The idea that I might have an easier schedule with the Morrison group than with Artists Unlimited was anything but. To be fair, I was working a lot of assignments but I began to think that Jackie Morrison's idea of me being a producer might not be so bad after all. For now though, I thought it was best to do the job I was hired for and keep my ambitions in check. I'd just returned from a photo shoot on a hot desert movie location and after all that I was looking forward to an evening in my recliner with pizza and an old movie, or "Netflix and chill" as it's called.
Now, the building I lived in was luxurious alright and generally had only 3-4 apartments on each floor, all high-end. But in all the time I'd lived there, I don't think I'd seen any other residents. At times, I felt like I was the only person living there. I got off the elevator and was immediately confronted by boxes of video gear, lights, miles of cables and big guys with muscles and headsets barking orders.
"You live here?" one growled at me
"Uh, y-yes, I do. I'm in, um, 315 down there." I meekly replied as I fished out my wallet while trying to balance a large pizza box.
"Oh! I know him! He's OK, Rudy!" another person said from behind me. I turned and to my surprise it was Kim Kardashian. She immediately hugged me and I got a generous dose of her perfume, beautiful as always "I was hoping I'd get to see you here!"
"Yeah, well now that you have my next question is what're you doing here and what's all this?" I said while looking around at all the gear in the hallway.
"Ah, right! You didn't know about this?"
"I've been out of town for work." I said as another worker walked between us as we stood at my door.
"Maybe this'll explain things." She said as she picked up an envelope that had been slipped under another apartment's door. I clumsily handed her the pizza box and tore open the envelope. It was from the building owner explaining that a reality show starring Kendall and Kylie Jenner would be filming scenes in the building and as a tenant I had the option if I wanted to be on camera at all.
"You're right, it does explain things."
"Probably a bad time to bring this up, huh?"
"Uh, nah, I guess not. Uh, y-you want to come inside while they're working? I'll keep the door open?"
"Good idea." She said with a smile as we quickly went into my apartment and she immediately knelt down to greet Smokie the cat while I got plates for the pizza.
"Hi Smokie! You know my kids would love this cat, Jim?" she said as he rubbed against her legs.
"Yeah, he does have that effect on people...but you still can't have him." I said with a smirk on my face, making Kim giggle.
"That's OK...he belongs with you. Isn't that right, sweetie?" She said as she gave Smokie a kiss.
"So what's this show your sisters' got?"
"It'll be like the others, they'll be following them around. Kendall's got her modeling jobs, Kylie's doing her makeup stuff and being a Mom."
I handed her a slice of pizza "And you? What will you be doing?"
"Oh, I'm staying out of this one...that was my idea."
"Really, so you put your designer shoe-clad foot down on this one, huh?"
Kim closed her eyes and tried not to spit out her food, she was laughing so much she could only nod her head. As if that weren't enough, her phone buzzed.
"Yes? OK...OK...I'm right next door...Uh-huh...OK, I'll be right there." She quickly stood up and gathered herself "I've gotta get going, it was great seeing you. Jim. Thanks for the pizza." She gave me a sweet hug and kiss as she went out the door to the other apartment "Hey, don't forget to come by and meet my sisters."
"I'll be sure to borrow a cup of sugar."
She cocked her head playfully and gave me a big smile. I always could get a smile out of her with lines like that.
"Bye, babe." She said with a little wave.
But for all the commotion that went on, after that day I heard and saw nothing from the apartment at the end of the hall for at least a week. I was starting to wonder if they were filming a show there at all. Then one evening, as I'd just gotten out of my car, an amazing sight pulled up next to me. It was a robin's-egg blue Corvette convertible, straight out of the 1950's and oozing Eisenhower-era Americana. In the driver's seat was a brunette with a modified page-boy haircut. Next to her was an equally pretty brunette with longer hair and a cellphone attached to her ear. For a moment, I didn't know what to focus on, the car or its passengers. The driver got out and gave me a pretty smile.
"Hi! I think you're my neighbor." She said.
"Uh, I'm not sure. I've never seen you before."
"No, you're the guy. My sister told me to look for a cute guy in a silver convertible." She said as she rounded the car and held out her hand "Hi, I'm Kendall."
"Oh, well, hi. I'm Jim."
"Right, you're the guy. Kim told me about you, how you lived on the same floor as us."
"Oh, Jenner...yeah, now I get it."
"Uh-huh, that's Kylie."
Kylie gave me a little wave as she got out and went to the trunk, still on her phone, and took out bags of different sizes with boutique labels. Kendall wore a stylish white silk blouse and tight designer jeans while Kylie was in black jeans and matching shirt.
"I didn't see you around, but then we've been in and out mostly. Plus I just had a modeling gig in Mexico." Kendall said while leaning back on the Corvette's fender.
"Right, I was out in Nevada doing photos."
"Oh, that's what you do?"
"Yes, I'm with the Morrison Group."
"Oh, I know them!" Kylie said excitedly "They used to work with Tyga."
Kendall rolled her eyes a little, like she was the annoying little sister bothering her again.
"I love this car...I've never seen one up close, only in car shows." I said, trying to steer the conversation back to us.
"Yeah, it's gorgeous alright. My Dad was so jealous when I got it." She said in a guarded, but easy-going voice, with a little smile added.
"I'll bet you're pretty protective of it."
"Are you kidding?" she laughed "If they're not trying to drive it, they think it's not even mine."
"My car's down there." Kylie interjected, pointing to a dangerous looking Mercedes G-Wagon painted in primer black. It was nice, but no offense to her, it had none of the style of Kendall's 'Vette.
"How long have you lived here?" Kendall asked.
"Oh, uh, little over a year now. I really like it."
"We do too." Kylie added.
"You'd like anyplace." Kendall joked before turning back to me "This is just temporary for her. She's got too many homes as it is."
"There's nothing wrong with owning real estate." Kylie answered proudly, like she knew better than her sister.
"C'mon, I'm hungry." Kendall said "I guess we'll, uh, see you around, Jim." She said with a little flirty smile that seemed to imply something more to follow.
"Yes, um, see you around..." I said as I watched them walk to the bank of private elevators and quickly disappear into the first one that arrived.
Well, that was interesting.
A couple of more days went by with no sign of the duo. Kendall's car was usually gone by the time I left in the morning, same with Kylie's. Finally one afternoon there was a knock on my door, and when I opened it found the duo there.
"Hey, we've got an invitation for you." Kendall said in a perky voice "We're having the first screening of our show and you're invited."
"No kidding, where?"
"Our place, tomorrow night." Kylie replied "We're just gonna have a few friends, get some dinner delivered, what do you say?"
"Uh, y-yeah! I'd be glad to come."
"Great, see you at 9!" Kendall said with a big smile before leaning in and giving me a quick kiss on the cheek. Kylie did the same on my other cheek. They were both giggling as they trotted off down the hallway.
Friday night came and I arrived at their apartment a few minutes after 9. Some friends were already there. Across the room I could see Kris Jenner, looking ever so Beverly Hills chic, talking with one of the production staff. I got a drink at the temporary bar setup near their kitchen and within that I could glimpse a small team of chefs busily creating what smelled like seafood dishes.
"Smell something you like, Jim?" I heard behind me and turned to see Kim.
"Yeah, I guess this beats pizza and wings, right?"
"Of course!" she replied with a big smile "It was Khloe's idea. She wants to get into healthy takeout food and figured this would be a great test for the concept."
"Smart girl."
"Well, she takes after me."
"Oh, of course!" I said in that same perky tone of hers, which made her laugh even more as Kendall joined us.
"Hey, it's gonna be showtime soon!" she said "Places everybody!"
I found a spot on a huge couch, Kim sat on one side of me and Kendall on the other. Kendall clicked a small remote control which closed the shades and made the room super dark. It was like being in a movie theater now that I thought about it.
The girls' show was pretty much as I expected, a lot of giggly activity with them made all the more absurd by the comments of everyone in the room. They weren't mean-spirited but it was very much like sneaking into a slumber party or watching an episode of "Mystery Science Theater 3000". At one point I felt Kim slide in a little closer to me;
"I've missed you, Jim... we need to get together again sometime." She whispered
"Sure, I know Smokie the cat would like to see you again...um, I would too."