Hollywood Husbands

  Being a movie star again meant great luxury. Compared to the daily grind of episodic television it was absolute ecstasy. Silver adored every moment.

  She had an expensively furnished and large dressing room three times the size of the rat-hole City Television had given her for emoting three days a week on Palm Springs. A rat-hole she would no longer have to languish in, thanks to the swift, no-nonsense negotiating clout of the admirable Zeppo White. Thank God she had listened to Wes, and returned to the all-encompassing power of Zeppo. Quinne Lattimore had been distraught – naturally. But as Wes so forcibly (she was crazy about his forcefulness) pointed out – business was business. And since she had never signed a formal contract with Quinne, she was free and clear.

  Goodbye, Quinne.

  Hello, Zeppo.

  Wes took care of the details.

  Zeppo had taken one look at her contract with City Television and thrown a fit. ‘Slave labour!’ he tut-tutted. ‘Shouldn’t be allowed. Whoever had you sign this should be shot!’

  He knew perfectly well who allowed her to sign it. Quinne Lattimore. She felt sorry for him at first, but when Zeppo and Wes explained to her how she had been taken advantage of – money and perks-wise – she didn’t feel so sorry anymore.

  Wes sat her down one day and gave her a lecture. ‘You’re a beautiful woman.’

  She preened.

  ‘And a great actress and a wonderful singer.’

  This was getting better. She loved compliments, especially from Wes, on whom she grew more dependent each day.

  ‘But you’re not getting any younger.’

  Her smile turned to frost. She hated mention of her age. Forty-seven was only three years away from fifty. And fifty was only ten years away from sixty. And… oh God, she felt quite faint.

  ‘What are you trying to say?’ she asked icily.

  Catching her vibes, he jested around before getting to the main point. ‘You’ll always be the sexiest broad on the block – no doubt about that. But I don’t want you bustin’ your ass in a few years’ time. I want you to be able to sit back an’ say fuck ’em – I don’t think I’ll work this year. And to be able to do that we’ve got to rake in the big money now. Quinne held you back a couple of years. With Zeppo we’ve gotta go for it. An’ we gotta go for it now.’

  She recovered her composure. He was right. It might be quite a change to sit back and do nothing – when it suited her. ‘I agree,’ she said.

  The thing is,’ he went on, ‘don’t freak out, but Zeppo is trying to break your contract with City Television.’

  She was aghast. Appearing on Palm Springs three days a week was certainly hard work, but without it what would she do? Romance was not going to take forever, and she had nothing else lined up.

  ‘I enjoy doing Palm Springs,’ she said quickly. ‘And if Zeppo negotiates more money…’

  ‘Palm Springs got you back, made you a star again. Now you don’t need it anymore. Zeppo can keep you as busy as you want to be. He’s already talkin’ about an hour special with NBC. An’ he’s talkin’ mega-bucks. There’s a recording deal in the works. Commercials, endorsements. Christ, Silver, do you realize the money we can make?’

  ‘Are you sure?’ she asked tentatively. She suffered from every performer’s lack of confidence when it came to viewing her own future.

  ‘Yeah, I’m sure, otherwise I wouldn’t be talkin’ this way. Zeppo wants to explain everything to you himself – I figured I’d run it by you first.’

  That conversation had taken place three months ago. And in those three months, everything Wes and Zeppo promised had happened. Right now she was in the midst of shooting Romance. True to his word, Zeppo had got her out of her contract with City Television. How he did it she had no idea. But the great thing was that she was to guest on Palm Springs four times a year – at her own convenience. And for that four weeks she was to receive the same amount of money they had been paying her for a full year.

  Unbelievable!

  Wes was more than right. Moving to Zeppo was the second-best thing she’d done in her entire life. The first was marrying Wes. Contrary to everyone’s belief that he was going to grab all her cash and run, he had turned out to be a canny operator – who was making sure she made even more bucks. And he looked after all her interests too. Banking, investments, tax, accounting. She still paid so-called professionals to do it, but Wes watched and interfered and made sure they did it right, and didn’t steal from her.

  Oh, the relief of having a real man around the house. She didn’t care what his background was. She trusted him, and that was enough for her.

  They had their fights of course, real screaming matches. The making up was worth every delicious spiteful insult. Wes was the lover she’d been searching for all her life. A powerful animal in the sack. A real man.

  Recently he’d come up with a cousin, and a mangy dog. She wasn’t exactly thrilled that he’d installed them in the house. The girl was a nonentity, the dog an aggravation.

  Wes insisted they both stay. ‘She’s my only family,’ he said firmly. ‘Put her in one of the maids’ rooms, they’re empty anyway.’

  How could she argue? He was doing so much for her, and as it turned out Unity was quite useful to have around. She kept to herself and didn’t bother anyone.

  The dog was another story. Silver wished it would fall in the pool and drown! She hated dogs at the best of times – especially pedigree-less mongrels.

  When Romance was completed it was all go on her television special. And then she had an album of old show tunes to cut, and a commercial for Savvy perfume.

  The money was rolling in. Right now Silver was content. Except for the matter of Zachary K. Klinger, who quite blatantly refused to leave her alone. He was pursuing her relentlessly, and his unwelcome attentions were beginning to unnerve her.

  So far she had managed to keep it from Wes, although it wasn’t easy. She was inundated with red roses daily – fortunately they arrived at the studio, where he also sent her expensive pieces of jewellery which she always had Nora return.

  Occasionally he even visited the set. After all, it was an Orpheus picture, and he owned Orpheus.

  Studiously she managed never to be alone with him. But she knew Zachary. When he wanted something or someone he never gave up. And he wanted her.

  Toying with the idea of telling Wes, she finally decided against it. There was nothing he could do, and pitting Wes against Zachary Klinger would be like placing a small rowboat in front of an ocean liner.

  She would just have to wait it out, and hope that Zachary faded quietly back into her past where he belonged.

  Chapter Sixty-Nine

  Jade Johnson was everywhere. Or rather her face was. She stared down from two giant billboards on Sunset. She was in every magazine. Her image – larger than life – decorated all the Cloud makeup departments in every one of the better stores. Her series of television commercials – daring, amusing, depicting her as a true woman of the eighties – had created quite an impact wherever they were shown.

  In a short period of time she was better known than she had been in her entire career. And for the first time she was seriously considering taking it one step further. Orpheus Studios and Howard Soloman kept on making her offers she was finding hard to refuse. The more she said no, the more they said yes. Going so far as to promise she could debut in the story of her choice. And proposing a very lucrative deal indeed.

  While she wasn’t an actress, Jade also wasn’t a fool, and she knew that opportunities like this only came once in a lifetime. She had read a book called Married Alive, whose central character was a young fashion designer who falls in love with a married man. It was a comedy – reminiscent in a way of A Touch of Class – one of her favourite movies of all time. Saying yes – if the book’s film rights were still available – seemed like a tempting prospect.

  Beverly D’Amo urged her to get together with Zeppo White. ‘You have to be with the right agent,’ she insisted. ‘Loo
k at what he’s done for me.’

  Beverly was currently shooting Romance with Carlos Brent and Silver Anderson. After that she was due to go to work on The Murder in a featured role.

  Jade nodded. She agreed that the right representation was important, and with that thought in mind she arranged a lunch with Zeppo at The Palm on Santa Monica.

  When she walked in he leaped to his feet. ‘You’ve taken your time, kiddo,’ he said.

  ‘I always take my time,’ she replied coolly.

  He cackled. Beautiful women turned him on. Especially beautiful women with razor-sharp minds of their own.

  ‘So… you wanna be a movie star,’ he mused.

  Shaking her head she said, ‘No, Mr White. I want to make enough money to buy myself an island, so that when the bullshit gets a little too thick on the ground, I can just take off and do whatever I want.’

  He cackled again. ‘I like it! I like you! Tell me what the thieves are offering you, an’ I’ll get you double.’

  She nodded. ‘For ten percent I shall expect you to do just that.’

  * * *

  All things considered, Beverly D’Amo was quite happy with the way her career was progressing. Two movies and plenty more on the horizon if she continued to please Zachary Klinger. And there was no reason why she couldn’t do so. He was easy to please – kinky - but what the hell – she had met a few in her time.

  Zachary’s particular kink was making it with her while two ladies of the night watched attentively. Of course, first she and Zachary had to eyeball the two hookers, which could get a little tedious if you weren’t into that action. But Zachary loved it, and who was she to spoil his pleasure?

  Beverly had never thought the day would come when she had to screw to get ahead of the game. After two and a half years in Hollywood, getting exactly nowhere, she had decided to go for it. And there was nobody bigger than Zachary K. Klinger. He was the top man.

  They had an agreement. She would put out for him. And he would put out for her. Fair enough.

  The only drag was he expected her to find the professionals. Easy it was not. He required new ones each time, and they always had to bring along a clean bill of health. Not that he ever touched them. Never went near them.

  Beverly was seriously thinking of having a whole bunch of phoney doctors’ letters dummied up. He would never know the difference, and it would surely make her job a lot easier.

  The first time she slept with him he demanded a doctor’s certificate from her. Goddammit. She nearly told him to shove the deal. Who needed the humiliation?

  When he purchased the huge house on Carolwood Drive in Bel Air, he invited her to move in with him. She liked that – it showed that in his own peculiar way he cared. Another man in his position might not be so anxious to set up house with a black woman. Zachary didn’t give a damn. In a funny way she loved him for it.

  She had her own bedroom, her own maid, and her own Rolls-Royce. When he entertained – which admittedly wasn’t often – she played the official hostess part. What with the work and the status, it was a role she could live with.

  A very different role from the one she had played while growing up.

  * * *

  Rodeo Drive was quiet when Jade slipped into Lina Lee after lunch and did some serious shopping. She spent three thousand dollars on clothes, and wondered guiltily if she was going Hollywood.

  It’s my money, she thought defiantly. It’s not like I’m spending some poor guy’s hard-earned dollars.

  She loved clothes, and recently she had needed a new outfit every day, what with personal appearances and television talk shows. In New York she used to get a lot of stuff given to her, just so she would wear it and everyone would say, ‘Where did you get that?’

  The spending spree was a celebration. She had instructed Zeppo White to represent her in her negotiations with Orpheus. If all fell into position she would do a movie. It would be crazy-time not to.

  ‘Jade?’

  Turning, she did not recognize the short blonde woman in a peach jumpsuit and large dark glasses. Beside the woman stood a tiny child, identically dressed.

  ‘Poppy,’ the woman reminded. ‘Poppy Soloman. You were supposed to call me. Lunch. Remember?’

  ‘Oh, yes. How nice to see you,’ she said graciously, quickly trying to recall where they had met.

  ‘And this is Roselight Soloman,’ Poppy continued. ‘Isn’t she adorable? Everyone says she looks just like me. But I can see a touch of Howard in her, can’t you?’

  Ah! Mrs Howard Soloman. They had met at Morton’s, the night Beverly was bird-dogging Zachary Klinger.

  ‘She’s lovely,’ Jade said kindly. The child wasn’t lovely at all. She was on the plump side – just like mommy – with a petulant, screwed-up little face. ‘How old is she?’

  ‘She’ll be four in two weeks.’ Poppy paused, then added airily, ‘We’re taking over Disneyland.’

  ‘How… original.’

  ‘I think it will be different, don’t you?’

  ‘Uh… certainly different.’

  ‘Children so easily get bored these days,’ Poppy confided. ‘Last year it was a tent and clowns and donkeys in the garden. This year she’ll expect more.’

  ‘Absolutely,’ Jade agreed, looking for an escape.

  ‘Now,’ said Poppy firmly. ‘While I’ve got you here, I absolutely refuse to take no for an answer. I insist upon giving a lunch for you. What day can you manage? Just name it, I’m all yours.’

  ‘I’m not sure when I’m free…’

  ‘Monday?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘Tuesday?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘How about Wednesday?’

  ‘Wednesday, let me see… ah…’

  ‘Wednesday it is,’ Poppy said firmly. ‘Twelve-forty-five at the Bistro Garden. No excuses. I’ll invite a few close chums. Is there anyone in particular you’d like?’

  ‘Er… Beverly D’Amo.’

  Poppy gave a bitchy laugh. ‘She’s quite a lady, isn’t she? Although I guess lady isn’t quite the right word.’

  Jade jumped in. ‘What is?’ she demanded.

  ‘Me wanna pee pee,’ interrupted Roselight.

  ‘Be quiet,’ said Poppy sharply.

  ‘What is?’ repeated Jade.

  ‘Character,’ smiled Poppy, recovering fast from her almost gaffe. ‘A charming, original character. And such a funny comedienne. Howard raves about the dailies on Romance. He says she’s like a beautiful Whoopi Goldberg.’

  Jade relaxed. ‘I have to go,’ she said.

  ‘Me too,’ agreed Poppy. ‘Busy, busy, busy. There’s never enough time in the day is there? I’ll see you on Wednesday.’

  A sudden noise startled both of them.

  Roselight had peed in her pants, and the result was trickling to the ground.

  Jade laughed all the way home. Poppy Soloman’s face was a picture postcard of undisguised horror.

  * * *

  ‘Where’s your sister?’ Norman Gooseberger asked.

  ‘She’ll be here in eight minutes exactly,’ Corey replied, consulting his watch. ‘Jade runs ten minutes late on everything. No more, no less.’

  ‘Unlike baby brother,’ Norman said with a smile. ‘Always punctual, always correct.’

  ‘Not always,’ replied Corey.

  Their eyes met and locked and did an intimate little dance all their own.

  ‘Do you know,’ said Norman, ‘that this is the longest time I’ve ever been faithful?’

  ‘Really?’ replied Corey.

  ‘Really.’

  They continued to stare at each other. A long stare where plenty was said, yet no words were spoken.

  For the first time in his life, Corey felt completely at ease with himself. For years he had been forced to live a lie; now finally, with Norman, he was free to be himself. Norman had no hang-ups about being gay. ‘I knew it when I was fourteen,’ he had confided to Corey. ‘And a year later I told my parents. They freaked
at first, but after a while they got used to it.’

  Corey had nodded. There was no way he could tell his parents. How could he? All they ever talked about was Jade, and how wonderful and successful she was. It wasn’t easy being the under-achiever in a family used to excellence.

  Jade entered the restaurant, causing the customary stares and comments. She kissed Corey on both cheeks, and then did the same to Norman. After her initial shock, she had accepted her brother’s homosexuality with good grace. After all, if she were to suddenly change tracks she certainly wouldn’t expect him to judge her.

  ‘I met with Zeppo White at lunch today,’ she announced. ‘And I’ve decided to let him go ahead and negotiate with Orpheus for me.’

  Norman clapped his hands. ‘Bravo!’ he said. ‘You’ll be our new client. B & B signed the Orpheus account last week.’

  She smiled. ‘Not so fast, there’s a lot to be worked out.’

  ‘You should be with us anyway,’ he commented.

  ‘I know. I spoke to the Cloud people this week, and told them I wanted B & B to take over the publicity on the campaign.’

  ‘That’s great!’ he exclaimed.

  ‘Great,’ Corey echoed, although he wasn’t sure that he wanted Jade working with Norman. She had this habit of taking over on friendships – she didn’t mean to do it, somehow it just happened. He loved his sister very much, only he was tired of always being in her shadow.

  Dinner passed, gossip was exchanged. Jade told her Poppy Soloman story, and had Norman in hysterics.

  Norman had a few stories of his own about Whitney Valentine and Chuck Nielson. ‘They battle non-stop,’ he confided. ‘He is soooo jealous of her, and she is career crazy. They’re the Hollywood couple I always dreamed of representing. They break up – regularly – every ten days. True Life Scandal would go out of existence without them!’

  Corey tried to come up with some gossip of his own. And then he thought, why even try? Norman had all the controversial and famous clients. He was stuck with Deacon the Dog, and a sixty-two-year-old male star of a television sit-com. Exciting stuff.

  ‘How’s your love life?’ Norman asked boldly.

  ‘Extremely dull,’ she replied matter-of-factly. Since her break-up with Mark no one had come along to pique her interest. And unlike her friend Beverly, she never slept with guys just for the hell of it. There had been a time when she was twenty-two that she remembered with mixed feelings. Her wild period she called it. She hadn’t counted, but a lot of guys passed through her life then. Enough for her to realize that sex and nothing else was never enough. The sex was only important if it included a relationship.