Chapter Text
Dinah has just packed her purse and donned her hat to leave for the day when the phone rings one last time. She sighs and shakes her head, setting her hat back on its hook and her purse back on her desk before reaching for the handset.
“Hello, Susie Myerson and Associates. This is Dinah, how can I help you?”
“Dinah, thank God. Is Susie there?” Midge sounds frantic, but she always sounds frantic, so Dinah doesn’t let herself worry yet.
“Yes, I’ll put you through,” Dinah says, setting the receiver down to the side and shouting across to Susie, “Midge on line one for you.” Dinah punches in the proper code and hears the other phone ring on Susie’s desk. She puts the receiver back to her ear as Susie accepts the call.
It’s good practice to listen in. Helps her keep track of scheduling when Susie forgets, and also keeps her up to date on the latest gossip, too. Dinah hasn’t heard much from Midge since the party after her Gordon Ford debut, and she desperately wants to know how it all worked out for Ethan Maisel.
She’s not entirely sure what possessed her to find Lenny Bruce’s California phone number and give it to a six-year-old child, but Ethan is Midge’s kid and can handle himself around a comedian, and a happy Midge is an easier-to-work-with Midge, and really no one can blame Dinah for anything if it all works out. And she’s been a little bored lately.
“What?” Susie answers the phone as charmingly as ever.
“Susie, great, you’re there. You know how you mentioned out-of-state gigs?”
“Yeah, did you hit your head or something? You forget about that tour next week?”
“No, yeah, that’s great. Philly, Boston, DC, and did you book me in Georgia? What the fuck am I supposed to talk about in Georgia?”
“I don’t know, peaches? The Confederacy? You’re the comic. Did you seriously call me to bitch about Georgia?”
“No, forget about Georgia. I’m—”
“You want me to cancel Georgia? Because I’m not canceling Georgia.”
Dinah stifles a laugh, and Midge sighs loudly into the phone.
“No, I’m not talking about Georgia, I don’t care about Georgia. I was just wondering if you had anything lined up further out.”
“What, like Florida? I know you liked Florida, but we can’t afford to stay at the fucking Fontainebleau just for you to go down that pretend staircase again.”
“It’s not pretend, it’s a staircase to—never mind. Not Florida. I was thinking maybe something on the West Coast? Los Angeles, maybe?”
It takes a moment for Susie to respond. “I have a few leads, yeah. And San Fran, some whispers in Portland and Seattle I can follow up on, maybe another stint in Vegas. Angie called. He loved you on Ford.”
“Oh, that’d be nice, I loved Vegas.”
“Okay, I’ll book Vegas,” Susie says, and Dinah writes that down. “But no Joel this time. I don’t wanna handle another quickie divorce.”
“God no,” Midge says. “No Joel. I make no promises about no quickie divorces, though. Last time we saw Kim Novak there. Maybe this time it’ll be Gregory Peck, and if Gregory Peck asks me to marry him, I’m not saying no.”
“Isn’t he like fifty?”
“He’s forty-five,” Midge says, “and still very handsome. And single, so I hear.”
“Miriam. You are not marrying Gregory Peck.”
“Fine,” Midge sighs, pretending to be put out.
“Okay, so, I’ll book Vegas and see what I can see about other cities out West?”
“Yes,” Midge says. “Especially Los Angeles. I hear it’s lovely this time of year.”
“O-kay,” Susie says, clearly confused but not wanting to get into it with Midge at the moment.
“Great. Keep me posted. And find out what the fuck people like in Georgia.”
“Dinah? Find out what the fuck people like in Georgia.”
“On it,” Dinah says.
“Fuck,” Midge says.
“What? Are you bailing on Georgia again?”
“No,” Midge says, “I just realized I’m late to pick up the kids from Joel’s. He’s gonna be pissed.”
“Eh, it’s you. You’re always late. He’s probably not expecting you for another hour or two, anyway,” Susie says.
“Ha ha. I have to go now, thanks Susie! Thanks Dinah!”
She hangs up the phone, and Dinah puts the receiver back in the cradle, standing to collect her things again. A few moments later Susie pops out from her office.
“You got any fucking idea why she wants to go to Los Angeles?”
“Nope,” Dinah says, suppressing the urge to smile.
“She liked it okay on Shy’s tour, but only okay. Think she’s trying to get back that job offer from Danny Stevens?”
“I don’t know,” Dinah says. “Her kids are here. Her life is here. You really think she wants to move?”
“Yeah, you’re right,” Susie says after a moment, then sighs. “You think she’s stalking Gregory Peck?”
“I wouldn’t put it past her,” Dinah says. “Hell, if she asked me to, I’d help.”
“Christ,” Susie says. “You heading out?”
“Yep. Unless you need something right this second.”
“No, you go. I need a drink before I call Angie. That man scares the shit out of me.”
Dinah raises an eyebrow but doesn’t ask. Instead she turns, dons her hat, and leaves after bidding Susie goodnight. As she goes, she finally allows that smile to blossom.
Seems like Ethan did good, after all.