Out of the Shadow by Jl Paul Page B

Robby! What are you doing here?”
    He grinned and squeezed her arm. “I’m working here now.”
    Her heart thumped rapidly in her chest and a smile took over her face. “Really? Why?”
    His smirk widened as he leaned his tall frame against the wall. “I sort of thought you’d be happy to see me again. But I guess you were just being polite.” He released an over dramatic sigh and made her giggle.
    “ I’m very happy to see you, Robby. I just meant why are you here? Don’t you work in L.A. anymore?” she asked, forgetting all about her mission to find her father.
    “ Your dad and Nate asked me if I’d be interested in coming to Chicago to work with them,” he said with a nonchalant shrug. “I thought it would be a good idea.”
    Her brow crinkled as her frown returned. She’d always thought that Robby and his father had an excellent relationship – both in the familial and professional aspects. But maybe she was wrong. Maybe there were hard feelings between the two. Maybe they just couldn’t get along together.
    “ Is there something the matter?” she asked, her voice a mere whisper.
    “ No,” he chuckled, his dimples jumping out on his face. “Not in the least. But, as you probably know from Nate and Cole, sometimes it can get a little taxing working with your father. And, I was ready for a change of scenery. I like Nate and Jay and I highly respect them. I jumped at the chance to work with them.”
    “ Good,” she said, grinning broadly. “Speaking of Nate and Jay, have you seen them today?”
    “ Yes, a few minutes ago. They had a lunch meeting with a new group they’re interested in signing.” He touched her arm lightly. “Why? Do you need something?”
    “ Yeah – lunch,” she said. “And since you were kind enough to show me around L.A., maybe I can return the favor. Well, if you’re not too busy.”
    “ I was thinking of grabbing some lunch myself,” he said. “Let me let Deanna know and we can get out of here.”
    She refused his offer to drive and insisted that they walk instead. The late August breeze was warm on their faces and the hustle and bustle of the city was something she was sure she’d miss when she was away at school. She wanted to suck in as much of the city as she could before she immersed herself in her studies.
    She pointed out various landmarks and popular stores as she led him through the city streets. She explained as much history as she could remember and beamed when he told her how impressed he was with her knowledge.
    She saved the lake for last, wanting to impress him further with the huge size of it. Sure, she knew it was nowhere near as vast at the ocean, but she still loved it. She loved visiting the beaches in the summer when she could roll up her pant legs and wade in the cool waters. She loved the cries of the gulls as they soared overhead, waiting for a picnicker to drop a morsel of food in the sand. She loved the laughter of the children as they splashed in the waves.
    “ It is rather large,” he agreed as he leaned on a rail and watched a mother chastise her son for throwing sand. “But it’s not as large as the ocean.”
    “ Whatever,” she snorted. “They don’t call Lake Michigan a Great Lake for nothing.”
    “ Okay, so Chicago has skyscrapers, beaches, and a large body of water. L.A. has all that, too.”
    “ Chicago style pizza,” Ally grinned clutching his arm. “L.A. doesn’t have that!”
    He laughed, his dimples making an appearance. “There’s a pizza place two blocks from my L.A. condo that serves Chicago style pizza.”
    “ Not the real thing,” she argued. “I’ll take you to get the real thing.”
    He offered his arm and shrugged. “Lead the way.”
    She hailed a taxi and gave her destination. She sat smug in the cab for the ten minutes it took to drop them on a busy corner. After she paid the cabbie, she hopped out and pointed at a tiny pizzeria tucked between two department stores. She tugged on the door with a