“If we’re willing? Of course we are!” Bess declared. “I can’t believe I’m going to visit the set of ‘Danner’s Dream’! Wait till George hears about this! She’s as crazy about Rick Arlen as I am.”
“Don’t tell me George watches ‘Danner’s Dream,’ too,” Nancy cried in surprise. George was always either training for some athletic event or lost in the pages of a book. How could she have time to watch daytime TV?
“Her mother tapes it for her,” Bess explained. “Everybody watches Serena and Rory. They’re the hottest couple on the soaps!”
“I think I have heard of them, actually. He was featured in Chatter magazine last month, right?” Nancy asked.
Bess nodded. “Blond hair, dazzling blue eyes, muscles out to here,” she said, indicating large biceps. “Need I say more?”
“I get the picture,” Nancy replied. “But I promised myself—no mysteries.”
“Oh, come on, Nancy. How many chances do you get to meet real stars?”
“Well, it would be kind of interesting to see how a television show is put together—”
“Interesting?” Bess cried. “It’ll be fantastic! I’ll die if we don’t go!”
“Then I guess I can’t say no, can I?” She turned to her aunt. “Okay, you can tell your neighbor we’re on.”
“Great,” said Eloise. “Mattie said you could show up at the studio around ten.”
“All right!” Bess exclaimed, her light blue eyes dancing. “Now, I’ve just got to decide what to wear tomorrow.”
“I’d rather check out that snack you were talking about, Aunt Eloise.”
“Wait a minute!” cried Bess. “I’m coming, I’m coming. I’ll pick out my clothes later.”
Nancy had to laugh. Bess was so excited. She just hoped that Mattie Jensen was as prone to exaggeration as Aunt Eloise had said she was. If so, how much of a mystery could there really be?
“Are you sure this skirt fits?” Bess asked. She and Nancy had just walked through the huge glass doors of Worldwide Broadcasting.
“You look fabulous,” Nancy assured her friend. All morning Bess had been fussing in front of the mirror, getting ready for their visit to the set of “Banner’s Dream.” And the results were definitely worth the work. In her soft suede skirt, tights, and ankle boots, Bess looked like a star herself.
“Okay, people,” a voice behind them shouted. “We go in here! Make sure your guest pass is visible.”
Nancy turned and saw a group of about thirty people push through the same glass doors she and Bess had just entered.
“It’s okay, Harry,” the tour guide in a navy blue uniform called to the security guard. “They’re with me.”
“Where you going? ‘Danner’s Dream’?” the guard asked.
“You guessed it,” replied the tour guide.
“It’s going to be a zoo in there today,” the guard muttered. “But whatever— Management must know what they’re doing. Take them into studio one, Joe.”
“Well, if I were Serena, I’d kill him,” Nancy heard a woman in the tour group say. “I mean, who does that Rory Danner think he Is?”
“They may have to kill him,” her companion replied. “I heard he’s leaving the show at the end of the season.”
“No!”
“Yes! Didn’t you read the Star Sentinel last week? He wants to break his contract to make a movie.”
“Well, if you ask me, Rick Arlen has gotten too big for his britches,” the first woman said. “We fans count, you know.“.
At the rear of the group was a large man in an old sweatshirt. He was shifting from foot to foot and muttering, “You’ll find out, Rory. You’re not that great.”
At last they all disappeared through a set of swinging doors. “Boy, they sure seem angry,” Nancy remarked.
“That’s nothing,” the security guard said. “Ever since Arlen decided he was leaving the show, seems like everybody hates him. I wouldn’t want to be him right now, no siree.” He shook his head. “Can I help you girls?” he finally asked.
“We’re here to see Mattie Jensen,” Nancy said politely. “She’s expecting us.”
The guard checked his book. “Miss Drew and Miss Marvin?” he asked. “Let’s see—ten o’clock . . . she’s probably just going into makeup. It’s down the hall and around to your right. First left after the producer’s office.”