“Let’s get us a private room,” she shrieked. “I’ll pick out three girls, one for each of us.”
“Oh Jesus,” Linc groaned. He wasn’t thinking straight; the booze was clouding his brain. “I dunno if I wanna do this.”
“For crissakes,” Freddy complained. “You’re turnin’ into an old fart.”
“I got a reputation to protect.”
“What friggin’ reputation?” Freddy exploded. “You’re all over the goddamn papers with the Latina sex bomb. Shelby’s dumped you, so relax, have yourself a ball.”
Yeah, that’s what he should do—have himself a ball. Although Shelby hadn’t dumped him. He’d told her to fuck off.
What a mistake.
No. It wasn’t a mistake. He was free now. He could do whatever he felt like without having to listen to her sanctimonious nagging.
Allegra spent fifteen minutes picking out girls to accompany them, to the private room. She selected three different types—a sinuous black girl, a Southern redhead with huge knockers, and a petite Asian.
On their way to the private room, Allegra was whooping and hollering, causing other patrons to stare and recognize Linc—which pissed him off.
“This is fuckin’ ace!” she yelled in her loud Australian accent. “You guys are fan-fuckin’-tastic!”
Finally they settled into a private room.
One of the strippers had a key, and Allegra ordered her to lock the door, “I’ve been here before,” Allegra offered, winking jauntily at the guys. “We gotta have our privacy.”
Linc sat back, ready to enjoy his first lap dance in a while.
“I’ll take the one with the big tits,” Freddy roared.
“Fake,” Allegra pointed out in a bitchy tone.
“You think I give a fast crap?” Freddy chortled, waving a wad of bills at the redhead.
The black girl was all over Linc, humping and grinding while brushing her pointed breasts against his mouth as she straddled him.
Halfway through her routine she did something that turned him off, so he shoved her away and clicked his fingers for the delicate Asian with her china doll features.
“Looks like I’m stuck with you,” Allegra said, attempting to kiss the black girl on the mouth.
Soon everyone was going at it. Dry humping, heaving, and groaning.
Before long. Linc found himself getting a blow job, although it was strictly against the club’s rules. Any kind of fucking or sucking was against the club’s rules. But who gave a shit?
The Asian girl was into it—a regular little suction pump.
Linc leaned back like a king, allowing her to service him. Hookers and strippers were the best. A man didn’t have to buy them presents or take them out to dinner. No foreplay. No declarations of love. And no recriminations in the morning. Merely a businesslike exchange of cold hard cash. It suited him fine.
By the time they left the club he was completely wasted. Allegra was all over him, while Freddy had paired up with all three strippers.
“Everyone back to my place,” Freddy announced.
“I’m on!” Allegra said, before whispering in Linc’s ear, “Or we could dump him and have our own party at your hotel. I can do things you’ve only ever dreamed about!”
God! He was so fucked up. Drink, drugs, women— he was back to his old ways big time.
What was so bad about that? At least he didn’t have Shelby watching him like the town detective.
Outside the club, two paparazzi came darting out of nowhere. Flash! Flash! Flash!
For a brief moment Linc was blinded, then he lashed out, grabbing one of the photographers, wresting his camera away from him, and smashing it to the ground. The photographer was livid; he lunged at Linc, who managed to kick him in the groin. Within moments they were fully involved, while the second photographer snapped away.
The club bouncer emerged from inside and separated them.
“You’ll be sorry for this,” the photographer yelled, picking up his broken camera. “My friend. got it all, buddy. You fuckhead movie stars think you can get away with anything. Forget it, cocksucker.” Then the two photographers began running off down the street.
“Shit!” Freddy mumbled, attempting to bundle the three strippers into his limo. “What didja hafta do that for?”
“He deserved it,” Linc answered, rubbing his jaw where he’d received a glancing blow.
“Come on, mate,” Allegra said, pulling him by the sleeve of his jacket. “Let’s go get it on.”
Why not? Why the hell not?
• • •
Only a few hours later, Linc sat in the makeup trailer, scowling and hungover.
“What am I supposed to do with you today?” the makeup girl bitched. “Your skin’s like sandpaper, your eyes are superbloodshot. Lean back. Linc, 111 try putting Visine in them.”
“Leave my eyes alone,” he muttered. “I feel like crap as it is,”
“You look like crap,” the makeup girl scolded. “Relax, while I do my best to make you look human.”
Lola entered the makeup trailer with Matt right behind her. “Well,” she said, flopping into one of the makeup chairs, “I see you’ve taken over the front-page “pot.”
He’d already viewed the damage. The Daily News carried a photo of him with Allegra, whereas the Post had a picture of him kicking a photographer.
“Jesus, Lola,” he groaned, then he spotted Matt. “Hey,” he muttered.
“Hey,” Matt responded.
There was an uneasy silence.
“Matt and I are back together,” Lola said, breaking the silence.
Linc peered at her through the mirror. Was it true? Had he slept with her?
Freddy was probably wrong. If he’d screwed Lola Sanchez, it would surely be something he’d never forget.
Damn! He simply couldn’t remember.
• • •
“I’m fixing you up,” Cat announced.
“Excuse me?” Jonas replied. ;
“I said I’m fixing you up. I’ve found the perfect girl for you.”
“If I was interested in the perfect girl, I’d go find her myself.” Jonas said. He hated it when Cat got busy with his love life. He didn’t need any help; unbeknownst to Cat, he and the continuity girl had been hitting, it off quite nicely.
“How would you do that?” Cat asked, hitching up her low-rider jeans. “You never go anywhere, you work all the time.”
“Something wrong with that?”
“Forget about it. This girl is great and we’re all going out.”
“Who’s we?”
“You, me, her, and Nick.”
“Nick?”
“Coincidence. Amy is Nick’s sister, and she’s interesting and pretty. She’s also a stand-up comedian, isn’t that wild?”
“A stand-up comedian?”
“Yeah, she’s funny. You like funny, don’t you?”
“I do not need fixing up.”
“Too late. We’re all having dinner at Chow’s tonight.”
“You can’t go ahead and make arrangements for me,” Jonas protested. “I’m not going.”
“Oh yes you are. You work for me.”
“Since when do I work for you?”
“Well, you work for Merrill Zandack and I do too, so it’s all in the family Anyway, I need to discuss postproduction things with you, and there’s never time on the set. Chow’s, eight o’clock. You be there, Jonas, otherwise I’ll definitely assume you’re gay.” She hurried off before he could object further, Amy was perfect for Jonas, even though Nick kept on insisting that Jonas was gay.
“I’m telling you, he’s not Cat assured him.
“He’s either gay or the dude’s got a major crush on you,” Nick said.
“Don’t be crazy. We’re like brother and sister.”
“You haven’t seen the way he watches you on the set.”
“He’s watching me work Nick. He’s Merrill’s spy, it’s his job to keep an eye on what’s happening.?
??
“You’re a fuckin’ girl, you don’t get it. I know these things.”
After his premiere, Nick had attempted to invite himself up to her apartment.
“No way,” she’d said, blocking him in the lobby of her building.
“Why?” he’d said, giving her his famous bad-boy look. “Don’t you fancy gettin’ laid?”
“Not by you.”
“Jeez!” he’d complained. “Are you telling me I’ve wasted an evening?”
“Oh pul-eeze. Get over yourself.”
Actually, she’d been quite tempted. She hadn’t had sex in so long it was a joke.
Then she realized that she had to be smart. Sex with Nick Logan could turn out to be a major mistake.
Although . . . maybe when they wrapped.
Yeah Why not? After all, it wasn’t as if she was a nun.
• • •
“Your father and I are flying in,” Martha Cheney informed her daughter over the phone.
“You are?” Shelby said, quite startled at the thought of her parents descending on her.
“Yes, dear. Your father needs a break.”
“He does?”
“Is it convenient if we stay with you?”
“Of course. Although you do know that I’m in the middle of filming, so I won’t be around too much.”
“We were planning on driving to the south of France, but there’ve been so many robberies there lately that your father feels we shouldn’t risk it. Besides, we’d rather spend time with you. I promise we won’t get in your way.”
“I’m sure you won’t,” Shelby murmured.
Since the success of Rapture, things had definitely changed. Occasionally there were paparazzi lingering outside her house, and many stories about her and Linc in the tabloids. It seemed that their marriage had become public fodder. The story about Linc being with Lola Sanchez must have hit the English papers, so now her parents were concerned. Hence their upcoming visit.
“When will you be here?” she asked.
“At the end of the week,” Martha replied.
“You don’t have to do this, Mum. I’m okay, really I am.”
“Darling, you’re our daughter,” Martha said. “We want to be there for you.”
Shelby realized there was no point in trying to put them off. Martha Cheney was a very determined woman.
She hung up the phone and started thinking about the previous evening and Pete’s declaration of love. He’d caught her off guard, and she hadn’t known how to respond.
“I needed to share my feelings with you, Shelby,” he’d said. “If you and Linc don’t make it, you have to know that I’m here for you.”
“I appreciate it, Pete, only I can’t think about getting involved with anyone else at this time.”
“I know,” he’d said. “I can wait.”
Pete was a very special man, and the knowledge that he still loved her was quite an ego boost.
Soon she got in her car and drove to the studio. When she arrived, the second assistant informed her there was a surprise waiting in her trailer.
“What?” she asked.
“You’ll see.”
She opened the door of her trailer, and there, in the middle of the floor, was a basket containing the adorable golden puppy from last night. Next to the basket was a glass bowl filled with apricot roses—her favorite color.
She opened the attached note.
He pined for you all night.
So did I. He needs a safe haven—
So do I.
Love always,
Pete.
She didn’t know how to react. It was such a sweet and thoughtful gesture. So genuine.
She picked up the puppy and it immediately began licking her face.
She reread Pete’s note.
If Linc didn’t get it together soon, she would move on.
CHAPTER
* * *
36
Lola was desperate to get back to L.A. so that she could take her turn sitting by Selma’s bedside. Her day was spent either working or on the phone. She called Mama at least three or four times, and after work she spoke first to Isabelle, then Selma’s husband and her two children.
Matt didn’t complain. He was so relieved to be back with her that he didn’t dare say anything that might cause her to throw him out again.
Most days—since he had nothing else to do—he followed her to work and hung around the set. He was determined to watch out for Linc Blackwood. He’d seen the newspapers, he knew about the rumors.
Lola’s heart was not in the movie. She was well aware that her performance had become lackluster, although Elliott Finerman had not complained.
One day, when they were shooting on location at a restaurant in Tribeca, Tony Alvarez turned up.
Fitch Conn welcomed him to the set and was all over him like a cheap suit. Tony Alvarez was a cult figure in the directing world; his movies were cutting-edge, and other directors admired his style.
Lola was shocked to see him; it had been weeks.
“Hey,” Tony said, walking straight over to her, his intense, dark eyes burning into hers.
She automatically drew back. “Tony,” she said nervously, “what are you doing here?”
“You won’t take my calls, you don’t phone me. Why you think I’m here?”
“I . . . I’ve been so busy,” she said, thinking how handsome he looked, in a black silk tee shirt and perfectly creased pants. “This film is taking up all my time. As soon as it’s over, I’m flying to L.A. to be with Selma.”
“How’s she doing?”
“She’s still in a coma.”
“That’s real messed up.”
Her eyes darted around to see where Matt was. She did not want them coming face-to-face; that would not be a good idea.
“Well, Tony,” she said in a strained voice, “it’s nice of you to visit, but as you can see—I’m busy, so maybe we should do this another time.”
“Are you handin’ me bullshit?” Tony said in a low, angry voice. “You got a short memory, Lola. You swore when we got it back on, there’d be no more walkin’ out. You swore you were tellin’ the world about us. An’ now, ’cause there’s a little trouble, you run.”
“I would hardly call my sister getting shot a little trouble,” she said, her brown eyes flashing.
“I took care of that problem,” he said ominously.
“Took care of what?” she asked, shivering.
“You’ll hear about it.”
“Do you know that I’ve been questioned by the police several times? How do you think that makes me feel?”
“Ignore that crap.”
“They wanted to know if you carried a gun.”
“What did you tell ’em?”
“The truth. That I don’t know.” She sighed deeply. “I am not happy about any of it.”
“Scared it’ll hurt your career again, huh?” he said mockingly. “Is it your fuckin’ lawyer advisin’ you to stop seein’ me?”
“It has nothing to do with my career this time,” she answered quickly. “I don’t know if you can understand this, but I feel that what happened to Selma is our fault—you and me. So . . . it’s better if we don’t see each other anymore. We create too much turmoil.”
“You can be a cold bitch when you turn it off.”
“Calling me names now, Tony?”
“I’m saying it like it is. You professed your love for me. One smell of trouble and you’re gone. What kind of loyalty is that?”
“I’m trying to explain how I feel.”
“No, baby,” he said forcefully. “I’m explaining how I feel. I wanna be with you, only you got the wrong dude if you think you can treat me like a piece of shit. If you don’t wanna be with me—you’d better say it now.”
Lola bit down on her lip. The very sight of Tony was an emotional experience. He still sent tingles up and down her spine, making her weak with desire. How could she give him up?
Bec
ause she had to, for Selma’s sake.
“Are we finished?” he demanded, his dark eyes staring into hers. “Is this for real?”
Before she could answer, Matt appeared. Obviously furious at seeing Tony, he possessively took her arm. “Is everything all right?” he asked in an uptight voice.
“Who the fuck is this?” Tony growled.
“For your information, I’m Lola’s husband,” Matt said.
Tony laughed derisively. “So you’re the jerk she kicked to the curb so that she could be with me.”
Matt took a step toward him.
Lola held him back. “No, Matt,” she ordered. “Don’t.”
“Leave my wife alone,” Matt said. “She doesn’t want to see you.”
“Who the fuck d’you think you’re talkin’ to?” Tony raged.
“You,” Matt responded. “And you’d better take notice.”
“Or what?” Tony jeered.
“Or you’ll regret it.”
“Are you threatening me?” Tony said. “You got any idea what happens to people who threaten me?”
“Tony,” Lola said, becoming alarmed, because Matt had no idea what kind of man he was dealing with. “Please don’t.”
“Don’t what, Lola?” Tony said, playing with her. “Don’t tell this dumb prick about our life together? About how hot an’ steamy the sex is between us? Or how many times you’ve complained about the asshole you were married to? Now he’s standing here threatenin’ me. Jesus holy Christ! Go back to him, live your dull life, ’cause I’m outta here. An’ baby, don’t ever come beggin’ me to take you back again. This time it’s finito.”
She watched him walk out, and later, on the evening news, she was horrified to see a report of Tyrell White’s mysterious death. He’d fallen from a nineteenth-floor hotel window. The newscaster called it a tragic suicide.
Lola shuddered. Tony Alvarez was an extremely dangerous man.
• • •
Linc informed Allegra she could not come to the set.
“Why not?” she demanded.
“Because I don’t want you there. It’s distracting.”
Allegra scowled. She was a woman used to getting her own way. Especially as she now considered herself Linc’s girlfriend.
He didn’t know how it had happened.