Ch 7:
After collecting the keys from his friend, Jay watched Steve exit the reception area. That's when Jay himself left. Jay walked out of National Geographic and unlocked the rental and drove back to the highway. After getting off the highway, he got to Steve's apartment fifteen minutes later. He parked the rental in the parking lot. He got out of the car and locked it. He headed for Steve's apartment and, which was on the third floor. Jay didn't mind walking to the apartment. He knew some people liked using the elevator instead but not him. He liked getting exercise.
Jay thought about calling Barry sometime tomorrow morning since he had just moved here in Vegas and wanted to unpack his things and spend some time alone first. He was happy to be back home in Viva Las Vegas!
Jay knew where Steve's guest room was, so he headed for it. He thought he'd unpack first and then he would watch some TV until Steve came to the apartment at five - thirty that afternoon. It didn't take long for Jay to unpack since he had one suitcase and one carry - on. After ten minutes of unpacking, he came to the living room and turned the TV on. He thought he'd watch a comedy or whatever was on at the hour. The clock struck four o'clock as he turned the TV on.
"Already? Wow. Time flies," Jay said to himself as he flipped through the TV set.
Jay had his cell out with him. He thought he'd call Bill now so Bill would know he made it to Vegas safely. Jay recognized Marlene's voice and he didn't get Bill.
"Hi, hotcakes," Marlene said on the fourth ring.
"Hi, Marlene. Is Bill there?" he asked.
"Thompson is here, but he's working on his new book," she said.
"Could I speak to him real quick?" Jay asked.
"Sure. I'll see if he'll come to the phone, hotcakes," Marlene said.
"Okay."
"You in Vegas yet?" Marlene asked.
"That's why I'm calling. Yes, I am," he said.
"Cool. I wish I went with you. I miss home."
"So do I, but I have to be here so I could work on my music," he said. "You can still do your music here in Detroit, hotcakes."
"I know, but I'm doing it with a friend. That's why I'm in Vegas. Remember I told you this already?" Jay asked.
"Oh, yeah. I forgot. Let me go get Bill for you. Hold on," she said.
"Okay."
Marlene put the phone down and went to the office where Bill did his writing.
"Thompson, you have a call from hotcakes," Marlene said, peeking her head in the office.
"Hotcakes who?" Bill asked.
"Jay."
"Okay."
He followed her into the kitchen.
"Thanks, Marlene. It would be nice if you say Jay's name instead of hotcakes so we would know who you're talking about. Can you do that when you're around the two of us?" Bill asked.
"Maybe."
"How about a yes, Marlene? That would make the two of us happy," Bill said, grabbing the phone.
"What's wrong using the word hotcakes?" Marlene asked.
"I like it," she added.
"Maybe you like it but it sounds confusing to some of us in the gang. Take me and Jay for example. We won't know whom you're calling hotcakes. That's why I'm asking you to call him by his name for me from now on," Bill said.
"I think I like hotcakes better. It works for him," Marlene said.
"Maybe not him, but maybe somebody else would reply to that name instead, Marlene," Bill said as he watched Marlene leave the kitchen.
"Hello?" Bill said when he got onto the telephone.
"Hi, Jay," he said.
"I'm calling to let you know I'm finally here in Vegas," he said.
"Glad to hear you're there safely," Bill said.
"No accidents or anything," Jay said.
"Good. You're at Steve's?" Bill asked.
"Yes. I just got to the apartment. Steve will be at the apartment in an hour and a half for dinner. He's still working on the series," Jay said.
"How did you get to the apartment?" Bill asked.
"Rental."
"Cool. How did you get in?" Bill asked.
"He gave me his keys and he said he could let himself in."
"He didn't give you a spare set?" Bill asked.
"No."
"Strange," Bill said.
Jay didn't say anything.
"I wonder why he didn't give you a spare set right there and then at National Geographic," Bill said.
"Wonder away if you want, Bill. He was too busy to give me a spare set so he gave me the house set. I'm sure he'll give me a spare set sometime soon," Jay said.
"Still he could've done that at National Geographic to get it over with. That would make better sense," Bill said.
"I know, but he didn't have time since he was too busy," Jay said.
The two best friends chatted a while longer and Bill had to go back to his newest novel.
"I've got to go, Jay. I need to go back to my book so I'll chat with you again later. If not later then I'll chat with you when you come back home," Bill said.
"Okay."
They hung up.
end ch 7
After collecting the keys from his friend, Jay watched Steve exit the reception area. That's when Jay himself left. Jay walked out of National Geographic and unlocked the rental and drove back to the highway. After getting off the highway, he got to Steve's apartment fifteen minutes later. He parked the rental in the parking lot. He got out of the car and locked it. He headed for Steve's apartment and, which was on the third floor. Jay didn't mind walking to the apartment. He knew some people liked using the elevator instead but not him. He liked getting exercise.
Jay thought about calling Barry sometime tomorrow morning since he had just moved here in Vegas and wanted to unpack his things and spend some time alone first. He was happy to be back home in Viva Las Vegas!
Jay knew where Steve's guest room was, so he headed for it. He thought he'd unpack first and then he would watch some TV until Steve came to the apartment at five - thirty that afternoon. It didn't take long for Jay to unpack since he had one suitcase and one carry - on. After ten minutes of unpacking, he came to the living room and turned the TV on. He thought he'd watch a comedy or whatever was on at the hour. The clock struck four o'clock as he turned the TV on.
"Already? Wow. Time flies," Jay said to himself as he flipped through the TV set.
Jay had his cell out with him. He thought he'd call Bill now so Bill would know he made it to Vegas safely. Jay recognized Marlene's voice and he didn't get Bill.
"Hi, hotcakes," Marlene said on the fourth ring.
"Hi, Marlene. Is Bill there?" he asked.
"Thompson is here, but he's working on his new book," she said.
"Could I speak to him real quick?" Jay asked.
"Sure. I'll see if he'll come to the phone, hotcakes," Marlene said.
"Okay."
"You in Vegas yet?" Marlene asked.
"That's why I'm calling. Yes, I am," he said.
"Cool. I wish I went with you. I miss home."
"So do I, but I have to be here so I could work on my music," he said. "You can still do your music here in Detroit, hotcakes."
"I know, but I'm doing it with a friend. That's why I'm in Vegas. Remember I told you this already?" Jay asked.
"Oh, yeah. I forgot. Let me go get Bill for you. Hold on," she said.
"Okay."
Marlene put the phone down and went to the office where Bill did his writing.
"Thompson, you have a call from hotcakes," Marlene said, peeking her head in the office.
"Hotcakes who?" Bill asked.
"Jay."
"Okay."
He followed her into the kitchen.
"Thanks, Marlene. It would be nice if you say Jay's name instead of hotcakes so we would know who you're talking about. Can you do that when you're around the two of us?" Bill asked.
"Maybe."
"How about a yes, Marlene? That would make the two of us happy," Bill said, grabbing the phone.
"What's wrong using the word hotcakes?" Marlene asked.
"I like it," she added.
"Maybe you like it but it sounds confusing to some of us in the gang. Take me and Jay for example. We won't know whom you're calling hotcakes. That's why I'm asking you to call him by his name for me from now on," Bill said.
"I think I like hotcakes better. It works for him," Marlene said.
"Maybe not him, but maybe somebody else would reply to that name instead, Marlene," Bill said as he watched Marlene leave the kitchen.
"Hello?" Bill said when he got onto the telephone.
"Hi, Jay," he said.
"I'm calling to let you know I'm finally here in Vegas," he said.
"Glad to hear you're there safely," Bill said.
"No accidents or anything," Jay said.
"Good. You're at Steve's?" Bill asked.
"Yes. I just got to the apartment. Steve will be at the apartment in an hour and a half for dinner. He's still working on the series," Jay said.
"How did you get to the apartment?" Bill asked.
"Rental."
"Cool. How did you get in?" Bill asked.
"He gave me his keys and he said he could let himself in."
"He didn't give you a spare set?" Bill asked.
"No."
"Strange," Bill said.
Jay didn't say anything.
"I wonder why he didn't give you a spare set right there and then at National Geographic," Bill said.
"Wonder away if you want, Bill. He was too busy to give me a spare set so he gave me the house set. I'm sure he'll give me a spare set sometime soon," Jay said.
"Still he could've done that at National Geographic to get it over with. That would make better sense," Bill said.
"I know, but he didn't have time since he was too busy," Jay said.
The two best friends chatted a while longer and Bill had to go back to his newest novel.
"I've got to go, Jay. I need to go back to my book so I'll chat with you again later. If not later then I'll chat with you when you come back home," Bill said.
"Okay."
They hung up.
end ch 7