Chapter 7: The Road to Success

It was now early spring. Massimo desperately wanted to see Elsa again, but he knew he had to be patient. He was a very wise person. He was walking towards the cinema near his house. Today, the film ''A star is born'' was officially released, the new Warner film starring Elsa Mars. Elsa's first film role. This film, as well as the two albums she had released earlier this year, officially marked her big comeback. Arriving in front of the cinema, he saw the poster for the film on the front of the cinema. He looked at it for a few moments. He looked at his angel, his Elsa.

Coming out of the cinema, he felt like he was floating. Seeing and hearing Elsa like that had soothed his heart, as it always had. God knew how much he missed her. Clearly, he wasn't the only one who had enjoyed seeing Elsa on screen. In the movie theater, as soon as Elsa appeared on the giant screen, all the spectators, including him, got up from their seats to applaud and shout their joy. The same ovation took place at the end of the film. When he arrived at his apartment, he turned on his small television. He put on the news channel. Almost every channel was talking about the film. Obviously, it was a real success.

Some time later, Massimo had seen an advertisement for a show on Elsa's tour. She was going to be at the Flamingo Concert Hall the following week and that there were a few tickets left. Massimo did not waste a minute and went to the place indicated to get a ticket. Against all expectations, he was able to buy a ticket. The lady at the ticket office explained to him that he was lucky, because there were only a few left.

When the time for the concert finally arrived, Massimo was ready to do anything to see Elsa again. Unfortunately, the best ticket left was a seat in the 2nd balcony. He could see the stage very well, but Elsa would certainly not notice him. So he had the plan to try to sneak backstage after the concert.

Finally the lights went down and the crowd started screaming. Massimo's heart skipped 5 or 6 times for sure. A curtain covered half of the stage. The music started. Dancers entered the stage. Artificial smoke filled the front of the stage, the curtain fell and then he saw her, finally. His angel, his amore. The show began and from the beginning to the end, Massimo was incredibly surprised by the event. Elsa had a remarkable talent and seeing her performances in real life was indescribable. He had always known she was talented, but tonight, she had clearly exceeded his expectations. Obviously, he was not the only one impressed by Elsa. The crowd was delirious from beginning to end. Elsa was a real star. He was very proud of his angel. He remembered the time when she was desperately trying to walk with her new wooden prosthetics. She had a dream and she broke down all barriers. She was a fighter. At the end of the concert, Massimo headed towards a door that seemed to be the backstage entrance. Of course, a security guard was protecting the access.

"Sorry sir, but do you have a pass?" the Guard asked.

"Excuse me, a pass?" Massimo asked.

"A VIP access to allow you to pass through this door." The man continued.

"Um no." Massimo said, knowing that he would have to find another solution.

"No pass, no access to this door." The man thought.

Massimo turned back, visibly disappointed. A young girl noticed him.

"Hey sir, are you a fan of Elsa?"

"Yes, of course, who isn't?"

"Indeed. I've been following her since I was 11. I'm 20 now. I know her by heart. I also know her post-concert habits. If you hurry, you might have time to ask her for an autograph before she leaves for the private airport. She's playing a concert in Chicago tomorrow night. So, are you interested?" The girl asked.

"Yes, yes of course."

"The door at the back of the building is the only way outside to go backstage. Next to it, there's a big garage door, she'll probably drive straight out of there. She usually takes a few minutes for autographs. Seeing each other will just depend on the time her private jet is scheduled to leave." The girl explained.

"Thank you very much, um, by the way, what's your name?"

"Anna. Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you Anna, I'm Massimo."

"Well, goodbye Massimo. ยป Anna said before walking away from him calmly.

"Wait. You're not coming?" he asked surprised.

"I worked crazy overtime all winter to afford a meet and greet ticket. So I got a VIP meet and greet with Elsa before the concert. She signed all my records for me." Anna explained as she walked away.

Massimo smiled, and quickly headed outside. Arriving at the place Anna had indicated, he noticed about ten Elsa fans waiting for their favorite star. He then saw the garage door open, and a black SUV with tinted windows come out. One of the back windows rolled down halfway and he saw Elsa wave to her fans. The car slowed down, but didn't stop. Massimo immediately understood that Elsa wouldn't get out of the car. He understood that he wouldn't be able to talk to her today. He went home. He was disappointed, but he certainly wouldn't give up.

As the days and weeks went by, Massimo didn't lose hope of seeing his Amore again. He read every article he saw about Elsa in the newspapers and magazines. He listened to every TV show that talked about Elsa, the same thing for the radio. He wanted to have information to find her. One day in May, he was in a small market near his home. While walking, he noticed the newspaper stand. He went there to look at the covers. One of them immediately caught his eye. A photo of Elsa was on the cover. A pretty picture of a large house was also on it. Massimo took it and read. "Elsa Mars is having the earthworks redone for her new home in Malibu before leaving for a few weeks on tour." He rushed to the checkout to buy it. He then read it carefully. Unfortunately, there was no information about the location of this home. He only knew one thing, the city, Malibu. While reading the article, he learned something interesting. "The star explained in an interview with the Times that she books herself at least once a month, time to read her fan mail. Indeed, Mars receives a lot of letters from her fans. She takes the time to read everything. She claims not to be able to answer letters one by one given their number, but she answers with a short common note, accompanied by a photo autographed by her hand. If you want to write to the star, simply send a letter in her name to her agency at Warner. "

Massimo closed the newspaper and ran almost to his house. When he arrived at his apartment, he took paper and a pencil and wrote a magnificent letter for Elsa. He had easily found Warner's address in the California directory. He posted the letter the same day.

"My dear Elsa,

I know you may be surprised to read this. The last time we saw each other, I came to announce my imminent death. Life has given me a chance. My doctor wanted to try an experimental treatment on me, and it more than worked.

Angel mio, I wish more than anything to see you again. I regret it so much. I regret not listening to my heart properly. When we first saw each other again in Florida, I let shame make me believe that I could no longer be a good match, because of the after-effects of the torture I suffered. I was wrong. Then, in California, a few months ago now. You made it clear to me that my disability didn't matter to you, but I thought it was too late. Once again, I was wrong. Now I'm cured, but even if it hadn't been the case, we should have been able to be together, even if it were just for a few weeks.

Mi Amore, I made mistakes, forgive me. It was my fault that we were separated more than once. We both had dreams, plans, and I believe that we deserve a chance to be happy again. Life is giving me this chance again, and this time, I'm going to take it.

I've been trying to get in touch with you for several weeks now. I don't know if this letter will get to you, but know that I won't give up, not until I've spoken to you. I'm here Amore, I'm here to stay, to be with you.

I'm leaving you my contact information. You'll have it if I'm ever unable to find a way to see you. 1881 East Calavada Boulevard apartment 23, Pahrump, NV , USA.

Te amo Elsa.

Massimo Dolcefino"

He wasn't sure how long it would take for her to read it, since she was on tour. He decided to write a second copy. He would find a better strategy to get it to her faster. But he would have to wait until Elsa's tour came back to the area.

The next day, Massimo was working in his workshop with the radio on. His attention was drawn to the radio. "After months of hard work, filming and promoting two blockbuster films, an intensive 3-week residency at the New York Stadium and a short break from her world tour The Fame Monster, Elsa Mars is taking some time off. She was spotted in Hawaii. According to our sources, the star has bought a magnificent second home in Honolulu, so that she can take refuge there, rest and write in peace. We wish her a good rest and a good vacation. We have also learned between the branches that a biography project on Elsa is being discussed. So is she taking some time in the tropics to rest and write a novel? Will a new album be released soon? Mystery. We remind you that Mars will soon begin a huge world tour starting next spring. In the meantime, tickets for The Fame Monster are on sale in amphitheaters now, hurry up, they are selling like hotcakes." Massimo had a small smile that appeared on his face. He knew that his angel had always dreamed of a place of her own, in the tropics.

About three weeks later, Massimo was working on a big project for a museum not far from his home. As he usually did when he was working, he turned on the radio. He listened carefully when the voice on the radio pronounced the name of his angel.

"New variety section! Elsa Mars officially resumes her world tour tonight. This tour will begin in Paris. Mars will then go through Asia to present her show to packed houses. We reminded you that Elsa will present the last dates this fall, as an encore in America. Stay tuned."

Two weeks later, Massimo, still in his workshop working. It was a hot day, he had the sleeves of his shirt rolled up, and a fan installed near him. He heard news about Elsa on the local radio again, so he turned off the fan to hear clearly.

"New variety section! Elsa Mars continues her world tour. The star completed her last Asian concert last night. She was treated to a huge cheer, which even brought tears to her eyes. Elsa is enjoying a few days off in China with her team to do some sightseeing before boarding her private jet to England. We wish her a great series of English concerts. "

Later in the day, Massimo was still working in his studio. The radio caught his attention again.

" New variety section! Elsa Mars is enjoying a few days off from her world tour to visit China! A source spotted her in a local bar, playing cards with 3 of her Chinese fans. Many would love to have the chance of that of course. We also learned that the star is not idle during her tour, she is working on her new album! Mars will continue her tour in England in a few days. "

The days passed, and Massimo was still particularly attentive to the radio. He listened to it every day to get news about Elsa. Suddenly, while he was having breakfast, his attention was caught by the voice on the radio.

" News from the variety section! Continuing her world tour, Elsa Mars took a few days off during her stay in Asia, to visit the continent. The star was spotted at Mont Komorebi with her team for a ski outing. Our sources say that our favorite German is particularly gifted at skiing. She was also spotted enjoying the popular Onsen natural spring in the area. We wish her all the pleasure she deserves! She will be visiting England for a series of concerts in 3 days. A press release made by the Star's management team was published this morning, Mars will be visiting the Palace in London for a private concert in front of the English royal family. We send her all our positive vibes for this milestone in her career. "

Massimo was particularly impressed. Elsa was truly a star. He had practically always known it, but now she was reaching a new level. She was destined to be a world-famous star. He was very proud.

A few days later, Massimo turned on the radio again when he arrived home. He had just done the shopping and he did not want to miss a second of the news bulletin. He wanted news of Elsa. It had been a few days since either the radio or the television had mentioned her. He knew that Elsa was enjoying a few days of vacation before leaving for England for a series of concerts, but he wanted to have news. As he put his vegetables in the fridge, he finally heard what he had been waiting for.

" New variety section! Queen Elizabeth 2 was enthusiastic, during an interview with an English journalist, about the performance given by Elsa Mars at the Bukinam Palace last night. The Royal Family were particularly delighted to see the star and genuinely pleased with their experience. We are certainly not surprised, Elsa is an impressive singer. Mars will perform one last English concert in a few minutes in County Wale. She will then fly to France for a final series of concerts in Europe, before returning to the States to treat us to several more. We can't wait to see her back home!"

Massimo smiled to himself. Elsa was doing well and better yet, she was performing fantastically. So much so that even the Queen of England was impressed.