City of Angels

Chapter 5

A special thank-you to my mom, who, after reading chapters 3 and 4, suggested a few minor additions and changes in wording. And, as always, thank you to my readers! I hope you enjoy this chapter.

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As I emerged from Walt's office, Tommie looked up and smiled. "Well, hello again! Did you have a nice chat? I hope Walt didn't talk your ears off."

I smiled back. "It went very well, thank you."

"Good. Oh, and I apologize for the state of Walt's office. I keep telling him to clean it out, but he's come up with this elaborate excuse for why he has to have all that clutter on display." She shook her head. "Honestly, that man."

I laughed. "He certainly is a force of nature."

She raised her eyebrows. "I'll say." I laughed again, and she smiled. "Anyway, I believe Don's out there waiting for you."

"Thanks; I'll go meet him."

"All right then. You have a nice day, Carrie."

"You too."

Sure enough, I returned to the reception room to find Don sitting on the couch, waiting for me as promised. When he saw me coming, he immediately sprang to his feet. "Hey! How'd it go?"

"It went well," I replied. "You were right; Walt's not nearly as intimidating once you meet him."

He grinned. "Good. Well, in that case, let's get to work!"

As we passed the reception desk, Dolly looked up from the pile of papers she was sifting through. "Are you guys headed off now?"

"Yeah, we're going over to the rehearsal room," Don said.

"All right. I'll be there in a few minutes with refreshments." She turned to me. "It was nice to meet you, Carrie! I hope you enjoy your time here."

"Thank you; I'm sure I will," I replied with a smile. Then Don opened the door for me once again, and I exited the reception room with him close behind.

We headed down the hall together—me with my purse clutched tightly in my hands, Don with my jacket over one arm and the other swinging at his side. I found myself watching him out of the corner of my eye, noticing the relaxed, easy grace with which he carried himself. His stride was brisk and fluid, with just a hint of swagger—not so much as to seem arrogant, but enough to lend him an air of appealing self-assurance. He whistled a little as we walked, and I smiled to myself when I recognized the tune as "Heigh-Ho" from Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. At last, after several seconds, he spoke.

"Now, most days, Dick and Bob and I will probably be here working by the time you arrive, so you'll have to find your own way to the rehearsal room. It's not that hard, though—just come in the front door and up the stairs like we did earlier, and then down this hall and make a left. And of course, if you have any trouble, just ask one of the other employees; they'll be happy to help."

"Thank you," I replied.

"No problem." He tucked his free hand casually into his pocket. "So, you ever been to Los Angeles before?"

"No; actually, this is the first time I've been in California at all."

"Ah. And how do you like it?"

"It's lovely . . . although quite a bit warmer than I'm used to."

I smiled. "That's a relief."

We strode along in silence for another few moments before Don resumed the conversation. "So, your first time in L.A.; think you'll do any sightseeing while you're here?"