Love, Los Angeles Style – Heather Scarlett
LOVE, LOS ANGELES STYLE
HEATHER SCARLETT
Spencer
I reshuffled my notes for the hundredth time.
Only five minutes until I pitched my idea to my boss, the library department head.
Mrs. Garcia was a kind, older woman, yet my palms sweat as I rearranged my notes, yet again.
This was the first time I’d risked making a suggestion for library programming, and it was a big one.
When she suggested I design an activity to bring patrons together, she probably meant an author talk or craft activity.
She definitely wasn’t referring to a scavenger hunt, sort of like The Amazing Race .
Except it was my favorite show, and I longed to have the confidence and adventurous spirit to compete myself. Instead, I would settle for watching our library patrons fulfill their dreams of adventure in our fine city of Los Angeles.
“Spencer, I’m available whenever you’re ready,” Mrs. Garcia called from her small office off of the main circulation desk.
I wiped my palms on my jeans and gathered my notes, then stood and walked to her office with an equal mix of trepidation and hope in my heart.
The door clicked closed behind me, and I sat in the chair in front of her desk.
Mrs. Garcia peered over her glasses at me and adjusted her brightly colored shawl.
I took a deep breath to steady my nerves.
“I want to try something different for our programming.”
She cocked her head. “I’m listening. New ideas are always welcomed.”
I looked down at my notes, but the words blurred on the page as my heart raced. My anxiety sometimes made it challenging to focus. I set the pages aside and cleared my throat.
“We need a way to bring younger patrons into library programming.” I held my breath while I waited for her response.
“I agree.”
“I think people my age would like an activity that is more interactive and gets them into the community.”
Mrs. Garcia nodded her head in encouragement.
“A scavenger hunt,” I blurted. “A friendly competition where teams compete to be the first to complete a list of activities around Los Angeles.”
“That’s a great idea. What’s the prize? We don’t have funds?—”
“The prize is to jump the hold line on one new release a month for a year.”
Mrs. Garcia’s grin told me she liked the idea. I forced myself to sit back in my chair and take a deep breath. I’d done it. I’d managed to share the basics of my idea without passing out.
“What a wonderful idea, Spencer. Truly creative.” She gestured to the papers on my lap. “I see you’ve done a lot of planning already. May I take a look? We’ll have to work out some details, but I think we will be able to move forward.”
I rushed to hand over my notes, meticulously outlining the scavenger hunt rules, possible locations, and prize. Mrs. Garcia read through the pages, and I twisted my hands in my lap while I waited. After what felt like an eternity, she looked up.
“Good work, Spencer. We’ll need a few months to reach out to see if the locations will offer a library pass for this program, so that the cost is free to our patrons. Let’s plan for this activity to launch in June.”
I nearly floated back to the circulation desk. We were really doing this! I couldn’t wait to watch the events unfold in a few months.
Natalie
The bag containing my yoga mat bounced on my shoulder as I hurried up the street to my favorite café.
The class I taught at the studio in my neighborhood ran late, and I desperately needed my Americano before I headed to the library for the kickoff of their summer program.
It was advertised as a scavenger hunt of epic proportions and I was intrigued.
I’d moved to Santa Monica about three months ago and had only a handful of friends I’d met at the studio.
The door of the café opened suddenly, almost knocking me off balance.
“Sorry!” a male voice said as a hand reached out to steady me.
I looked up to meet the prettiest hazel eyes I’d ever seen. The man had wavy sandy-colored hair and his face was scrunched in adorable concern. I’d seen him before in the neighborhood so he must live close by.
“It’s fine,” I said as I started to reach for my bag which had fallen to the ground. Before I could bend down, hazel-eyed guy had snagged it and held it out.
“You must take yoga,” he remarked. His gaze flitted over me so quickly I almost didn’t catch it.
“I teach down the street.”
“Oh! I know the owner. She likes to read mysteries.”
That was an odd fact to mention, especially since I hadn’t heard her talk about her love of the genre, and I saw her several times a week.
“She’s great,” I replied, not sure what else to say.
The guy lingered, not seeming interested in leaving. He held a large iced coffee in his hand, and I could see swirls of caramel in the cup. He must have a sweet tooth.
He shuffled his feet. “I should go. I’m running late, which is why I almost ran you over.”
He chuckled at his joke and I couldn’t help but smile.
“I’ll see you around.”
He nodded, then disappeared around the corner. I continued inside to place my order and within minutes, was walking down the sidewalk towards the public library.
The late afternoon sun was warm on my face. June in Los Angeles could be chilly when the marine layer rolled in but today was the stereotypical perfect Southern California day.
I thought about the cute guy I’d literally ran into a few minutes ago and wondered what he was doing on such a gorgeous afternoon. He seemed intent on getting somewhere quickly.
I wish I’d kept him chatting longer, as he seemed like a nice guy, and I was woefully short of friends since my move. Which is why I’m putting myself out there at the library. I reminded myself as I stepped through the automatic doors into the cool foyer of the public library.
The library was bustling with activity, from kids at storytelling hour to adults browsing the stacks or using the computers. A sign directed patrons participating in the scavenger hunt to a room down a short hall.
I paused in the doorway, observing the small group already gathered in the chairs arranged in a circle. Most people seemed to be here with a friend, and I started to turn around when an older woman appeared behind me.
“Are you here for the event, dear? We’ll start in just a few minutes once Spencer arrives. He’s our activities staff member, who is leading this event.” She indicated I should enter.
Encouraged by the kindness of the librarian, I found a seat next to a pair of older women. The one with slightly frizzy blond hair and oversized glasses smiled at me.
“Hi, I’m Stacy and this is my wife Maya.”
An owlish woman with light-brown hair and sharp eyes nodded her head at me. “Hello. I recognize you from the yoga studio.”
“Hi, I’m Natalie. I teach a few classes there. Just finished one, as a matter of fact.” I gestured towards my yoga mat sticking out from my tote.
“I’ll have to try one of your classes. I usually go early in the day before work,” Maya said.
Before I could respond, the group turned in unison to greet the newest arrival. “Spencer!”
Stacy got up to offer Spencer a hug and my gaze followed her straight to the man I’d just run into.
It made sense now why he’d known my boss’s reading preferences.
He must be Spencer, the library’s activities manager.
Spencer made his way to the front of the group, a clipboard in his hand.
“Hi, everyone, welcome to the Great LA Adventure!
He sat down, his clipboard sliding off his lap with the movement.
He leaned down in an attempt to catch the paperwork and nearly tumbled off the chair with the effort.
He righted himself just in time, and the flush that stained his cheeks was adorable.
He cleared his throat to get the group’s attention, although they seemed to already be hanging on his every word.
“It looks like everyone is here, so we’ll get started. First up, let’s get the introductions out of the way.”
As group members introduced themselves one by one, the fact that I was the only solo person here became apparent.
This event was advertised as a mixer event where participants would be matched up to complete tasks.
I’d assumed that there would be other singletons here but it seemed that everyone already had a ready-made pairing.
As Spencer began explaining the concept of the Great LA Adventure, my mind raced. Would I be matched with an already established pair? Or would I have to complete this activity on my own.
I sank into my chair, wishing I could disappear into the brightly patterned carpet. What was supposed to be a fun way to meet new people was quickly turning into an awkward nightmare.
Spencer
The longer I talked, the more Natalie seemed to disappear into herself.
The woman who’d taken my breath away at the unexpected café meeting was now clearly realizing she had no one to be paired with for the scavenger hunt.
We had opened an even number of slots but had gotten a last minute cancellation which meant we’d have one group of three.
However it seemed everyone else signed up with a significant other or close friend, and matching up a group of three would not be as simple as I’d assumed earlier today. My mind raced through options, desperate for a lightbulb moment before we handed out the envelopes with the first challenge.
Each week, participants would receive a surprise challenge, such as taking a picture of a work of art, and would have their choice from a list of LA locations to visit in order to complete the task.
Mrs. Garcia sat to the side, observing. I caught her eye, and she smiled encouragingly but didn’t seem to have noticed Natalie’s distress. I shuffled the envelopes to buy myself time and create anticipation, even though I knew that the contents were the same for each group this week.
“Alright, pair up and then come up to get your challenge. We seem to have one?—“