An Idol for Others (20 page)

Her graceful withdrawal aroused him to pursuit. The fact that he had had her made it almost necessary that he should have her again. The thought of the pleasure stirred him further. He didn’t have to worry about being impotent with her. Reassured on that score, he wanted to demonstrate it to her. “You’re not going to get rid of me as easily as that,” he said. He parted the folds of her robe and stroked her breasts. Her nipples were hard.

“I do believe you’re going to fuck me again, darling. How lovely. I want you to, of course, but I want other things too. If all goes well on Sunday, I’d love for you and Clara and David to invite me to dinner. I want us all to be friends.” She began to unbutton his shirt while he wondered what it would be like seeing her with Clara. He decided she could carry it off with style. She moved closer to him and kissed his chest. “Such a handsome young man. Can I keep on undressing you, darling?”

“Please do.” Her hands on him consolidated his erection so that it was straining for release when she lifted it from its confinement. “My word. I haven’t had a chance to see it like that since before we became so well acquainted. No wonder I’m dazzled.” She let go of him so that he could finish getting out of his clothes and dropped her robe and went to a chaise longue to stretch out. She reached for him as he lowered himself over her and uttered a long moan of pleasure while he entered her. “So good, darling. I did want to feel that again. You can’t imagine how good it feels. Now we can get on with our business of making a child.”

“Is that a joke, or do you mean it? Do you really think I might make you pregnant?”

“Why not? We’re certainly doing things that frequently have that result. I should think the way you’re built would make it even more likely. There’s very little of me you haven’t fucked. Oh, darling, it gets so hard when we talk about children. It feels as if it’s determined to give me one.”

“And you want it?”

“Why not? I have the usual two–one is six, and the other eight. They’ll be just about grown when this one is ten. That should keep me young longer.”

“How come you haven’t had any more with your husband?”

“We decided not to. I always wear my diaphragm when he does it. I’ll tell him I forgot it one night.”

“Well, then, let’s do it for real.” As he began his rhythmic thrust into her, he felt the thrill of what was surely one of life’s big moments. He was fucking a woman to give her a child. He had come into full possession of his manhood. He had been so preoccupied with business the other day that he had scarcely known what he was doing.

When they were done, he lingered briefly for her to give him her pointers about her husband and fix the date for 11:30 Sunday morning. He had stayed just long enough for it to seem reasonable for her not to have disposed of the business by telephone, but not so long that Clara would be bound to leap to conclusions.

He and David dressed for the Sunday meeting in jackets and white flannels. The Kennicutts received them in the great living room; Fay dressed with the extraordinary chic Walter remembered. She was a conquest to be proud of. Her husband turned out to be a heavy, phlegmatic man. David called him Fred and seemed at ease with him and immediately took charge. Following Fay’s advice, he rattled off figures with authority. He had armed himself with businesslike-looking lists of costs, which he thrust at Fred, who looked at them and nodded and grunted. They had agreed that Walter would describe the sort of production he had in mind, and he did so vividly and dramatically, looking into Fay’s dazzled eyes through most of it. Fred seemed upset that there were to be no stars, and Walter elaborated on his concept of an ensemble acting company, with references to the great European companies. It sounded impressive.

“You fellows seem to know what you’re doing,” Fred agreed. “It’s a gamble, but I’m prepared to put up $5,000.”

Walter found the definitive words so exhilarating that he was ready to throw his arms around Fred and let it go at that; but, still following Fay’s advice, David leaped in with persuasive arguments for putting up more. The Kennicutts should have an interest at least equal to the movie company’s, and so forth. Fay offered to put in some money of her own. Fred appeared not to like this and with a grunt upped his offer to $7,000. He was clearly determined to stick there. David grandly offered to give him a week to think it over before he negotiated the remaining backers’ shares. The butler appeared. Fay ordered champagne. David continued to talk business with Fred. Walter and Fay rose and wandered around the room, sipping wine, while Fay pretended to show him her possessions.

“You’re absolutely stunning all dressed up,” she said, standing in front of a handsome desk. “The more you have on, the more I want to take it all off. Are you pleased?”

“I’ll say. Thanks. You’re pretty stunning yourself.”

“I know how to wear clothes.” She laughed. “That may well come as a surprise to you, darling. Am I going to get that dinner invitation?”

“Absolutely, as soon as I see how we can fit it in.”

“I know you’re frightfully busy, and Clara and all. You probably won’t be able to come see me again; but if you do have the opportunity and feel like it, you know I’ll be in a receptive mood.”

“It’ll be difficult. We’ll see.”

“Maybe it’ll be easier when we’re back in the city. By then I’ll probably be all nice and pregnant for you.”

“Fabulous.”

“Is it getting hard?”

“Yes.”

“How lovely. I know what it looks like. Fancy my knowing that! It’s an incredible new fact of life.” She linked their arms and leaned against him, and they wandered back to the other two.

He and David were subdued as they drove away. “It’s getting so close. I don’t think I could stand it if anything went wrong now,” Walter said.

“Yeah. It’s so different from what I imagined. I thought someday I’d be sitting in an office peddling some cheap little comedy to a bunch of guys smoking cigars and one of the guys would say, ‘OK, I’m in for 15 grand,’ or whatever guys like that say; and I’d put on my cheap little comedy and make a million dollars. Now look at us–sipping champagne and discussing art and about to lose our shirts. You’ve got class, honey. I would never’ve dared approach the Kennicutts if you weren’t there to front for us. That may’ve seemed easy to you, but I happen to know they’re tough. You must’ve played your cards right. Don’t stop. We may need more from them, and I’ve a feeling the lady will get it for us.”

“I wonder. I told her ten was what we were aiming at.”

“Didn’t you notice what happened when he started to loosen up? She offered to put up her own money, and he didn’t like it. She must’ve known he wouldn’t like it. You can’t blame her for wanting to keep her hand on the tiller, if I can put it that way. She knows now you may hesitate to withdraw it.”

Walter chuckled. “Really, David. You’re impossible. Do you have to be a whore to get along in this business?”

“It helps, honey, it helps. I told you I’d turn you loose when the time came. Well, it’s coming. Just don’t forget my little lessons.”

They drove to the Peabody cottage, where Clara was to give them a quick lunch before the afternoon rehearsal. She appeared at the door before David had stopped the car.

“Is this the famous producer, Walter Makin?” she asked as he approached. She stood tall and serene, her auburn hair burnished by the sun, a serene highness. There was neither mockery nor challenge in her eyes; they glowed with pride and confidence.

“We’ve taken another step in the right direction,” he announced with quiet satisfaction. The place under her chin that made him feel protective was looking particularly vulnerable. He touched it and kissed her mouth lightly.

Her lips worked for an instant as if she were about to speak, and then she burst into abrupt laughter. All her face became animated. “Words almost failed me. Well, that’s that. We’re definitely going to do it.” She put a hand on David’s shoulder and herded them into the house. “Lunch is ready. Come on. I even have a bottle of wine. I knew this was going to be a celebration.”

“We’re going to be winos before we even start casting,” David said.

Clara led them through the house and out the back. She had instituted picnics on the lawn. It gave a festive air to her plain fare. They sat on a blanket, and she passed out sandwiches and poured wine and asked questions about the meeting.

“Yes, it’s really going to happen,” she asserted when they had told her all about it. “The movie money has never seemed quite real to me. Having people in it makes all the difference. Does she intend to go on summoning you for little discussions of your plans?”

“Of course not,” Walter assured her. “As a matter of fact, she told me last time she’d be out of it from then on. I have the impression it’s definitely his show. Wouldn’t you say so, David?”

David ducked his head and bulged his eyes comically before turning a straight face to Clara. “Absolutely. When she tried to put in her two bits, he slapped her down.”

“She wants to have dinner with all three of us. I think she’s lonely.”

“Poor thing.” Clara shrugged. She didn’t regard Fay Kennicutt as a threat. She was practically middle-aged, a mother, and there had never been any gossip about her. Still, there could always be a first time. “It’s pretty fishy her insisting on seeing you alone–twice.”

“Oh, Clarry–” Walter began.

“I know exactly why,” David cut in smoothly. “They think I’m a smart operator. She was supposed to sound Walter out to see if there was anything phony about the setup. I told Walter. It may have looked easy, but they don’t part with their money for anything that isn’t strictly respectable. Walter did it for us–and possibly the rumor of a Washburn in the background.”

“Amateurs. They’re climbers, rather.” Clara shrugged again. “Dinner with the three of us. Typical.”

“Time!” Walter exclaimed, blessing David for taking care of the subject so neatly. “We hardly have time to eat ourselves, let alone have people for dinner. If we get any more involved in this production, the season here is going to fall apart.”

“We’re really hardly more than halfway making it,” Clara pointed out. “I know the rest of the money will turn up somewhere, but you’re right, dearest. Time is going to be a problem. We can’t do any more from out here. What about it, David? Do you expect to hear from any of the people you’ve contacted?”

“If I don’t in another few days, it won’t look too promising.”

“Well, there’s always my family, if Walter really wants to tackle them, but none of them will be around until after Labor Day. Before we get in any deeper, don’t you think we should talk more about some sort of business deal between us?”

“We needn’t waste time on that,” Walter said. “We’ll just split everything fifty-fifty–if there’s anything to split.”

Clara started to speak, but David was ahead of her. “I still haven’t taught you much about business, have I, old pal? For one thing, you’ll have your salary and percentage as director. It’s in the budget, if you’d bother to look. As for the production setup, I’ve been thinking. You found the play. Clara’s put up the option money. What if we form a company with three equal partners? We’ll split the producer’s fee and percentage three ways.”

“You’re nuts,” Walter said, dismissing the suggestion without even looking at Clara. “You’re the producer. We probably shouldn’t have any share at all.”

“Fine,” David said with a toss of his golden head. “Clara and I will be partners. If you’re very nice, we might give you a job.”

Clara crowed with laughter and took David’s hand. “You’re being awfully nice, darling.”

“Try to keep the note of incredulity out of your voice. I’m making complete sense. I suspect you’ll handle the business just as well as I once you learn the ropes. Pool old Walter’s hopeless; but we want him to have control, so we’ll have to pretend he’s worthy of being our partner. I don’t want to quit the school until we see things go, so I won’t even be working full-time. Later, if we go on and you two get married, we may decide I should have a bigger share.”

“I certainly wouldn’t want my name connected with it,” Clara said. “I think it should be ‘Walter Makin presents’ and then a line about “A Walter Makin–David Fiedler Production.’ How about that?”

“I like it. It’s better than Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.”

“Listen to us,” Walter said jovially. “We sound like a bunch of big businessmen.”

“That’s what I’m going to be, sweetheart. Don’t be fooled by my pretty face.” Gold flashed in the sun as David lifted his hand to smooth his hair. “Now listen, partners. We’ve got four more weeks here. At least I have. I have to stay till we shut down. You two could leave right after the last show opens–three weeks from tomorrow, or the next day. Money comes first, but we have a lot of other things to do–casting, getting a set built, finding a theater–that’s going to be a big problem, but the movie people will help there–and that’s only the beginning. If we pretend it’s just one more church sociable, we might not lose our heads. The movie people want us to open in November at the latest so they can count on getting Greg out to Hollywood next spring. If we don’t get the money in the next month or six weeks, we’re going to be in trouble. We can’t sign actors until we post the bond with Equity.”

“I’m not worried about that. Walter and I have made lists that we could cast the play five times over.”

“OK. I’ll call Steelman’s lawyer and get him to turn us into a company. We’ll get everything legal and official and open a bank account so we can get our hands on what we’ve collected so far. It’s enough to give us a nice vacation in South America if anything goes wrong. Cheers.”

They drained the remains of the wine and sat for a moment in deep thought. Clara felt vaguely cheated. She had wondered how she could propose some arrangement similar to David’s without making it sound as if she were trying to get rid of him. Now that he had made the suggestion himself, she suspected that he had scored on her in some way. It was too good to be true. Once she had a firmer grasp of the details, she would be in control. “I might go up before either of you,” she announced. “I could go tomorrow. I’m not needed here.”