Signal Fires

by Dani Shapiro

“No—that’s not the point!” The kid always seems on the verge of extreme, near-explosive frustration, as if the world around him cannot—will not—conform to his expectations.

Peter has also adopted the laid-back manner of an Angeleno. Sarah’s pretty sure it’s bullshit, the whole nonchalant affect. LA is a town fueled by ambition, and at the center of that ambition is the industry; that’s how it’s known, the industry. Everyone else—real estate brokers, hairdressers, dentists, accountants, dermatologists, personal trainers, restaurant owners, house cleaners, gardeners, even cops and firefighters—circles around the industry like satellites orbiting the earth.