Road to Nowhere

Chapter Three

1961 sure came in with a bang. 

After Danny's New Year's party, he, Marian, and I were nearly inseparable. The three of us would walk to the Pitt campus and take photos, hang out at school, and see each other all the time when we weren't at school, doing homework, or doing chores. 

Marian definitely didn't let me live the pot thing down. Every time she thought I was about to do something questionable, she'd give me a look that clearly said 'Remember the Pot' almost like it was the Alamo. 

It was now well into March, 1961. Danny and I were at the Cathedral of Learning (I was trying to master a portrait of the tall building), for once without Marian. Marian was busy helping her younger sister with some chores that they'd gotten behind on. With nothing else to do, I knocked on Danny's door and asked him if he was up for a trip to the Cathedral.

As I took a picture of the Cathedral from Forbes Field, Danny cleared his throat.

"Hey, I was talking to my older brother Patrick the other day," he began.

"And?" I took another picture, this time of Danny and the Cathedral.

"Well, y'know he's a photographer for Vogue," Danny said nonchalantly.

"No way! Get out, you're joking! You never mentioned this before!" I shouted, almost dropping my camera. 

"I just forgot to mention it," Danny shrugged.

"Oh, yeah, just forgot to mention that you know an photographer for Vogue! And he's your brother!" I laughed.

"Anyway," Danny sighed, "I sent him some of those pictures you developed- the ones you took downtown? And he said they were real good, and than he'd be interested in seeing what you could do with portraits or models or something."

"Holy shit!"

"He also asked if you'd be interested in writing," Danny continued. "Maybe a page or so about 'fashionable teens'?"

"I'll take it," I said without hesitation. 

"He said he'll have to see more of your stuff before you get hired or anything."

"Hired!"

"Yeah, hired, did I stutter?"

"No, but- Jesus Christ- you should've said there was a job in the works right off the bat!"

"Sorry, I'm just the messenger here, remember?" Danny grinned, although there was something wrong.

"Hey, what's the matter?"

"Nothing," Danny said. He paused, and then his face lit up again. "Oh! Forgot to mention it, but Pat said he'd get me to meet some guy to mentor- you know, in New York or California or something- for some record company. I think he said it was Capitol Records!"

"Holy shit and Jesus Christ!" I yelled, pulling Danny into a hug. "This seems like something outta movie or something! Why a record company?"

"Pat said he thought I'd like it. I could either go to college or get a job or something."

"Wow, I can't even believe it! Am I dead? Please tell me if I'm dead- a Vogue photographer wants to see my pictures and my writing and maybe get me hired!" I squealed. 

Danny just nodded along. With that, we went back to our street. I went in to tell my parents the news, and Danny just went home. I'd see him tomorrow, anyway. 

(June, 1997. Paris.)

"And I guess that's how it all started, with Danny, at least. That's just the tip of the iceberg. Getting the job at Vogue didn't officially happen until 1962 when I was eighteen. They hired me in mid-February. They had asked me to move to New York City so I could be closer to headquarters in April- that caused a big to-do with my parents. Dad wanted me to go, said it was an opportunity of a lifetime, but Mom was nervous. Don't blame her. I ended up moving there anyway. It worked out in the end, I suppose."