When we got off the bus, Cassidy spotted a sign for a 50-minute historical walking tour of
The walk reminded me of my time in Cuba. All the old buildings, people strolling around the plaza, and the ancient church made you feel like you’d stepped back in time. It was a nice walk-around, and the gal giving the tour was witty and knew her stuff. We all had a good time.
I noticed that Wolf and Sarah were holding hands, and I hoped they’d worked out whatever had been the problem between them.
One of the highlights was a tour of the Avila Adobe, which was built in 1818 and was the oldest surviving residence in LA. The adobe home had three-foot-thick walls and was built by a wealthy cattle rancher. Another highlight was a tour of the Old Plaza Firehouse, constructed in 1884. We also discovered that a portion of the area was the location of the original Chinatown.
After the tour, the girls wanted to hit Olvera Street and shop. Tim, Wolf, and I decided the smell of tacos and taquitos was too much of a temptation to pass up. Street food always made me a little nervous, but the line at the food cart was long, so I figured it probably wouldn’t kill us.
My usual sidekick, Manaia, had gone with the girls. I wasn’t surprised when Cassidy ordered as much food as the three of us. I was even less surprised when I had to pay for hers. Someone forgot to bring any money. Why should she when I was around?
We found a pleasant table under a tree where we proceeded to eat and spend some quality guy-time.
“Who should we invite to the party?” Wolf asked.
I’d almost forgotten they wanted to have one.
“When did you want to do it?” I asked.
“Friday night. We’re all leaving Saturday,” Tim reminded me.
“Did you like the people I invited for the boat trip?” I asked.
“What was up with that chick that grabbed my package?” Tim asked.
I hadn’t known she’d done that.
“She’s a friend of Isabel’s. I met her one other time, and she did that check on all the guys at the party. Did she do it to the Japanese group?” I asked.
“Uh, yeah! I thought they were going to faint,” Wolf said. “I vote you invite her.”
“Frick. I’m going to have to do some serious damage control when I get back to the set on Sunday. I think they were a little shocked that Brook and I spent time together,” I shared.
“Is Halle into Ben?” Cassidy asked.
“Invite them both, and Isabel. That’s a train wreck waiting to happen,” Wolf predicted.
Again, frick! If the guys realized that Halle and Ben had a thing for each other, it was only a matter of time before Isabel figured it out. What was that Polish proverb? Not my circus, not my monkeys.
I’d warned Halle twice, but she would do whatever she wanted. I’d been a friend and tried to warn her off. If she ended up sleeping with Ben, she was a big girl and could face the consequences.
“What about my castmates in the J-drama?” I asked to change the subject.
“The younger ones were fun,” Cassidy said.
“Yeah, I liked them, and they really appreciate you showing them around,” Tim shared.
It sounded like my friends had made an effort to meet people at the party.
“I have to warn you, if we do have a party, some of the neighbors will probably show up. Be careful of Teresa’s mom, Paulina. She’s a lonely trophy wife who is trouble with a capital ‘T,’” I said.
“Is she the one who seduced Ian?” Cassidy asked, and then her eyes got big when both Wolf and Tim looked at her. “Shit, forget I said that.”
Once again, frick!
“Ian, as in Brook’s dad?” Tim asked.
“Seriously, if I hear that you two talked about this, I will break some bones,” Cassidy warned.
We all looked at her with a touch of fear. I’d never seen her so grim. I had to agree with her that Brook would be mortified to discover that anyone else was aware of her parents’ problems and what had caused them.
“Are Ava and Ian okay?” Tim asked.
I took a deep breath and shook my head ‘no.’
“That sucks,” Wolf said. “You can count on us to keep it quiet. I wouldn’t want something like this talked about if my parents were having problems.”
“Yeah. I’m just sorry that Brook’s having to go through this. She’s lucky to have you and Cassidy there for her,” Tim said.
We got quiet for a minute, then my phone rang. It was my dad. We caught up about what had been going on for the last couple of days, and he reminded me that I hadn’t called my mom. I promised I would do that later.
“Are Tim and Wolf there with you?” Dad asked.
“Yeah, and Cassidy,” I told him.
“Put me on speaker,” he ordered.
“Hey, Mr. Dawson,” Tim said.
“I called to update David about the money you all received from Southwest Central State.”
“Did the FBI and NCAA get notified?” I asked.
