“I know,” Ross said, and everyone laughed. “Your sister told me and we thought we’d like to use him in the movie. You don’t have to bring him in to the high school to audition. I know cats aren’t fond of traveling. Have dinner with me tonight out at the inn and you can tell me all about him. And then, if everything’s a go, we’ll go back to your place so I can take a look at him. Is that all right with you?”

“That’s fine,” Hannah said, smiling at him. And then she happened to spot Mike’s scowling face. She turned slightly to glance at Norman and saw that he was scowling every bit as hard as Mike.

“Uh-oh,” Hannah breathed, gulping slightly. Unless she was terribly mistaken, Ross had just asked her for a date in front of the whole town, and she’d accepted.

Chapter

Chapter

Seven

The auditorium at Jordan High was crowded, but Hannah found a spot in the back row. The acoustics weren’t good here, because of the balcony overhang, so most people knew to avoid it. Hannah figured the back row would be perfect for her, since she was only here to watch Tracey. When it was her niece’s turn to audition, she could stand up and move out to the aisle where she could hear better.

“Hannah Fandana!”

Hannah whirled around as a well-known voice from the past greeted her. “Hi, Linda

except Ross told me not to call you that anymore. He said you’re Lynne Larchmont now.”

“I’m still Linda to you. It’s really great to see you, Hannah! You haven’t changed a bit.”

“You have. You were always pretty, but now you’re glamorous.”

“I’d better be!” The new, glamorous Lynne gave a little laugh. “I spent a lot of money to get this way. My dental bill was astronomical, not to mention what I paid to my plastic surgeon, and my makeup and hair stylists. You can purchase glamour, you know.”

“But you lost weight, too. You can’t buy weight loss with money.”

“That’s true. Weight loss is a perk you get when you’re poor. I was so broke when I got out to L.A., I couldn’t afford to buy food.”

“What did you do?”

“I asked my dates to take me to all-you-can-eat buffets, and I lined my biggest purse with a plastic bag. When the guy wasn’t looking, I shoveled in the food and then I went back for more. I don’t think I spent more than a dollar on food until I landed my first part. And by then, I’d lost twenty pounds.”