Do Flowers Talk?

Some of you may have caught my visit with "9 to 5's" Allison Janney in today's LA.com. Not included -- because I couldn't find a way to artfully slip it in -- was the condition of the former "West Wing-er's" dressing room.

Flowers. Lots of 'em.

I met her the day after "9 to 5's" first preview in a dressing room that was pretty much wall-to-wall red roses. I didn't ask, but she volunteered it. Three dozen of said blooms came from the same person, an individual who Janney did not know and had never met.

"This man asked me if I was unattached and if I wanted to go out to dinner," Janney said. "I've never had anything like that happen to me ever. Think I should go out with him?"

Now, I'm not really sure whether Allison Janney was sincerely asking me whether I _ who was a total stranger to her 25 minutes ago _ thought it was a good idea for a well known actress like herself to accept a dinner invitation from another total stranger. Maybe the question was rhetorical. Probably she was musing.

Anyway, I said something a little lame and non-commit-ive about the admirer, whoever he is, having lovely taste in flowers.

"It's a little over the top," she continued. "I never even knew he existed. It's interesting, when you've been around for as long as I have, I would have thought I would have heard of him before this, but it was certainly quite stunning to walk in my dressing room and see them. Like wow! I had all these fantasies of who they were from. I don't know this man, but he's very generous. I'll call him and I'll thank him."

I remarked that, should she accept any kind of a date with this man, Allison Janney -- Emmy award winning TV star and soon to be Broadway star of "9 to 5: the Musical" -- would be fulfilling the "Notting Hill"-ish fantasy of every regular schlub who dreams of dating a celebrity. Forget getting around the handlers. Send three dozen roses to their dressing room with an invitation. Maybe that's just the ticket.

Or maybe the guy's a deranged stalker in need of multiple restraining orders. Call me a romantic, but I kinda hope not.