Chapter 3
Alex inhaled sharply when Stacy said the word alone. Yeah, that really summed it up. She forced a smile and worked on projecting a positive attitude. "Yeah, I came out here alone from NY. I was done with high school and Teddy, a friend of my brothers' was real convinced that there was money to be made from these new urethane wheels. They were so excited…"
"Wait, said Stacy, waving his hands "you're done with high school? How old are you? I mean I won't graduate until the end of this year and you look younger." Alex looked at him and hurriedly said, "Oh, I'm eighteen and can take care of myself. See, look at this." She grabbed her wallet out of her bag and practically shoved a NY state driver's license at him. "See –date of birth January 2, 1958- that makes me 18 this year. Totally legal and legit to be on my own."
"Ok, ok , so your license makes you 18 and your picture makes you look like a little more Laverne than Charlie's Angel," laughed Stacy examining the card. "Hey that's uncalled for buddy!" Alex feigned outrage. "Let's see your license picture – bet you're more Ralph Malph than Six Million Dollar Man" "Now that's uncalled for", he said lifting himself off the floor and reaching into the one remaining back pocket of his white cords.
"I was going more for a Peter Frampton/Gregg Allman vibe" producing his California license.
Alex checked over the document. "Ok, so I see you're 18 too and maybe a little more photogenic." "Maybe they just got me on a better hair day" Stacy quipped, "I was so stoked to get that license-looking forward to more wheels that just skateboard ones. I took this crap job at Venice Noodle mostly just to pay for my square back ride. Who knows if college, or surfing or skating's gonna get me out of Dogtown" he said starting to sound a little pensive, "but", he made an effort to brighten, "at least now I got a ride. And anyway, in person, Alex you look like somebody's angel." Even Stacy himself blushed at that last line and tried to rush on with, "Did you bring a car to go with that license?"
His question pulled her away from her thoughts 3000 miles away. She was reliving going up to Times Square and searching out someone who could do a realistic fake job on a license. "Girl, you wanna change your age, all you need is $50 and a picture-the $50's gotta be real – the picture who cares." She had gone into a photo booth in the same seedy arcade she met the forger and snapped away, careful not to touch anything in the dank booth. Freaking gross she thought. Forty-deuce was forty blocks too far north and a world away from her life in the Village. Her picture really was worth a thousand words-all of them bad-at that point. But fifty dollars and a few minutes later she was back on the R train-heading south two years older and not a lot wiser.
Did he just say I looked like somebody's angel? She mused, damn, gotta pay more attention. "Car? No, I don't have a car. Don't even know how to drive. Hardly anybody growing up in Manhattan drives." Alex mumbled, still fighting to get back to the present. "I mean I can drive enough to get a license, but not really…" she rambled realizing what she just said and trying for the cover up.
Stacy was looking at her kinda confused, but luckily his eye fell on a stack of high-end stereo equipment and piles of albums. "Hey you must be really into music to have a collection like that!" he said jumping up to go examine the treasure trove. "Who's your favorite? Mine is the Allman Brothers, but of course you can't go wrong with Led Zep. Want me to help you set this stuff up?"
"Yeah the Allmans' really have that southern groove down, but man, I've found I can go way wrong with Led Zeppelin" she replied cryptically. "You've really helped me out enough for one day and besides I'm getting kinda hungry" Alex said and decided to try and be bold. "How about you show me a good place to get a bite to eat and let me buy you some dinner? You know, to say thanks for the help?"
Stacy thought that was the best offer he had heard in a long time, but tried to play it cool: "Yeah I know a place close by, and it's nice to be thanked with food, just as long as you promise to let me come back sometime and check out this stereo." "Deal" Alex said following him out her door, a smile as wide as the Pacific spreading over her face.