Read Online Welcome to the World, Baby Girl! by Fannie Flagg - Free Book Online
Authors: Fannie Flagg
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Montana; then Oklahoma; Kentucky; back to Billings; and on to Richmond, Virginia, where she started off as a weather girl again but eventually worked up to cohost of the local morning program, doing features about art shows, horse shows, dog shows, and occasionally interviewing celebrities coming through town. When the actress Arlene Francis came to Richmond, she liked the way Dena handled the interview and mentioned it to her agents. Sandy Cooper was a young talent agent who specialized in television and was on the lookout for bright new female talent. The women’s movement was gaining momentum; he knew the networks had quietly started searching for more women to groom, because they knew it was only a matter of time before they would be obligated to hire one or two in the news departments. And Sandy wanted to get in on it from the start.
One weekend he and his wife drove to Richmond and stayed over to watch this Dena Nordstrom on the show Monday morning. He liked what he saw. Nordstrom’s beauty was certainly distinctive, but she had characteristics he knew the networks were looking for. She was smart, she was quick, she had that nice-girl-next-door quality coupled with a smile that lit up the screen. She had all this going for her but most important, she passed the ultimate test for Sandy. His wife, Bea, who was short and stout and usually hated pretty women, liked Dena. All he had to find out now was if this girl was ambitious or not. That question was answered in less than five minutes after they met, and an hour later she was signed as a client of the William Morris Agency, one of the largest and most powerful agencies in the country. Three months later Sandy found out that a local New York station was looking for a girl to replace Nancy Lamb, and whoever got the position would be a candidate for an eventual move to network. He set up an interview for Dena with Ira Wallace, head of the station’s news department.
Dena flew in from Richmond the next week. Sandy picked her up at the hotel. Sandy wanted to walk so he would have a little timeto prepare her for Ira Wallace and warn her not to be put off by his personality. Even as far away as Richmond, Dena had already heard stories. The talent was terrified of him but she was not worried. She had rarely, if ever, met a man she could not charm. She was ready for this job, and she knew it. When they reached the right floor, Sandy gave the receptionist their names. They heard a loud, impatient voice bark back through the intercom.
“Yeah?”
“Mr. Cooper and Miss Nordstrom are here, Mr. Wallace.”
“Who?”
The receptionist repeated, “Mr. Cooper and Miss Nordstrom. They have an appointment.”
“I don’t know who the hell that is.” He clicked off.
The receptionist seemed unruffled and told them to have a seat.
Dena looked at Sandy. “Are you sure we have an appointment?” Sandy, as unconcerned as the receptionist, picked up a magazine. “Yes, he just does that to try and intimidate you.”
Dena sat down. “Well, it’s working.”
“Don’t let it bother you. He does it to everybody.”
As they sat there they could hear Ira Wallace yelling obscenities at somebody or a group of somebodies. After thirty-five minutes, he buzzed the receptionist.
“Those two yahoos still there?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Oh, Christ, all right. Send them in.”
Dena stood up. “This is ridiculous. I’m not going in there. He doesn’t even know we have an appointment.”
The receptionist looked at Dena. “He knows you have an appointment. He’s just an ass. Go on in.”
Reluctantly, Dena followed Sandy down the hall. Sandy stood outside the office and knocked lightly. They could hear him on the phone, but he managed to yell, “Come on, I don’t have all day.”
Sandy motioned for Dena to go first. The room reeked of cigar smoke. She looked over and saw Wallace, a fat, bald man, who looked exactly like a big sea bass wearing a white shirt, black plastic glasses,
One weekend he and his wife drove to Richmond and stayed over to watch this Dena Nordstrom on the show Monday morning. He liked what he saw. Nordstrom’s beauty was certainly distinctive, but she had characteristics he knew the networks were looking for. She was smart, she was quick, she had that nice-girl-next-door quality coupled with a smile that lit up the screen. She had all this going for her but most important, she passed the ultimate test for Sandy. His wife, Bea, who was short and stout and usually hated pretty women, liked Dena. All he had to find out now was if this girl was ambitious or not. That question was answered in less than five minutes after they met, and an hour later she was signed as a client of the William Morris Agency, one of the largest and most powerful agencies in the country. Three months later Sandy found out that a local New York station was looking for a girl to replace Nancy Lamb, and whoever got the position would be a candidate for an eventual move to network. He set up an interview for Dena with Ira Wallace, head of the station’s news department.
Dena flew in from Richmond the next week. Sandy picked her up at the hotel. Sandy wanted to walk so he would have a little timeto prepare her for Ira Wallace and warn her not to be put off by his personality. Even as far away as Richmond, Dena had already heard stories. The talent was terrified of him but she was not worried. She had rarely, if ever, met a man she could not charm. She was ready for this job, and she knew it. When they reached the right floor, Sandy gave the receptionist their names. They heard a loud, impatient voice bark back through the intercom.
“Yeah?”
“Mr. Cooper and Miss Nordstrom are here, Mr. Wallace.”
“Who?”
The receptionist repeated, “Mr. Cooper and Miss Nordstrom. They have an appointment.”
“I don’t know who the hell that is.” He clicked off.
The receptionist seemed unruffled and told them to have a seat.
Dena looked at Sandy. “Are you sure we have an appointment?” Sandy, as unconcerned as the receptionist, picked up a magazine. “Yes, he just does that to try and intimidate you.”
Dena sat down. “Well, it’s working.”
“Don’t let it bother you. He does it to everybody.”
As they sat there they could hear Ira Wallace yelling obscenities at somebody or a group of somebodies. After thirty-five minutes, he buzzed the receptionist.
“Those two yahoos still there?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Oh, Christ, all right. Send them in.”
Dena stood up. “This is ridiculous. I’m not going in there. He doesn’t even know we have an appointment.”
The receptionist looked at Dena. “He knows you have an appointment. He’s just an ass. Go on in.”
Reluctantly, Dena followed Sandy down the hall. Sandy stood outside the office and knocked lightly. They could hear him on the phone, but he managed to yell, “Come on, I don’t have all day.”
Sandy motioned for Dena to go first. The room reeked of cigar smoke. She looked over and saw Wallace, a fat, bald man, who looked exactly like a big sea bass wearing a white shirt, black plastic glasses,
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