Splendour Noir

Chapter 1 - ...To Eternity

I was in Hollywood already 2 weeks, but I knew only few people. Like my director, few actors and some people working on the same movie as I was. Oh my, it was all so magic for me. This was going to be my very first evening, or party, or whatever you want to call it in hollywood with all those actors and actresses and singers.... it was really something back in the 1957. I was new there but I already concidered hollywood as my home. Though I really can't say I had a real home when I was a kid. My father was a soldier and we were moving from place to place. Then my father died when I was 11 and me and my family had really hard times. That also explains my look. I was really tiny, like I was short and so very thin. My hazel-brown hair were falling till my shoulders and were curled. I had black and white dress which were really tight so I think my waist was really dissapearing then. 

I was sitting in car going to that hollywood evening party with Marilyn and her husband Arthur Miller. Marilyn was actually the very first person I met in at at studios. I was confused and I didn't know which way I have to go. Then I met her. She was so sweet, she showed me the whole surroundings of Paramount studios and that day we went to some café together. We talked for hours and she seemed as a very nice and sweet person. In those 2 weeks we became very close friends. "We're here darlin'" said Marilyn when Arthur opened her door. Then he came with Marilyn by his side and opened door for me, too. I swallowed. "K, you can do this girl." I kept repeating myself. I looked up at that massive building which was shining from the lights as the brightest star. I walked really slowly as I was staring at the lights, at the glory and magnificance of this beautiful building. And it was not just the building. It was the atmosphere, those lights shining all around and I heard people laughing and felt that good atmosphere which was there at the moment. Suddenly everything was quite. I stopped looking above me on the ceiling and I looked in front of myself. I stopped walking. All the people around stopped dancing, stopped talking, laughing and the music trailed off. Every single eye was looking right at me. I saw Marilyn and Arthur in the back of the hall and I felt really stupid then. I smiled and with quite a fast walk came to Marilyn. It was maybe 10 secs, maybe 5, maybe less, I don't know. But when I came to Marilyn, people suddenly started talking again, music started playing and the atmosphere was right back. "Oh my, you really fascinated them all." said Marilyn with her warm smile and sweet voice. I smiled at her but I sure didn't feel the same way as she did about me and my arrival. "Christine, I wanna introduce you to some people. Come on sweet." said Marilyn and I walked behind her. Then she stopped and she pad on the shoulder one man, who was standing back to us. He turned and his face brighten. "Oh my, hello there! Marilyn!" he said with really charming and soft voice and kissed her hand. Then he looked at me and he looked fascinated at me for like 5 secs. "And who's this beautiful young lady?" he asked. "Frank, I wanna you to meet my friend, Christine. She's new here, but I have to tell you she's a marvelous actress!" Said Marilyn and Frank kissed my hand. "It's my pleasure to meet you, Christine." He was really charming. "I'm Frank Sinatra." I smiled. "It's my pleasure to meet you, Mr. Sinatra." I said and felt really small. He might think that I was a kid with my figure, but I was 24 back then! "Please, call me Frank." he said and smiled. "Ok, common darlin', you have to meet some other people. See ya Frankie." said Marilyn and she started introducing me to other actors. After meeting Monty Clift, Burt Lancaster and Cary Grant I was dancing with John Wayne. Oh my! What a sweet man John was. But I felt like a mouse when he was holding my hand. He was 2 times bigger than me. Maybe 3. But really, he was such a big man. Then I was dancing with Jimmy Stewart and after dance I felt really tired so I just sat down to rest for a while. All the men were suddenly sitting at my table and it was so funny because everybody wanted to catch my attention. I felt like some ridicoulus exhibit in museum. Burt was telling me some story or something like that. I don't know. I just stopped listening for a while. I stopped listening the whole world. Everything was so quite for me. Everyone was moving so slow for me. I was looking at all those beautiful people around me. Everything was so bright, lights were shining all around the place. And then it happend. It was just a little moment. Coincidence. I looked in that direction completely randomly. As he did. He was just letting himself a little look at all that glamour. Just as I did. We looked at each other's  eyes for a little moment. It was like forever even it was only few seconds. I gasped. We stared at each other. I immediately looked back at the people by the table. But something had changed in me. He was different. My heart started pumping really fast. I wasn't looking at him anymore, but I felt that after few seconds he moved and walked my direction. Suddenly, I knew he was standing right behind me. My breath almost stopped. "Oh, here you are!" cried Marilyn and hugged him. I stood up and looked at them two. "I have to introduce you two!" she said and smiled at me. I looked at him. Oh my... those black, curly hair. Dark brown eyes. That smile? Oh Gosh. "Christine, I wanna you to meet Dean Martin." JESUS CHRIST!