I mused. “Not much. I rarely went into the city; it made me nervous. And the suburbs were typical suburbs: all malls and movie theatres and bowling alleys. There’s a lot I never did. I think I see and do more when I’m a tourist than when I’m trying to get to know the place I live in. As I said, I still haven’t gone into LA to do anything, or even spent much time at the beaches. Haven’t gone to the mountains, either, or down to San Diego. But if I was only in town for a week I would have gone everywhere.”

Jack leaned back against the seat and grinned. “When I first moved out here I spent weeks exploring. I was going to auditions as often as I could and working lame jobs to pay the rent, but whenever I was free I went somewhere new. You really ought to get out there and look around.”

“Teaching doesn’t allow for much free time. I tend to bring the office home, as they say, nearly every night and weekend. Plus I wouldn’t know where to go, and I don’t want my friends to feel obligated to play tour guide.”

We were entering Beverly Hills at this point, and my attention was drawn to the sprawling and sometimes bizarre homes that lined the boulevard. “Whoa,” I breathed as we passed a massive home; it looked like it belonged on a Southern plantation. “I can’t imagine living in a place like that. You’d get lost!”

“Wait till you see Alexis’s place. It’s about the same size.” I gaped at him, and he laughed. “Don’t worry, we’ll leave breadcrumbs for you from the front door.” I smirked and shook my head, going back to gazing out the rainy window at the beautiful homes.

We were soon pulling into the circle drive in front of Alexis’s house, and its beautiful columns and spacious tree-filled yard almost took my breath away. “This is another thing I miss,” I sighed. “Big front yards with lots of grass and trees and flowers.”

“Wait till you see the back.”

The rain had slowed to a mild drizzle, and a doorman came down to the car with a huge umbrella to accompany us to the front door. The door opened, and the sound of music and conversation wafted out to meet us. I tried not to look as awed as I felt as I surveyed the décor of the massive open front room. A broad staircase in the center of the room led up to the second floor and split into two branches that wound gently upward. A crystal chandelier hung over the center of the room and threw sparkle everywhere. Art in ornate frames hung on the museum white walls, and the marble floor was polished enough for me to see my stunned face in detail.