And I want her to do it for free. After that astrologer had told me I could find happiness and success on the West Coast, I expected to like it, but I never knew that I would get to L. Ace picked me up at LAX and gave me a tour of the city on the way to his place in Brentwood. We stepped out into a glorious day with brilliant sunshine yet without heat because the undercurrent of wind was cool and soothing. I marveled at the endless expanse of blue sky and hula dancing palm trees.
Ace drove and I gazed out the window at the miles and miles of street, trees, flowers, highways, and stores that made up Los Angeles, and made New York look light a sooty hulking dwarf in comparison. First he drove me up the coast to Malibu, where I was lulled by the waves and dazzled by the city light as they began to twinkle at the magic hour. We climbed up through Topanga Canyon with its amazing green hills and picturesque houses.
Then we wound our way along the curves of Mulholland, a serpentine rollercoaster with views better than picture postcard perfect. Finally we ended up in Beverly Hills, where I saw all the shops and saw how profitable and chic such a little village atmosphere could be. Ace insisted on showing me the Rodeo Collection, an amazing mall built of the most extravagant pink marble, and filled with the most deluxe shops. At first I thought that someone had stolen our idea, but then looking at Ace and his cat who swallowed the canary expression, I realized that he had set this up for me.
That was how I became a Californian. During the weeks that followed I worked like a demon to get the store ready for its fall opening, hoping that we could make a tremendous profit during the Christmas season.
Ace helped me by giving parties and inviting me to lunches and dinners with his most influential clients, most of whom were enchanted by the crystal jewelry and the concept that Sharon and I had created bit by bit over time and through experience in our little shop in New York. Sharon, meanwhile, was delighted. We were bicoastal! Neither of us could believe it. Violet was safe and happy with her dad in New York for the rest of the school year, so I had the time to devote to getting organized in L.
