Winslie had gotten the invite months ago for the Thanksgiving yacht party. In all honesty, she didn’t really want to attend. It wasn’t that she didn’t like dressing up and going to parties; no, she just recently had been feeling a bit like an outsider again. This had happened before. It came and went, sometimes lingering longer than others.
She looked at the elegant invitation, gold-embossed and wrapped in a satin ribbon, sitting on her coffee table. The thought of mingling with Hollywood’s elite, with their effortless charm and perfect smiles, made her feel uneasy. Winslie had always been friendly and outgoing, but recently, a sense of not quite belonging had crept back into her life. It was as if she was watching her own life from the sidelines, unable to fully participate.
Her phone buzzed with a message from a friend, reminding her about the party and asking if she needed a ride. Winslie sighed and typed a quick reply, confirming she’d be there. She knew she’d have fun once she was there, but the idea of attending felt like climbing a mountain. She couldn’t shake the feeling that no matter how far she’d come, the small-town girl from Santa Monica was still inside her, sometimes overshadowing the rising star she had become.
Her team was here now, doing her hair and makeup. The usual team. They had been working with her for some time now and always did a wonderful job. As they fussed over her hair and applied the finishing touches to her makeup, she tried to push away the feelings of unease.
“You’re going to look amazing,” her stylist said, offering a reassuring smile. Winslie returned the smile, grateful for their support. She knew they could make her look the part, but fitting in was a different story.
Especially in the last few years, everything had seemed to happen so fast. Her rise to fame was swift—winning awards, making a name for herself, and even getting married quickly. It all felt almost too easy. But then it all fell apart for a while when Em disappeared. During that time, she didn’t know how to feel. Part of her felt a little lost since he was all she knew here. Yet, another part of her felt a sense of freedom, as if she was rediscovering herself without the shadow of his presence.
As her team continued to work, Winslie’s thoughts drifted between the past and the present, trying to find balance amid the chaos of her emotions.
Her outfit was hanging, and she slipped into the bathroom to change. It was all Ralph Lauren, her purse included. She had been dressed by him many times for events and always loved the work. The fabric was soft against her lotioned skin, the purse made of the finest leather.
The outfit she wore tonight was somewhat modest but still elegant and sexy. She had a cropped polo that matched the long red skirt, tight against her midriff and showing off her toned stomach. Good jewelry was matched, with earrings and rings that complemented her look perfectly.
As she admired herself in the mirror, Winslie couldn’t help but feel a mix of anticipation and anxiety about the night ahead. Despite her doubts, she knew she looked stunning, and that gave her a small boost of confidence.
Sticking her phone, lip liner, and lipstick into her bag in case she needed a touch-up, Winslie headed outside to meet her friend waiting in the car. The black Range Rover sat in her driveway, the driver stepping out to open her door. She gave him a smile and a soft thank you as she got in, carefully pulling the end of her dress with her to avoid catching it in the door.
When in the car, her smile became more relaxed, and she leaned into her friend, her hands instinctively wrapping around their forearm. She leaned in for a second to rest her head on their shoulder, taking in their warm, woody scent with a hint of sweetness. “Thank you for picking me up. The night is already off to a good start, I guess,” she said softly.
It wasn’t a long drive, well, long for LA, to get to the marina and then the yacht. Paparazzi were hard at work, asking questions, getting quotes, and taking pictures as fast as they could. The flashbulbs went off in rapid succession as Winslie stepped out of the car, her friend by her side. She took a deep breath, smiled for the cameras, and made her way toward the yacht, feeling a mix of excitement and nerves.
Everyone knew they were friends, and it was comforting to have her neighbor by her side. But they were separated for a while as Winslie turned to smile for the cameras. She put on her best red carpet smile, posing gracefully as the paparazzi called out her name.
"Did you enjoy diving into the fantasy genre for Enchantress?"
Winslie smiled warmly, reflecting on her experience. A
“Absolutely! It was so much fun to feel like I was a part of a different world. The costumes, the sets, the special effects, it all transported me to a magical realm that was both exhilarating and enchanting.”
The movie Enchantress only just came out not too long ago and did very well at the box office. Winslie had dyed her hair briefly purple for the role, and even went dark for a while afterward before returning to her blonde hair that everyone expected from herr
“How are you feeling after Emilio’s reappearance?”
everyone is so thrilled.
“What’s your secret to staying grounded?”
Good friends for sure! Which I would love to go see and enjoy sometime with now. Thanks, have a lovely night. win answered with a little wave of her fingers.
She soon found her friend again and let her eyes find his. I don’t think that will ever get easy,” she admitted softly.
As they walked in to find their seats, Winslie smiled as her small request to the event coordinators, which her assistant had worked on making happen, had indeed come to happen. Next to her seat at the table was her friend’s seat.
“I made a special request for tonight. Took a lot of batting my eyes and saying please!” she joked. Soon, others joined them at the table, people she had found comfort in over the last few years. She considered these individuals her closest allies and family.
She took a drink of her already filled water glass and almost choked when Emilio sat down and started talking to Santiago. She subtly moved slightly away from her friend seated next to her and straightened her posture, avoiding meeting his eyes. She had to appear nonchalant now, not giving away her actual thoughts in this moment about him.
Santiago stood up to get a drink, and Winslie hoped Emilio would follow suit. Turning her head to her friend, she asked, So tell me, did the twins wish they could come tonight?” She had gotten to know his family well since they have been neighbors for quite some time. She attempted to make small talk, pushing all her feelings deep down.
@raviola santi
@Kristi em
@Caticorn luci
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