June 14, 2011 @ 9:40 am | Filed under: Country Life,Family,Pure Sunshine,Uniquely Me
“Life is pretty simple: You do some stuff. Most fails. Some works. You do more of what works. If it works big, others quickly copy it. Then you do something else. The trick is the doing something else.” ~Leonardo da Vinci
In the past four months:
- We moved to a new town, away from family, friends, and church
- Said town is a rural town where I need to drive to yet another town in order to visit Walmart
- I finished a five year college career and GRADUATED
- Our youngest finished a four year college career and GRADUATED
- I witnessed my first snake and then…my first mouse
- I built a deck, with a *little help from my man. Okay, maybe it was the other way around…
- We spied newly born buzzards in the window of the old haybarn
- We planted our first-ever garden
- I have sat many mornings and evenings on the deck we built and delighted in the cows in the back pasture
- We’ve hosted several rich and fun-filled family and friends weekends at our country place
- I got a TEACHING JOB!!
- I witnessed my first newborn calf
- We’ve begun to harvest the vegetables from our garden – such deliciousness!
All of this has happened in the past four months and I’ve not blogged about any of it. It’s been the equivalent of a thick tongue and dry mouth…LOTS to say but no real way to put it all out there and feel like I am doing any of it real justice.
I woke up this morning though and – as I walked through my house, with the sunshine splaying happily on the floors of this old house, my coffee cup warm and cradled in my hands – I realized I am doing more of an inservice by not at least attempting to journal all this newness.
All this wonderfulness.
I am not an ordinary farm girl. What is the antithesis of a farm girl? Find that word in the dictionary and I am sure you’d come much closer to finding my picture attached. Yet I am experiencing such a deep-seated contentment and sense of wonder these days that is making this transition a true adventure.
Google has been my point of reference for everything in the last few months. How far apart should I space my zucchini plants? Google. What does poison ivy look like? Google. What are the nesting habits of buzzards? Google. What kind of flowers do I need to put in my garden to keep away the bugs? Google. What kind of snake is this? Google. Pros and cons to having a farm cat? Google. Recipes for thing to do with zucchini when you have a bumper crop? Google.
Trust me, it goes on and on. And this not-your-ordinary transplanted farm girl/teacher/writer couldn’t be happier about it all. That’s not to say that snakes and mice bring any sort of happiness at all. I do, however, accept that they have their specific place in this wild new territory I now call home, and I respect that.
And that, my friends, may be the newest new stuff of it all.
I may not have all the right words to introduce this new life to you, but I do promise to try. I will leave the bits of pieces of writing that is happening now that my soul has found this fresh inspiration in the country air. I will upload pictures of birds and of projects and of any variety of animals and/or pests. I will share glimpses of the joy and wonder we are finding here as we make memories we’ll treasure forever with family and with friends.
This promise is brought to you by a not-so-ordinary farm girl.
contentment, Family, laughter, living simply, memories
January 25, 2011 @ 9:16 pm | Filed under: Soul Food,The Solid Rock
I drove along the unfamiliar road, going maybe 50 mph at best. The sun was quickly setting in the west, much faster than I had hoped. I had left my house forty minutes earlier for the hour and a half road trip, equipped with nothing more than anxiety over navigating country roads by myself and – of course – my trusty GPS.
His name is Walter. You know, the faceless guy who gives you minute-by-minute driving directions. The same one that announces, “You missed your exit. One moment. Redirecting.” Walter and I had made several trips together before this night, and he’d not given me any reason to doubt him before now.
Yet—as darkness settled down amongst the trees on either side of this narrow county road—heaviness settled on my shoulders. The beauty from the sunset quickly lost its glow for me as I realized I was alone on back roads that were strange to me. And growing stranger by the minute.
Walter broke into my thoughts, causing me to jump at the sound of his voice. “Turn left in 800 yards.”
I swallowed hard, glancing around me. I wasn’t at all sure that Walter was right this time.
Trees—tall and close together—were all I could see on either side of me. There were none of the telltale markers I’d been assured I would see.
I fought against the pounding in my heart and the uncertainty that taunted my mind.
At 800 yards…I turned. Walter had told me too, after all…
I drove on—in blind faith—for another three or four miles. Just as I was about to succumb to the fear and the anxiety, I began to catch glimpses of those markers. And then I heard Walter’s voice again.
“You have reached your destination.”
This jaunt down an unfamiliar country road so closely parallels my journey through life at times. Just when I feel surrounded by unsurmountable obstacles, just when I feel isolated and alone, just when I feel I have lost my way…
I hear His voice.
Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. – Psalm 37:3
I may not always see the way clearly. I may not always maintain confidence in my path. I may not even make the trip without doubt or without fear.
My job is to continue the journey.
His voice has never given me any reason to doubt His direction before.
Blind faith tells me I will one day hear these sweet words…
“You have reached your destination.”
January 5, 2011 @ 6:25 am | Filed under: Family,Pure Sunshine
January 4, 2011 @ 7:17 pm | Filed under: Pure Sunshine,School Stuff,Uniquely Me
“The most beautiful thing in the world is, precisely, the conjunction of learning and inspiration.” ~ Wanda Landowska
This is my first week of my student teaching internship. How appropo that this should be the quote for today’s date in my day planner.
I want to write about just how well this week is going so far. But the truth is that I am speechless…it’s going THAT well. I am beyond thrilled with my schedule, with my mentor, and with the students.
I have a feeling that the next four months will be awesome ones.
Here’s a few things that have made me HAPPY this week!
Without any further ado…behold my BLISS!
Lunch bag & thermos
Keys to the building & to my classroom
My classroom!
Staff Parking Permit
Now…back to lesson plans.
And more amazing conjunctions of learning and inspiration!
January 1, 2011 @ 10:49 am | Filed under: Family,Friends,Pure Sunshine
“Life gives us brief moments with another…but sometimes in those brief moments we get memories that last a lifetime.”
2010 was chock full of those type of moments.
Brief little pockets of time that swept down, wrapped us all in their warm grasp, and then left us changed for a lifetime.
We celebrated with MJ’s mom as she turned 90 years old.
We hosted a Mystery Dinner Party and laughed until the tears rolled.
We spent lots of time doing fun things with the little people that make our life so GRAND!
We celebrated the major milestones…
and the tiny sliver of moments that took our breath away.
We welcomed new family members with joy, and we said good-bye to others who left footprints on the pathways of our hearts.
We enjoyed time with friends, drinking in all the joys that come with these type of friendships.
We cruised the deep, blue sea…
and enjoyed road trips with our nearest and dearest.
We had epic sleep-overs, complete with McDonalds, popcorn, and movies, with all the littles in our life.
We took in Game 5 of the World Series…and had so much fun that we didn’t even mourn when the Rangers lost that night.
Most of all, we lived a year full of loving this family. The family that God has so mightily blessed us with.
2010 was an amazing year, filled to the brim with amazing people, amazing events, and amazing moments.
Moments that have left us forever changed. And forever grateful that lived them.
America's favorite pasttime, Family, Friends, grandkids, memories
October 13, 2010 @ 11:13 am | Filed under: Family,Pure Sunshine
Andi and her friend Eli. CUTENESS!
October 12, 2010 @ 2:19 pm | Filed under: Food and Drink,Friends
Donaldson Company dinner was unforgettable!
Held at Waring General Store, in Waring, Texas, we gathered around outdoor picnic tables in the most unique setting ever.
The sun was just dipping behind the burnt orange tips of the trees as the band took to the outdoor stage and we began to enjoy homemade quesadillas, gorditas, salsas and spinach dip that was so good there are just no words.
And that was just the appetizers.
The main course followed: Juicy ribeye steaks, potatoes, salad, NOT to be outdone by the generous helpings of peach cobbler and rich hazlenut coffee.
I sat next to Mike, wearing my “corporate wife” hat, enjoying the company of new friends and realizing just how blessed our life is. The weekend of tasty travels was off to a very, very promising start…
MJ’s appointment for the next morning fell through. I would say that he was bitter and full of disappointment…but that would just be a LIE! We made the most of it, loading up the van early and taking all the back roads to Austin. When we cruised through Comfort, Texas, along about 11:00, we pulled into High’s Cafe & Store.
If you’ve not been to Comfort, Texas – you need to go. And if you do go there – put High’s on your list of MUST SEE. After perusing the store, chatting with the owner, and generally just killing time, we ordered two of the largest sandwiches known to man.
We waved our good-byes, promised to visit again real soon, and took our sandwiches on down the road a bit. Where we detoured to find the most beautiful spot for a picnic for two. Sitting side-by-side, no need for words, we lunched on sandwiches and bottled water.
The picnic fed our bodies, the scenery fed our spirits.
Then – the big arrival into Austin for the wedding.
We were among the first to arrive, so we had a day to explore and do whatever. I pulled out my handy-dandy iPhone with the Flavortown App. Casino El Camino on 6th Street had the Foodnetwork & Guy Fieri stamp of approval, so we made that our lunch destination for Friday.
It did NOT disappoint. MJ had the Amarillo Burger while I had the Pitts Burger. We even shared a basket of Chili-Cheese Fries. If you’ve not discerned it by now, we exceeded our WW points…uh, like, TWO DAYS AGO. By now it’s clear that I will be running for two straight weeks in order to run off the delicious calories this Fall Break gave me.
Every bite was SO worth it though!
And if that wasn’t culinararily exquisite enough, we stopped in at Perla’s on South Congress for Sunday brunch on our way out of town. Again, I just can’t say enough for the best outdoor patio seating, homemade baskets of complimentary hushpuppies, and the BEST Breakfast Crabcake and Brioche French Toast with Berries.
I am fairly certain that I just gained another five pounds for merely writing all this down. But do yourself a favor and, if you’re in the Austin/San Antonio area anytime soon, give one of these places a try. It may take you off the beaten path…
But oftentimes that is where the REAL treasure is!
October 11, 2010 @ 5:52 pm | Filed under: Travel,Uniquely Me
It was a whirlwind of morning activity, for sure.
Going to class, sitting through a meeting, and then heading for the airport…for an impromptu planned trip out of town.
An oxymoron, you say? And I’d agree, except it really was just that – a trip I’d known for months I’d make in some form or fashion, but then who knew I’d catch a mid-afternoon plane with nothing more than my purse and the tiniest carry-on ever and then experience four days of unexpected break in an otherwise CRAZY fall schedule?
Saturday was Casey and Rhoads’ wedding – a family event we’ve all been anticipating for months and months now. Held on a small, intimate venue high up on a ridge in Dripping Springs, Texas, the weekend promised to gift us with many of those treasured family moments that we love the most. But first to get through the week…
And then the plan changed…and unplanned perfection unfolded!
MJ left on Monday morning, scheduled for a full week in the San Antonio region. With the changes in the structure of his company, the past few months have brought about quite a few new faces, names, and acquaintances. One of these is Noe, MJ’s counterpart on the engine side. Working closely together now on accounts for the past several months, they were bringing the entire team together for a dinner…
…and wanted their wives to be there to share in it all.
So I booked a flight for Wednesday afternoon, quickly packed a suitcase that I hoped would get me through the weekend, and loaded it all into MJ’s van before he drove away bright and early on Monday morning.
Too bad I didn’t know then that I would make it to San Antonio with only the 3 1/2 inch heels I was wearing (unless you count the 4 inch heels intended for the wedding) and that I would have to leave behind a hair pick because it wouldn’t pass security (Really, people? You think I’m going to try something with a plastic, faux-rhinestone encrusted hair pick?), AND that I would forget to grab my camera before heading out the door.
Nevertheless, the next four days proved the point that – sometimes – the least laid plans can work out to be the very best ones!
I boarded the plane on Wednesday afternoon, tugging off my ‘student’ hat and doing my best to pull on my ‘corporate wife’ hat. By the time we landed 45 minutes later, I had just about managed to forget about the paper I had left unfinished, the teacher insurance forms awaiting my signature, and the fact that the following week held mid-terms.
Instead, I breathed in the cool, crisp autumn air -
Who am I kidding, y’all? It was 4:00 in San Antonio – there was nothing remotely crisp or cool about it. But MJ was waiting at the top of the escalator, and there is just nothing that makes me feel more complete than to feel his eyes on me and see that great smile crease his face. That was cool.
I would be hard-pressed to pick my favorite moment from the weekend. Instead, there are bits and pieces that float to the top and knit together to form the most perfect myriad of images that I know I’ll carry for a long time to come.
Meeting Noe and his wife, Angie. Making new friends. Seeing our youngest boy. Taking him to dinner. A picnic overlooking some of the prettiest scenery South Texas has to offer. Naps. Conversations with my sister-in-law.
The wedding itself. Seeing the beautiful bride on her special day. My husband and his two sisters gathered around their mother.
I still can’t believe I didn’t have my camera to record each and every special, priceless moment.
It was a Fall break I had not planned on.
It was unplanned perfection.
October 8, 2010 @ 6:08 am | Filed under: Books,The Writing Life
MELROSE MIRACLE
by Staci Wilder
Chapter Seventeen
Luke hurriedly pulled on a pair of dark Levi’s and tucked in his green-and-white striped polo shirt. He’d overslept by two snoozes and now he had less than half an hour to get to the studio. Kurt had called late last night to tell him that all cameras would be in use today. Something about a press junket being a part of the day’s challenge.
He squeezed a quarter-size dollop of gel into his hands and worked it through his short crop of curls. Dark circles beneath each eye told the story of his restless night. Tossing for what seemed like hours, he’d watched the red numbers on his bedside clock switch to three a.m. before once shutting his eyes.
A good strong cup of coffee would be useful right now. He’d have to settle for the kind he could get at the corner 7-11. He was out of the stuff here at home and the lines at the coffee shops were always a mile long this time of morning.
Not to mention the phrase ‘coffee shop’ stabbed a fresh dart of pain right through the center of his heart. The images were branded in his head: the Blended Hearts sign in the window, spotting Ella walking inside, seeing her and the beefy dark-headed guy all chummy over some fancy cup of joe.
He brushed his teeth, rinsed, and grabbed the keys to the Expedition. He shouldn’t have even been in that part of the city again last night anyway. The only reason he’d been in the area at all was to pick up a baby gift for one of the guys on the crew.
The guy’s wife had registered at the fancy shmancy Pea in a Pod. That had been his original mission when he’d bumped into Ella the time before. The baby was a month old now and Luke was feeling plenty guilty at being so delinquent with a gift.
After finally spending way too much for a bath towel and something the sales girl called ‘booties’, Luke had all but run from the store, feeling like a kid just set free on the last day of school.
And he’d almost run smack into Ella.
She hadn’t seen him as she stepped from the taxi and paid the driver. Luke’s heart raced as he went down the list of possible things to do in that moment. Say hello and then keep going. Grab her and kiss her like he really wanted to do. Pull her aside and plead for another chance for them.
In the end, Ella had decided for him. With excitement in her eyes and a spring in her step, she’d disappeared inside the coffee shop before he’d developed a plan. It was moments later, when he’d risked a peek through the glass windows that he’d seen her, head tossed back, laughing with the hunk at the counter.
The mental math was easy from there. She’d pulled away from him. The coffee shop was a meeting place for a singles club. The name Blended Hearts had spelled it out for him in simple black-and-white. For whatever reason—and he couldn’t figure out that reason for the life of him—Ella had turned her back on their developing relationship. Now she was inside, laughing and having a good time with another guy. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure this one out.
In that single moment, several things came into clarity for him and presented him with more irony that he knew possible. In an office on the corner, Tessa—his ex love—came and went, pursuing that elusive modeling career that had ultimately meant more to her than he had. And in a coffee shop just down the street, now sat Ella—the woman he feared he now loved—and she wanted nothing to do with him.
Luke’s heart felt like it had been speared, and not for the first time.
Now he slammed the driver’s side door of the SUV and roared the engine to life. He’d known better, and yet he’d allowed his heart to do the decision-making for him. Now all the old scars tormented him again. With every passing mile, he was reminded of what a fool he’d been to get involved with anyone in the business.
Even a sweet, fledgling reality star like Ella.
*****
The fax must have been slipped beneath her hotel room door sometime during the night. Ella found it as she stumbled to the bathroom after her five a.m. wake-up call from the front desk. She picked it up and flipped on the entry way light, squinting as her eyes adjusted to the brightness. The Cooking Channel logo topped the single sheet and one short paragraph followed.
All remaining five finalists are to meet in Sound Stage C at ten o’clock a.m. Wear interview appropriate attire. You’ve been honing your culinary ability, personality, and TV skills, now it’s time to share what you’ve learned with America!
Ella read the brief paragraph again and cringed. She tried to decipher the cryptic message. Dress for interviews…Time to share with America…Her mind ran through a short list of possibilities, but she quickly gave it up. She’d already learned enough to know that just as soon as you think you’ve got the contest figured out, they go and throw you a curve ball. She could speculate about the what-if’s from now till whenever and still not guess the game plan. It was best to simply do as the fax instructed.
She’d dress in the only suit she’d brought along, force herself to eat a bowl of Raisin Bran downstairs, and then take a car to the studio. Then, and only then, would she allow her mind to run ahead and consider all the viable possibilities.
Piling her hair on top of her head, she secured it with a tortoise-shell clip. She toyed with the idea of leaving it down—loose, the way Luke liked it. But thoughts of Luke only made her sad so she stuck the clip in place and forgot about it.
Everyone except Torrie was already in the green room when Ella arrived at a quarter till ten. The others looked about as uneasy as she felt. Ben—dressed in pressed black Wranglers and a long-sleeved cowboy shirt—twirled a black Stetson in his hands.
“Did you get the fax?” He looked a little pale.
“Yep. Has anyone been down here yet to let us know anything?”
Henry shook his head. “Not a peep. They’re definitely keeping us in the dark on this one.” To emphasize his point, Henry played with the light switch, sending the room in and out of darkness. “Hey, I guess you’ve heard the one about the three Aggies and the light switch?”
With Deidra no longer there to quench Henry’s penchant for corny jokes, the rest of the finalists just let the bait lay in the still air between them. No one felt much like answering riddles. Neither did they feel like telling Henry to quit throwing them out there.
Henry shrugged as the door to the green room opened. Torrie walked in, looking like a million bucks. In a suit the exact shade of creamy taupe as her tanned skin, matching eel skin pumps and a hair do that could only have been done in a salon, she looked ready for the catwalk at one of the city’s prominent fashion houses.
“Morning!” Her smile included Ella, a big surprise after her frosty indifference from the day before. “Ready for the next challenge, people?”
Ben let out a low whistle. “Just what do you think this challenge is, Miss Torrie with an ‘ie’, that has you dressed to the nines?”
Torrie stuck out her tongue as she perched on the sofa next to him. She reached out and captured the Stetson from his hands. “I don’t know. Probably the same thing that has you outfitted in these fancy duds.”
Patty stood up and came to stand with Ella at the coffee service. “I…I’m not s…sure about th…this. What if I c…can’t do it?” With Ella’s encouragement Patty had begun to open up a bit more with the others. But she still came to Ella when she needed a boost of confidence.
Ella emptied a packet of Splenda into her coffee and stirred. Turning, she smiled at the woman who was fast becoming a real friend. “Pretend you’re in the kitchen, Patty. You don’t have a problem there, right? You’re brilliant, even in front of the cameras. Hey,” she shrugged, “that’s better than the rest of us on most days!”
Ben came and stood behind them. Ella smiled as he slipped a muscled arm around Patty’s shoulder. “You’re going to do great, Patty. We’re behind you.”
That was the funny thing about this entire crazy competition. With the exception of maybe Torrie, they were all in the same corner. Only one of them would walk away with their own restaurant, but until that point, they had each other’s backs. Ella hoped she’d be the winner; hoped her time away from Chloe hadn’t been for nothing. Still, no matter what happened during these last couple of challenges, she knew she’d be going home with new friends in her heart.
And didn’t that already make her a winner?
*****
The next challenge took them all by surprise.
At a quarter after ten that morning, they were finally summoned from the green room to the floor of Sound Stage C. Once again, the studio had undergone a makeover. This time it was set up for a press conference and the room was filled with reporters from all the major networks and newspapers. Ella recognized Shari Hart from Entertainment Now in the front row.
“It gives us great pleasure at this time to introduce the final five to you.” Nathan Charleton addressed the press. “They’ll tell you a little about themselves and then be available to answer your questions.” He gestured for Ella, who’d drawn first in this challenge. “Please give a big hand to Ella Paglia, from Milltown, Louisiana!”
Ella ran her tongue over her lips and tried to still the quivering in her stomach. She’d finally conquered some of her on-camera fears, but this challenge took things to a whole new level. Knowing her every word and move would be recorded for that evening’s slate of news and entertainment was sobering, to say the least.
Walking to the podium, she smiled at Nathan Charleton and paused for the brief kiss he placed on her cheek. “Good morning, thank you for coming.” Taking a deep breath, she delved into the short biographical narrative she’d had all of five minutes to organize. She told them about Chloe, about their life in Milltown, and of her desire to use this opportunity to show her small daughter that it is never too late in life to pursue your dreams.
A generous applause erupted at the end of her speech. Ella’s veins pulsed with relief that that part, at least, was now behind her. She smiled as Shari Hart raised a hand, signaling she had a question. The woman looked much smaller in person.
“Ms. Paglia, what has this experience taught you?”
“That’s easy.” She nodded. “I’m glad you asked that. I’ve not only gained invaluable insights into how much goes into making a food show, but I’ve also gained another resource. Friends.”
Ella pointed to the other four finalists, waiting for their turn in front of the press. “These people have become like an extended family to me. Their support and friendship have made this time away from home and from my daughter bearable.”
“Thank you, Ella.” Nathan Charleton smiled a dismissal and Ella thankfully exited the makeshift stage.
She slipped into a chair next to Patty, who promptly reached over and squeezed her hand.
“…Torrie Tyler, from Mobile, Alabama!”
Torrie rose from her chair with the grace of a Greek goddess and somehow—though Ella certainly didn’t know how in those six-inch stilettos—model-walked to the podium.
“Thank you.” She flashed a zillion-watt smile then turned to the side, glancing over her shoulder with a sultry pout. “That’s Torrie, with an ‘ie’.”
Ella resisted the urge to laugh, and just shook her head.
“Hey,” Ben leaned forward and whispered, “She’s doing that Paris Shelton thing, isn’t she? I’m gonna pass plumb out if she pulls a stinking Chihuahua named Stinkerbell out of that bag of hers!”
“That’d be…hot!” Henry slapped his thigh and howled at his own imitation.
“Sh!” Ella grinned and winked at Patty. The truth was it did seem as though Torrie was interviewing at the end of a red carpet rather than on behalf of The Cooking Channel. It was all quite entertaining. No doubt it would be Torrie’s photo that made the front page entertainment section of the Gazette.
“Ms. Tyler,” A reporter in the back stood and raised his hand high in the air. “Ms. Paglia has already told us how she feels about the other finalists. She considers them her friends. Do you agree? Or are there some secret rivalries you’d like to share?”
A slim finger of apprehension poked Ella in the ribs as Torrie leveled a frosty gaze straight in her direction. What was the girl going to do? Or say? Ella sucked in a deep breath, holding it as she waited to see.
“Well, they’re lovely people.” Torrie gave a demur nod. “But we’re all here to win. And some of us…well, some of us are willing to go to…shall we say, great lengths, to win.”
Immediately there was a rising crescendo as reporters leaped to their feet. Everyone wanted this on tape. They wanted details, names. Torrie had hand-fed them hints of scandal. Now they were like hungry dogs, sniffing around her feet for more.
Torrie struck another pose as the cameras panned in, flashbulbs going off in rapid fire motion. Then utter and complete silence as she opened her pink lips to speak.
“One of us—and I’m afraid I’m not at liberty to say who—is not afraid to do whatever she must to win small favors.”
Ella froze as Torrie’s icy blue eyes zeroed in on her. “Evidently dating a camera man earns you extra points around here.”
Chapter Eighteen
Luke’s first instinct was to shut the camera off.
But even if he did, he knew there were thirty other cameras still recording every word—every antic—this pathetic creature of a girl was tossing out. Indignation flamed inside his gut as Torrie Tyler’s words boomeranged inside his head. The nerve of that gal, what did she think she was doing? Could she be so dense to think this would help her standing in the competition?
“Keep rolling, man.” Kurt’s voice crackled through Luke’s headset.
Luke’s jaw throbbed from clenching his teeth too tightly. “Copy that.”
Sound Stage C was a motion of activity. Reporters pushed to the front, mini-recorders held high, cell phone cameras angled to catch every sultry syllable out of Torrie’s mouth. Cameramen from the various newspapers crouched in a long line in front of the podium. Flashbulbs popped every couple of seconds, each one of them sending Torrie Tyler’s little escapade that much further into the public eye.
Luke felt sick to his stomach.
Not for himself. He could care less what the ramifications of this press conference might hold for him. His nose was clean; he’d made sure not to put Ella at risk before he’d ever approached her for the first time.
He worried about Ella.
From his position behind his camera, he couldn’t see her. But his heart felt her pain, the inevitable embarrassment she must be feeling. In spite of the revelations of the past twenty-four hours and the realization that his feelings for Ella might never be reciprocated, Luke’s heart and head wanted only the same thing. To be at her side.
The only good thing he could say in Torrie’s favor right now was that at least she’d refrained from naming names. With any luck—and with a whole lot of damage control—maybe the incident would pass without Ella being placed on the front burner.
Luke zoomed in tight on Torrie as she leaned toward the microphone again. Out of nowhere, it seemed, there appeared two people on either side of her. Luke recognized them as network honchos—Anita Garber and Fred Zanderfeld. He watched in amazement as Anita took Torrie’s arm and whispered something in her ear before leading her off the stage. Fred took the podium, thanked everyone for coming, and abruptly called an end to the press conference.
Luke waited for the countdown from the control booth, anxious to shut down filming and find out how Ella was. All he wanted right now was to pull her close and hold her head against his chest. He fidgeted. Was it a curse to have such strong feelings for a woman who obviously didn’t return them? It sure felt like one.
Two things were clear to Luke. One, he loved Ella Paglia. God help him, it might make him a crazy man, but he did. Two, as much as he wanted to simply walk away from this and give Ella all the space she wanted, the protectiveness he felt toward her dictated that he seek her out and make sure she was okay. If it meant his heart would take another trampling if she refused to speak to him, then so be it. Laying his head down in peace at night was something Luke strove for each day. He’d never be able to do that tonight if he knew he’d left Ella to face the wolves of this industry alone.
“…three…two…one. You’re outta there, Luke.”
Finally. Luke shut the camera off, pulled out the disk, and ran it up to the control booth. Three other camera men were there ahead of him. The small space fairly hummed with the rarely seen version of male gossip.
“Who was she talking about down there, huh?” One of the newer guys unwrapped a stick of gum and stuck it in his mouth. “And who’s the camera man she outted?”
Luke considered telling the guy that no one had been “outted” since he obviously knew no names. He decided it wasn’t worth the effort. The quieter he stayed about the whole mess, the better off he’d be.
Ernie leaned against Kurt’s desk and leveled a gaze at him. Luke wondered if Ernie expected him to admit that he was the one who’d been seeing one of the finalists. That would release the other guys from being put on the hot seat in all this, a fact he’d just now considered. Luke raised an eyebrow, but Ernie shook his head slightly and narrowed his eyes.
“Guys, unless the network comes forward with any questions, I think we’d better just let this one go.” Ernie stood and clapped the new guy on the back. “It’s none of our business anyway, right?”
New guy popped his gum. “Right, but man, I just wanted to congratulate the guy, whoever he is. It had to be that hot chick, Ella! I mean, who else is there—Pixie Patty? Yeah, right, like she’s a possibility…”
Luke started forward, his right hand folding into a tight fist. Kurt was on his feet in a flash, neatly stepping between Luke and his intended target. Ernie clapped the guy’s shoulder again and motioned them all toward the door.
“Let’s get out of here. Kurt’s got work to do, don’t you, buddy?”
Kurt grinned. “There’s always work.” He glanced at his watch. “Take an early lunch, guys. Be back by two. And expect a late night. We’ll have to edit today’s tapes and see what the network wants to save from this fiasco.”
*****
Ella’s cheeks burned.
Even now, an hour after Torrie was led off camera, Ella battled the humiliation those brief few moments incurred. She didn’t know if she felt anger or embarrassment, or, more likely, a mixture of both. She only knew she’d never felt more alone. Even after Stephen’s death she’d had Reggie and Chloe. With them now over a thousand miles away, Ella felt like an island—lost and remote from the rest of the world.
With one exception. If Torrie’s little spiel yielded the desired effect, Ella would no longer be invisible to the rest of the world. Her name would make headlines in every tabloid out there. Photos of her would crop up from seemingly nowhere. Ella had read enough People and seen enough Entertainment Now to know how these things worked. The paparazzi would have a high school picture of her plastered in their rag before she could blink twice.
“Are you o…okay?” Patty sat next to her on the sofa. The four finalists sat in the green room, waiting for Nathan Charleton to let them know what to do next. Patty reached out now and clasped Ella’s hand.
Ella nodded, but didn’t meet the woman’s eyes. How could she look at Patty? Patty had to have made the connection. The two of them were the only females left in the competition. Obviously Patty knew Torrie wasn’t talking about her, so that left one person.
Patty knew Ella had gone out with one of the cameramen.
Ben lounged in an overstuffed chair across from them, his black Stetson balanced on one knee. “Torrie had no business pulling a stunt like that.” He ran his fingers through his tousled hair. “I thought the gal had more class than that.”
“Me too.” For once Henry seemed at a loss for jokes. Or maybe he just had more control over the corny joke department than they’d given him credit for. He leaned forward now and anchored his elbows on his knees. “It’s just us now. The Four Musketeers, together till the end.” He held out a fist. “One for all?”
Ben grinned and laid a fist on top of Henry’s. Patty followed suit, giving Ella a reassuring glance. Ella placed her fist on top of Patty’s. “And all for one.”
Thirty minutes later, Ella was thankful for their support as she sat stiff and upright in an upholstered chair in Fred Zanderfeld’s third-floor office. Nathan Charleton had already met with the four of them, informing them of Torrie’s imminent departure. Evidently she’d breached the confidentiality agreement they’d all signed at the beginning of the competition. With zero tolerance for this type of infraction, Torrie was sent to the Radisson to pack her belongings for a return trip to Mobile.
Now they were meeting—one on one—with Fred Zanderfeld, the president of Dreamcaster Productions. A tall, thin stylish man, Fred Zanderfeld sat behind his desk and gazed at her over the rims of his small silver reading glasses. His gray eyes—though they seemed kind enough—gave no indication as to what he was about to say to her. Ella tried not to fidget as she waited for him to say something. Anything.
“Can I have my secretary bring you anything? Coffee, a cup of tea?”
A valium, please? “No, thank you,” she smiled.
“Very well.” He pushed his glasses to the top of his head and leaned forward over the desk. “I’m very sorry for this inconvenience. It is the network’s intention to make sure that full restitution is made to the remaining four finalists. Yourself included, of course.”
Huh? “Thank you, sir.” Ella nodded. When was he going to ask her about Luke?
“I’ll be issuing a full statement to the press later this afternoon.” He flattened his palms on the desk as though he were examining his nails. Nails that were in better shape than her own, Ella noticed. “This should dispel all gossip and put an end to future stories.”
Ella held her breath, almost afraid to believe her ears.
“This has been a most unfortunate incident. One the network deeply regrets. However,” he pulled out a nail file and ran it a couple of times over the nail of his right index finger, “we fully support Restaurant 101. There’s absolutely no reason why this competition shouldn’t proceed as planned.”
Fred Zanderfeld replaced the nail file with meticulous care, rose from his chair, and reached across the desk for her hand. “Ms. Paglia, I wish you the best in this competition. May the best chef…I don’t know…stay in the kitchen!” He chuckled at his own stab at humor.
“Thank you, sir.” Ella shook his hand vigorously, more to disguise the shaking of her own knees rather than sheer enthusiasm.
Free Fiction Fridays, Staci Wilder books, writing
October 6, 2010 @ 8:31 am | Filed under: Pure Sunshine,Soul Food
October gave a party;
The leaves by hundreds came -
The Chestnuts, Oaks, and Maples,
And leaves of every name.
The Sunshine spread a carpet,
And everything was grand,
Miss Weather led the dancing,
Professor Wind the band.
~George Cooper, “October’s Party”
_______________________________________
I would say that autumn is my very favorite time of year. Except that I know me and I know that come April, I will be jonesing the Spring breeze every bit as much as I am relishing the fall ones right now.
I think it’s the distinct change in seasons that I crave, those few days when you can throw open the doors and the windows and welcome nature to come inside and mingle for a while. For me, it’s a sacred communing. It feeds my soul, and I find inspiration and a fresh zest for life when I take a few minutes to breathe in the beauty in the change.
That happened around here last week. Unfortunately, when I was through “breathing it in,” I no longer had the luxury of time to write about it. School is slamming me right now, but in the big midst of a research paper on the disciplines of English, and locating subtext in children’s picture books, and in learning all the laws and by-laws of special education in the state of Texas, trust me – I am absorbing the beauty of Fall 2010.
And I’m allowing it to spill itself into the spaces where we live…
Where we gather.
And into our kitchen.
We welcome you, Fall! Feel free to stay around a while.
