Wheelsy AU ~ Hollywood Nights

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The airport was crowded an d bustling with tourists, the sunlight outside pooling through the plate glass windows like honey. Starla didn't mind the wait. Security meant she could meet him off the plane, but she could stake out the baggage claim where he was suppose to come out!

She was dressed simply in a blue sundress and sandals, nothing fancy, that was for late tonight at the premier. For now she was just a country girl waiting for a country boy and hoping he hadn't managed to get himself lost in the bowels of the airport.

Comments

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"Isn't my job to be helpful." She snorted helpfully. "When have I ever made your life easier Bill? Tell me once! You're the steady one!"

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Bill made a show of thinking about it, and shook his head.

"Not once that I can recall."

He grinned, then held up a finger.

"Oh, except of course for the time y'helped me pass algebra. An' the once when y'helped me with my science project. An' of course you kept the seat next t'me warm on every grade school field trip we went on."

His grin turned into a warm smile, and then he turned his head as the waitress returned to take their order.

Bill put in for the chicken fried steak and mashed potatoes, and, reluctantly, included the veggie medley with his order.

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She opted for the fish bake and chicken ceasar salad, and an order of veggie medley just to show some moral support. "Pure self interest Bill! If I didn't sit next to you I had to sit next to Carny the Cannonball." being as how he was next in alphabetical order, which was the default seating arrangement.

"And it was our science project, I needed a good grade too. And Algebra was a freeby so you'd stay in the same grade with me and remain a nice screen against CC." Lying through her teeth but hey, it was funny!

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"So you never did any of it just 'cause you liked me?"

He didn't realize the weight his words carried until he'd already tossed them off. Trying to glide past it, he gave a laugh.

"Just for that I oughta give ol' CC your number now."

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"Would I have asked someone I didn't like to be my bodyguard in Cali?" She asked simply. "I just also had ulterior motives!" She could support this! She could! And yes, she did miss the weight in those words.

"Well, I happen to know CC grew up into a decent man, works as an engineer, has three kids and a lovely wife. I was part of the alumni committee after all and he couldn't come to reunion because his kid had appendicitis."

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He'd sidestepped one there, and he quickly picked up the banter to keep it that way.

"An' what's your ulterior motive for bringing me here now?"

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"Same it's always been Bill, bodyguard." She grinned cheerfully. What? That had always been her stated reason for getting him to California! "It's my premier after all."

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"Thatt mean I should get myself a funny little ear piece and some shades?"

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"You'd look good in the right set of shades," she mused, looking him over. "But an ear piece would drive you nuts, and you'd probably manage to pick up baby monitors."

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"You think so?" He grinned, then lifted his arms back off the table as the waitress arrived with their order.

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"Yes, I do. After all, you managed to get the precinct headset picking up afternoon soaps when you helped fix it remember? Baby monitors would be a snap!" And just as accidental, but hey!

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He was actually asking about looking good in shades, but ran with the headset thing to keep from embarrassing himself.

"It's a gift, what can I say? I even got ESPN on the microwave once," he joked, giving her a grin.

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Well, that would verge into beauty tips and really, what guy was comfortable with that? It was for his own good!

"Bill, if ya'll ain't careful you'll get the networkin' hitmen after you. Tuning in on modified appliances is nothin to dabble in!"

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"Please. I don't even own a computer. They'd spend five minutes with me an' go away laughin' at how technologically inept I am."

Bill is not a high-tech guy, as is evidenced by his answering machine. Strange things may happen, but it's by no masterminding on his part.

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"Yes, go away laughin, until you manage to hook into their private preview channel with a walky talky and a reflective puddle..." She snorted and started in on her chicken. "Them execs are mean Bill."

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Bill carved into his chicken fried, steak, chuckling at Starla's words until a thought made him pause.

"Mean, huh? You have any trouble with anyone while you been out here, Starla?"

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"Trouble? No!" She blinked. "Just the privacy clauses I had to sign go up to my chin I swear! No leaking to the media, no leaking scripts, no talking to people who serve coffee to other studios and it goes on!"

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He studied her, just to make sure she wasn't holding anything back, then chuckled and shook his head.

"Now y'know how I feel. Some days I got paperwork up to my eyeballs."

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"Yeah, but you're usually sittin down when you take that measurement! I was standin!" She stuck her tongue out at him as a matter of course and then started on her salad.

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"Hey, I'm on my feet all day, I think I should be allowed t'sit when it gets to the paperwork part."

He laughed at her gesture, then tucked into his food. The steak and potatoes were eaten with gusto, the vegetables... were picked at.

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"You don't get to order dessert unless you finish." She knew how to play dirty! "And no hidin under your napkin neither." She'd also taught gradeshcool boys.

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"What? Aww, c'mon."

He pouted, and poked at a piece of broccoli.

"That's mean."

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"It's also true." She ate her own veggies easily and without fuss. Amazingly like a grownup in fact. "I can be incredibly mean when I need to be after all."

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Bill made an unhappy face, but set to work on the veggies.

"An' here I thought we were friends."

Despite all his complaining, he really didn't suffer all that much through the vegetables. The restaurant had cooked them up right, so they weren't actually that bad.

Setting his fork down after the last green thing was gone from his plate, he leaned back in his seat and drained the last of his Coke.

"Alright, now what kind of desserts does this place have?"

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"Friends don't let friends miss out on necessary vitamins no matter how stubborn they are." She sniffed and set her fork aside. She'd take the last bits of fish and salad home, and yes, it was the portion sizes, not her starving herself or anything!

"I don't know. Probably milkshakes at least?"