Chapter 45
"Hey, you remembered us after all!" Shelly said cheerfully when Lucy arrived back a few days later.
"Well, don't get too comfortable. I have to be in Indianapolis on Sunday."
"Right," Shelly nodded. "The last Raw before the PPV."
"And to be totally honest, once I got off the plane last night and saw snow, I was ready to get back on and return to Austin. It was 70 degrees down there."
"Have to rub it in, don't you?" Shelly asked. "By the way, the gas bill is on your desk."
"Oh, this should be good. They gouged me the last time for about $200."
Shelly also handed Lucy a few message slips. "Owen called again about the Cosmo interview. And I think someone else is missing you too. He's called twice in the past hour."
"Hmm," Lucy smiled as she read the notes, "why am I not surprised? Anyway, I'll be back in the office if anyone comes in. I have some contact sheets I should be looking over."
"Sure, no problem."
Lucy then went to her office and shut the door before sitting down to chat briefly with Owen, having him let Cosmo know that she could do the interview on Saturday before heading out again on Sunday. It would also be likely she would be heading back to Austin with Paul once their business was finished in Indianapolis.
"I have a few of lifestyle section shoots for the newspaper," she explained. "It may be a couple of days."
"For someone that hesitant to go down there in the beginning, you are taking assignments hand over fist now."
"Well, to be honest, Owen, I was thinking about going there permanently. And before you stroke out on me, I said think. I haven't made up my mind yet."
"I rather figured that out," Owen said.
"You did?"
"Of course. And you have a lot more incentives down there than just picture taking."
"Yeah, you got me. Of course, the cost of living is a little higher, and I may not be as exciting of a roommate as Spanky is when he stays with Paul."
"I would think you may be a bit more alluring one," Owen chuckled.
"Perhaps. Then again, I don't eat all of his food, walk around the house naked, put a hammer through a $3,000 TV, sit on his cell phone and iPod, pee with the door open, and charges porn to his credit card. Compared to Spanky, I'm boring."
"Good God. Paul must be one hell of a friend to tolerate all of that."
"Affirmative," Lucy replied, laughing. "I think he needs me to escape from Spanky's insanity sometimes."
Owen gave a hearty laugh. "Well, you're certainly good at that!"
"Of course, I've questioned my own sanity lately when I've considered fixing up Shelly with Spank. They gossip like a couple of old women anyway; she's worse with him than she is with Priscilla."
"And to think I never knew there was a bigger gossip than my own secretary," Owen replied.
"Well, wait until you meet Spanky. You'll get a kick out of him. You know, you and Pris should come to Austin to see the studio. I'd tell you to come to Indianapolis with me on Sunday, but I know you have that big shoot for National Geographic tomorrow through next Tuesday."
"I know. I gave up shooting for the most part, but I couldn't turn down NG."
"If I were you, Owen, neither would I, and with the rate I am going these days, something tells me I'm going to be swamped to the point I'll have to turn something down."
Shelly had buzzed in at that point. "Line two, Luce. Guess who?"
"Got to go, Owen. I'm being beckoned on the second line. I don't think I have to guess who it is."
