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Chapter 4 ~ Ana's dreams

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*Back in Brokenfold, Wyoming*

"Audrey! Anastasia!" Jerilyn Mahoney greeted cheerfully as she entered the diner. "I trust you two are doing well on this beautiful morning we have here."

Ana rolled her eyes as she shot a quick glance over at Audrey who was already looking at her. Audrey was smiling. She knew how much Ana disliked Jerilyn. It could have been Jerilyn's "I-am-better-than-you" attitude, but Audrey didn't mind her. 

Jerilyn, Ana and Audrey had gone to school together. Jerilyn was from one of the more wealthy families in town. Her father was a lawyer (the only one in the town), and her family owned the town's bank. Jerilyn had everything she ever wanted (including her choice of any boy in school), and if she didn't, you wouldn't hear the end of it until she did.

"Hello, Jerilyn," Audrey chirped as she sashayed over to where Jerilyn's had sat down. "We're fine this morning. It is beautiful, but cold this morning!"

Jerilyn's face lit up with excitement. "I guess you can imagine," she beamed.

Audrey paused for a moment waiting for Jerilyn to finish her sentence. From the look on Jerilyn's face, she had news. 

"Have you not heard?" Jerilyn asked in mock horror. "Have you two really not heard?!" She glanced across the room over at Ana then back at Audrey. "Elvis Presley is going to be in Denver tomorrow night!!" she nearly shouted. "Jeremy bought us tickets!" Jeremy was Jerilyn's husband.

Ana felt her heart skip. Elvis.

"Ugh, I can't believe it! I'm going to see Elvis in person!" Jerilyn was nearly jumping out of her seat. "I'm totally ditching Jeremy when we get there. I've heard he will kiss some of the women from the stage. I will be first in line." She gushed.

...I wonder how much the tickets are... Ana had tuned Jerilyn out.

"Oh, you must be so excited Jerilyn!" Audrey mused seemingly enamored to hear every detail Jerilyn had to divulge.

"Audrey my dear, 'excited' is such an understatement!"

Ana managed to unfurl from her thoughts. "How long is he going to be in Denver?" she asked.

"Only 2 days I believe. I hear he has to be in Texas for another concert on Saturday," Jerilyn beamed. "Oh! I'm just going to faint when I see him up close! Just absolutely faint. They say he is even more handsome in person, you know."

"Jerilyn! You are married!" Audrey quipped playfully. "You'll have to fill us in on all the gory details when you return."

"Oh, please. It's Elvis Presley for God's sake. A girl is lucky if she gets to see him just once in her life. Jeremy can deal with it."

"I suppose you're right. I should try convincing that husband of mine to take me, but you know Bill. There isn't any room in the budget for Elvis," Audrey smiled, pulling out her notepad to jot down Jerilyn's order.

"Oh no! That reminds me. Jeremy scheduled a meeting with our accountant today at.... Oh Lord, I'm going to be late," Jerilyn stated, as she spotted the clock on the wall. "I forgot all about this stupid meeting. Ugh, I'll have to come by another time, ladies. Excuse me, but I've got to run."  Sliding out of her chair, she grabbed her purse. "It was nice talking with you two again!" she cheered as she hurried out of the diner.

Audrey tucked her notepad back into her apron and turned to face Ana who was busy fiddling with the arrangements on the countertop. "We'll both get to go one day too, Ana. I know for certain. One day it will be me and you going to see Elvis."

Ana looked up at her friend  "Maybe," she sighed as she stared wistfully out at the mountain ridges encircling the town. Denver was the closest city to Brokenfold that Elvis would step foot, and Ana had been pinching pennies for a bus ticket and a seat in the nosebleeds for the next time Elvis would perform there. Just to be in the same room as him would be enough excitement to last a lifetime, she thought. But this time just wasn't meant to be. "I would have had enough to go this time if I hadn't let mom 'borrow' some money for the rent last month." She sighed. 

The day had been slow for the most part with only a customer or two so far. That was fairly normal for a week day, and it was a Thursday. The Diner usually picked up by lunch time, but the way of life in Brokenfold was simple. Ana made enough to get by, but never more. It was this reason that Ana had never gone to college, even after her dad died. She was smart enough, but she simply never had the money nor the time. College was also something that Ana had no desire to pursue. She was more of the artsy type, quirky even. She'd always wanted to be an actress, and that was her plan before she graduated highschool. If it had worked out as she'd imagined, she would have moved to Hollywood and caught her big break as an actress by now. Truth be told, it was still the life she imagined for herself and the one she daydreamed about when she wanted to escape from the day-to-day. Sure she knew she might be waiting tables for a few years before her break, but it'd be no different than her job now she reasoned.