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THE SELFIE CHANGED EVERYTHING
BROOKE
The albino-alligator skin beauty sat on a deep green velvet, glowing regally under the spotlight, encased in a bulletproof glass box. Why anyone would want to shoot a handbag is beyond me, but it’s all part of the hype and drama at the Annual Handbag convention. Apparently, this handbag had sold for a mind-boggling sum of 3 million dollars. This is driving my two besties, Sylvia and Edith, a little nutty. They want to take pictures, lots of pictures. They are, of course, not the only ones. Everyone here wants to get their picture taken with the world’s most expensive handbag.
“Brooke, don’t you dare back out of this selfie,” shouts Sylvia, my roommate and lifelong friend. She knows me. I have nothing against taking pictures of course, but I just think that on special vacations and fun times like we are having, posing for pictures takes too much out of the present.
“Yeah Brooke, we need the three of us to be on this one,” Edith shouts a little too loudly.
Yup, I think she’s had too many drinks.
“Why,” I sigh, knowing my fate. “Just look at that insane crowd we have to get through…”
Edith is on her ‘mission.’ Every time Edith gets a picture of her social media account, she calls it a mission. “It’s going to go on my social media, the Hawaii trip album. Brooke, will you stop being such a boring bitch about this?”
Seriously, this social media bullshit is taking over her life.
Sylvia enjoys Edith’s obsession and adds her own silliness in an exaggerated tone. “Oh my God Brooke! you must do it for Edith’s social media! How can you back out of this mission?”
Why am I even trying? I am, after all, also part of the madness. The three of us could never afford to be in this swanky hotel in Honolulu, Hawaii. We are sharing one hotel room and I had to max out my credit card for five beautiful days in paradise. I won’t lie, it has been fun. Mornings were spent eating pineapples and touring the beautiful city of Honolulu, and most evenings were filled with contests;Handbag of the Year, Futuristic Visions of Handbags, Meet the Handbag Makers…
With just two days to go before we head back to NYC; we want to make the most of it. And the ‘mission’ must be accomplished.
The three of us are not the only ones who want a selfie with that crazy handbag. Standing in the long curving line is the snooty old moneyed crowd, who act all sophisticated, but are no less eager. There are of course the newly rich, with their god-awful makeup probably the wives of cryptocurrency millionaires with their diamond studded phones, the fashion journalists with their eager nose for any sort of scandal, the influencers, and social media crowd all chattering and ogling over the rare, luxurious handbag on display. Then there are the designers, the craft workers, who dream of having their own line of handbag products someday. I am one of those dreamers.
As we get closer to the exhibition box, I see a distinguished tall man towering above the crowd. He is taller than the two security guards standing on each side of the glass box. Wearing a white cotton shirt that hangs loose on his flat stomach. He has his hand in one pocket of his navy-blue pants and appears to be amused, almost undisturbed by the chaos.
“We are almost there,” shouts Edith. “Mission is almost complete.”
Finally, it is our turn to stand on both sides of the glass box. We take our positions, and Edith struggles to capture the bag, as well as the three of us.
“Give it to me,” I say, grabbing her phone and trying to adjust the angle. Getting the whole glass box and the three of us is indeed a struggle. I am focusing on the selfie screen of the phone when I see a large hand coming for it.
“Perhaps I can help you with that?” The voice is deep. It’s the gorgeous man we saw earlier, and now, from up close, it strikes me how handsome he is. Deep blue eyes, and a smile that turns the corner of his lips upwards, causing lined dimples on his chiseled to perfection face. He takes the phone from my hands.
“Oh, thank you so much!” Edith is already gushing.
“Truly appreciate it. You are very kind,” adds Sylvia.
“The pleasure is all mine, ladies.” He says while looking at me.
I find it difficult to smile while dealing with how attractive this stranger is.
“Common all three of you, smile!”
Trust me, guy, with someone like you around all women are happy.
“Chee…” begins Edith.
“…eez” completes Sylvia and I finally join in with my own cheesy smile.
He hands the camera back to me. “I tried my best, but I am afraid a beauty like yours cannot be captured by a camera.”
“Oh, you are being too kind!” I laugh. My heart is singing at him, finding me beautiful.
“What he means is Brooke that the technology has not been invented that can keep up with your beauty!” banters Sylvia. Stating the obvious is her way of continuing this awkward conversation.
Yup, she, too, has been drinking too much. That must be it. We are all drunk. Drunk on him. How else would this stranger have so much of an impact on me? I wonder how he is allowed to stand so close to the celebrated handbag.
