Pages of Promise Read Online Free PDF Page B

to have a bunch of young Stuarts crawling around getting into everything.”
    They danced for a while, keeping to themselves. The band played “Younger Than Springtime,” and Jerry whispered, “That’s an old one.” Then they started with “Far-Away Places.” He kissed her again and said, “That’s the first tune we danced to. Do you remember?”
    “Of course I do. Only it wasn’t that one. It was ‘I’ll Be Seeing You in All the Old Familiar Places.’”
    “That one, too,” Jerry said with a smirk.
    Across the room, Richard was approached by his cousin Mona, who walked right up and said, “If you’re going to be a marine, you’ve got to become more aggressive. You’re just standing here. Ask me to dance.”
    Richard grinned abruptly. “Be glad to. May I have this dance, Mona?” He was a bit dazzled by this beautiful older cousin’s attention.
    The two moved out on the floor, and Mona made light talk for some time, then she raised her large eyes and said, “You’re awfully young, Richard. Why didn’t you wait a while? This war may be over by the time you’re a little older.”
    “I’ve got to do my part. All the Stuarts have fought when they had a chance.”
    Mona shook her head. “They certainly have; even the women have served. Did you know our cousin Wendy and I toured with the USO? And now you join the marines and Phil runs off to the air force!”
    The music picked up as the band started playing “Don’t Sit under the Apple Tree,” and Mona laughed. “That’s a little bit too fast for me!”
    “Let’s go get some refreshments,” Richard suggested. He put his hand on her arm, and they made their way to a long table.
    After that song, the musicians took a break, so Richard and Mona sat down and chatted. As they sipped on colas, Richard asked, “Are you feeling like a Hollywood native yet?”
    “Do people ever feel like they really belong here?”
    “I grew up here in L.A., close to Hollywood but not part of it. It’s home to me. Dad mentioned you’re working on a movie for Aunt Lylah. What’s that like?”
    Richard hadn’t been around the movie business and was interested in what Mona told him about the process.
    “My dad did some flying in a movie once,” he said. “That’s all I’ve ever heard about it.”
    “There’s so much competition for parts—that’s difficult and makes it hard to have friends in the business.”
    “Don’t you feel like you’ve made friends here, Mona?” Richard asked, looking directly at her.
    “Not real friends. But I’ve never been good at making friends anywhere.”
    Richard frowned. He always wanted to fix things—and people—and his impulse was to give Mona advice about how to make friends. But as he looked at her he had another thought and said, “I bet they’re all jealous because you’re the prettiest.”
    His comment surprised her, and she reached out and put her hand on his arm. “Why, Richard, what a sweet thing to say!” The admiration Mona had always had from men had been a barrier in her friendships—girlfriends were always afraid she’d take their boyfriends, and she had certainly done so on a few occasions. But there was something so matter-of-fact about Richard’s statement. It wasn’t made with any hidden agenda. As they sat talking, she found herself pouring out her frustrations with her lack of success in, it seemed, every area of her life. She felt like a second-rate actress; in her relationships with men she felt she was never seen for her real self—just for her beauty.
    The young man listening to her felt overwhelmed by all of these adult revelations, but he looked at her and said, “Mona, I can’t do anything about any of this, but I can be your friend.”
    She put one arm around him and hugged him. “That’s a lot to do, Richard. Thank you. I’ll hold you to that.” By now the musicians were returning. “I guess we should get back to the party.” Adam was coming over to ask her to dance.
    When