In The Dust

A/N: Been maybe a couple of weeks since I last wrote. So much for keeping up, I know. But I'm making a consistent effort. I know my last chapter sucked, but I at least want some reviews to tell me how YOU thought it was. Your opinion is definitely more important than mine, so voice it! Here's Chapter 9.

Chapter 9: The First Step to Success

I thought I had been dreaming when the flight attendant told me that we would be landing in five minutes. I had been waiting for this moment for the past two hours. No, I had been waiting for this moment all of my life. And I was ready. As ready as I'd ever be.

Those five minutes went by in a flash. Before I knew it, I had stepped off the plane, gotten my luggage from baggage claim, and was waiting for the paparazzi to arrive and take candid shots of the next Steven Spielberg – that would be me. But all I saw was a lot of business men talking on their silver flip phones and carrying briefcases; and I saw many people holding up cardboard signs with names on them. I saw my name (or something like it - Daveed Gordin?), and went up to the man.

I had pictured a quasi-Secret Service appearance from Taylor. But this guy… I mean, he looked a bit unapproachable. It appeared to me that he hadn't shaved in a good three months, and that he hadn't seen a dentist for well over a year, nonetheless brush his teeth. Maybe I overestimated the guy a bit.

"Um… you're Taylor Goutrel, right?" I asked uneasily.

"No, Mr. G's my boss. I'm Geoffrey Schninklehazer, the janitor. But today's my chauffer day." He had a very, shall I say, redneck way about him. His voice, his appearance, his sunburn… he had it all. He could be a Beverly Hillbilly. Let's just say I was glad he wasn't Taylor.

"So, where ya wanna go first? The office? Or the apartment?" I had a choice? I think I'll like it here…

"How about the office first?"

"Ya got it, boss."

We walked through the crowds of LAX, and it turns out that Geoffrey is quite good at handling people. Maybe if he shaved, he could snag the bodyguard position. When we finally got to the valet, I got into the back of the black Pontiac limo and was amazed by the interior.

Black leather seats, a DVD player, a mini bar, a phone…even a satellite electronic map of LA. I could get used to the star treatment. I looked out the window and was even more amazed. If I thought the car was nice, I guess there's no words to describe how outstandingly beautiful the buildings of Hollywood are. It realty was a surreal experience, seeing all the 20-something story office buildings, along with things that you only see on TV, like Universal Studios and huge Hiltons. If only Hillridge was like this.

We reached Culver City after a good forty-five minutes. Traffic, as I expected, was horrible. Rush hour in Los Angeles County was 24/7. But as we reached Olympia Studios, it was all worth it.

Olympia Studios doesn't produce big-shot top box office hits. It's not their scene. They do more of the underground-documentary kind of shows, which is what I do, which makes these six months heaven on earth. They've been in business since 1978, and they're the best in what they do. (Sue me, I did a background check on them.) So obviously walking in there was pretty intimidating.

I walked swiftly to the front desk and asked for Taylor. The secretary smiled at me bittersweetly and directed me to the 19th floor. That's a lot of stairs. I walked around in a huge circle trying to find the staircase, and started up.

"Mr. Gordon. Mr. Gordon. MR. GORDON!" The secretary seemed a bit impatient with me. I have bad hearing. It's hereditary; blame my parents.

I ran down the stairs (three straight years of track makes that easy) and back to the front desk.

"Yes?" I was gasping for breath. I hadn't worked out for QUITE a while. So sprinting that fast was a bit hard.

"The elevator is over there." She pointed to my right, and I saw a glass elevator going up. Needless to say, I felt really stupid.

"Oh. I, uh, I knew that…" She smiled, almost laughed, at me and raised her eyebrows.

"Riiiight. You might want to move along. Taylor's very anxious to see you."

That gave me all the confidence I needed. I thanked the secretary and ran to the elevator. I pressed the 19 button and stepped inside after the doors opened. I thought it would be like the one in the mall, where it took you directly to where you wanted to go. But it stopped at what seemed like every single floor. By the time I had reached the 19th floor, the elevator was crammed with all sorts of people. I made my way through all of them, and walked up to another receptionist.

"Mr. Taylor Goutrel, please." I had gotten used to dealing with secretaries. My day was filled with them.

"Straight ahead, turn right, and his office is the first on the left. I'll tell him you're coming."

"My name is—"

"I know your name, Mr. Gordon. We all do. Hurry up, he's waiting." She shooed me away with her hand, and I walked away with a smile on my face.

I reached the door to his office and sighed. It had a shiny silver nameplate, engraved with "Mr. Taylor Goutrel, Talent Scout." The knob was glass as well. I grabbed it and hesitantly turned it until the door opened. This was it. The first meeting with prestigious Taylor Goutrel.

E/N: I feel like writing more. So here's more right now. 