“How you doing?” I asked Tami.
I knew she wasn’t doing well when she didn’t even glare at me.
“Do you want us to cut our run short?”
She shook her head. She could be stubborn, so I kept running. I knew at one point, not too many years ago, this would have been a piece of cake for Tami the Tomboy. Tim looked at her with a little worry. Even Duke seemed relieved when I slowed down to our normal pace.
I decided to cut our route short and took a shortcut home. Mom came out to get the Sunday paper to find Tim, Tami and Duke all laying in the front yard as they tried to catch their breath. I continued down the street to finish my run. When I came back, my yard was empty. I went in the back door to find the quitters drinking grapefruit juice and eating breakfast with my family.
Mom was dressed for church.
I made a protein drink and took my supplements. I went to my apartment to shower and get ready to go.
When I got back, I told Dad about the garden. Greg gave me a dirty look because he knew Dad would make him go out and harvest the asparagus and rhubarb.
CHURCH WAS A GOOD IDEA today. The sermon seemed to speak to me.
“Life is one long series of choices. It’s inevitable that choices must be made daily between the supreme and the secondary, between the lofty and the low, between self-pleasing and God-pleasing. The temptation comes with startling frequency to choose the better, instead of the best. To our own peril, we choose second-best.
“This is the peril which is around about us alclass="underline" the peril of the second-best. God certainly allows such to those who will not have His best. He does not leave us when we fail in this matter of making the choices by which life’s actions and directions are largely governed. The second-best, which God allows us in our folly and willfulness to choose, is often the kindest way He can take care of showing us the error of our ways.
“It all comes to this: that to choose consistently, loyally, and courageously to follow Him, is to choose the highest in all life’s alternatives. Never settle. Never bend. Strive in all things to be the best.”
ANGIE AND DAD WERE cooking brunch when Mom and I walked in the back door. Kyle and Mac wanted me to pick them up so they could say good morning.
“Don’t get them wound up,” Angie warned me.
I stuck my tongue out at her but did as I’d been told. I didn’t plan to spend my day babysitting because I’d gotten them going. I put the ankle-biters down and they went to harass their dad. I sat down next to Tami.
“So, birthday girl, what’s the plan for the day?”
“I’m going with my mom to my grandparents’. I guess my family decided they all wanted to see me.”
I shook my head at her attempt at being a smartass. Of course, her family would want to see her. This was actually working to my favor. I’d forgotten I was scheduled to be at Hill Advertising this afternoon. Adrienne had agreed to use Mr. Hill’s facilities as long as she was able to use her photographers. I wasn’t sure what today’s shoot was for because she forgot to tell me, or maybe she did and I just forgot.
Kendal picked me up and we were soon at Hill Advertising. I was surprised he had a full staff on hand for a Sunday afternoon. The receptionist recognized us, gave me a little smile, and then was very professional. I’d flirted with her every time we came in. She was probably just a little older than Kendal was.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Dawson and Kendal,” she said with a straight face.
I couldn’t get her to call me David, but she was more than willing to call my agent by her first name.
“Ma’am,” I shot back.
Women under a certain age cringe when they’re called ‘ma’am.’
“Mr. Dawson is scheduled for one o’clock,” Kendal said, playing along.
“One moment while I confirm his appointment. Yes, here it is, Studio C. I’ll have someone escort you,” she said.
We’d been to all the studios numerous times, but she insisted on getting us a guide. I decided if they wanted to act like I was some kind of royalty, I would tweak them. I asked for Kendal’s car keys. She gave them to me without a thought. When the receptionist had made her call for the escort, she turned back to us.
“Is there anything I could be of service with while you wait?”
I had a few crude suggestions but decided not to cross any lines.
“Yes, please. My agent’s car isn’t up to my cleanliness standards. Could you see that it’s detailed and ready for us by the time we’re through?” I asked, handing her the keys.
She looked at the keys in her hands and then at me, and then back and forth a couple of times. To Kendal’s credit, she just acted like this was a common occurrence. When our guide arrived, she was the same girl who’d gotten Kendal a sippy cup during a previous visit. We left the receptionist staring at our backs.
“Five dollars says she cleans the car,” I bet Kendal.
“You’re on. I’m a little worried she might trash it.”
“How could you tell?”
“Bite me.”
I made a move to bite her butt, but she was too quick. Our escort wasn’t sure what to do with us.
We walked into the studio where we found Adrienne, Mr. Hill and Rafael. I’d worked with Rafael on a couple of commercials with Kara. He was one of the go-to guys in the European market.
“David, Kendal, so good to see you,” he said in greeting.
A young woman came out from makeup in a big fluffy robe. I did a double take and then my mouth fell open. It was Melinda Scott, one of the sexiest women alive. She was from Australia and was one of Victoria’s Secret’s top models. Adrienne was going to introduce us, but I walked past her and put my hand out.
“Melinda, how nice to finally meet you! Adrienne neglected to inform me we’d be working together today. If I’d known, I would have arranged for us to go out tonight. I’m David, by the way, and will be working with you today.”
“David!” Adrienne warned me.
“What, I was just thinking how nice she would look on my arm tonight.”
“You behave,” Melinda ordered me.
I just nodded and followed her to makeup like an eager puppy. I saw Kendal and Adrienne shaking their heads. When we got to the makeup and wardrobe area, I stopped her.
“Sorry, I have to pull Adrienne’s chain every once in a while. I hope I wasn’t too much of a jerk,” I apologized.
Her face lit up with a smile that would stop traffic.
“I’ve been meaning to get even with her. She stole a shoot from me not too long ago. She speaks very highly of you. Want to make her think I’m going to steal you away?”
“Sure, what do you want me to do?”
“Act like the starstruck teenager. You did a pretty good imitation earlier.”
“That wasn’t all an act,” I confessed.
She winked at me and we went to get ready.
EARLY ON, WHENEVER we had a break, I ran around acting like Melinda’s personal assistant. There was only one problem with this plan: the girl Mr. Hill had hired for that role almost had a meltdown. I was doing her job. I finally had to take her aside and explain what I was doing.
Melinda was funny. She acted like the perfect diva. I knew our act was going over well when Kendal started to look concerned. To the world, it looked like I was in deep infatuation with Melinda. It seemed she was taking full advantage of me. By the end of the day I would be an emotional wreck, or so everyone thought, when she left me high and dry.
At one point I offered to massage Melinda’s feet. Kendal smirked, knowing what I was up to. Adrienne had had enough. She sat down with us and glared at Melinda. Melinda was a bit distracted as I did my best to get her aroused with my foot massage. Adrienne knew something was up when Melinda moaned. Then Adrienne’s look turned to me.