Very Important Person

Chapter 14

"Go on without me."

"What?" Kristoff piped up. "Why, did you forget something?"

"Yes!" she seized on, actually pointing at him. "I forgot something, but I... do not want you to come with me. To get it. The something."

Honey was smirking, though as it turned out, not because she had sussed the situation. "Have to make a phone call, hm? Fine. We'll save you a spot on the sand." Then she was tugging Kristoff away before he could protest any further, though he still shot a couple of looks over his shoulder.

And now Elsa... had to think fast. This was a disaster. She wasn't ready to come out! But she couldn't let her internet acquaintance come all this way for nothing, either! Maybe she was wrong; maybe the voice was just strikingly similar to the one she adored. But the body poking down and out from under the brim of that beanie was also a match. And when the girl turned away from the desk, frustrated with the man and preparing to stomp out the front door-

Anna.

Seconds left now. As an actor, she had taken extensive improv courses; even if she was still an awkward bean, sometimes that skillset came in handy. As it would now.

"You are alright, ja?"

"Huh?" Anna asked, looking up at her with teary eyes. She hesitated a moment when she got a really good look at Elsa... distracted by her obvious beauty. Was the jig up already? Then shook her head hard, red braids bouncing to and fro.

"O-oh... n-nah, I'm just... dumb. Thanks." And she prepared to brush past, but Elsa jogged to the side to block her path.

"I vill say you are not dumb." It had been a while since she dusted off her Swedish accent - not since the evil twin episode - but Anna didn't seem to notice. "But you are upset. Vill you join me... for a drink?"

"Don't have any money." Her lip wobbled before she did a decent imitation of a polite smile. "Stupid, right? What am I doing here, why did I drive all this way... nah. Doesn't matter."

"No, no, I pay. Come to here." She gestured to the bar at the far end of the lobby's lounge, with its neon lights and vest-wearing mixologist.

Anna frowned, squirmed uncertainly... then sighed and followed her. They got seated and she ordered a beer, asking for "something on tap", and Elsa asked for a Heineken - leaning into her role. Since ordering her an Arbor Mist would have given her away. Then she laid a hand on the younger girl's shoulder.

"This is important to you, ja? It is not stupid. Please, I have an ear to listen."

"No, it's..." She drummed her fingers on the bartop as she slouched down. "She's so... I drove here because I knew a friend was going to be here. But like, I've never met her in person; I don't even know her name. And she didn't know I was coming, so like, I'm kind of a gross stalker - which is really dumb, since I accused her of being one before. How the turn tables, as Michael Scott would say."

"Hmm. Vell... I do not know dis Michael," she replied, making Anna snort in distant amusement. "But I am sure... your friend will not be angry." And she wasn't. Distressed, yes, and panicking, but not at all angry. Quite the opposite; she was touched.

"It doesn't matter!" she burst out as her head thonked against the bar. "I can't wait here! Like, I'm not a paying customer! I'm still not, so as soon as you head to your room they're gonna call the cops, I'm pretty sure."

"They vill not. You vill come to the beach vith me, and... ve vill figure out what to do."

"No..." She sat back up and took a deep breath, then let it out slowly as she came to a decision. "No. This is my fault. Like, I did the dumb thing, I gotta go home and face that I just burned a bunch of gas because I'm way too impulsive. Why didn't I just... ask her? Text her? Noooo, I had to do the big 'surprise! It's that weirdo from the internet!' thing instead!"

By the end of it, Elsa was smiling down at her. Perfect. This girl was actually even better than her halfassed fantasies had told her she was.

"Nej, you vill not do dat. Come to the beach, please?"

"I don't... I mean, I do want to come, but I don't deserve it." Now the tears came for real; she had managed to hold them back until then. "I j-just want to see her and tell her I'm sorry. But I can't. S-so I gotta go drive off a pier or something now."

"Drive off later. Beach. Now."

Taking a big swig of her beer, she shrugged. "Alright. At least it gets me out of that jerkface's thinning hair for a little while." With a nod toward the front desk, she got up from her stool. "Thanks, um..."

Why not? "Elsa. And you?"

"I'm Anna, Anna Granger." She held out her free hand formally, then blinked and laughed. "Ugh... too many interviews with professors and shit. Sorry to get all formal."

"It is fine," she chuckled, taking it and shaking anyway. "I am happy to meet you. Let us walk."

They walked. Once out on the deck, Elsa appreciated something she hadn't quite been able to put her finger on before; Anna in clothes. She had seen all kinds of slutty outfits on her, but never this jeans-and-tee combo with ratty old Converse. Too cute. The setting sun just barely caught in her aquamarine eyes, and the shadows flickering in and out of her coppery hair as they passed the electric tiki torches were like spirits at play. Every freckle was one she wanted to kiss...

Yeah. She had it bad.

"Thanks for hanging out," Anna whispered with a weak smile. "I'm... really Cusacking it."

"Hm? Cusacking?"

"Y'know... from Say Anything?" Elsa was starting to catch on, but still listened. "He makes the big dumb gesture, and it's not quite enough but everything turns out okay? Feels like one of those deals."

Elsa shrugged. "Perhaps it is, ja. Tell me about this woman you do not know, but you know."

"Oh... she's amazing. An actor who works really hard, like, I can tell it's killing her but she loves it. I know she's tall, and she's thin... hot yoga? Dumb stuff I probably shouldn't remember. She likes her coffee with peppermint, sweet potato fries. Oh - and she probably has a 3DS in her purse. Unless she decided not to bring it on vacation..."

As they got to the beach, Elsa made a mental note to keep her purse closed. She also suddenly realised there was a very large obstacle to keeping this whole thing incognito. Two of them, in fact... and they were already waving her down so animatedly that people on the hotel roof could have seen them.

"Ohhhhh Scheiße."

To Be Continued...