He’s fishing for investors and you’re the bait.” She makes a rough noise in the back of her throat. “Honey, the man would rather walk on burning coals than come to an art show. “Charm?” I repeat, as if I don’t know exactly what she means. Nikki from Texas.” She looks me up and down, and I wonder if she’s disappointed that I don’t have big hair and cowboy boots. “You’re Carl’s new assistant, right?” she asks, referring to my boss of three days. “I pay for that view every month when I write the mortgage check. I know I must look like a giddy tourist, but we don’t have sunsets like this in Dallas.” “Almost makes the paintings inside seem redundant, doesn’t it?” I recognize the throaty, feminine voice and turn to face Evelyn Dodge, retired actress turned agent turned patron of the arts-and my hostess for the evening. And a bulky camera bag paired with a little black dress is a big, fat fashion no-no.īut this is my very first Pacific Ocean sunset, and I’m determined to document the moment. Not that it would have fit in my itty-bitty beaded purse. I regret that I didn’t bring the battered Nikon I’ve had since high school. I press my hands against the balcony rail and lean forward, drawn to the intense, unreachable beauty of the setting sun. Blue-gray waves shimmering with dappled gold. Bloodred clouds bursting against the pale orange sky. Not to lust over the panorama that is coming alive in front of me. It is a gala art opening, after all, and my boss brought me here to meet and greet and charm and chat.
Of course, I could leave the balcony and go back inside to the party. LA Lesson Number One: Always carry a sweater if you’ll be out after dark.
Not so in California, at least not by the beach. In Dallas, June is hot, July is hotter, and August is hell. I arrived in Los Angeles only four days ago, and I haven’t yet adjusted to the concept of summer temperatures changing with the setting of the sun. A cool ocean breeze caresses my bare shoulders, and I shiver, wishing I’d taken my roommate’s advice and brought a shawl with me tonight.
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