Seven months after the events in The Professor, Danielle Evans is inviting Jeff Humphries back to Los Angeles, to help celebrate the release of her new album. Both have their own expectations of how the week will go. But other events, both large and small, will prove to both of them, that life can never be planned.
Jeff
I was just coming back from lunch, getting back to my cubicle, sitting down at my desk, and congratulating myself on having done almost everything on my to do list before I left on vacation, when my office phone rang. Great. “Jeff Humphries.”
A female voice said, “Hi, honey!”
Instantly I smiled. “Hi, Clarice.”
“Hi, Jeff. You ready to take some time off?”
“Yes, very much so.”
“Well, we can’t wait to have you back! If you’re able to talk, I’ve got the details about your train ticket.”
I stood up and looked around, wary for anyone nearby. Fortunately the office was empty at the moment, with everyone still at lunch. So I sat back down.
“Yeah, I can talk, but not for very long.”
“I won’t keep you long, honey, I promise! First thing I need to tell you, get dressed and be ready before you leave. You won’t have time to change after you arrive.”
“Okay.”
“They should have arrived already, but if they haven’t as of yet, your train ticket will be delivered by messenger.”
I spared a glance at an envelope on my desk. “Actually, yeah, it’s arrived.”
“Great! Okay, so, what’s going to happen when you get into town is that you and I will go straight to the Grammy event, where you’ll get to talk to Danielle really quickly before the show. Then you will meet Danielle more formally at the party after the show.”
“Ah. So I definitely need to be ready when I get there.”
“Definitely, honey.”
“You’ve mentioned something about introducing me to some people. I take it we’re also doing that?”
“Yes, we are. At the after party. It’s going to make a long day for you, but it could also be potentially big if you’re up for it.”
“Sounds good to me.”
“Super! I can’t wait to pick you up tomorrow…”
“You’re going to be my date for the party, I guess?”
“Yes,” she laughed. “Why? Is there a problem?”
“You won’t mind hanging off the arm of an old fart?”
“Come on, you’re not that old!”
“Thanks, I think.”
“There’s no other arm I would want to hang from.”
I smiled into the phone. “Okay.”
“And besides, there’s going to be a lot of middle-aged men at this party with very young women on their arm.”
“Where is this party, anyway?”
“It’s at the Marriott Hotel on Figueroa.”
“Okay. And where is the concert?”
“At the Staples Center, honey. Down the street from the hotel.”
“Wait a second. You mean the Staples Center? The Staples Center? The one where they have all the LA Lakers games?”
Clarice giggled. “Yes, Jeff, that one! Trust me, this is going to be really fun.”
“Believe me, I trust you. Should I wear a tux?”
“No, honey, just wear a suit. You don’t have to wear a tie.”
“Okay. Cool.”
“So I’ll meet you tomorrow evening at the train station?”
“Yeah. Definitely. Wouldn’t miss it.”
“See you then!”
Suddenly my computer pinged. I knew what that meant.
“Clarice, I need to go. I’m being paged.”
“Okay, honey. I’ll see you tomorrow!”
“Yeah. See you tomorrow. Bye, Clarice.”
“Bye…”
I hung up, excited.
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