The door of Silver's car opened loudly. It was necessary to take the car to the workshop for a set-up but since Ethan was born, the boy hadn't had a moment of respite. That was the first "free exit" he had ripped off fronte Donna, even though she wasn't aware of it.

"Love, Josh got me back from an innovative food warmer and I should go and get it back."

"What can a food warmer ever have of innovation?" Donna replied, as she tinkered with the laundry.

"I have no idea," replied David, "but I trust his advice; I'm going to catch up; he will have to show me how it works too, I'll waste time"

"Any excuse is good to stay away from this house and this family; make Silver, go take refuge from your little friend" he kept not looking and looking for who knows what in the middle of the clean clothes.

David messed up the arrow in silence, with a smile he couldn't contain, happy to have popped it up with so little. Of course, if Donna had known that David was going to pick up Valerie at the airport she would have suffocated him in the laundry, suppressing him of violent death, in the grip at a hormonal peak. So, he hadn't even tried to tell her the truth. He didn't feel like arguing and was happy to see Valerie again. And it was reciprocal, judging by the momentum with which the girl had thrown herself into her arms at the exit of the Arrivals area of the airport. She had spent the whole journey hearing her talk about her life, how she had made the right choices, how satisfied she was with her career. David had listened to everything without almost saying a word, dissatisfied as he was with his career, confined for years to a minor radio rather than chasing his dream as a music producer; struggling with Donna. The trip had flown and they were in front of the entrance of the Hilton, with a porter collecting Val's numerous luggage on the transport cart, she checking the trick in the rearview mirror, and David watching the scene amused. He felt like he had gone back in time, lighter, more untouched, walking around with an old friend. The moment was broken by the ringing of the boy's cell phone. Donna . "Valerie, I really have to go."

"Don't you answer the phone?" Said the girl smiling, continuing to look at herself in the mirror.

"Um, there's no need for it; we talk, we'll organize something with others" and he frown away.

"The others who?" Malone said to himself.

The porter, meanwhile, had risked a herniated disc to drag the "luggages" that Val had in tow and had reached the elevator. She, with her Prada handbag that held with innate elegance, reached out to him with a safe pace. They waited for the elevator to open.

"Brandon?"

"Valerie?"

The two names were pronounced at the same time.

Walsh, with a leather shoulder bag, the shirt and jacket was surprised to be greeted by Valerie, but knew the friend was going to be in town.

Val, on the other hand, had no idea that B was in L.A. and seeing him made her abandon her proverbial elegance, threw her bag on the ground and cling to Brandon's neck, branding a kiss on his lips, in a spontaneous and heartfelt way. Brandon, with wide eyes, suffered that affectionate greeting to say the least;

Val broke away and dulled.

"How are you?"

B smiled embarrassed, looking at the boy with her suitcases, sweaty but amused by the scene "eheheh, well Val, good, but what are you doing at the Hilton?" ; "I'm there, for at least two weeks".

"Ah, great"

"What about you?" Valerie asked.

Peach Pit

The fires were at full capacity as it had not been seen in a long time and that morning the Peach Pit was teeming with people. Willy looked like a conductor, with his metal shovel swirling in the air to call in order the burgers sizzling on the plates.

Nat flipped between the tables of his club, tired but happy to see all the covers occupied; he picked up commands that he transferred to the kitchen at thirty-two teeth. At the usual corner table Steve was sitting who, between a sip of his coke and a bite of the megaburger, disappeared behind the screen of his laptop as soon as he left the factory. He had decided to pursue the transition from paper to digital to online journalism to the end; and he had begun to renew the computer endowments of his editorial creature, starting with a laptop he had given himself. He seemed decidedly impressed by the first beta versions that the two nerds he had hired had presented to him with little enthusiasm; they seemed like a great start to him instead. He sread the pages on the monitor and would point his impressions on a notebook, thinking of submitting everything to Brandon's opinion. The ringing of the bells announced yet another opening of the door. But for a couple of hours abundant it was the soundtrack of the place, thanks to the comings of the many patrons. So Steve didn't pay attention to it. Nat had gone to the back office to catch up more burgers, as Willy's available supplies were almost over; and the "fuochist" was completely hidden from the smoke of the meat literally burning under his nose. So no one noticed Valerie who, excited, took her first steps inside the Peach Pit. SHe looked around and saw no one of her knowledge. SHe headed to the Juke Box, which was still working. And It started James Blunt's "You're beautiful." She felt she was dedicated to her. SHe turned her back on the music and went back to scrutinize the place. That's when she saw Steve, who with glasses was immersed in reading. SHe smiled and came up with a sweaty step.

"It's not enough a pair of glasses to give you a tone, Sanders."

Steve got up, looked at her and in the first place he didn't realize well who was in front of him. It took him five endless seconds to contextualize and recognize Valerie Malone.

"Valerie" said, in amazement and the pleasure of seeing her again, "My God, what are you doing here?" He dissolved into a smile, got up and gave a strong hug to his chest. Val was glad to see that in the end David was not the only friend he had left in LA.

"I'm here for work, I'm going to run an art gallery in Hollywood; I stay at least six months."

"But there's Brandon in town, you know?"

"Yes for sure, and that unfortunate Silver hadn't told me anything; while apparently, he had flown at the four winds of my arrival."

"But I didn't know anything about it; it will be that I'm too busy with a new work project."

Valerie unkled her best smile and settled in place of Steve.

"Tll me everything while I eat a hamburger; can I sit with you?"

"But you have to sit with me! Nat look who's there!" Nat had just returned to the club and vista Valerie approached exclaiming.

"Then you decided to make me really die of heart attack this time!" Valerie got up and hugged him "Hi Nat, how are you?"

"Very good, now that you're all going back to the fold, ahahahahah."

They all laughed in taste. Nat did not have time to sufficiently savor the moment, which was sucked into the vortex of the commands; the two, left alone at the table, told each other how they had spent the last five years, the separations, the children lived on the weekend, the transfers, the work choices.

"Hear Steve, since both Brandon and I are in town, why don't we organize something? David threw the idea at me just yesterday, before running away. I think he's a little bad"

"Yes – laughed Steve – they still have to take the right steps with the newcomer to the Silver house. But that's a good idea. We could arrange a barbecue. But from Donna and David he is excluded at the moment; I am a "guest" of my editorial staff; the rampant managers are guests of the Hilton ... let's make it Kelly's!" "Kelly?" Said at least perplexed Valerie "Why not? – even more convinced and smiling Steve – let me do it."