiver of pleasure ran down her spine.

  Before she knew it, Joe was pulling into a small nightclub, and it was Johnny who opened her door for her. He smiled and she returned it, taking his offered arm into her own. The two proceeded to make their way into the club, and people were taking pictures. Erin was suddenly very nervous. Not because she was with Johnny, but because she didn’t want the media twisting an innocent night of going to a karaoke club into something more. Damn you, Zoë, for freaking me out, she thought to herself, as Johnny pulled out a seat for her and then sat down next to her.