Remember how I said I'd never learned all that much about the background of my superiors? Jeff Murphy's love of the Green Bay Packers was a given since he was originally from Wisconsin. But Chuck Tyler was another story, and rather surprising.
For all of his fast talking, Hollywood bluster and bravado during the week, Chuck was apparently a different person on the weekends. I found this out when I got an invitation to, of all things, an equestrian show riding event sponsored by Longines watches.
"This I gotta see to believe."
Like I said, this was out of character for Chuck, way out of character. So I knew I had to see it to believe it.
For now though, I had a meeting with Michael Baldwin. Michael was the firm's chief legal counsel and his guidance had gotten Artists Unlimited out of some big time jams that had often occurred (albeit unintentionally) because of me. This meeting was more social, a pre-wedding celebration for Dana Liebowitz. Dana and I went way back, we'd known each other in high school and after graduation she went to law school and went to work for Michael's firm and rapidly rose in the ranks there to become a junior partner. She'd been there the day of the courthouse shooting and saved Michael's life, and narrowly missed losing her own life in the process. She had endured a long recovery back home and came back better than ever. She'd also gained a fiancée` and become something of a local TV celebrity. The office was so crowded with partygoers that I barely had a chance to congratulate Dana. I ended up in Michael's office as a way to escape the hubbub.
"What's next for her? Is she gonna stay out here or go back east?" I asked Michael.
"She'll be running things back east, come out here for board meetings once in awhile." He replied between bites of jumbo shrimp.
"Think you'll miss her?"
"Not likely" He said as he tapped his knee. It had been surgically reconstructed due to the bullet wounds that day "I'll always think of her whenever it rains."
"Whoa, gotta go." I said glancing at my watch "I have an important date with a demanding client."
"A demanding client, you? Get outta here!" he said dismissively.
"It's true, and this client doesn't like to be kept waiting." I said as I stood up "Tell Dana I'll see her at the wedding."
I'm sure I left Michael wondering who the client could be. I doubt he'd ever guess it was Smokie the cat. But it was true he hated to be kept waiting for his dinner.
The elevator stopped at a lower floor and 3 business-suit types got on along with a pretty blonde in a tan blazer, dark colored pants and equally dark sunglasses. She kept her head down the whole time. Finally she spoke;
"I cannot believe what that asshole is doing...this is so fuckin' unfair!" She said angrily.
"Kaley, I assure you we can fight this in court..."
"But I don't WANT this to go to court!" she said angrily before dropping into a near-tearful voice "You said we'd never get this far! You promised!"
I tried not to stare but hearing that name got my attention.
"Kaley?" I said meekly as I looked over at her.
The girl slid her glasses down a little at hearing her name before one of the business suit guys immediately jumped in.
"Please, no autographs." He said with his hands raised as one of the others jumped in front of her, as if to protect her. I almost thought I'd be slammed to the ground for merely recognizing their client. But their client looked closer and recognized me.
"Oh, my god...Jim..." she said before correcting the others "No! No! He's OK, I know him! I know him!"
She removed her glasses and my suspicions were confirmed, it was Kaley Cuoco. It had been several years since we'd seen one another. She'd co-starred with Blake Lively in the movie "Dreamer", and even though I did photos for the film, I didn't realize it was her until we ran into one another months later at the same gym. She even coined a name for me, "Mister Mountain Jam", a reference to the Allman Brothers song I played on my IPod while I ran on the treadmill.
"Oh my god, I can't believe I'm running into you here!" she said as she hugged me in a voice that was part laughter and part tears "What are you doing here?"
"Friend of mine works here, what are you doing here?"
"Oh..." she sniffed "Meetings with lawyers, I'm getting divorced you know." She said as she glared at what I assumed were her lawyers.
The elevator stopped at the ground floor and we walked out but then suddenly stopped. There seemed to be several photographers who went into a flurry of activity when they recognized her.
"Shit!" she hissed at her lawyer "What do we do now?"
"Uh, maybe I can help?" I said "My car's in the garage, maybe I could drive you home?"
"Do you even know this man?" one said warily.
"Yes, yes, I know him. Let's go!" she said as she took my arm "Come on, Mr. Mountain Jam, time to prove yourself of the name."
We turned around and went back into the elevator, going down to the garage level. I stopped her from exiting and carefully looked out.
"OK, my car is the silver Mercedes convertible over there."
"Oh, you're such a secret agent aren't you?" she said in that playfully flirty voice as we walked to my car.
"Yes, the name's Jim...Hollywood Jim." I said in my best "Bond" voice as I opened the car door for her.
"Should I scoot down low so nobody sees me?" she said in a playfully flirty voice, like this was all a fun game.
"Not a bad idea, think you can do it?"
"Oh, yeah, easily." She said in the seen-it-all voice she used on "Big Bang Theory".
I hit the accelerator and we sped out of the garage.
"Uh, I guess things aren't going too well there, huh?" I said to her as she checked her phone. She looked out the window and sighed.
"Yeah, that's about right." She said before turning to me "You're lucky you're not married."
I looked over at her and smiled.
"You'll get through this."
She smiled back.
"Thanks, babe." She said as she caressed my leg "Hey, there's a Starbucks lemme buy you a coffee."
The staff was either too jaded to notice anyone famous or the customers were too hypnotized by their texting to see who was sitting in the back drinking a large house special with the geeky-looking guy. I think she appreciated a little anonymity for a change.
"I can't believe you just turned up like that." She said while sipping her coffee.
"I guess timing is everything. And I really was there seeing a friend. Artists Unlimited has their legal counsel there."
"Maybe I should call your guys. They'd probably do a better job than the guys I've got now."
I was tempted to ask what problems she was having but knew she probably had some kind of gag order imposed. Before I could think of something else to say, her phone buzzed.
"Hi Mom! Uh-huh...No I'm just getting a coffee." She gave me a cute smile as she talked "Um...I think I can be there tonight...OK, thanks...OK I love you Mom!"
"Think you can give me a ride home?"
