standard disclaimer applies. it's not mine & i'm not making any profit.


Chapter 9

"Let's go, Link," his father called from downstairs. Link checked his appearance in his mirrors once more. He was wearing his favorite suit, a medium blue-gray two-button he had had personally tailored after his two year anniversary of being on the Corny Collins show. He had decided on a medium blue tie, and his nicest black wingtips. Ducking back into his bathroom he shellacked his hair into position with hairspray once more, then hurried down the stairs to where his father was holding the door open.

After he had told his father excitedly about his upcoming meeting with Anna Harrison on Monday night, the man had insisted upon driving Link to DC himself. "You may be almost out of high school, but you're still under 18 - so you'll need me there to sign the contract. And you're still my son, Link. I don't want any of those hollywood-types trying to take advantage of you." Link had tried to protest, explaining how nice Anna was and that she liked him for his morals, not in spite of them, and that he could bring the paperwork home for him to sign - but his father had insisted.

Link liked his father - he did - he just wasn't that used to spending time with him. He could appreciate that his dad was finally taking an interest in his career, but was a little miffed at having this interjection of parental authority when he felt like he should be breaking out of his life as a kid. But, there was one especially nice result of his father taking him, and that was that since it was now a 'chaperoned' outing, Tracy's parents had agreed to let her come with them.

Link wasn't sure whether or not his dad knew quite who Tracy was. He knew he'd seen the show once or twice, but didn't know if he'd seen it recently, or even if he had if he would remember who Tracy was.

"Dad?" he asked.

"Yes?"

"Uh, have you seen the show recently? In the last month or so?" he asked, glancing at his father.

"No. I haven't been home from the office in time to catch it, I'm sorry."

"Oh," Link said. He knew his father was polite, but he still thought maybe he should warn him about what the Turnblads were like. "Because Tracy got on the show around then."

"Hmm," his father said, non-commitally. They were about half-way to Tracy's house now.

"Just, Dad, you should know... Tracy's not like Amber."

"Well, that's good. I always thought Amber was a bit snotty, no offense."

"Oh, none taken, she was snotty. And mean." He made a face, thinking momentarily about how unhappy he'd been with Amber compared to Tracy. Being with Tracy was always fun and easy, never forced or constrained by trying to act like the perfect 'it' couple. "But Tracy's really different. She acts different and talks different and looks different. She's really sweet, and she... well, she means a lot to me, Dad."

"Okay, son." Link's father looked at him for a second before turning back to the road. "You haven't been dating her that long, have you?"

"No. Just a little over a week. But she makes me really happy. Even if she's a bit different." He looked at his father, willing him to understand. "And her family's a little different, too."

His father glanced at him again without turning his head, a little frown pulling the corners of his mouth down. "She's..." he paused. "She's not a negro girl, is she Link? I know they're dancing on the show now, and I'm okay with that, but things could be difficult for you.... I'm not sure how I'd feel about you dating a colored girl."

"No, dad," Link said, a little stunned, "she's white. She's just not like the other girls that I've dated."

"Well, okay then."

They descended into an awkward silence then that held until Link directed his father to the street where Tracy lived and told him to park in front of the Hardy-Har-Hut.

"You'd better come inside, Dad. She said her parents wanted to meet you."

The Larkin men exited the car and Link led the way up onto Tracy's stoop, knocking four times before standing back. His father was standing down one step from Link with his hands folded behind his back, regarding the house and the joke shop connected to it. Link hoped his father didn't suddenly choose this moment to become a snob, but he wasn't too worried.

Tracy appeared at the door then, in a magenta-colored dress he'd never seen her wear before, but could assume she had acquired during her and Penny's end-of-school/beginning-of-summer shopping trip that had left him bereft of her company last Thursday. It flared out a bit from her hips, landing just below her knees, and had bows on the scooped collar, mid-length sleeves, and on the band beneath her bust. It looked like light and comfortable enough fabric for the warm day, but modest enough to impress a father, and more-importantly, made her look even more adorable than usual.

"Hi, Link!" she said with a smile, before turning to greet his father, "Good Morning, Mr. Larkin."

"Dad, this is Tracy Turnblad," he said, facing his dad before turning back to Tracy, "and Tracy, this is my father, Charles Larkin." Tracy held out her hand to shake his, but his father lifted the back of it and folded it over his own, cupping it with his other hand.

"It's lovely to meet you, Miss Turnblad. I hear you make Link here very happy." Link's eyebrows rose and he threw a quick glare at his father, who merely smiled at him and Tracy for a moment before releasing her hand.

"Thanks, Mr. Larkin. I'm trying to, at least," she said, blushing a bit and smiling at his father. "Won't you both come in? My Ma's just finishing up some laundry downstairs, then she'll be right up." She led them both into the living room where her father was sitting reading the paper. He stood up when they walked in.

"Dad, this is Mr. Charles Larkin. Mr. Larkin, this is my dad, Wilbur." They shook hands and Link was pleased that his father's eyes didn't linger on the eccentrically large red bow tie Wilbur was wearing with his light summer shirt.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, sir," Wilbur said jovially. "My wife's just hanging some laundry downstairs. She runs a little laundry business to keep her occupied, and I run the joke shop downstairs. You should come in any time, I'll give you a discount for raising such a fine young man, here," he said, clasping a hand on Link's shoulder.

Link's father smiled and nodded, but didn't say anything for a moment. Choosing to ignore the invitation to the joke shop, he finally decided to focus on Link. "Yes, I'm quite proud of him, taking his career into his own hands. I wasn't sure how the singing and dancing were going to work out, but it does seem like he's taking it in a serious direction, and I can appreciate that." He looked at Tracy for a moment. "And I hear your daughter's a new addition to the show?"

Wilbur put an arm around Tracy. "Tracy just wouldn't rest until she got on that show. About time, if you ask me - our little bundle of sunshine just never stops dancin'." Tracy looked down, but then snapped her head back up quickly as her mother the room from behind them. The three men turned to greet her, and Link was pleased when his father's eyes only gave an almost imperceptibly small widening before he quirked his eyebrows together in acceptance and extended his hand.

"Mrs. Turnblad. I'm Link's father Charles. It's lovely to meet you. I see where Tracy gets her lovely smile from."

Edna set down her basket and quickly shook his hand, bashfully covering her mouth with the other hand. "Well, thank-you, Mr. Larkin," she said, giggling a bit. "You've certainly raised a polite young man. We loved gettin' to visit with Link when he came over for supper last week. Such nice manners! You must be so proud of him! And goin' to Washington to meet with a real agent!"

His dad clasped a hand on his shoulder and squeezed lightly, making Link turn to look at him. His father's blue eyes, the mirrors of his own, were soft and serious as they looked at Link. "I certainly am, Mrs. Turnblad. He's turned out better than I could have hoped." Link quirked one side of his mouth up, a bit moved by the compliment even though it sounded like normal parent approbations.

"We're planning on driving till we reach DC, then stopping for a quick lunch before Link's meeting at two. I don't think we'll be back later than six or seven," Link's father said, turning back to Tracy's parents. "I'm glad Tracy will be coming with us. It'll nice for Link to have some support there with him besides me."

Tracy grabbed Link's hand for a moment and gave it a squeeze, looking up at him. Link squeezed back, then looked up to catch Wilbur smirking at their gesture. He flashed his electric bow-tie once at Link and raised his eyebrows quickly before extending his hand once more.

"Well Link, I certainly hope it all goes well for you. I'm sure it will. Nice young man like yourself is sure to go far," Wilbur finished as he extended a hand to lead them back to the front door.

"Oh, me too, hon! We'll be rooting for you while you're in your meeting," Edna piped in and followed them as Link's father led them out towards the car. Tracy ran to grab her purse from her room and joined them at the front door.

"Alright, hon, you be safe! And listen to Mr. Larkin! And have a good time!"

Tracy hugged her mom quickly. "I will, Ma. Don't worry." Then she turned and grabbed Link's hand, pulling him towards the car and turning to wave to her parents before she got into the back seat with Link. "Sorry about that," she said quickly, before his dad got in the front seat, but Link only squeezed her hand quickly to let her know it was fine.

The ride was uneventful, and only mildly awkward. Link and Tracy sat in the back holding hands, or with Link's arm around her, and they occasionally tried to make small talk with his father. Towards the end of the trip, Link finally convinced his father to tune the radio to a better station, then he and Tracy nodded happily to the music in the back.

They stopped to have lunch at a small diner once they got into D.C., and Link's father started asking questions.

"So, Link, what are you planning on telling this agent-person?"

"Her name is Anna Harrison, Dad. And she's really very nice."

"I'm sure. But I don't want you having to cut school anymore than you already do for the show. Only weekends and after school for .... whatever it is you'll be doing. And your grades better not drop, Link, I mean it." Link suppressed the urge to roll his eyes at his father. Link's report card seemed to be the only way his father gauged how Link was doing. He knew very little about his son's life, but seemed to think that as long as he was getting As and Bs, he must be fine. It was frustrating, especially knowing that good grades probably weren't going to matter much in the world of show business, and he might be spending his time much better if Anna was able to find opportunities for him.

But he knew his father wouldn't ever see it like that, so he swallowed his protests and muttered a quick "yes, sir" before finishing his hamburger.

"Well, but he has plenty of time during the summer, right Link?" Tracy asked, turning to look at Link. "Maybe she'll have things for you before school starts."

Link's father nodded solemnly and Link smiled at Tracy, "Yeah, I hope so, babe."

They finished up lunch quickly, with Tracy trying to make polite small talk with his father a bit more; finding out where he worked and such. They left the diner a little after one, and headed downtown to the address listed on Ms. Harrison's card after asking their waitress for directions. They had to park a couple of blocks away, and the walk to the tallest building Link had ever been inside was as nerve-wracking an experience as the first time Link had gone on television. Tracy held Link's hand, hers vibrating in excitement and his a bit clammy from nervousness, and they found the name placard for the WDG Talent Agency listed on floor six. He started to walk in the revolving door, but Tracy's hand held him back.

"Wait a minute," she said, and reached for his other hand. She looked up into his eyes for a moment, before stepping back a step to do a quick perusal of his appearance. She deftly smoothed out a wrinkle his jacked had acquired from sitting at lunch - something she must have learned from her laundress mother that involved breathing on the fabric and holding it creased the other way for a moment, then circled him quickly brushing off any lint, and lastly pulled him down to her height and checked his hair for him, pulling out a tiny can of hairspray from her purse to lock it down once more. She put her hands on the sides of his neck and looked into his eyes. "There," she said, "you're perfect."

Link gave her a slightly lopsided smile, trying not to let his face reveal too many of his emotions. He was scared that something might go wrong - might have gone wrong - since he last talked to Ms. Harrison that might have made her decide not to sign him. He was excited, so excited, that he was really here - really starting his own show-biz career, on his way to making a name for himself beyond Baltimore and getting to live a dream that millions of guys his age would kill for. He was afraid that his father would butt in and try to get control of a situation that didn't concern him and that he really knew nothing about. He was glad Tracy was here with him, thankful to have someone by his side who really believed in him and his dreams. He wished he could have her in the meeting with him instead of his father, but knew that probably wasn't an option.

"Link," his father called, "come on, son. Let's go." He headed through the doors and Link and Tracy followed him.

Tracy held his arm as they rode up the elevator, beaming up at him, visibly trying to transfer as much confidence to him as she could.

They checked in with a woman behind a round desk, and only had to wait a moment before a younger woman in very high heels came from further back in the office to greet them.

She reached for Link's hand and shook it. "Hi, Mr. Larkin, I'm Ms. Harrison's assistant, Christy. Just follow me back, if you will, Ms. Harrison is waiting for you."

"Should my father come with me now, or would Ms. Harrison like to speak to me alone first?" Link asked, trying to give a very subtle head nod to let Christy know that's what he would prefer. Unfortunately, she didn't seem to get the hint.

"Oh, your father and sister are welcome to come back as well. This is a general meeting, and we're accustomed to younger talent being accompanied by their family." She walked away, leading them back towards Ms. Harrison's office. "Can I get you anything to drink? Water? Coffee? Some cokes?"

They reached a frosted glass door and Christy knocked softly before opening the door and ushering them inside. "Ms. Harrison, Link Larkin and his family are here." Christy turned to Tracy as Anna stood up from her desk to come greet them. "Miss Larkin, would you like to wait outside in our lounge, or would you rather stay with your brother for the meeting? They can get a bit tedious sometimes," she whispered conspiratorially. Link was about to correct her, conscious of Tracy's cheeks growing red in embarassment, but someone beat him to the punch.

"I would assume that the young lady would like to stay, Christy, as I rather doubt she is Mr. Larkin's sister," Ms. Harrison cut in, arching an eyebrow at her assistant for a moment before turning back to Tracy. "Miss ....?"

"Turnblad, Ms. Harrison, My name is Tracy Turnblad." Tracy said, smiling gratefully and giving a nervously little half-curtsey gesture.

"Miss Turnblad, of course. The Corny Collins' second brightest star, to be sure."

Christy had been tilting her head questioningly at Tracy, as if trying to figure her role in the meeting, but then raised her head in understanding at Anna's compliment. "I'm sorry, Anna, I had thought I was only making an appointment for Link - should I set up another agreement for Miss Turnblad?"

"Not at this time, Christy," Mrs. Harrison replied. "This meeting is only to discuss Mr. Larkin's future. I'm sure that Miss Turnblad is here primarily to be a supportive girlfriend, is that right?" she asked, to which Tracy readily nodded.

Christy's looked momentarily stunned, but quickly regained her composure. "Of course, Ms. Harrison. Let me know if you need anything." She quickly retreated from the office, shutting the door behind her.

Ms. Harrison introduced herself to Link's father and made small talk as they settled on to a couch and chairs that were set up next to her desk. The office wasn't overly large, but it was nicely decorated and had a large window next to the desk. There were a couple of largish plants on either side of the couch, and a modern-looking square coffee table between the seats.

"Please, call me Anna," Ms. Harrison insisted to his Father, before gathering some papers from her desk and settling into her seat.

Beside him, Tracy was pretending to be calm, but he could tell from the way her feet were pointedly turned in and the tension in her legs that she was anything but. Seeing her nerves actually helped calm his a bit, as if ratifying that 'yes,' this was a big exciting thing he was doing and the butterflies threatening to upend his lunch were not out of line. His father had settled into his seat and crossed his legs, but kept his hands relaxed on the arms of the chair. He looked very much the part of the impartial observer, for which Link was grateful.

Anna first gave them a quick run-down of the WDC Agency and its history, explaining that they were a smaller subsidiary of the William Morris Agency, which was more well known but often more exacting in their standards and rules of conduct. Since WDC wasn't as large, they had the opportunity of embracing the cultural changes sweeping the nation wholeheartedly - which was why she had been selected in lieu of one of the William Morris agents to attend the pageant after the march and protest against the station. She explained that being a smaller company affiliated with the William Morris powerhouse had lots of perks, as they could often borrow the network connections of their mother business. The only downside, she mentioned, was that occasionally they would get bullied out of more mainstream opportunities if someone in William Morris decided it was more ideal for their talent, as they could leverage their contract prices against the company stock to make a better offer to the client.

"Not to worry, though, Link," she said, reaching over to lightly pat his knee in a somewhat surprising motherly gesture, "WDC can provide you with more opportunities that you can probably take on while still in school. Your local fame in the Baltimore has provided you with that much at least, and your natural talent will carry you even further. And if there ever comes a time where you want to go to a bigger agency, I have no problem discussing your options with you and helping you decide what would be best. It's part of the reason I only start young clients out with a one-year contract, as at your age it's hard to know exactly what you'll want in a couple of years." Link didn't miss the eye contact she made with his father at that moment, in a obviously practiced move to reassure over protective parents that she wasn't trying to trap their naive children into a bad business deal.

She turned back to Link and Tracy with a smile. "What exactly are your plans for the summer? I assume you'll be continuing on the Corny Collins show. Are you working or attending summer school otherwise?"

"No, Ma'am. I mean, yes to the show - that's four days a week from one to five in the afternoon, and some Saturday rehearsals. But that's my only job lined up for the summer."

"Excellent," she said. "I'm glad we won't have to fight a summer school or garage job on top of that schedule. Makes my job much easier." She sat back in her chair and folded her hands in her lap.

"Now, what I propose is this: We get you in as many print ads, commercials, and TV spots as I can find over the summer - to get your name out in a wider circle than just the Corny Collins audience - and then when school starts up in the fall we'll cut back to only the smaller projects, so that your face and name is still getting out, but you're not too overwhelmed to focus on school work as well."

She was good. Anna had obviously worked with parents like Link's father in the past, and knew how to make them happy. He caught his the man nodding righteously from the corner of his eye and smiled at Anna blandly but winked from the eye his father couldn't see. "Of course, Ms. Harrison. My studies are still my highest priority when school is in session." One of her carefully pruned eyebrows raised in skepticism but quickly lowered again as she continued.

"I have a couple of catalog ads that I think you could do coming up in the next month, and Pepsodent toothpaste is looking for a younger spokesperson for some commercials that I think we should put your name in for. There are more television opportunities if you're willing to travel to DC a couple of times during the summer?"

Link nodded. "As long as it doesn't interfere too much with Corny's rehearsals, then I'm hip for whatever you think will get me out there, especially as it will be harder to travel to the city after school starts."

Anna continued to outline the upcoming gigs that she thought he should try for, how exactly the contract would stipulate his work agreement between the agency and their clients, and explained how she like to remain in bi-weekly communication with all her clients. Christy came in with their drinks and the atmosphere become less formal, and they all started asking questions, which Anna answered amiably and as honestly as she could. Over the course of the next hour they all relaxed a bit into an easy communication, and by the time she pulled out the contract from her desk, complete with carbon copies and pen that's weight didn't quite match the emotional magnitude that Link felt it should, his father had no hesitation in signing the contract.

Link's hand shook a bit before he put the pen to the paper, but steadied as he felt Tracy leaning into his side. He scrawled his double "L"s with a flourish and handed the contract back to Anna who had stood up. She beamed at him as he stood up to shake her hand.

"I love signing new talent, especially when their future is as bright as yours, Link," she said with a smile. "And Mr. Larkin," she said reaching across the table to clasp his father's hand for a long moment, "you've raised a sensible and talented young man." She turned to include Tracy in her gaze as she continued, "and he's very lucky to have people who care and support him in his endeavors. Show business can be a harsh, and I know from experience that without people around you to boost you up and listen to your frustrations it can be disheartening."

"Thank you," Tracy said quietly, looking towards Link and putting her arm through his. "I just know he's going to be a huge star, and I can't wait to watch it all happen."

"Yes, I think so, too," Anna agreed, looking endearingly once more at Link.

His father muttered something about his son 'always having such a way with ladies' that made Link wink at him and shrug before he turned to head towards the door. Tracy pulled her arm from Link's and made to follow his father.

"Goodbye, Ms. Harrison," Link said with a genuine smile. "And thank you again for everything." He shook her hand once more and turned it over to give it a quick but sincere kiss before following his small entourage out the door and into the bright summer that lay ahead of him.


A/N: OHHH i hate being inconsistent with the film but then having to stick with it because I already used it in an earlier chapter without realizing it. Booo.

Also, Grad school applications are almost complete! Updates will not take 2 months from now on! Promise!

(reading and reviewing is awesome. i love you all for doing either or both.)