Scamming
She Reeled Us in On the Beach in Malibu With Her Irish Lilt On St. Patrick’s Day
Like shooting fish in a barrel
Her Irish lilt first caught our attention. She overheard the three of us talking about a book. She chimed in that she loved that book, too.
Her bright face, long curly hair, and engaging Irish accent caused us to focus on her for a time. She was open and engaging. We talked about comedy — she said she was a comedian, as is my son — writing, acting, and music. It made sense she was interested in creativity — we were in Malibu on the edge of Los Angeles. She was open and engaging. My son, his friend and I all interacted with her.
She was writing as we spoke. Not on a computer, but with a notepad and pen. It’s California — we thought she was eccentric. She asked the waiter for a new pen, as hers had run out of ink.
I asked her if she would like to join us. She said thank you, but no — she’d be wrapping up and leaving soon.
Our friend noticed she drank only water and ordered fish tacos. My son and I missed those details. If we had noticed, we’re accustomed to the extremes of gourmet food and living on a budget. Once when my son was younger and said it was too bad we weren’t rich, I reminded him we did everything rich…
