Page 6 of Montana Delta Rescue
Glad the photos were safely on their way and no one but she and Sadie would ever know about them, Marilyn took a deep breath of relief. It felt so good to be rid of them.
She was ready for a restart.
I’ll start over again. Pretend I’ve never seen those pictures. I’ll land that role in the movie and become very busy. I have to find a way to move on from Tony. To start over.
Now that her mail was safe, and she could quit watching. Marilyn took the container with the brownies and went across the hall to knock on Mr. Avery’s door. She knocked and waited a few minutes.
“Who’s there?” he called. She heard shuffling as he moved toward the door.
“It’s Marilyn,” she called back. “Are you doing okay?”
He opened the door, wearing his red plaid bathrobe and using a walker.
“I’m okay, sugar.” He grinned a toothless grin and she saw he didn’t have his partial teeth in. “Don’t have my teethes in yet, though.”
“You might need them for these brownies,” she said, holding the container up. “I just baked them.”
“Sweets from my favorite girl,” he said with a bigger smile. “The perfect thing. Thank you.”
“The walker is new,” Marilyn said. “How have you been?”
“The other day I took a tumble on the stairs,” he said. “Wednesday morning.”
Wednesday morning she’d been having breakfast at Tony’s place after spending the night. “Oh no,” she said. “I wasn’t home then.”
He nodded. “Della called the ambulance, but I didn’t need one,” he said. “Nothing broken, just bruised my right hip.”
“Oh, that is lucky,” Marilyn interrupted him.
“But doc wants me using this thing.” He picked the walker up and shook it. “And the new medicines he gave me make me sleepy. So, I been using it some when I wake up.”
“Did I wake you? I’m sorry,” she said.
“No, sugar, don’t be sorry.” He shook his head. “I don’t need to be sleeping my life away. Can’t let em slow you down or you’ll slow down for good.”
“I’m glad you’re going to be okay,” she said.
“Now about those brownies,” he said. “You want to come in and have some with me? I got milk the other day on the way home from the doctor. Brownies and milk?”
“Thank you, Mr. Avery, but I need to get on back to my place,” she said. “I’m trying out for a new movie tomorrow, so it will be an early night for me.”
“Well, break a leg then, as theater folks say. I’m sure you’ll be wonderful in it. Well, blondie,” He grinned at her and reached out and patted her right cheek. “No beauty sleep needed here. You shine from the inside out. You’ll knock em dead.”
She was blushing and wondering how it was that a ninety-nine-year-old man could make her feel young and pretty. Like a star.
Though he wasn’t just any ninety-nine-year-old man. Mr. Avery had worked in Hollywood as an executive at one of the largest talent agencies in town, before he’d retired. He still remembered the older more glamorous days of Hollywood and had a way about him that left all the ladies who lived in the apartment complex smiling. His apartment was full of old black and white pictures of him with his Hollywood friends.
Marilyn loved hearing stories of his past. She felt lucky to have him for a neighbor and they looked out for each other. Which was why she felt bad about not being home Wednesday when he’d fallen on the stairs.
For too long now, she’d let Tony take up every spare moment of her time. No more.
“I’ve decided not to see so much of Tony,” she said. “He’s not the right guy for me.”
Mr. Avery’s expression turned thoughtful. “You be careful with that one, sugar. I’ve been concerned about you seeing him. Ease away slow. Be pleasant, just busy. Then he’s got nothing to lose his temper over.”
“With any luck, the movie will keep me busy,” she said. “If I get the role.”
“It will,” he nodded. “When you get it. See yourself getting the role in your mind tonight when you go to sleep. And let me know when you get it.”
