Laying Low in Hollywood by Jean Marie Stanberry Read Free Book Online Page B

zone. 
     
       This definitely qualified.  I reprimanded myself and resolved to make this work.  Life as I had known it, was officially over.  I was destined to spend the next four months of my life in Hollywood.  I vowed to make the best of it.  I skated over and offered my hand to Ron, I hauled him up off the ice, then I struggled to help him over to the wall.
     
       The poor guy, I felt bad for him, he seemed so embarrassed.  He was very apologetic, but I couldn’t really blame him for his lack of grace on the ice.  Ron had been asked to come on this show, and I was guessing he had no idea as to what he was getting himself into. 
     
       As far as I was concerned, this was all Jorge’s fault!  In my opinion, the contestants should have some sort of skating ability before they were asked to come on the show.
     
       There was not much I could do about it at this point, I was committed.  All I could really do was smile for the cameras.  Of course, the show had assigned our team it’s very own cameraman who was there to film all of our practices, all of our interviews, and all of our thoughts about how this little fiasco was going.
     
       I guess in a way, that was good, all of America at least, would know it wasn’t completely my fault that my team totally sucked.  I had nothing to work with!  My grandpa always said, “You can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.”  Amen to that!
     
       So it seemed that I was going to have to teach Ron to skate from scratch.  Luckily, the very first show was going to be an introduction, of sorts.  It would be mostly a bunch of interviews, fluff pieces, clips from our practices and then a short, 30 second “preview” skate.  I wouldn’t have to come up with a real two minute program for my team, until the second week on the air.
     
       I only hoped that by the time week one was shot, I would have enough to work with, to present a 30 second intro skate to the American viewers.  Right now, even that, didn’t seem possible.  At this point, I would be lucky if Mr. Brannon could complete one lap around the rink.
     
       That first day, I had no choice but to start out by teaching Ron the basics of skating.  I felt like I was back in Colorado Springs teaching a basic skills course to five year olds.  Arms out, glide, step, glide.
     
       I was pleasantly surprised, Ron was actually a very good student and quite anxious to learn.  It wasn’t long before he had the basic steps down and he was slowly gliding around the rink some, without me holding on to him.
     
       I chewed nervously on my bottom lip as I watched him skate around the rink, his arms outstretched as he toddled around the ice, always on the verge of falling.  I felt bad for him, it was embarrassing, and he seemed like a nice enough guy.  
     
       I was impressed because he was enthusiastic and he seemed to be so driven to make this work.  Unfortunately, all the drive in the world was probably not enough to get him to the level I needed him skating at.  I was still certain that my team would be the first one going home.
     
       I had been so absorbed in trying to help Ron learn to skate, that I had been completely ignoring Elena.  She had been skating by herself the entire time, she was obviously completely bored.  I glanced across the rink at Ron, picking himself up off the ice, for like, the millionth time, and I could tell that he was wearing down.  I decided, it was time for me to end practice for one day.
     
       “Okay Ron, that’s good,” I called, waving him back over to me.  I didn’t want to overdo him on the first day.
     
       “That’s it, we’re done?” he asked.  He was disappointed, like a kid who’d been told that playtime was over.
     
       “It’s your first day, I think that’s enough,” I told him.
     
       “But we didn’t do any jumps or lifts,” he said, his face falling in defeat.
     
       “Well, let’s just