Running Toward the Sun

THE WHOLE STORY (or possibly just the start)

Written By Christine Wichman c. October 20, 2023

Photos taken from Pinterest

RUNNING TOWARD THE SUN

Emmaree Tunstall was not a regular girl. She was what some would call a Rhinestone Cowgirl. A free spirit with a fragile soul, born outside of Nashville to a preacher and a teacher who were already raising six boys, feeling like an afterthought she ran away at seventeen to the lost city of Angels in search of something outside of herself.

It was a stormy day in August when her plane touched down in Burbank. She met an internet friend at the airport who had promised her a room and a job. Nothing shady, she was not cut out for an underbelly sort of life. This girl was a kindred spirit, a singer songwriter waitressing to make ends meet. Her name was Coral Cartwright, also from Tennessee with big Hollywood dreams. Coral was blonde and bubbly and at twenty-two already seasoned in these parts.

Emmaree met Coral four years ago on a Kasey Musgraves fan site. Soon Coral had become a true confidante and supporter of Emmaree’s hidden talents.
When things became too unbearable at home, she knew Coral would be her first choice of refuge, so she saved up some money for a flight and a few months rent and off she went to start a new life.

Two pink suitcases were twirling round the lone baggage claim carousel, and Coral sauntered up just in time to grab one while Emmaree scooped up the heavier of the two.

“Hey girl,” Coral greeted, “These have to be your bags right?”
“You know it,” Emmaree called back.
The two girls embraced hello and headed toward the parking garage.
Coral packed both bags into the trunk of her cornflower blue Volkswagen Taos.
The two friends talking non stop on the drive back to Coral’s apartment on North Orange Drive where Emmaree would be staying indefinitely.

The complex was old, nearly antique. It was most likely a haven in the 1920’s for starlets on the rise, very Spanish Hacienda style with it’s tile roof and pink stucco walls. Only two stories with maybe sixteen units inside.
Coral had a one bedroom, one bath on the second floor. She told Emmaree she could take over the living room and make it her own. The only furniture in the living room was a fold out sofa bed and a full length gold mirror. Coral had kept it sparse on purpose, only furnishing her own bedroom to the hilt with a vintage queen size bed and ornate french bedroom set she picked up at a yard sale in Beverly Hills.

The kitchenette was merely one wall of appliances and a small fridge with room for a breakfast table and two chairs. It was closed off from the living room so privacy was not an issue. The only issue was that the front door did enter directly into Emmaree’s personal space. But at least she had a window with a view of the Hollywood sign and a huge closet to call her own. The possibilities were endless.

“Here is your new ID,” Coral handed Emmaree a drivers license with the name Emma Lee Starbuck, and her own photo glamorized onto the card. The birthdate was the same, only four years earlier.

“Wait, why do I need this? I turn eighteen next month.” Emmaree was confused.
“Honey eighteen does not cut it as a cocktail waitress you need to be twenty-one to serve around here.”

“Oh, ok. Well I feel kind of weird lying.” Emmaree had some deep morals that were surely about to be tested in this town.

“Oh you will get use to it Hun,” Coral winked.

******

It was late into Sunday morning and Coral was still dead to the world, her blonde tresses strewn across the pink satin pillow case, the creamy tufted headboard her backdrop. Next to her, a young hunk of a bartender, shirtless and dreaming.

“Where is the fork?” Emmaree was muttering under her breath as she attempted to scrounge some breakfast in the tiny kitchen. “Damnit, we need to buy more forks.” It had been a month now since she and Coral began cohabitating. Emmaree had managed to add a few yard sale items to the living room to make it more her own. An old dresser, two end tables and a victorian floor lamp with a purple and black lace shade. The one thing she had not contributed were any kitchen items, so forks were next on her list. Reaching into the toaster with a chopstick for her burnt toast she was startled by a male voice.

“Hey Sugaree got any coffee up in this joint?” it was Mick the handsome bartender from the cocktail lounge where she and Coral worked part time.

“No coffee, but I can lend you my Starbucks card, it’s only two blocks that way,” she pointed over her shoulder. Mick was not her favorite, besides calling her cute nicknames, he had a slimey way of flirting with every human to cross his path. Apparently he had worn Coral down. This was his first visit to the apartment as far as she was aware.

“Two blocks huh, I guess I can make the journey. Do you know what Coral likes?”

“She’s a pumpkin spice latte fan.” Emmaree lied, she was in no mood to aid Mick in furthering his hold on her roomie.

“Cool, I don’t need your card Hun, I got pull with the Baristas down there,” Mick winked.

“Of course you do,” Emmaree whispered, after he flew out the door slamming it so hard it shook her lampshade.

“And Thanks for asking if I wanted anything,” she shook her head, “What an Asshole.”

“Talkin to yourself again?” Coral was in the doorway in her lace thong and half
t- shirt. “Sorry if we were loud last night.” Coral opened the fridge and eyed it’s nearly empty contents. “We really need to go shopping huh.” she giggled.

“Well Hunky Mick is fetching you some Starbucks.”

“Oh damn, I was hoping he just left and wasn’t coming back.” Coral smiled.

Emmaree laughed, “Well I hope he won’t become a bad habit.”

“Oh hell no, I think I just gave in to see if he was worth the hype, he is definitely not. However he does have a cousin who works with a big producer on the Voice. So I can’t burn that bridge just yet.”

“The Voice huh?”

“Yeah those auditions are hard to come by. Idol is easy, but harder to land, if you get a chance on the voice your odds are better of making the show.”

“So is that a route you wanna take?” Emmaree always saw herself making a record deal out here without the help of something so commercial.

“Look I have been busting my ass out here for four years, so I am ready to get in through any avenue possible.”

Emmaree laughed, “People keep askin me why didn’t I just stay in Nashville to make a career, they have no idea I can’t be around my family anymore. But why exactly did you leave Nashville to come here and sing?”

“Well I like the idea of more than just singing, I think L A has more creative opportunities. Miley made it here. I see myself as a Miley, not a Dolly.”

Emmaree nodded, as Mick made his triumphant return, coffee tray in hand.

“I got you Hollywood Cowgirls some PSL’s and Apple Croissants!!”

“Oh yum.” Coral grimmaced .

“Hmm, Hollywood Cowgirls.” Emmaree mused, “I think that name’ll stick.”

******
Emmaree sang in her smokiest voice, barely a whisper, yet full of tone.

“Just a small town girl
Livin’ in a lonely world
She took the midnight train going anywhere
Just a city boy
Born and raised in South Detroit
He took the midnight train going anywhere…”

Coral came in on the second verse, her voice clear, confident and powerful,
“A singer in a smokey room
A smell of wine and cheap perfume
For a smile they can share the night
It goes on and on and on and on….”

A hand went up from the panel signaling the duo to stop there.
The girls faces, crestfallen by the abrupt interruption.

“I’m sorry ladies you are not “quintessentially” the country duo we are looking to represent on the Voice,” the older producer put down his chewed pencil and sat back in his folding chair, “I mean I am not seeing how we can package it.”
He was interrupted by a young red haired woman in over sized reading glasses, “Hang on Steve, these two have been fast tracked by Michelle. I like their vibe and I think we need to flag them for a call back. Let’s let a few others hear them first before we worry about packaging.”
“Really, Tammy?” Steve was nonplussed, he had seniority over this new casting director and they both knew it.
“Really Steve. I just have an instinct about these two can you please let me put them through?”
Steve groaned and left the room, defeated.

Emmaree let out a huge sigh of relief and Coral blurted, “Oh Lord Jesus Thank you Tammy! Girl we owe you big time!”

Tammy smiled, “Actually it’s Mick who owes me, but honestly I do think you two have something unique. Fuck quintessential, I say you shake things up in the country world, show ’em something they can’t package so easily.”

“I like how you think Hun,” Coral hopped off the stage and gave Tammy a big hug.
Emmaree picked up her jacket and joined them, “Hey we appreciate your support this is the first break we’ve gotten in a year.”

“Been at it a year huh?” Tammy raised an eyebrow.
“As a duo,” Coral corrected, “I’ve been out here five years now, but Em joined me last September, so yeah it has been a whole year of playin’ small clubs and auditioning for anything and everything that we could.”

“Well Mick sent me your sample a while back, I’m sorry I had no pull until recently. But you know sometimes the universe has it’s own divine timing. Like I said, I have a good feeling about you two. I think the Hollywood Cowgirls September Dreams are about to come true!”

Emmaree and Coral both squealed with excitement, as they ran out of the studio onto the lot at Universal.

“Hot Damn,” Coral was giddy.
“Oh wow, just wow.” Emmaree was still in shock.
“We gotta really bring it for that call back, you think we should pull out the originals?”
“Definitely, we have to let them know we mean business.”

*******

PART FOUR Begins here:

Ecrits Blogophilia Week 16.15 – When the Music Hits You

Hard Bonus: Use a Flaming Lips lyric (Forever is a long time)

Easy Bonus: Include your favorite dog’s name (Aimee)

*******

Coral and Emmaree were pacing backstage, they had gone through months of preparation for this night and the live recording of their blind audition. The Voice Season 25 awaited them now. The next few months ahead could make or break them, they just had to have one chair turn in their favor.

The new judges; duo, Dan and Shay were a sure bet, however Chance the Rapper and John Legend might see something in them outside their country glamour. But, it was the Queen of Country they were praying would take them on. Reba McEntire as a coach would be the dream come true.

The stagehand Aimee knocked on the dressing room door, “You girls ready? You are on in 10 minutes!”

“We’re good,” Emmaree’s voice shook. “Damn are we good?” she looked to Coral for reassurance.

“Listen to me, we got this, it’s all happening and we just have to relax into it, be in the moment ya know.” Coral oozed confidence in her Pink Rhinestone cowgirl hat with her curled to perfection platinum locks and gorgeous pink jumpsuit.

Emmaree in the all black version of the same stage outfit. Ruby lips and nails accenting her long straight ebony hair.

Coral took Emmaree’s hand, “I know in my soul Em that when the music hits you, your heart will take over and all the people out there will disappear, just close your eyes and feel the song.”

“Okay, Okay, I can do that.” Emmaree suddenly felt calm, “I feel like we have waited for this day forever.”

“And damnit girl, forever is a long time.” Coral giggled and Aimee returned, to lead the ladies to the stage and set them on their marks.

Cables, monitors, lights, and cameras shielded them from the live audience. But those famous red chairs turned away from them shone bright like beacons.

Poised with their microphones ready, the piano began and Coral led the first chorus of Pretty Bird a duet originally sung by Linda Ronstadt and Laurie Lewis.

Fly away little pretty bird,
fly away Fly away
little pretty bird
and pretty you’ll always stay…
her voice sweet with tone and control as she pierced each note and sent chills through the entire audience.

Emmaree came in with her smooth sultry whisper

I see in your eyes a promise
Your own tender love you’ll bring
But fly away little pretty bird
Cold runneth the spring…

Then together a harmonized vocal that sent shivers through the judges spines and sent a tear down Reba’s cheek.

I cannot make you no promise
For love is such a delicate thing
Fly away little pretty bird
For he’d only clip your wing…

In unison all four red chairs turned and The Hollywood Cowgirls watched the faces of their idols as they completed the song.

***************************************

Pretty Bird with Linda Ronstadt