by Karen Webb
“Come on Selena,” Jeffrie called over the sound of the waves. “Everyone is waiting for you.”
Selena followed Jeffrie down to the small crowd and Angelique made introductions. She introduced the two cameramen as Mike and Dave. “And that’s Jake over there with the horse.” Next, she pointed to a petite blond girl with bright red lips. “And this is Betsy. She’ll be doing your hair and makeup.”
Betsy took Selena’s hand warmly. “Come on up to the house. With your beautiful skin and hair, this shouldn’t take long.”
Angelique gave Selena a business card with several phone numbers on it. “Anything you need, you let me know,” she said. Selena nodded and watched as Angelique made her way up the hill to her car, her high heels sinking into the sand.
“Come on,” Betsy said and Selena went, following Betsy back to the house where they entered by a rear door. Betsy had a stool already set up for her, with makeup and brushes spread out on a counter. She closed her eyes as Betsy worked on her face and hair. From the time her plane had landed in Los Angeles, Selena felt like she’d entered a parallel universe. All of this was just so far removed from her quiet life. It was exciting and strange, yes, but she felt uncomfortable more than anything, as if she really didn’t belong here. Betsy chattered aimlessly as she worked on Selena’s makeup. She talked about her children and family, never saying anything that required an answer.
After an hour, she claimed she was finished and Selena stood up and looked in the mirror. She could not believe the person in the mirror was really her. Betsy had transformed her. She was no longer the small town rodeo girl. She looked like one of the models in magazines or one of the movie stars on TV. Her eyes looked huge and dark and mysterious with long dark lashes. She could see now what Angelique had been talking about. Her eyes did look mysterious, as if she were hiding her secrets from the world. Well, maybe I am. If they only knew how much I don’t want to be here right now.
Betsy had only teased her hair, giving it more body, but keeping the wild, untamed look. It set off her dark eyes and made her look even more mysterious. Betsy had really worked wonders with her hair and makeup. Selena barely recognized the person staring back at her in the mirror.
“You really are a beautiful girl,” Betsy said as she looked in the mirror over Selena’s shoulder. “And your eyes are one of your best features. You should always accent them.”
“Thank you, Betsy. I never thought anyone could make me look this good.”
“It’s my pleasure Selena. It makes my job a lot easier when I have something to work with. Some of these frumpy actresses…,” she sighed heavily, then both girls giggled.
Betsy carefully removed an evening gown from a garment bag and Selena went into the bathroom to change, sliding it over her head carefully so as not to mess up her makeup or hair. It was a floor-length gown by a well-known designer. It was white lace with short see-through sleeves. It fit Selena to perfection and set off her dark hair and dark eyes perfectly. The back was see-through lace all the way down her back—too far down—she thought. It had small white mother of pearl buttons down the back that Betsy helped her with. Selena stood in front of a full-length mirror when Betsy finished with the buttons. “It almost looks like a wedding gown,” she whispered as she stared at the wraith-like beauty in the mirror.
“Yeah, but without the long train. It really does look beautiful on you Selena. Me, I couldn’t fit even one of these hips in there.”
They returned to the beach, Selena holding the hem of her gown up out of the sand, where she was introduced to the horse. “Her name is Catalina and I’m Jake,” the tall man holding the reins told her as he took her hand politely. “They tell me you can ride? Cause Catalina here is quite a handful.”
The mare still danced daintily as she eyed Selena and snorted. She had no saddle, nothing but the shiny black bridle against her snow-white coat. Selena nodded in answer to Jake’s question as she held the back of her hand near the mare’s nose. The horse blew softly as she sniffed the hand. She stopped dancing as Selena ran her hand along the smooth, arched neck and then, holding the hem of her gown in one hand, she grabbed the mare’s mane and swung deftly onto her bare back. She let go of the hem and the dress floated out across the horse as Catalina reared, yanking the reins from Jake’s hands. As Catalina’s front feet hit the ground again, Selena leaned forward and the horse was away at a gallop down the beach. Two different cameras had been set up on tripods and the men began snapping pictures as Selena and the horse became one, the long white mane mingling with her long auburn hair. She turned the horse down the beach and came back past the cameras at a slower gallop, the white dress billowing around her. She could hear the click of the cameras as she passed, but she let Catalina continue her run down the beach. She wanted to take the edge off this fiery little horse’s energy and get to know her a bit to be able to handle her in front of the cameras. As she tried to slow Catalina for another turn down the beach, the horse suddenly grabbed the bit between her teeth and stretched out in a dead run down the beach, away from the cameras. Selena sawed at the reins with no luck for a minute, then finally pulled on the left rein, turning the horse into the ocean. As the horse hit the waves, Selena slowed her out of control run. She brought her down to a trot but kept her in the surf as the horse tried to turn back toward the beach. She slowed her to a walk in the edge of the surf as she reached the cameras, but one of the men waved her on. “Keep going, this is great stuff,” he called out to her. Selena urged Catalina back into a trot and spun her around to trot back in front of the cameras. For a few minutes, she had been able to forget the cameras and people as she became one with the horse. When the cameraman called out to her, it had broken the spell and reminded her of why she was here. Should of just let her keep going down the beach, she sighed and brushed sand off her face, as Catalina danced in front of the cameras.
“Whew, that girl sure can ride,” Jake said, wiping his brow. “I thought we were going to have to chase them all the way to San Francisco.” He knew the horse and he’d seen her take the bit and run. He was very impressed with Selena’s smooth handling of the situation.
Chapter 14
Matthew Mason had stopped by an actor friend’s house for brunch. Several other young, well-known actors had shown up and it had gotten noisy inside. Matt walked out onto the balcony overlooking the ocean for a bit of fresh air and to enjoy the peace and beauty of the beach. He thought about Selena as he stood there quietly. He’d had no contact with her since New Mexico. He knew a relationship would be difficult given their different worlds and the distance between them. He’d done his best to forget her, but so far he’d had no luck. She crept back into his mind constantly and he was picturing her standing beside him right now, her big, beautiful violet eyes—her long hair blowing in the ocean breeze as she stared across the Pacific. He was thinking how much she would probably enjoy this view, when he was startled by a movement down on the beach. A white horse was racing up the beach toward him at breakneck speed with a young girl in a flowing white dress on its back. His mouth dropped open as the girl turned the horse down on the beach in front of him, right into the ocean, and then slowed it to a trot as she rode back the way she’d come. It had looked like Selena on that horse! Was he missing her so much he was seeing her everywhere? But no, even though it was some distance, he remembered the way she’d sat her horse, as if she were glued to it, as if she and the horse were one. This girl had Selena’s long thick hair and had handled that horse like a rodeo queen. Matt started down the stairs and trotted south along the beach, wondering if he could ever catch up to the girl on the white horse. “I must be crazy,” he chuckled to himself as he trotted down the beach in the direction they’d gone.
Selena sat on the horse in front of the cameras, still in the edge of the waves. She heard both cameras click, click, click until finally one of the men called out, “Okay, we got it Selena.”
She rode Catalina onto the beach and was about to dismount when she
saw a tall man walking briskly down the beach toward her little group.
“It never fails,” one of the cameramen said huffily. “Always some tourist, hoping to get a peek at a model or movie star.”
But Selena didn’t think so. She knew that purposeful stride and the tall, proud way Matt carried himself. She sat her horse and watched in disbelief as he approached.
“I’m sorry sir, this beach is closed.” Betsy had stepped in front of him and put her hand up. Selena watched her hand drop as she recognized Matthew Mason. He had never taken his eyes from Selena as he reached Betsy and she saw the smile creep across his face and reach his blue eyes, setting off the mischievous twinkle. He strode on past Betsy, and Selena dropped to the ground, her damp evening gown clinging to her slender form as he looked her up and down. “Hi,” he said, his grin growing ever wider.
“Um, what are you doing here?”
“Well,” he drawled. “I was at a friend’s house and I saw a white horse with a dark-haired beauty racing down the beach. I had to pinch my arm; I thought I must be dreaming. What are you doing here?”
Selena laughed nervously. “I’m working.” She nodded her head toward the cameras, then looked back at Matt’s steady gaze. His blue eyes gleamed with mischief.
Why is he looking at me like that? As if he’s never seen me before. Her stomach knotted again under his intense stare and she felt a little tug at her heart as she stared back.
“Come on Selena, we have to get you changed,” Betsy called out.
Selena handed the reins to the handler, Jake, and then turned back to Matt.
“He can come too if you want,” Betsy yelled over the pounding surf.
Selena’s face reddened as she realized all eyes were on her.
“Do you mind?” Matt asked gently, still staring down at her with that intense way he had.
“No, of course not,” she answered shyly.
Matt took her arm as they started up the hill toward the house. “How do you walk through this sand in those shoes?”
“What shoes?” Selena was confused.
“Are you wearing heels or what with that evening gown?”
“Oh.” Selena felt her face redden again as she lifted the hem of her gown. Matt saw that her feet and legs were bare underneath.
He laughed, his beautiful, musical laugh ringing out across the beach and instantly putting Selena at ease. “I should have known,” he said as he put his arm across her shoulders. Selena almost felt like one of these rich movie stars as she reveled in the feel of his strong arm around her. She leaned into his side as she trudged through the sand. She was wet with salt water and uncomfortable in the dress, yet she was wishing this moment would never end.
Matt sat on a stool and watched as Betsy freshened Selena’s makeup and combed her hair.
“So, why are you here?” Matt asked.
Selena explained how she’d come about the modeling gig through Don Broward. She tried turning her head to look at him as she talked, but Betsy quickly turned it back as she brushed Selena’s hair.
Matt couldn’t believe his good fortune at finding her here. “Seriously, it looked like something from a fantasy movie,” he told Selena jovially. “You all in white on that white horse with your dark hair flying. I thought I was dreaming or something.” Matt closed his eyes for a second as he pictured the sight. She had looked to him like one of the Greek Goddesses, come down from Heaven to race across the ocean on her mystical horse. He was pretty sure the sight would keep him awake nights, picturing it in his mind.
“Yeah, her handler was right. She is quite a handful,” Selena giggled.
“Is that why you ran her into the ocean?”
“Yeah, I had to do something to slow her down.”
“How long you going to be here?” Matt asked.
“I fly out Thursday morning.”
“Really, so soon?”
“Yeah. If we don’t finish up here today, then I have to come back tomorrow. Besides, I’ve gotta be back home Friday for graduation.”
“Oh yeah, I forgot. Can I take you to dinner when you’re finished?” Matt leaned closer, staring deep into Selena’s eyes as he asked the question.
Selena felt the strange tingle in her stomach again as Matt stared at her with such intensity. “Yeah. Sounds great,” she said, her face reddening as Betsy combed her hair. Did we have to discuss dinner in front of Betsy? How embarrassing. She was not used to being asked out in front of a makeup artist—or at all for that matter. She wasn’t exactly Miss Popularity at her school.
Selena changed into a different evening gown, a shiny black number with spaghetti straps and a long, flowing hem.
Matt’s mouth dropped open when she emerged from the bathroom. She looked even more exotic in the black dress—it hugged her curves perfectly and made her hair and eyes appear even darker. “You look beautiful,” he whispered in her ear as he held out his arm and escorted her across the balcony and down the steps, as if he were taking her to the prom. She was a little embarrassed by his gentlemanly moves, but she had to say, she really liked the royal treatment when it came from him.
Matt hung around the rest of the afternoon as Selena sat on Catalina in the surf while the cameras snapped picture after picture. They had her lope the horse along the beach and trot her through the waves. How many pictures can they possibly need? She thought as they had her turn the horse this way and then a different way. Catalina became bored and fidgety too and Selena wished for another run down the beach. Anything to break the monotony. Can’t we just get this over with? She sighed heavily as the day wore on. Betsy had her change into two more evening gowns, a pale yellow, off the shoulder number with a long, flowing hem, and last of the day, a pale blue gown with a heavy hem. It reminded her of the dress Cinderella wore to meet her prince. The hem was too big, with too much lace and Jake had to give Selena a hand mounting the horse. The dress flounced out around her on Catalina’s back and she felt like a complete idiot. She breathed a sigh of relief when the photo shoot was finally over and she was back in her jeans and boots. She didn’t take off the makeup since she was going to dinner with Matt. She didn’t know when she’d have the chance to look this good again. Matt followed her outside where Jeffrie was patiently waiting. Matt shook Jeffrie’s hand pleasantly and told him the address of his favorite restaurant.
“Do I need something better to wear to dinner?” Selena knew she was underdressed for Hollywood, although Matt was wearing jeans too. But, she thought, Matt would look good if he was wearing mechanic’s coveralls and smeared with grease.
“Don’t worry about it, you look great,” he answered with the mischievous light back in his eyes.
Jeffrie drove north through Malibu and turned into the lot of a small café set into the hillside. It had a covered balcony in front overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
The waitress recognized Matt and sat them at the front of the balcony, with a magnificent view of the ocean. Selena could feel the stress of the day beginning to ease from her shoulders and stomach as she looked at the amazing view and the beautiful man across from her. Matt took her hand and held it on the table, his thumb circling gently on her palm as he stared at her. Selena felt the same buzz of excitement as before. Like an electric current passing through their hands. She stared back at him, feeling as if she couldn’t tear her eyes from his, she was mesmerized by the mischievous blue twinkle.
“Hey, you dirty dog, I wondered where you disappeared to.”
Selena and Matt looked up quickly at the voice, the magical spell broken. Selena sucked in her breath when she realized the voice belonged to Paul James. He’d been in more movies than she could count and she’d had such a crush on him a few years ago. His blond, California good looks still took her breath away.
“And now I understand,” Paul answered his own question as he stared at Selena. “I figured it was something like that.”
Matt made the introductions and Paul took Selena’s hand gently, smiling roguishly.
>
“Would you like to join us?” Selena asked politely. Paul was still holding her hand as he stared at her, the roguish smile still in place. Selena felt slightly star struck as she looked at him.
“Nah. I’m getting takeout. I have friends waiting at my house. It was nice to meet you Selena.” He winked at her and smiled the roguish smile again, then went inside with a wave to Matt.
“Wow, Paul James?” Selena asked when he was gone.
“Yeah, we’ve been friends for years. Hey, I thought you didn’t like movie stars?”
Selena’s face reddened as she realized she’d been caught. “Uh…I just think he’s a really great actor,” she stammered.
“And what about me?” His voice dropped an octave as he took her hand. “Do you think I’m a great actor?”
“Even better than Paul James,” she almost whispered. “I watched some of your movies before I came out here. You really are the best.” She flushed as she remembered sitting in her small room, falling in love with his on-screen characters.
Still holding her hand, Matt leaned across the table and kissed her. “Thank you, Selena.”
Their mood lightened as a waiter appeared. They ordered fresh shrimp and scallops and coleslaw and fries. It was a very relaxing meal and Selena laughed and joked with Matt as they ate. It almost seemed like they hadn’t been apart. They had picked up their friendship right where they’d left off in New Mexico. He sure is easy to be around for a big shot Hollywood heartthrob, she thought with a smile. He made her feel nervous at first, yet as they bantered like old friends, she could feel herself relax with him.