Linda wasn’t just making it up; the view from her balcony was incredible, and not just of her. L. A. sparkled below him like a multifaceted jewel, never sitting still so the eye could grasp it all. She had a terrific multi-level condo just off Laurel Canyon. You had to wind up a steep, narrow lane to reach the entrance to the little compound of 8 fresh, stucco town homes she lived at. The bottom level contained the garage and a guest bedroom that doubled as an office. Next floor up was the living and dining area, and a modern kitchen with granite counters. The living room had a bay window looking out over the complex pool. On the top floor was the master, as sparsely furnished as she was dressed. He moved from the balcony towards her, Grin lightly in place. He knew the move and was damn good at it. Grin slightly, move slowly at her, Grin expands, girl is mesmerized, take her in his arms, lay her softly on the bed, and that’s all she wrote.
She was up early the next morning, coffee made, nudging Tom awake.
"Time to get going, Country." Linda said to him, with a smile.
Tom shook his head clear. Oh yeah, thing of beauty in front of him. Looked at her for a second, and said: "You know, I wrote some country songs."
"Noooo, Tom, you have got to be kidding me! You have talent, too?"
"Yep. Play the guitar, and the sax. Sax-a-ma-phooone. Quit playing the sax in high school, but still play the gee-tar. And yes, country and western, mainly. Wrote most of my stuff in college."
"You’re serious, aren’t you? Ever record anything?"
Tom laid his head back down on the soft pillows. "I did a demo, sort of as a dare, really, of my hit song, ‘Wearing My Ring is Wearing Her Out’."
Linda started laughing. "I’m sorry." She said, in between giggles. "But that’s the name of your song?"
"Yep. One of them. Then there’s ‘Wandering the Bars Wondering about You’, umm,’Love is just a Holliday Inn Away’ and ‘ I’ll do the Crying, You do the Dishes.’
"Stop. Stop. You’re killing me." Linda laughed.
"Oh and the classic, ‘Left to Pick up the Pieces. (In the back of my Pick up Truck)’. A true country and western artist has to have a song with part of the title in parentheses."
"I love it. Country boy with looks and talent. You should be in pictures."
Tom grinned. "Enough of me talking about me, why don’t you talk about me for a while."