Tall Girl Blues [Elvis]

Chapter 4 - Taking in the Beauty

The sun started to set over the trees and mountains, casting an orange glow in the blue sky. It was absolutely breathtaking. I stared at it as I stood next to my car, feeling the cool autumn breeze. My whole soul was in awe not with just the mountain sunset, but with what was going on in my life. Maybe tomorrow, I would wake up and realize that this was all a dream. Meeting Elvis and being an extra in his movie was a dream...

I refused to believe it. This was real. Everything was - the cool mountain air, the colors of the leaves on the trees, the scent of the woods, birds chirping, people bustling about in the parking lot as the next scene was being prepared...

And people commenting on my height as usual, people who had already met me. Next to everyone met me already and still ogled at me. That was something I couldn't escape no matter where I went.

Elvis ogled me. He was one of the only people, next to my parents and closest friends like Shelly and her family, who had a free pass to comment on my height without me getting irritated over it. Everyone one else was tolerated. I should be used to it by now, but something in my chest always pinched when people weren't tactful about their staring.

Speaking of Elvis, the whole day, I had to watch him from a distance. Sometimes a short one, but a distance, nonetheless. He would catch my glance sometimes and would smirk with that lip curl that he had going on. I always thought that cute.

I found out that the opening sequence where Elvis was riding on the back of a big yellow truck didn't show any other extras, aside from those men running by and the man in the truck. Phil decided to have the beginning mostly encumber Elvis, as to grab the views in. Something told me that he didn't want me in the picture, but maybe I was just paranoid about that.

The cool wind blew my blonde hair a little as I still stood by my car, looking out around the mountains. "If only I had a camera," I said to myself, but someone heard me.

"I have one in my car if you wanna use it."

My heart jumped, and I turned to see the very man I was thinking about a moment ago... the man who I always thought about and had been obsessed with since 1956. He was smirking, and I swallowed any words that my brain wanted me to say.

"Um..."

I was saying that a lot lately. How embarrassing. He snickered. "I'll go fetch it," he said and walked away to that white car that wasn't far from my own little car. Little for me. I watched his every move as he went to his car that his manager was standing near, talking with a couple of men from the crew. I noticed that Elvis wore that uniform all day, and he looked incredible in it. Of course, he looked incredible in anything he wore. What I had seen in pictures and movies.

He came back with a little black camera that looked like it cost him maybe a month's worth of pay for me in my previous job at the Five and Dime.

My heart sped away as he looked up at me and held up the camera in front of his face. He had it there and clicked a couple of times, facing the mountains that had an orange-blue sky behind them. He said, "'Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.' My momma would tell me that and told me to remember all those moments the best I can. That's why I keep a camera with me all the time. The moment I came here, I started takin' pictures, takin' in the beauty and capturin' the moment."

He was being polite and conversational, but my brain just couldn't figure out what to say to him. He put down the camera and looked up at me. I had to say something, as to not seem rude. "Yes, that's a lovely sentiment. It's great to capture the beauty of life."

"Indeed, it is. The physical beauty, especially. Every part of the country has its beauty, but I think this place takes the cake. What do you think?"

This was surreal, just casually talking with my favorite star like I had known him for years. He was obviously comfortable talking with people. "I've, um, I've only been to various areas in California, and Nevada once, so I can't really say for sure. I mean, I've seen pictures of various parts of the country, and I agree that they are all beautiful in their own way... And yeah, I think this cute little town takes the cake, too."