Bill sat in the garden and took in his surroundings. He was in the back yard of a large house in Los Angeles. The whole thing was decked out in a fashion that he didn't really like but there was something to be admired in the pure ostentatiousness of it all. There was a large pool, extensive landscaped grounds and even an outdoor Jacuzzi and mini golf course. From the moment he arrived with his wife an hour ago, the whole experience had been a bit surreal.
Having being driven up the elongated driveway and dropped off next to a multitude of trucks and vans, Bill and his wife Anne approached the huge double - fronted door, rang the bell and waited. Bill could tell his wife was excited from the way chattered continually on the drive over and how she squeezed his hand as they waited side by side. The door was opened some time later by a small woman, who looked like a cross between a librarian and a rock chick. She was short and sort of on the plump side of normal, with highly unfashionable hair which was crumpled by the combination microphone and headphone headset she was sporting. In her arms she cradled a large clip board. Her look was completed by an oversized black Led Zeppelin T shirt and Black Doc Martin boots. Bill thought she looked quite odd, out of place and had glanced down at his current location on his mobile phone's navigation application to confirm they had arrived at the correct address.
"Yes," the woman blurted, looking Bill in the eye. "Can I help you?"
Bill stood silently, thrown by the Woman's appearance, not knowing what to say. The impatience of the small woman further tied his tongue as she stared at him almost accusingly. Luckily his wife Anne piped up at this point, sensing her husband's befuddlement.
"Hi, it's Anne -- Anne Tims aka Anna La-Monte and this is my husband Bill. I am here for filming today, "said Anne, extending her hand to the woman. A smile of recognition dawned on the Woman's face as she looked down at her clipboard, flicking through several sheets before noting something down on her chosen sheet. She then warmly shook hands with both of them and enthusiastically chirped
"Welcome, you are right on time, I'm Cheryl," she said to Anne. "We will be setting up for your scene in a few hours I hope. In the meantime, follow me and I will find you somewhere to get changed, get your make-up done and all those things." Looking at Bill she continued "We don't get many husbands Bill but we will find you somewhere nice to sit in the shade while Anne gets ready to record her scene. The house is lovely and the studio has gone to town with the catering so you should be in for a very pleasant afternoon -- Both of you!" she said glancing back at Anne and smirking.
The pair of them followed Cheryl as she beckoned them through the door. They were in a large entrance hall with a very grand staircase and extremely high ceiling. Bill thought to himself that this room would be a tricky job to decorate, but then decided that if someone could afford the house, then hiring in help would not be an issue most likely.
The house was a hive of activity. People were moving furniture about from the lower floor to the upper floor, while others in a side room were checking and assembling camera equipment and others were hanging about talking loudly and purposefully on mobile phones. They passed through the hall and into an adjoining room. It was, Bill thought, a dining room normally, but it had been transformed into some sort of video editing suite with blacked out windows and a bank of monitors and computers. Two men were sat in front of the menagerie of equipment eating take-out sandwiches. They nodded in recognition to Cheryl and sat up and said a warm hello to Anne as she followed. Bill heard them chatting excitedly as they walked away from them.
They walked through this room and out one of the doors on its far side into a long hallway with several doors branching off on one side and a large double patio door on the other. At the end of the corridor, Cheryl stopped at the door and called out loudly "Simon... SIMON!" A moment later, a flustered young man appeared from through the doorway. Cheryl introduced Bill and Anne to Simon and asked Simon to take Anne to wardrobe and make-up. Anne followed Simon through the door as he babbled excitedly at her -- telling her how fabulous she looked. Bill, remained with Cheryl, while Anne and Simon walked off into another part of the house, Anne flashing a slightly nervous smile at Bill as they parted.
Cheryl made another note on her clip board and then spoke into her headset. "Miss La-Monte in make-up." After listening to a brief reply on her headset, she turned to Bill and grinned. "Follow me Bill," she said. Bill nodded, not thinking to correct Cheryl on her incorrect use of his wife's title then pondering to himself if Miss was really correct after all. It was definitely Mrs Tims, but Mrs La-Monte? - He wasn't so sure about that. Soon they were marching back the way they came, through the house once more. From the middle of the previous hallway, Cheryl opened one side of the set of patio doors and then they stepped outside into the hot Californian sun.
As they walked through the door and onto an outdoor paved area, Cheryl spoke again. "Quite a place isn't it Bill?"
"Not half," agreed Bill. "Who can afford this sort of house? It's palatial"
Cheryl explained that the house was actually owned by a banker from Minnesota who was only ever in town one or two months of the year. The rest of the time he rented it out to anyone who had the cash.