”This is probably the most stupid thing, you have done yet on this trip!” I told myself silently as I looked around the bar room, where a few people - mostly couples, who seemed to see only each other – were sitting or standing at the bar consuming varying amounts of alcohol. When I closed my eyes, the world was spinning a little to fast, too, and I decided that I’d better call it a night and head for the hotel.
I had won some money in a lottery and decided to take a seven-day trip to Los Angeles. My family and friends had told me more than once that it was simply insane – even for a filmfreak – to do this alone. But my boyfriend had just dumped me, and I didn’t want to be surrounded by all those people, who knew me and felt sorry for me.
So here I was: a middle-aged (that’s the term, when you’ve reached 42 years, right?), slightly sad Danish woman – in a bar on the outskirts of Los Angeles.
I had won some money, but not that much, so I had to stay in a modest hotel with modest prices. I wasn’t really uneasy being there, because the neighbourhood seemed peaceful and respectable and I hadn’t seen gangs or anything scary – but still I wondered if I had made a mistake.
Most of all I scolded myself for believing that I could just walk into a bar and make friends. That people would rush to my side and want to be with me having a good time!
I was Scandinavian, but not the kind many Americans seem to believe is inhabiting our countries. I was not 6”1’ with legs that went on forever, slim and with blond hair down to my waist! (As I often say: ”Yes, there are girls like that in Scandinavia – only they all went to Hollywood!)
The best way to describe me was: average. Neither tall not short, neither thin not fat, neither beautiful nor ugly, with medium blond, short hair that refused to settle into some kind of a hairstyle and a face with no striking features, either. In short: the kind of woman you would pass in the street without another look.
My only ”above average” feature was my legs, and tonight I had dared to show off a little. I was wearing a short, red skirt, high-heeled red sandals and a red-and-white blouse (which wasn’t able to hide that my breasts, which had never been small, had not yet had a doctor’s appointment to be hoisted back to where they were 20 years ago.)
As a matter of fact I felt quite good – if nothing else I was showing them the Danish national colours! But still only a couple of drunk, unhygienic looking younger fellows had approched me – and only to ask if I wanted to fuck! Maybe I had picked the wrong bar?
I got up and was pleased to notice that I was not so intoxicated that I wasn’t able to walk straight, even on high heels. I walked out the door and just stood for a minute breathing the warm air.
It was around 3.00 A.M and it felt like I was the only one alive in the city. No matter where I looked everything was silent and empty. I sighed and started walking. Sometime soon there just had to be a cab which would take me to my hotel!
A little further down the street I saw a pool-hall. And just before I reached it, the doors banged open and a man stumbled down the stairs. It was plain to see that he was as drunk as I was, and it seemed that he knew it, too, because he leaned against the wall of the building, closed his eyes and sighed heavily.
He stood like that for only a few minutes, but still I had ample opportunity to look at him. He had his side turned towards me, which meant that the first thing I recognized was his inch-long eye lashes.
I kept staring, while my heart started pounding. Yes, it was all there: the sandy-blond hair, the massive torso and the characteristic tattooes on both upper arms, the nice butt and legs. All of this encased in a short-sleeved, white T-shirt, tight, worn jeans and sneakers.
I took a few steps towards him, and although I held a hand over my mouth, I burst out: ”Oh, my GOD!!”
He opened his eyes just a fraction and giggled: ”I’m sorry to disappoint you, honey, but it’s only me, Kiefer ….”
The whole world seemed to turn upside down, as I babbled: ”But it can’t be …. this is not Beverly Hills … and where are your body-guards … and the papparazzies ….. and your groupies …. and ……and …..”
He opened his eyes and stepped away from the wall, standing on the sidewalk in front of me, smiling as he said: ”I think you read too many magazines, dear! It is actually possible for me to go out from time to time without a whole entourage. It’s just a matter of timing! Right now I’m supposed to be at some very important and very boring dinner, but I preferred to come here. This is one of my favourite pool-halls – but don’t you dare tell anyone!!”
He stared me down for a few seconds, before he started laughing – probably at my stunned face. I blushed and said: ”It’s just …. Here I am all alone on an empty street in the middle of nowhere – and suddenly one of my favourite actors is standing right in front of me, and …..”
I ran out of things to say, but Kiefer just smiled warmly and said: ”Thank you! That’s very nice to hear. But now: can I do anything for you? You seem to be a little lost right now?”
”Er ….” I said stupidly, since my brain wasn’t working and my body was burning all over from standing so close to him. ”Maybe I could get your autograph? Or else none of my Danish friends will believe me, when I get back home”
He stepped a little closer as he answered ”Sure! Are you Danish? You’re a long way from home! You’re not here alone, are you? Do you have a piece of paper?”
That was far too many questions at once, so I only managed the last one: ”Oh, shit! Sorry – I meant: no!” The first shock was subsiding and I managed to joke a little: ”When I left the hotel I didn’t prepare for running into you!”
He laughed and stuck one hand into his pocket (I wondered for a second how he did that. There didn’t seem to be room for anything more there!) and produced a crumpled piece of paper with some notes on one side. ”Here! This is my shopping list. Let’s use that! Now, do you have a pen?”
I just buried my face in my hands and groaned …. Here I was – standing just inches away from the most gorgeous man I had ever been near, and I didn’t have a pen in order to get a memorabilia to flaunt, when I got home!
When I looked up again Kiefer was standing there, his head slightly tilted and a smile lurking in his beautiful, green-blue eyes. ”Should I take that as a no, too?”
I sighed and nodded: ”Now my evening is really a failure – and I can’t even get a damned TAXI!!”