but the mayor of Orinda is under the impression that I’m scheduled to meet with him this afternoon, although I would have sworn that meeting was tomorrow. But that’s politics for you. No one’s ever on the same page.”
“Totally understand.” I stuffed my notebook in my purse as he escorted me out of his office. Johnny was sitting at a desk right outside the door, clicking off his computer. “Did you have a good interview?”
“It was fine,” Fitzgerald said a bit too quickly. “Are you leaving for the day, Keyes?”
“I was going to, but if you need me to stay, I can. I don’t mind staying.”
“No, you go enjoy your evening,” Fitzgerald said. “Perhaps you can escort Ms. Katz to her car.”
“Sure thing, boss!” Johnny looked a little too excited about the task.
“Wonderful. Ms. Katz—” Fitzgerald turned to me one last time “—it’s been a pleasure.”
Fitzgerald disappeared back into his office, leaving me in Johnny’s incapable hands. I took one look at his dippy grin and started booking it toward the elevator. “You don’t need to escort me to my car,” I said over my shoulder as Johnny struggled to keep up with me. “It’s really not necessary.”
“I insist!” Johnny said. He jumped onto the elevator with me and eagerly pressed the button that would bring us to the ground floor. “That interview was shorter than I expected.”
“I had thought it was going to be longer, but as it turns out Fitzgerald forgot about an appointment with the mayor of Orinda.”
“The mayor of Orinda? He doesn’t have an appointment with him today.”
“Apparently the mayor wrote down the wrong date.” The elevator doors opened and I started race-walking toward my car.
“But I’m the one who confirms Fitzgerald’s appointments, and I don’t know anything about any appointment with the Orinda mayor today or even this month.” Johnny’s voice was getting a little panicky. “I couldn’t have forgotten something that important. Oh, jeez, what if I did? No wonder Fitzgerald looked kind of mad when he came out of the office. What if I messed up? I’ll be in so much trouble!”
“I guess you might be,” I said, not really caring. We had reached my car and I was desperately fishing for my keys.
“You want to join me for my dinner plans tonight?”
“No.” I knew it was rude to be so blunt, but clearly Johnny wasn’t good at picking up on subtlety.
“How come?”
Subtlety definitely wasn’t his thing. “Look, Johnny, you seem like a really nice guy but…”
“I’m actually meeting Rick Wilkes for dinner at Max’s Opera Café in Frisco and was hoping you could join us! You know, the one on Van Ness. He’s taking me out for my birthday—it was my birthday yesterday. Maybe you could bring your friend Mary Ann. I think Rick really liked her.”
“You’re meeting Rick Wilkes?” This could be helpful. I needed to talk to Rick, and if I could get him in a social setting (other than a funeral) he might be a little more chatty than if I set up a formal interview. “What time’s dinner?”
Johnny beamed. “Six-thirty. Do you think Mary Ann will come? Rick would really like that.”
“I’ll give her a call,” I promised. “Nice of you to invite us to your birthday dinner,” I added. “Especially since we’re all just friends. ”
“No problem, it’ll be fun!” He looked down at his watch. “I guess I should let you go. I want to change before dinner. I want to look good for you, my new lady friend.” He winked at me before turning and heading off in the opposite direction.
Ew. I always attracted the winners.
I called Mary Ann on my way back to the city and she quickly agreed to dinner. I had a feeling that she was as interested in Rick as he was in her, which surprised me a little. Men were always asking Mary Ann out but she rarely said yes. Despite her naiveté she was pretty discerning when it came to the opposite sex.
Getting back to the city took
“Totally understand.” I stuffed my notebook in my purse as he escorted me out of his office. Johnny was sitting at a desk right outside the door, clicking off his computer. “Did you have a good interview?”
“It was fine,” Fitzgerald said a bit too quickly. “Are you leaving for the day, Keyes?”
“I was going to, but if you need me to stay, I can. I don’t mind staying.”
“No, you go enjoy your evening,” Fitzgerald said. “Perhaps you can escort Ms. Katz to her car.”
“Sure thing, boss!” Johnny looked a little too excited about the task.
“Wonderful. Ms. Katz—” Fitzgerald turned to me one last time “—it’s been a pleasure.”
Fitzgerald disappeared back into his office, leaving me in Johnny’s incapable hands. I took one look at his dippy grin and started booking it toward the elevator. “You don’t need to escort me to my car,” I said over my shoulder as Johnny struggled to keep up with me. “It’s really not necessary.”
“I insist!” Johnny said. He jumped onto the elevator with me and eagerly pressed the button that would bring us to the ground floor. “That interview was shorter than I expected.”
“I had thought it was going to be longer, but as it turns out Fitzgerald forgot about an appointment with the mayor of Orinda.”
“The mayor of Orinda? He doesn’t have an appointment with him today.”
“Apparently the mayor wrote down the wrong date.” The elevator doors opened and I started race-walking toward my car.
“But I’m the one who confirms Fitzgerald’s appointments, and I don’t know anything about any appointment with the Orinda mayor today or even this month.” Johnny’s voice was getting a little panicky. “I couldn’t have forgotten something that important. Oh, jeez, what if I did? No wonder Fitzgerald looked kind of mad when he came out of the office. What if I messed up? I’ll be in so much trouble!”
“I guess you might be,” I said, not really caring. We had reached my car and I was desperately fishing for my keys.
“You want to join me for my dinner plans tonight?”
“No.” I knew it was rude to be so blunt, but clearly Johnny wasn’t good at picking up on subtlety.
“How come?”
Subtlety definitely wasn’t his thing. “Look, Johnny, you seem like a really nice guy but…”
“I’m actually meeting Rick Wilkes for dinner at Max’s Opera Café in Frisco and was hoping you could join us! You know, the one on Van Ness. He’s taking me out for my birthday—it was my birthday yesterday. Maybe you could bring your friend Mary Ann. I think Rick really liked her.”
“You’re meeting Rick Wilkes?” This could be helpful. I needed to talk to Rick, and if I could get him in a social setting (other than a funeral) he might be a little more chatty than if I set up a formal interview. “What time’s dinner?”
Johnny beamed. “Six-thirty. Do you think Mary Ann will come? Rick would really like that.”
“I’ll give her a call,” I promised. “Nice of you to invite us to your birthday dinner,” I added. “Especially since we’re all just friends. ”
“No problem, it’ll be fun!” He looked down at his watch. “I guess I should let you go. I want to change before dinner. I want to look good for you, my new lady friend.” He winked at me before turning and heading off in the opposite direction.
Ew. I always attracted the winners.
I called Mary Ann on my way back to the city and she quickly agreed to dinner. I had a feeling that she was as interested in Rick as he was in her, which surprised me a little. Men were always asking Mary Ann out but she rarely said yes. Despite her naiveté she was pretty discerning when it came to the opposite sex.
Getting back to the city took
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