“I know, I’m sorry,” Holly told Zach, raising her voice over the thumping music. “But I don’t really have celebrity connections. I just got kind of embarrassed on the beach the other day and—” A Panic! At the Disco song came on then, drowning her out.
Zach leaned close to her, close enough for Holly to make out the freckles on his nose again. “Do you want to get out of here for a second?” he asked. Holly nodded, ready to leave behind the close, sweaty crowd for a spell.
After fighting their way through the throngs, and pushing past the gauzy blue curtains leading outside, Holly and Zach walked into the chilly, star-sprinkled night. All traces of the earlier heat and rain were gone, and Holly took a deep breath of the fresh mountain air.
“Nice, huh?” Zach asked with a grin. “Hard to believe the beach is so close. I guess there’s a little bit of everything in California.”
“There really is,” Holly replied, thinking of all that had happened in the short space of time she’d been in LA. She stopped to slip off her black heels, and soon she and Zach were strolling along the garden path, the grass cool and damp beneath Holly’s feet. As the sounds of celebration floated out from the tent behind them, Holly explained to an attentive Zach about Alexa’s run-in with Margaux in New York and the girls’ subsequent, impromptu journey to LA. “Which is what brought me to Zuma Beach that day,” she summed up.
“Therefore saving my sorry ass,” Zach filled in with a grin. Holly laughed, and Zach added, “It’s pretty dope, though, how you picked up and came to Cali at a moment’s notice. That’s exactly what I would have done.”
He and Holly came to a stop at the edge of the hill, overlooking the houses and trees below that were illuminated by the moonlight. “I feel like life’s too short not to be spontaneous,” Zach went on thoughtfully. “There’s so much to see in the world—so much to taste and experience—” Zach paused, then glanced at Holly, running a hand through his dark curls. “Sorry. I get kinda carried away sometimes.”
“No, I know what you mean,” Holly replied softly, dangling her shoes from one hand. It was the funniest thing, but Zach reminded her a little of Alexa—he had the same appetite for adventure, the same spark of daring that never failed to inspire Holly. That’s the kind of person I need in my life, Holly reflected. Someone to remind me that things aren’t as scary as they seem. “For example, I always hated flying,” Holly continued, staring into Zach’s deep brown eyes. “But then I realized how much I love to travel—so I learned to like airplanes. Somewhat.”
Zach chuckled, his eyes sweeping over Holly’s face. “Traveling’s my passion,” he replied. “Well, after music—and surfing. Over winter break, I swam with dolphins in Australia, which was amazing. I’ve spent most of my life in California but I’m definitely moving to Italy or Spain sometime.”
Italy, Holly thought with a sigh; she’d always dreamed of visiting that country. She was starting to ask Zach more about his Australia trip, when a sudden crackling sound overhead interrupted her. Thinking it was thunder again, Holly looked up at the sweeping sky.
Over the distant hills, green, gold, and red bursts were exploding and then showering down. “Is that for the wedding?” Holly asked. She’d read in People of movie stars getting fireworks to go off in sync with their celebrations.
“No, I think it’s the Hollywood Bowl,” Zach replied as he gazed out at the fireworks. “It’s this great concert space built right into the Hills”—Zach took a step closer to Holly and pointed—“and every summer you can bring a picnic dinner and listen to music and look out at the Hollywood sign. At the end of some shows, they have fireworks.”
Holly nodded, picturing the idyllic place. “If I get out here at the end of August,” she ventured, glancing away from the fireworks to look at Zach, “we could go.”
Zach smiled at her. “I’d like that,” he said. “And it’ll be my treat. I never really thanked you for saving my life the other day.”
“Oh, that’s okay,” Holly said nervously as Zach took a step closer to her. She waved a hand. “There’s no need—”
“Can I try now?” Zach asked softly, and before Holly could respond, he put his hands on her shoulders and kissed her softly, his lips lingering as the fireworks boomed overhead. It was bizarre to think that Holly had held her mouth against his once before—this time, it felt very different. It felt spontaneous and tender and more than a little hot.
When Zach drew back, Holly put a hand to her tingling lips. “I—I just broke up with my boyfriend,” she told him, her pulse racing. “I don’t think I can…I need some time…”
“It’s okay,” Zach said, kissing Holly on the cheek. “Don’t worry. That was just something I wanted to do right now. Live for the moment and all, you know?”
“I know,” Holly whispered, smiling up at Zach. Sometimes a kiss didn’t have to be anything more than a fun, dazzling moment—like fireworks going off.
And sometimes, Holly decided, it was okay to have a crush. Even if that crush only lasted for one magical night.
“Zach! We’re back on in two seconds!” One of Zach’s bandmates was standing outside the tent, waving his arms. “Get over here!”
Putting his arm across Holly’s shoulder, Zach led her toward the tent. Before he took the stage again, he walked Holly back to her seat, and they exchanged cell phone numbers, promising they’d be in touch when Holly returned to LA. Swaying by her table, Holly watched as Zach stepped up onstage, slung his guitar across his body again, and brought the microphone to his mouth. “I want to dedicate this next song,” he said, his eyes holding Holly’s, “to someone who saved my life. It used to be called ‘Diving into the Deep.’ But tonight I’m officially changing the title to ‘Holly.’ ”
“Did you hear that?”Alexa cried, pulling back from the circle of Seamus’s arms when she heard the surfer boy speak Holly’s name. Alexa looked around for her friend and saw her by their table, her face lit up as if by candles. It made Alexa’s heart buoy to see Holly so content, especially after her tears yesterday. “Isn’t that the most romantic thing ever?” Alexa added, turning back to Seamus.
Seamus chuckled. “What happened to you?” he asked, glancing down at her with mock seriousness. “Since when did you stop being such a cynic?”
Since we started dancing, Alexa thought. But instead of saying the words, Alexa decided to finally surrender—and do what she’d been wanting to do the whole night.
She rose up in her peep-toes, put her hand against his lightly stubbled jaw, and kissed Seamus Kerr on the lips. His mouth was warm and inviting, tasting of blueberries, and as he began to kiss her back, softly and sweetly, Alexa knew that this wasn’t just another meaningless makeout. She could feel in Seamus’s lips, in the intensity of his kiss, how seriously he was taking this. Alexa remembered the dream she’d had on the way from Vegas—a dream about a boy holding her, a boy who’d filled her with warmth. Now, in her mind’s eye, that boy had a face. It was, without a doubt, the boy she was kissing now.
“That was weird,” Seamus whispered, wearing a blissful smile as his lips brushed against hers.
“What was?” Alexa whispered back, her arms around him. She was a little off-kilter from their kiss, but it had also felt so natural. So inevitable.
“That it wasn’t weird,” Seamus explained, smiling even bigger, and then with one hand he slipped off his glasses while he drew Alexa in even closer with the other.
Alexa let out a sigh of pleasure, admiring his beautiful hazel eyes, which looked different now without the glasses. There were so many things she hadn’t seen about Seamus, but she felt as if she were waking from a long, long sleep. And as Seamus tilted his head and started kissing her again, long and deep, Alexa understood that she was capable of being in love. Or being in like, to start small. Her previous hook-ups and heartaches didn’t matter, not when she was close to Seamus like this. Maybe it was time to let her past fall to the ground, like hair snipped by scissors. Boys don’t always cause drama, Alexa
realized. Sometimes, they could even help a girl get over hers.
Resting her head on Seamus’s shoulder once more, Alexa scanned the glowing tent. Zach was on the stage, singing his heart out to Holly, who looked overjoyed. Alexa did a double take when she saw Esperanza in the far corner, kissing a groomsman with wild abandon. Nearby, Jonah was twirling around a contrite-looking Charity Durst, and Alexa wondered if the two of them would end up back together. And Margaux and Paul were in the center of it all, dancing and kissing, oblivious to the world.
Holly had been right: There was something about weddings…
Alexa lifted her face to kiss Seamus again. She wasn’t sure what the next day would bring, but for the moment, in this rose-strewn tent under the starry Hollywood sky, things felt pretty close to happily ever after.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Life, Camera, Action
The word DELAYED flashed on the computer screen, hurting Holly’s bleary eyes. According to the slightly blurry True West website, the airline strike was over, but Alexa and Holly’s eleven a.m. flight to Vegas was delayed until later that night.
This was all Holly’s sleep-deprived brain was able to process as she sat on the guesthouse’s living-room floor in her boxers and tank, Alexa’s laptop balanced on her knees. Fuchsia bags of wedding swag—which each contained a gift certificate to a Malibu spa, a box of Godiva chocolates, and, lamely, a pre-released Grit and Gravel DVD—were on the floor beside her, and her and Alexa’s shoes lay in a tangle by the door. The scent of wild strawberries and roses lingered.
It was eight in the morning, and both Holly and Alexa had totaled about a half hour of sleep. Margaux’s celebration had raged until a pale-pink dawn broke over the Hollywood Hills, with Blue Dog Babylon playing set after set. As the crowd thinned out, and the snooty industry types began to flit off to their mansions, the mood in the tent became even more vibrant; everyone—even Seamus and Alexa—had swapped partners and danced until practically no one was wearing shoes. Zach had taken a few more set breaks to dance with Holly—though they didn’t kiss again—and Holly had worked up the nerve to ask Jonah to autograph a napkin, which she’d save as a souvenir for her mother.
When Zach, giving Holly a see-you-soon wave from the stage, had finally packed up his guitar, and Belle’s admiring drummer had packed up his drums, Holly had dragged herself outside to pick up the car, leaving Alexa and Seamus a private, good-bye-until-New-York moment. Alexa had dozed most of the way home and Holly had stayed awake by admiring the gold shadows in the morning sky, and by sucking down the espresso Vikram’s staff had passed to her, and each guest, as a parting gift.
“St. Laurent!” Holly called hoarsely from the living room, too beat to actually get up and cross the cool marble floors to Alexa’s bedroom. “Update—our flight’s not until nine tonight!”
“Thank God!” Alexa called back, lying half-comatose on her bed, still in her aquamarine dress; it carried the bay-rum scent of Seamus’s aftershave, and it seemed she could still feel his warmth through the silky material. If Alexa had had her druthers, she would have kept dancing with him, even after the band left, even after the sun rose, their arms wrapped around each other, their lips touching, their eyes meeting in quiet understanding. Seamus, Alexa repeated to herself as a small thrill raced through her. Seamus Kerr. She knew she was wearing the biggest, goofiest smile on her face as Holly appeared in her doorway.
“What do you mean ‘thank God’?” Holly asked, hands on her hips.
Alexa sighed, lifting her head from the pillows. “Do I look like I’m packed?” She pointed one bare toe toward her floor, which was covered with open suitcases, a jumble of shoes, and heaps upon heaps of tunics, jeans, and footless tights.
“But Alexa!” Holly cried, picking her way through the mess toward her friend’s bed. “Graduation’s tomorrow at nine a.m. sharp.” Just last week, Holly’s own mother had herded the senior class together for an assembly to remind them that nobody could be even a minute late to the ceremony—or they would run the risk of not walking with their class. Holly plopped down on the edge of the bed, giving Alexa’s leg a shake. “That was why we wanted to leave early today, remember? We’ll have to take the eleven p.m. red-eye out of Vegas, then we won’t be in Newark until seven in the morning! That gives us only two hours—”
“Which is plenty of time,” Alexa yawned, contentedly settling back against the pillows. Nothing could bring her down this morning. Sunlight was pouring through her drapes, and Alexa knew that if she drew them back, she’d be gazing out at a landscape of crystal-blue sky and bluer water, ringed by the greenest of palm trees. She appreciated Los Angeles even more now, knowing it was Seamus’s hometown. “Besides,” she added, grinning devilishly at Holly. “This allows us to see our boys again today if we want.”
“Zach?” Holly asked, her cheeks flushing. “No, I’ll let him sleep his night off. I probably won’t call him until the fall anyway,” she added pragmatically. Though Holly had had a blast with Zach at the wedding, she knew it would be healthy for her to take some time to really be single. She still needed to heal from Tyler, to feel as if things were tied up with him, before she moved on. But there was still something tantalizing about knowing that Zach—and other adorable boys like him—waited in LA.
“I knew you guys were going to end up together somehow,” Alexa said with a self-satisfied smile, watching Holly. “When you pulled him from the water that fateful day—”
“Oh, please.” Holly rolled her eyes, still blushing. “You’re only saying that because on our way home this morning, I told you that I saw your Seamus hook-up coming from a mile away.” Holly had noticed the spark between Alexa and Seamus while watching them spar like crazy at the Getty. Meanwhile, even though Holly and Seamus got along famously, it was purely platonic. “You know what?” Holly mused, tilting her head to one side as she recalled her first impression of the smart, practical boy. “I just realized that Seamus kind of reminds me of…me.”
“He reminds me of you, too,” Alexa laughed. “Because he never hesitates to call me on my divaness.” She sighed fondly, then raised her eyebrows at Holly. “And I have to say that Zach, who is clearly a total ham…”
“Is basically Alexa in boy form,” Holly giggled, nodding at her friend. “Isn’t that freaky?”
Alexa shook her head, reaching over to tug on Holly’s ponytail. “Not at all. We balance each other pretty well, don’t we?” The girls exchanged a quick glance, and they both realized at once that graduation would mark the beginning of their separation. Within a couple months, they’d be living on opposite coasts. Apart, for the first time in eleven years.
Before either girl could get emotional, Holly got to her feet, announcing that she was going to make use of their extra time and go for a run. Kenya had mentioned Runyon Canyon in the Hollywood Hills as a great spot to jog—and celeb-stalk, if one so desired.
After Holly left to change, the buzz of Alexa’s cell phone on her nightstand told her she had a text message. She wondered if it was Portia, whom Alexa had texted on the way to the wedding yesterday—just to remind her friend of how Alexa was spending her Friday night. But when Alexa flipped open her phone she saw the words: have u changed ur mind and decided u hate me again?
So Seamus wasn’t sleeping either.
Her heart brimming, Alexa texted back: i hate u so much i want to walk with u on the beach later and hold ur hand.
Grinning, Alexa closed her phone. She’d been half fearful upon waking that the wedding had been some champagne-induced dream: that Seamus didn’t really like her, and hadn’t really kissed her, that it had been some other boy she’d danced with all night. Now, shutting her eyes, Alexa decided to drift off and dream about Seamus, the boy she knew was real and awake and thinking about her on the other side of town.
Meanwhile, Holly was feeling surprisingly peppy as she left the guesthouse in her Sauconys, shorts, and racer-back tank, armed with a mammoth bottle of Fiji water, her iPod, and her cell. El Sueño w
as still and serene this morning, with the birds chirping, and Jonah likely fast asleep inside the main house. “Miguel?” Holly called, waving to the gardener, who was sitting by the pool, typing on a laptop. “Do you know the best way to get to Runyon Can—wait,” Holly said, shielding her eyes from the sun. “Isn’t Saturday your day off?”
Miguel nodded. “I came here today to work on my screenplay,” he said, gesturing to the laptop. “Mr. Eklundstrom lets me borrow one of his computers to write it. He’s very supportive of my ambition. Oh, you know, this is Hollywood,” Miguel added, clearly seeing the bemused expression on Holly’s face. “Everyone has some crazy dream.”
And mine is to live here for four years—and see what it’s like, Holly thought, smiling to herself as Miguel gave her the directions and she turned and headed for the car. Of all the crazy dreams in the world, that one didn’t seem too bad.
“I know it’s crazy, but I wish I didn’t have to go back today,” Alexa sighed, her hand in Seamus’s as they stood on the beach across from El Sueño, their toes sinking into the butter-soft sand. “Just when we’re finally learning to tolerate each other…”
Seamus laughed, his hazel eyes gleaming behind his glasses, and his straight blond hair whipping across his forehead. In his jeans and faded Loops & Pluto shirt, he looked much more like the casual Seamus whom Alexa had first met, instead of the dapper Seamus of last night—but he made Alexa’s stomach flip just the same. They’d had lunch at a fun Caribbean place on Santa Monica Boulevard called Cha Cha Cha, and then Seamus had driven Alexa back to Malibu. Every moment had been filled with energetic talk and debate, from the topic of Jonah (whom Alexa had confessed to going on a date with) to the issue of New York City versus Los Angeles. Alexa hadn’t wanted the afternoon to end. She still didn’t.