She’s been looking at her empty plate for quite some time now, still thinking of a way to pay for her meal because the cash she has with her will probably not be accepted. Suddenly, an idea flashed into her mind. She took off the earrings and rings she got from the person’s bedroom earlier. Technically, she’s not supposed to do this but she can’t think of anything else to use as her payment. 

As she laid the jewelry on the table, a woman approached her and handed out some cash. “I noticed you from afar struggling. It seems like you left your cash, am I right?” She asks, to which Aiah responds with a simple nod. The older woman chuckles, “Make sure to never leave cash behind-” a waiter approaches their table and takes the woman’s cash, “I hope 20 years from now, America will finally discover how to process payments cashless. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?” She giggles.

Hearing those words while knowing how America will be in the future felt a little bit crazy for Aiah. She wanted to tell her so badly that her dream did happen, but that might turn out weird for the latter. The older woman extends a hand towards her, “I’m Charlotte. I know everybody in this town, but you? You’re new to me.” Charlotte looks at her then tilts her head to the side as if she’s trying to look at Aiah from a different angle. Aiah didn’t know what to do so she simply looked away and pretended to be looking at something else.

“You can be a star,”

Their gazes met. Confusion is now even more evident in Aiah’s gaze. Charlotte chuckles softly, “Have you ever thought of entering Hollywood?” She asks as she sits opposite Aiah. The older woman catches the attention of a waitress passing by and orders a milkshake. Aiah wanted to leave badly but she just couldn’t find the right time and it would be rude to just stand up and leave in the middle of a conversation. “If ever you’re interested, you can call me,” Charlotte adds as she hands Aiah her card where all her contact details are present. 

“Oh! I have to go. I hope you can consider the offer,” Charlotte says as she gathers her things and pays for her drink. Everything happened so quickly. Aiah watched her as she bee-lined towards the exit and disappeared among the crowd of people entering and exiting the restaurant. A few people turned their heads around to look at Charlotte, making Aiah realize the woman she just talked to was probably pretty famous or was associated with someone famous. 

-

Walking in the streets of LA during the peak of Hollywood was such a strange feeling for the woman. She recalls seeing these exact views in her research and textbooks, she did not expect to see it in person because she knew it wouldn’t be possible since most studios are already rebranded or turned into museums. Posters of upcoming films graced the walls. Fans take their time to admire their idols by standing by their posters and just gushing over them. Aiah wanted to whip her phone out and take pictures but she didn’t want to cause a commotion. Suddenly, she realized how important a smartphone is. If it was in the year 2024, phones would be all out and everyone would be filming everything they see. Tourists will fill up the streets just by taking pictures or selfies to immortalize their memories in the land of fame. 

A specific poster caught her eye. 

Joanna Spencer and John Hayworth in The Summer Breeze

The woman in the poster looks out distantly while the man beside her looks at her intently. The two are well-known actors from the late 1940s until the 1950s, during the 1960s, they started to lay low in the spotlight but were still iconic. Aiah remembers how her film professors often mentioned Joanna’s name because of her contribution to the film industry as an Asian actress in a predominantly white industry. Aiah couldn’t help but feel proud as she looked at the poster, knowing the woman featured was also a Filipina. As she took a step back, people started taking her place in front of the poster to catch a glimpse of the icons. It was a new film featuring iconic actors so people going crazy over it is pretty much expected. 

Aiah continued walking just to look at other posters and sights to see. She badly wanted to take pictures, but then again, it would most likely cause a commotion because smartphones aren’t a thing yet for other people around her. She stopped walking and sat on a nearby bench to rest her foot. Right then, She realized that wearing heels is not a good idea, especially if one doesn’t even have a place to rest. She looked at the card handed to her earlier and decided whether calling the number was the best thing to do now, or if she’d rather spend the night on this bench instead. She went for the first option. She never thought she’d be able to use the demonstration her grandmother taught her when she was still younger on how to use a rotary phone, but here she is, in a telephone booth contacting the number on the card. 

“Hello? Can I speak to Ms. Charlotte?”

-

Journalists waited patiently in the hotel lobby for her appearance and guards worked overnight t