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“No,I’msorry, sir.Thatwould be a safety issue.Pleasestay calm, and we’ll have a crewen routein minutes to get you out.”
Theman makes a groaning sound. “Howlong do you think we’re going to be in here for… just ballpark?”
“I’msorry, sir.ButI’mnot able to make any guarantees.Yoursafety is our highest priority, and technicians will be on site soon to determine the safest way forward.”
“Great.Justfucking great.”
“Thereis no need for that kind of language, sir!”
“I’mhanging up.Justget us the fuck out of here.”
“Again, there is no need for such language, sir.”
Thetall–apparently angry–guy jabs his hand at the button panel again and the phone crackles to silence like an old dial-tone phone.
“Lookslike we’re on our own.”
“Canwe pry the doors open?Wejust left the lobby, so we can’t have gone that far,”Isay, hopefully.
Theman turns around to look at me now.
Forthe first time,Ican see his face.
HowdidInot recognize his voice?
JacksonWatersis staring back at me.
chaptertwo
selena
JacksonfreakingWaters.Theactor.No,JacksonWatersisn’t some random actor.He’sa freakingmoviestar.He’spractically an endangered species.Howmany genuine movie stars are there anymore?Ican count on one hand the number of peopleIconsider movie stars under the age of forty.JacksonWatersis at the top of that list.
Andhe’s just standing there.Rightin front of me.Inmyelevator.Breathingthe same air as me.Hisface is ridiculously gorgeous.Hisintense blue eyes flash across the elevator at me.He’stall and built.TallerthanIthought he was.Hemust be well over six feet, and he’s wider than any man should be allowed to be.Hefills up the space in the small elevator, in a way that would be extremely hot if we were anywhere other than trapped in a tiny metal box.Butright now, it feels oppressive.Likehe’s taking up valuable space for oxygen.He’seven dressed like a classic movie star in his white t-shirt, blue jeans that fit exactly like jeans should fit on a man, a black leather jacket, and black boots.Theonly part that doesn’t fit is the giant canvas tote bag that saysSivettiArtistManagementon the side in big red block letters.
Mybrain glitches.I’mnot sure whether it’s the debilitating need to pee, my latent fear of small spaces, or thatI’mtrapped in a small space, whileIdesperately need to pee, and am now staring into the face of one of the original cast members ofRaven’sRavinethat used to stare down at me from the wall of my teenage bedroom.
Ofcourse,JacksonWatersjust happened to be there on the poster.Theone and only object of my teenage affection wasJonasVerKnauff, his blonde, lonely boy co-star.Theone true love of my teenage heart.Jonasmade a few movies when the show ended, but none of them did well.He’snow a permanent fixture on theD-list.Ithink he has a winery now and occasionally does realityTV.Meanwhile,JacksonWaters–the man standing three feet in front of me–went on to bigger and bigger movie roles and became an authentic, undeniablemovie star.
Jacksonscans me from my face, down to my blue toes, peeking out of my strappy platform sandals, and back up myA-line dress with lemons on a sky-blue background to my long, dark hair.Hairthat, despite what herculean effortsIput into it refuses to hold a curl.Volume, check.Curl, zero.Nomatter whatIdo, my hair goes from prom curls to straight in a few hours.So, both the trend for loose curls and the vintage trend ofHollywoodwaves are totally out of my reach for anything more than an evening.Aftera day like today, my hair is puffy and curl-less.
Jacksonglances back down at my hands, my fingers painted in matching blue gel polish. “You’regoing to pry the doors open?Withthose hands?”
“Idon’t see why not.Youknow how mothers can lift cars off their children and fight off grizzlies and stuff like that?Womencan have extreme strength in times of need.”
Helooks concerned. “Doyou have a child out there?”
Ohgreat,JacksonWatersis asking me ifI’ma childless spinster. “No.Idon’t have any children.Yet.Maybe.Imean,Ihope one day.Butnot yet.”
Henods and then waves at the door. “Haveat ’er.Getus the hell out of here.”
“You’renot going to help?”
“Ithought you were relying on your superhuman maybe-one-day mama bear strength?Didn’tthink you’d need my help.”
Shiftingon my feet,Iflex my fingers. “Fine.Iprobably don’t.”
Hesteps to the back of the elevator and nods at the doors. “Anytime now.Iactually have somewhere to be.”
