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Mechelle Gonzalez and Susan Magee were weeping, crying tears of joy, they said.
They had waited for four hours Thursday to meet "Sex and the City" star Sarah Jessica Parker at the Macy's at Stoneridge mall — two of about 600 people who turned out for a glimpse of their glam idol.
"We're grown women," said Gonzalez of Hayward, wiping away tears as she stood in the handbag department.
The two could not believe their luck: They had just had a chance to spend a few brief seconds with Parker, one of the stars of the HBO show about four fashionable 30-something women finding love in Manhattan. "She was so pleasant, very gracious, patient and lovely," said Magee, a Newark resident.
Gonzalez and Magee were not bothered by the wait or the crowds, waiting in a line that snaked around the Coach handbags, down displays of junior summer dresses and displays of high-heeled shoes, colorful sandals and, finally, to the sidewalk outside.
"It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so why not?" said Lavon Ramos, 20, of Livermore.
Parker made her only Bay Area appearance in Pleasanton to promote her perfumes. The first 300 people to buy a $167 gift set of "Lovely" had a chance to meet Parker and to have her sign the perfume bottle. Others who weren't in line packed into the handbag area to take pictures of the star with digital cameras and cell phones.
Cheers erupted from the crowd as she came down
There were screams of "Sarah, we love your shoes!" (She wore sparkley metallic high-heeled shoes and a gray floral strappy dress)
Members of the hundreds-strong crowd came from as far away as San Francisco and Tracy.
The chance to meet Parker brought out the young fashion-conscious set, but throngs of teen girls and moms with young children in tow were equally anxious to meet a star of one of their favorite shows. Parker even had grown men excited.
"I'm still nervous," Robert Mukhar of Livermore said after meeting her. "She's so friendly, so personable."
Mukhar said he has been a fan of Parker's since she was on the 1980s TV show "Square Pegs." He watched the "Sex and the City" movie with some women friends. "I was the token guy," he said.
"Sex and the City" ran for six seasons ending in 2004, but it still runs in syndication. The show garnered legions of fans from all over the world. A movie based on the show was released in May.
A special set of 25 customers, who each paid $400 for the privilege, shared a champagne brunch with the star and walked away with "Sex and the City" goodies in addition to the perfume set.
"It was worth every penny," said Lauren Simpson of Lafayette.
Macy's store manager Susan Parker, who wore a pink feather boa for the occasion, said security reported no problems with the crowd. She gushed over how gracious the star is, saying the actress even stayed in Pleasanton at the Rose Hotel, instead of in San Francisco, and how she wanted to meet the people who waited for her.
"She wasn't going to leave until she met everyone," Susan Parker said.
Staff writer Jennifer Leslie contributed to this story. Reach Sophia Kazmi at 925-847-2122 or skazmi@bayareanewsgroup.com.
