I glance over at the empty room service tray on the table as I continue to channel surf on the TV. I told myself not to order it, but I couldn’t help myself once I saw the menu. I know I could have gone down to the restaurant and gotten the same food for cheaper, but that would have required me to take off the luxurious robe I had wrapped myself in last night after my bath… and that wasn’t going to happen just for some food.
I shake my head as I pick up one of the straps and rub the fabric against my cheek. I have no idea what this is made of, but it’s so soft and light… it’s divine. I’m not sure how I survived this long without owning this exact robe.
When I woke up I wasn’t that excited about going shopping, but now that I’ve had breakfast I’m warming up to the idea. I guess I should get out of the hotel and just explore some because I’m not sure yet when I’m going to have a day off to do it once we start filming.
After a few more minutes of lounging around I manage to tear myself from the bed and remove the bathrobe. I open my suitcase and put on an outfit Spencer bought for me earlier this week. The skinny low-rise jeans are a bit of a chore to pull up, but once I do they are really comfy. The top he bought me is a cashmere turtleneck sweater. I’m feeling a little warm once I have it on, but it’s early enough in the year that I think it’s appropriate for Chicago… especially since the sun has been behind some dark and ominous clouds all morning.
I quickly brush my teeth and slip my feet into my black flats before heading for the door with my purse in hand. I check to make sure I have my phone and the room key and I head into the hallway.
Once I’m downstairs I stop and linger at the counter in the lobby. One of the two women looks up and smiles at me.
“Is there something we can help you with?”
I tap my foot on the floor. I have a feeling I’m about to make a fool of myself and I kind of don’t care. I walk toward the counter and smile at her.
“This is going to sound really stupid,” I say, “but I love the bathrobe in my room… is there somewhere I can buy one like that?”
“Not a stupid question at all… we actually sell them.”
“Really? How much are they?”
“Seven hundred and forty-five.”
I knew it was going to be expensive, but that seems awfully high for a bathrobe. One the other hand… it was like wearing a warm cloud. It’s not like I’ll ever own more than one bathrobe… it could last me a lifetime.
“I guess I’ll take it.”
“What room are you in?”
“Oh… I don’t want to charge it to my room… I’ll pay for it.”
“That’s fine, Miss. Still, if you tell me your room number we can bring a new one to your room for you to take home once you leave us… and in the mean time please feel free to wear the one already there.”
“Awesome… thank you. I’m in room 1501.”
She looks down at her computer and nods. A few seconds later she takes her hands off the keyboard and looks up at me as I start to take my wallet out of my purse.
“That won’t be necessary,” she says.
“Huh?”
“You’re Amy… right?”
“Yes.”
“The hotel is taking care of any additional charges on your account. I can have two of the bathrobes sent to your room… that way you can take one to your husband.”
I look at her and can tell her eyes have stopped on my ring.
“Oh… I’m not actually married… just engaged, but thank you.”
“Should we be expecting your fiancé?”
“No… well… yes, but we still haven’t figured out when he’s coming.”
“Of course. As soon as you know… please let us know and we can arrange for a car to pick him up from the airport.”
“Thanks… I appreciate it.”
“Of course… and if there’s anything else we can do… please let us know.”
I smile and nod. I take my purse off the counter and start to walk away, but I stop… I have no idea where to go.
“Sorry,” I say, “but I’ve never been to Chicago. I just want to get some fresh air and do some shopping… any suggestions?”
“Of course… you should head over to the Magnificent Mile.”
I raise an eyebrow. That’s certainly an intriguing name that carries some promise when it comes to shopping.
“Is it far?”
“No… it’s quite close actually… less than a half a mile from here.”
“In which direction?” I say.
“We can arrange for a car... that way you don’t have to carry your bags.”
I smile and shake my head. I actually am looking forward to getting some crisp, fresh air into my lungs.
“I can walk.”
She quickly explains the directions to me and they don’t seem all that complicated. I guess I could always just use my phone if I somehow get lost… but that’s highly unlikely.
“Thanks,” I say, “I really appreciate it.”
“Of course… like I said… if there’s anything at all we can do to make your stay more comfortable… please don’t hesitate to call any time of day or night.”
I smile at her and walk toward the front entrance of the hotel. The doorman holds the door for me as I walk out into the chilly Chicago morning. A cool breeze sweeps across my face and blows my hair in every direction. A chill fills my bones as I start to walk. I guess they call it the windy city for a reason. I guess my first stop will be to find a coat because I didn’t pack one... I didn’t think I would need it.
The woman at the front desk wasn’t kidding—less than ten minutes later I’m standing at the beginning of the Magnificent Mile… and it’s truly a sight. L.A. has some nice places to shop, but everything is really spread out. I have a feeling this is a lot more like New York, but the one time I went there we only went out for a few hours and only hit two stores.
I start walking again and I finally get out of the wind as I stick close to one of the buildings. Something shiny in the window catches my attention and I stop to look—a beautiful gold dress that reflects light as if it’s covered in a million tiny mirrors. It’s really quite stunning… something I would never wear, but there’s still a part of me that knows if I don’t keep walking I’m going to somehow end up taking it home. I take one last look at the golden dress and force myself to push it out of my mind as I reach the end of the building.
The window display in the next store isn't as magnificent, but there's a couple of cute coats that serve as a real reminder to how chilly I feel right now. I pull the door open and head inside to look around.
“Hi.”
I look up from the rack I was browsing near the front door. There's a girl my age walking toward me.
“Hello,” I say.
“Can I help you find anything?”
“No… I think I'm OK.”
“Let me know if you change your mind.”
“I will, thanks.”
I go back to looking through the rack, which is mostly tops with a few jackets sprinkled through. I can see the girl out of the corner of my eye… she hasn't moved away at all. I look up at her to see what she needs.
“Sorry,” she says, “but I wanted to tell you that I love your turtleneck.”
“Thanks.”
“Can I touch it?”
It's kind of a strange request… although it's the same reaction I had when Spencer first pulled it off the rack a few days ago when we went shopping. I'd never touched cashmere before… it's one of those things that the closer you get it's possible to see how soft it is and it becomes impossible to resist touching.
“Sure.”
I hold out my arm and the girl runs her hand from my elbow to my wrist. A huge smile crosses her face and just slowly shakes her head back and forth.
“Amazing… cashmere, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Where did you find that?”
“A boutique in Los Angeles.”
“Oh… are you from there?”
“I'm not from there, but I live there now.”
She leans against the rack and nods in anticipation as she hangs on every word as they creep through my lips.
“I always wanted to move to L.A. and become an actress… but my parents told me it was stupid and that I should keep my head out of the clouds.”
“You should go,” I say.
“Really? You think so?”
“Why not? What do you have to lose?”
She shrugs and shakes her head.
“Nothing… not really.”
There's a part of me that didn't want to say anything… there's the chance I just got her hopes for nothing. It's just hard for me to comprehend that people, especially parents, will try to dissuade someone from trying to follow their dreams. If she really wants to be an actress she should move there and at least try. There's always a small chance her dreams will come true… I ended up an actress and it wasn't even what I set out to do, so there's no telling what someone with a strong drive might be able to accomplish.
“Well,” I say, “I guess there's nothing to stop you from trying.”
“I'll be right back.”
I watch for a few seconds as she walks toward the back of the store where two women are folding clothes at the register. I turn my attention back to the rack of clothes and pull a jacket off it. It's adorable and I know I'm going to buy it before I even pull it off the hanger. I put my purse down on the floor so that I can try on the jacket. It fits perfectly. I turn to the closest mirror and look at myself. It's a black double breasted jacket with large round buttons, sleeves that go just past my wrists, a high collar that's turned up and it's flared at the bottom. I can't take it… it's almost too perfect.
I spin around and look at myself one last time before taking the jacket off and putting it back on the hanger. I take a deep breath as I prepare myself for the impending sticker shock. I turn the tag over in my hand and I sigh. Thirty-seven hundred. Crazy. Can I really spend that kind of money on a jacket?
“It's beautiful, isn't it?”
I look up and see that the girl is back.
“Yeah… it really is.”
“My name is Rose, by the way.”
“Amy.”
“Nice to meet you, Amy.”
“You too.”
“Are you going to get the jacket?”
That's the question. I can afford it, but what would me from a year ago think? I had never even seen that kind of money before, but I did spend all that money on the apartment and furniture when I thought my mom was sick. At least with the coat I could wear it for years to come… it's not like I would wear it out living in L.A., but it would certainly come in handy while I'm here in Chicago. Well… I guess I just talked myself into spending almost four thousand dollars on a jacket.
“I guess I am.”
“We also have some… more affordable options.”
“No… I'm in love with this jacket.”
She laughs and nods in agreement. Her demeanor has already changed since I walked in the store… she was friendly before, but now she's happy and I can tell she's excited about what her future holds. I'm glad that I had a small part in that and I truly hope she succeeds and is able to follow her dreams.
“Good,” she says, “let me take that up to the front for you.”
“Do you get commission?”
“Yes… why?”
“I might as well look around.”
She nods and runs off to put down the jacket. I like her… and I wanted to buy some clothes, so I might as well help her make some money before she sets off across the country to give acting a shot. I know there's a lot of people that move to L.A. to do just that and end up struggling, so maybe this will give her a little bit of a boost.
I pull a shirt off of a rack and hold it up as I step over to a mirror. It's a sort of plaid pattern of varying shades of teal and gray. It's not something I could see myself wearing on a regular basis, but it's kind of cool and with the right purse and shoes it could be kind of a fun outfit to wear in L.A.. I don't even bother looking at the price tag… I know it's going to be astronomically high for what it is, but I feel like I deserve it… and if Spencer was here he would totally tell me to buy it. I wrinkle my nose as I move to another rack of clothes. I can't believe I'm talking myself into buying designer clothes. It's not that they aren't gorgeous… not to mention they fit so much better, but deep-down there will always be a part of me that's a small town girl who thinks about how much things cost. I don't think that's a bad thing… but it's all relative.
I spend the next few minutes just browsing, but I don't really see anything I feel like I need to buy. Then I see it—a dress I have to have. I don't care how much it costs. The dress is styled to look like a trench coat and there's something about it… I can't quite put my finger on it, but I have a feeling it'll be super cute. There's even a strap around the waist that has a buckle and holes punched in it. The rolled short sleeves have button tabs and the collar is wide, but still looks in proportion. I find my size and take it off the rack. I'm pleasantly surprised when I see the price, just under seven hundred… which seems cheap after the jacket I picked out.
“Such a cute dress,” Rose says, “do you want to try it on?”
“Yeah… just to make sure it fits.”
“This way.”
I follow her to the back corner of the store and down a wide hallway. Rose takes a key out of her pocket and unlocks the door to one of the three changing rooms.
“I just put my two weeks’ notice in,” she says.
“Really?”
I smile to match the enthusiastic look on her face, but I'm actually quite happy for Rose. I have a good feeling about her… but at the same time I don't want to say too much because I've only been in one movie, which doesn't exactly make me an expert when it comes to what it takes to make it in Hollywood.
“Yeah… they were surprised when I told them. It felt so good. Thank you so much for your encouragement, Amy… it means a lot to me.”
“You're welcome.”
She takes a step back and I walk into the changing room and close the door. I put the dress on and spin around in front of the mirror—it's amazing. I can't wait to wear the dress when Spencer comes to town to visit.
“How does it fit?” Rose says.
I open the door and step out for her to see.
“You have to buy it.”
“I'm going to.”
I think she's almost as excited about the dress as I am.
“You look really pretty in it… almost like a movie star.”
I nod and smile—she's not wrong.
By the time I say good bye to Rose and leave the store I have a black patent leather tote, two more tops, a pair of espadrilles, two scarves, an umbrella and the first three items I picked out. I closed my eyes as I signed the receipt. I think it’ll be easier to face once I get a chance to wear the clothes. I start walking back toward the hotel, feeling like I’ve done more than enough shopping for one day… but I only make it twenty feet before I realize I’ve got too much stuff to make the walk back feasible. I set my bags down and look up and down the road, but I don’t see a taxi anywhere.
I take my phone out of my purse and pull up the number for the hotel. It rings once before the front desk picks up.
“Hi… this is Amy from room 1501… I was wondering if you could send a car or a taxi or something to come get me.”
“Absolutely. Where are you?”
“Somewhere near the start of the magnificent mile.”
“We’re sending a car right now… it should be there within a couple of minutes.”
“Thanks so much.”
“You’re welcome.”
I end the call and put my phone away before moving all my stuff to the nearest bench. I shake my head and roll my eyes at myself. I guess I’m going to have to buy another suitcase before I head home… clearly I didn’t think this through and the beautiful clothes got the better of me. I have a feeling it won’t be the last time.
A black town car with impossibly blank tint on the windows pulls up a few minutes later and the driver gets out.
“Amy?” he says.
“Yes.”
“I’m here to pick you up.”
“Great… thanks.”
I reach for my bags, but he rushes toward me and scoops them up before I can.
“Let me get those for you.”
I shrug. I'm not going to argue. He puts my bags in the trunk of the car and opens the back door for me. I get in and set my purse on the seat next to me. The driver gets back in the car and takes me back to the hotel.
He gets out of the car, opens my door and sets my bags on the sidewalk. I reach into my purse and take out a ten dollar bill to tip him. Hopefully that's appropriate. I'm not really that versed in tipping people since I've never had anyone give me this kind of service other than when eating at a restaurant. He smiles and nods at me before getting back into his car.
“Would you like some help?” the doorman says.
“No, thanks… I think I've got it.”
I pick up my bags and smile at him as I walk through the door he is holding open. I make my way to the elevators and set the bags down while I wait. I'm glad I called for the car to come get me… walking across the lobby was far enough with this much stuff.
The elevator dings and the door open. An elderly couple gets off and I manage to get all my stuff onto the elevator just before the door closes on me. I press the button for the fifteenth floor and wait while the smoothest elevator in existence carries me upward. The door opens and I grab my bags and make my way down the hall to my room, take my key out of my purse and open the door.
I drop my bags on the couch and kick off my shoes as I walk toward the bedroom with my phone in one hand and the shooting schedule in the other. I stop and smile when I see the two bathrobes on the bed. It’s nice of the hotel to comp them for me, but I guess it’s not that much of a stretch considering how long I’m staying for and how much each night is costing the production company.
I move the robes to the chair and lie down on the bed. I quickly look over the shooting schedule and shake my head. Seriously? I guess I was spoiled on the last shoot… because the projection for this movie is ten weeks. It makes me want to call Spencer right now, there’s no way I can go that long without seeing him.
I pull up his number on my phone, hit call and lift it to my ear as I continue to look over the schedule. It says hair and makeup at four in the afternoon… which makes sense since the first scene in the film takes place at night. At least that’ll give me a chance to really memorize my lines. Spencer picks up after the second ring.
“Hey.”
“Hi. How are you?”
“Fine… you?”
“Good… I just went shopping.”
“Nice… there’s some great places in Chicago. Where did you go?”
“I went to the Magnificent Mile.”
“That makes sense… it’s pretty close to your hotel, right?”
“A little too close… I need to be careful or I’ll be coming back with more suitcases than I can count.”
“I’m sorry I wasn’t there to go with you.”
“Me too. The girl that waited on me, I told her I was from L.A. and she got all excited. She put in her two weeks’ notice while I was there because I kind of talked her into moving there and following her dreams of being an actress.”
“Seriously?”
Spencer sounds a little surprised.
“Yeah… why?”
“Well… I mean… it’s incredibly hard to get a job here. You are one in a million… I just hope she knows what she’s doing.”
“I didn’t tell her it was easy or anything… I actually didn’t tell her that it’s what I do. It’s hard to explain, but it was so clear that she really wanted to do it… she just never did because people were always telling her that she wouldn’t make it. I just told her to follow her dreams and that she’s young enough that it would be a shame if she never tried.”
I roll over on my back, grab one of the pillows from the top of the bed and slide it under my head.
“You’re something else,” Spencer says.
“Yeah? Why do you say that?”
“You’re humble, but at the same time becoming an actress has made you aware that it’s possible for someone to do anything… no matter what everyone else tells them.”
It reminds me of the conversation I had with Jess where she told me it would be a waste if I didn’t pursue being an actress because of how many girls my age and younger I would be able to help. She was certainly right.
“I try.”
He laughs.
“I really miss you.”
“Aww… I miss you, too. I have something for you, by the way.”
“A present?”
“Sort of… it’s not that exciting.”
Just thinking about the bathrobe makes me want to shower just so I can legitimately put it on again… it’s that amazing. I know it’s probably not the same for a guy, but I know that if any male in the world will appreciate it as much as me it’s going to be Spencer.
“What is it?”
“You’ll have to wait and see.”
“Hmm… I guess I better get there sooner rather than later.”
“A wise decision.”
I sigh and pick up the shooting schedule. It was the real reason I called him and neither of us has even mentioned it yet. I look for my name and read down the schedule until I see a day where I’m not shooting.
“What are you doing?” Spencer says.
“Looking at my shooting schedule.”
“You got it?”
“Yeah… someone slid it under my door while I was out shopping.”
“So,” he says, “when’s your first free day?”
“Ugh… not for two weeks. The seventeenth.”
“You’re shooting seven days a week for two weeks?”
“I guess.”
“Crazy… I mean I’ve been on some rough shoots, but at least they usually give you a day off somewhere in there.”
“Yeah… Jim seems pretty out there.”
“Well… how late are you shooting on the sixteenth?”
I look down the page and quickly look over the schedule for that day.
“We start shooting at nine… and done at eight.”
“I’ll be there... waiting for you.”
I sigh. I really doubt I’ll be able to focus at all that day… I’ll just be trying to get done with my scenes and get back to the hotel as soon as possible—two weeks is way too long to go without seeing Spencer. I somehow imagined when I signed on to do this movie that I would get at least one day off a week… I guess that was wishful thinking. The only good thing about it is that we can finish in fewer days because ten weeks is already a long enough time to be away from Spencer, in a strange city and staying in a hotel… even one as nice as this.
“I can’t wait.”