Read Online Rising Star by Karen Webb - Free Book Online

Once again, she had to wonder what
she was doing here. This rich hotel filled with actors and
businessmen was a far cry from her small town and rodeos. She felt
so out of place in her jeans and boots. Even the workers are
dressed better than me, she thought with embarrassment.
    She followed the bellhop to her suite and
sucked in her breath as they entered. The windows were floor to
ceiling and looked out over Beverly Hills. She could see huge
mansions belonging to the rich and famous across the hills. The
suite had a small living room with a fully stocked bar and
refrigerator and a huge flat-screen television. The bedroom had a
king-size bed with massive ornate wooden posts. The bedroom was
light and airy with more floor to ceiling windows. Ronnie showed
her how to close the blinds with a remote control. Selena pushed
the button and watched as huge blinds began moving from each side,
blocking out the brilliant California sun.
    Next she looked in the bathroom and it took
her breath away. She was looking at an enormous glass and marble
shower that could easily fit three people. A huge bathtub was
separated by a short partition and centered in front of more huge
windows. It was surrounded by more white marble with brand new
candles placed around the marble edge. Selena was amazed at how
pampered she felt. I’m being treated like one of these movie stars,
she thought, as she stared around in amazement.
    She gave the bellhop a tip; she had no idea
how much these movie stars tipped. She gave Ronnie a five dollar
bill, hoping she wasn’t making a fool of herself.
    “ Thank you, Miss Selena,”
he said, tucking the money away quickly.
    She couldn’t decide what to do first after
she heard the door close behind Ronnie. She went from room to room
again, investigating each piece of rich, handsome furniture. She
played with the remote control, watching the blinds open and close
at the touch of a button. She pushed a button by accident and her
heart almost stopped as she heard a whirring noise and a
big-screen, flat-panel TV slowly lowered from its hidden niche in
the ceiling. Selena cautiously pushed more buttons until she
figured out how to work the TV. She settled back onto the luxurious
pillows, on a bed the size of her parent’s living room, as she
flipped through channel after channel, watching commercials for
Rolls Royce and Porsche and other cars she’d never even heard
of.
     

Chapter 13
     
     
    Jeffrie picked her up at exactly eight a.m.
the following morning and drove her to Malibu for the photo shoot.
“They rented a house for the next two days on the beach,” Jeffrie
explained as he drove. “It’s a private beach, so you won’t be
disturbed by tourists.”
    “ I see.” Selena watched
through the tinted windows as Jeffrie drove toward Malibu. She had
a beautiful view of the ocean as he traveled the Pacific Coast
Highway. She had never seen an ocean before and it took her breath
away. She leaned her head against the glass as she watched the
waves rolling in, each one looming larger than the previous. The
greenish hue of the surf was in stark contrast to the deep blue of
the ocean and the white caps of the waves added a mesmerizing
touch. She couldn’t tear her eyes away as she stared at each wave
rolling in and crashing onto the shore.
    Jeffrie pulled into the drive of a large
brown house with several cars already parked in front. Selena felt
her stomach tighten again as she realized she would be back in
front of a camera with people staring at her. At least I’ll be on a
horse, she kept reminding herself. She had never been fond of being
the center of attention, unless she was running the barrels on
Rusty. At every rodeo, she immediately forgot the crowds as soon as
she aimed Rusty toward the first barrel. She hoped this would be
the same and she could concentrate on the horse and forget the
people. It wasn’t that she was shy, exactly. She just wasn’t used
to being the center of attention. She had always