Parts 7 & 8

"How many loved your moments of glad grace,
And loved your beauty with love false or true,
But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you,
And loved the sorrows of your changing face..."
-W.B. Yeats

*Part 7

Melissa had never been good at picking out dressier clothes.  Like most young women, she loved looking through magazines to see what the stars were wearing, wishing that could be her and who could blame her?  Those women were gorgeous and famous, they probably had a person to dress them and do their make-up, and all so they could walk down some arrival carpet on the arm of a dashing leading man.  They had teams to make them beautiful - Melissa had Beth, and she was thankful.

Beth was a full time student at the local university and well on her way to fulfilling her dream of becoming a doctor.  Best friends since childhood, Beth was the sister that Melissa never had.  It had always amazed them that the weaknesses of one were the strengths of the other; a facet of their lives that often came in handy.  Take today for instance.  The girls were going shopping.

Melissa had no idea where to start to find an outfit suitable for the Oscars and she pleaded with Beth to help her as she had for the Golden Globes.  For weeks they had poured over pictures of the previous years fashions, trying to find a style they could agree on.  Growing frustrated over the entire situation, time ticking away and still no dress to show for it, they had decided on desperate measures.  Starting out early, the duo attacked San Francisco, determined not to return without a dress. 

"Lissa?  What about this one?" Beth sighed, holding up a brilliantly embroided plum gown for Melissa to see.  She had a knack for seeing potential.  To Melissa, it was a dress on the hanger, a lifeless bit of material.  It was never just a dress to Beth; it was a piece to an ensemble, a key ingredient to be combined with the perfect accessories to breathe life into a dream.  Melissa would be lost without her, and they both knew it.

"What do you see in my future, oh wise one?" Melissa mocked.

"Strip!" she commanded, pointing Melissa toward the dressing room.

"Beth, this is hopeless," she whined slightly, "we've been at this all day and nothing looks right."

"Since when do you give up so easily?  Don't you want to look fantastic for Hayden?"

Inside the dressing room, Melissa winced.  Beth knew her weak spots and exploited them when necessary.  "He's a friend, get real," she said, trying to sound convincing.

"Yeah.  Right."

"Look," she said poking her head out of the dressing room curtain, "I can't fool you, and we both know that.  He's really sweet and I've never met anyone quite like him.  Its not like we did a lot of talking the last time we were together, this time he knows more about me and he still wants to spend time with me.  I'm...well...kind of nervous."

"I know," she replied with a smile, "that's why I gave you that dress.  If you ever put it on, I'll show you what I mean."

Melissa did as instructed and as she zipped it up something clicked.  The neckline was a squared scoop neck, the edges of the short sleeves sitting on the very edge of her shoulders.  The bodice was plum and form fitting, but still comfortable.  What she loved the most was the plum lace overlay, accented with faint gold stars and how it hung off her hips to create a flowing effect as she swayed in front of the mirror.  It had passed her tests, now what could Beth do with the rest of her to make her look as good in it as she felt?

"Ok, what do you think?" she said, emerging from the dressing room.

"Walk," Beth replied, simply pointing in the direction she wanted her to go, sizing up the dress as she went.  "How do you feel?"

Melissa gave her a puzzled look; "Feel?" she questioned. 

"Yes, how do you feel?  Close your eyes and tell me how that dress makes you feel." 

Beth often worked in ways Melissa didn't understand, but she trusted her.  She closed her eyes and grinned.  "I feel like one of women in those magazines..." Opening her eyes and looking at her best friend, she couldn't contain herself.  "I love it," she added.

"Then I'd say it's time for a celebratory dinner!" she laughed.  "Thank the stars!"

*****

The friends decided a true celebration was in order, so they took a ferry across the San Francisco Bay to Marin where Melissa's favorite resturant sat on the cliffs overlooking Alcatraz. 

"I wonder how long it would take to get to Skywalker Ranch from here?" Beth smiled, successfully turning Melissas thoughts toward Hayden.

"I wouldn't want to go there anyway," she said playing along.  "Hayden said they wouldn't start filming the next Star Wars until June sometime, so he wouldn't be there now."

"But if he were there, you would go, right?" Beth prodded.

"If there existed a universe in which that were even a remote possiblity... sure," she laughed in reply.  "I'm not stupid."

"Well," Beth raised her glass in toast, "here is to creating that perfect universe."

The clinked their glasses and smiled at each other, both silently hoping for just that.

*****

Sitting down at his computer in Toronto, Hayden sent an uncustomary evening email to Melissa. 

Hey Super Shopper!
  How did the SanFran trip go with Beth?  I think guys have the easy deal in land of Hollywood glitz - a simple tux and we're good to go.  Talked to George today, he'd like us all to arrive together and 'negotiate the carpet' as he called it.  I would guess that you'd be doing the same thing with Jacob and the team.  What do you suppose the odds are that we'll arrive at the same time?  I hate the idea of you being without an escort down the carpet.  I still don't know where we're sitting, but I promise, I'll find you before the dancing begins.  :)
  With only a few more days to go...I'm starting to get nervous.

  Love,
    Hayden

He didn't lie, he was nervous, but not about presenting as he hoped his email had implied.  He was nervous about seeing Melissa again.  Would she be as wonderful as he had remembered?  Would she be wearing the perfume that he could still smell when he woke up from peaceful dreams?  Would they get along as well in person as they seemed to online?  It was only a few days...so why did it seem like an eternity?

*Part 8

Hayden was putting folders into his backpack when the computer alerted him to a freshly delivered message.  He couldn't help but laugh as he read it. 

Houston!  We have lift off!
  I didn't think it would ever happen, but Beth pulled off another miracle and I finally have something to wear to the festivities.  We've decided to drive to Southern California tomorrow, do some sightseeing along the way, and kind of make a vacation out of it (truth is, Beth needs a break after shopping with me).  I am ignoring her mumblings about having to study for midterms, and have promised her that she'll have plenty of time in the hotel with Kona while you and I are 'suffering through the land of glitz'.  Apparently she doesn't feel particularly sympathetic to our fate.  :)
  Please don't fret about me flying solo down the carpet - if it gets to be too much I'll just hide behind Garry.  You shouldn't be nervous either; I know you'll be great, just don't think about the BILLIONS of people watching you.  I had some valuable advice to pass on about how to calm the jitters, but I've been trying to apply it to my own life and it's failing miserably, so I think I will be keeping it to myself.  :)
  We hit the road early tomorrow, so I probably won't talk to you again until Monday night.  Have a safe trip and make sure your tux comes with comfortable shoes...you, my friend, owe me a dance.

  Accessorizing with smiles,
    Melissa

Hoping to catch her still online, Hayden dashed off a reply that made it to Melissa just as she was about to logoff.

Hi!
  You need not worry about my tux shoes, they'll do fine.  I'm more worried about your shoes because, if I remember correctly, it is you that owes me several dances - retribution for making me worry.  :)  I will look for you on the carpet, but I know, with every confidence, that you will be the most beautiful one there and any effort to hide will be impossible.  Therefore, I will NOT be looking behind Garry, but you are more than welcome to hide behind me once I've found you.  :)
  Oh, and thanks for reminding me about the BILLIONS of people that will be watching.  I will be spending the airline flight thinking up a fitting punishment (this goes way beyond dancing) for that charming reminder.  :)

  Hayden

Melissa could only smile as she shutdown her computer and started to pack her bags.

*****

The girls took their time, stopping at little shops along the coast and letting Kona romp around the beach.  It really was a well-needed rest for all of them.  Beth was facing her most difficult midterms to date and Melissa, well, she was happy to have Beth to divert her thoughts.  During the day, distraction was easy, but at night Melissas mind was free to wander.  Was Hayden all he seemed or just a regular guy enchanced by her overactive imagination?  When the morning sun rose on Oscar day, Melissa was actually relieved as she and Kona left the hotel, headed out for their morning run.

Keeping in shape was a necessity for them, but on this particular morning, she found the run calming.  She looked at the faces of the people she passed on the street and wondered what was happening in their lives, both the happy and the sad.  Her eyes misted over at the memories she carried with her of New York and she realized how petty she had become.  Tonight was for the families touched by tragedy.  Tonight was for Jacob and for the team.  Tonight was about appreciating what you have and celebrating the miracles and hard work that got you there.  As her feet pounded against the pavement, Melissa promised herself she wouldn't forget that. 

Beth noticed the change in her friend as they ate lunch at a small outdoor bistro later that afternoon.  Kona was happily catching a nap under the table.  She wanted to ask what had happened, but she knew that Melissa would tell her when she was ready.  Talking from the heart came easily to Beth, while it took a little more time for Melissa.

"You seem more relaxed," Beth prompted.

"Yeah," she said fidgeting with her food.  "We had a nice run this morning."  There was a long pause before she continued.  "I decided to stop worrying about what might happen and just enjoy what is."

Beth nodded as she smiled in reply, suddenly feeling confident that her friend was about to have one very extraordinary night.

*****

With her newfound take on the evening, Melissa relished every part of getting ready.  Asking Beth to come with her was the best decision she had made and not just because she did great hair and makeup.  Preparing for the Golden Globes had been fun but lonely, having her best friend to share the evening with was so much better.  By the time the phone call came that signaled the arrival of the limousine, Melissa wasn't the least bit nervous and wore a smile that Beth hadn't seen since the pictures in People two months before.

"You knock 'em dead tonight," Beth smiled, "but most of all, have fun!"

"If I do, I'm sure it will be in all the magazines next week," she laughed.

"No doubt," her friend smiled in return.  "No go before you miss your ride."

With a hug for Beth and a scratch for Kona, Melissa was out the door, ready for whatever the night had to offer.