Hollywood Husbands (15 page)

‘She needs her mother,’ Jack said tightly. ‘Only she’s never going to get her. Silver lives only for herself.’

‘Maybe she has to,’ Clarissa replied. ‘She’s created the image – every day she must fuel the fire.’

‘What a wise lady,’ he said, ‘for an actress!’

He handed his parking ticket to an attentive valet who leaped forward. ‘Coming right up, Mr Python.’

‘And you are a rude man, Mr Python,’ Clarissa mocked.

He studied her long pale face and the intense eyes. ‘Let me take you home and show you just how rude I can be,
Miz
Browning.’

She nodded and allowed the anticipation to begin.

The parking valets were not expecting any new arrivals. They were busy jockeying the cars for departing guests when Antonio and his group drove up.

‘Is everyone leaving?’ Antonio asked, jumping from the car and flapping his hands.

‘No, sir,’ replied a surfer type. ‘Just a few people.’

‘Dahlings!’ Antonio spotted Jack and Clarissa.

They broke away from each other and greeted the famous photographer. He was – as usual – surrounded by a group of eccentric misfits who came piling out of his car. Among them was a great-looking girl Jack knew he had seen somewhere before. He did a classic double-take, and immediately wished he hadn’t, for Clarissa missed nothing.

The girl was tall and slim, with direct, challenging eyes, a sensual body, and a tumble of copper hair piled on top of her head. Her eyes flicked right past his intent gaze as if he didn’t exist. Jack was used to more attention than that.

‘Your car, Mr Python,’ said the parking valet, holding open the door.

‘
Divine
to see you both,’ sighed Antonio. ‘And such a
surprise
!’

Jack climbed into his Ferrari, revved the engine, and shot off a little too fast.

Clarissa rested her hand on his thigh. ‘Home,’ she said coolly. ‘And get that bimbo off your mind. You are no longer stud of the year. Remember?’

How well she knew him.

* * *

‘Let’s get out of here,’ Mannon said.

‘Any time you want,’ Melanie-Shanna responded obediently, anxious to be alone with him so she could tell him their good news.

Mannon had endured more than enough of viewing his ex-wife across a crowded party. He wanted her back so badly he could taste it, and he was in no mood to watch her with the likes of Chuck Nielson.

He planned to call his lawyer first thing in the morning and hammer out a settlement to offer Melanie-Shanna. He wanted to be fair about it – she was a sweet kid, but not for him. Things had to be done at once, even if it did cost him. And then he would be free to concentrate on getting Whitney back.

* * *

Nora saw Heaven first. At least, she assumed it must be Heaven, for who else could possibly turn up looking like that? She hurried over, almost speechless, and for Nora that was something. ‘I hardly recognized you,’ she said.

Heaven grinned cheekily and turned in a circle, her long overcoat trailing behind her. ‘I’m an original!’ she said proudly. ‘So’s Eddie.’

Eddie nodded, hungry eyes still scanning the room.

‘I can see that,’ Nora remarked dryly. She hadn’t seen Heaven in over a year. The child had certainly changed. Silver would be horrified.

‘Eddie an’ I, we’ve got our own group,’ Heaven confided. ‘He plays the guitar. I sing an’ write all our stuff. We’ve got a couple of other guys involved – like a drummer an’ a second guitar. If you’d given me the word we could’ve played here tonight.’

‘Not quite suitable,’ Nora said quickly. ‘Have you seen your… er… Silver?’

‘Nope.’ Heaven ran her hands through her spiked hair, pulling at it to make sure it stood at attention.

‘I’ll take you over,’ Nora volunteered. She knew it had to be done, and she was the one to do it.

‘Sure,’ Heaven said casually. ‘C’mon, Eddie.’

The two of them followed Nora across the room, and outside to the tented patio where Silver held court at a table for ten. She was in the middle of telling a joke, and the other people at the table listened with rapt attention – waiting for the punch line. ‘I don’t recognize Elvis,’ Silver concluded, barely controlling her own laughter. ‘But the one in the middle is Willie Nelson!’

The entire table broke up.

Nora took the opportunity to grab her attention. ‘Look who’s here,’ she said.

Silver turned graciously, ready to greet yet another power broker or fellow star. When she saw Heaven she visibly blanched. ‘Good God!’ she said. ‘What have you
done
to yourself? You look
dreadful
!’

Only Nora observed the flash of pain which flitted quickly across the girl’s face. And then a rebellious expression took over, the amber eyes hardened, and Heaven blurted, ‘Gee, Mom, nothing changes. You’re still as old-fashioned as ever.’

Silver didn’t like
that
. She stood up from the table to prevent her guests from hearing any more, and said in a low voice, ‘And you’re as rude as ever, I see.’

‘I guess it runs in the family, Mommy dearest,’ Heaven replied defiantly.

‘Don’t call me that,’ Silver hissed, and glared at Nora as if to say –
I told you so.

Nora shrugged. ‘C’mon kids,’ she said, ‘I’ll get you some food.’

Eddie was not to be shifted so quickly. He stuck his hand in Silver’s direction and said in an awe-struck voice, ‘Miss Anderson, I love your work, you are the very best.’

This was news to Heaven, who shot him a filthy look. Eddie.
Her
Eddie. Her confidant and friend. And as of that very afternoon – her lover. He was behaving like a star-struck fan. And to her mother of all people! Outrage enveloped her.

Eddie stood there with a stupid sloppy grin on his face, while Silver bestowed the royal handshake, and even managed a charming smile.

‘Garbage city,’ Heaven muttered to herself, and began to edge away.

‘Aren’t you going to wish your mother a happy birthday?’ Nora said pointedly.

‘Oh yeah – Happy birthday, Mom.’ She raced for the bar, leaving Eddie behind – what a geek!

* * *

By chance, Howard had purchased a small glassine envelope of what he was assured was first-rate Peruvian cocaine. A young actor he knew assured him. And since Howard’s connection at the studio (a rather flaky female production executive) was not altogether reliable – there were days when she never even bothered to turn up – he decided to accept the actor’s offer of a ‘great deal’. Little did Howard know he was paying twice the amount the actor had given to one of the barmen. He made the buy discreetly, underneath a palm tree out by the pool. ‘This isn’t for me,’ he explained to the actor, who couldn’t have cared less. ‘It’s for a friend.’

He felt secure with the coke stashed on his person. So secure, in fact, that he saw no reason why he shouldn’t have a small snort on the premises – just to rev himself up.

Finding an empty toilet in the pool house, he laid out a suitable amount of the white powder. It wasn’t that he needed it or anything like that, he just felt like testing out his new source – making sure it was primo.

* * *

‘Give me a vodka martini,’ Heaven said to the barman. She had no idea what a vodka martini was, but it sounded like a sophisticated enough choice.

Rocky checked her out. She looked like she could be a customer. He was carrying Quaaludes and other assorted goodies apart from cocaine. As he fixed her drink he mumbled, ‘Y’can score anythin’ else y’like if you’ve got the honey.’

‘What?’

‘Honey – money.’

She wanted to giggle. Silver, with all her fancy trappings, had ended up with a dealer behind her bar!

‘I’m not in the mood for buying,’ she said haughtily. And then she remembered the money Uncle Jack had handed her, and thought –
Why not?
It certainly wouldn’t cost a hundred dollars to get a cab back to the Valley.

‘I’ll change my mind. Do you have any joints?’

‘How many?’

Shrugging vaguely she said, ‘Three or four.’

‘Ya look like a rock star, an’ ya buy like a kid.’

Heaven propped her arms on the bar. ‘Do you
really
think I look like a rock star?’ she asked eagerly.

Rocky, adopting the Stallone stance, said, ‘Yo, pretty lady.’

She gave him a second look. He was of medium height and muscular, with drooping eyes, a funny crooked nose, and a shock of longish black hair. He was an older man, he must be at least thirty, but so what? Eddie was behaving like a jerk-off. He had joined the court of Silver, and a quick glance across the room confirmed that he was
still
hanging onto her mother’s every stupid word. ‘Thanks,’ she said. ‘I
am
a singer, only I can never get anyone to listen to my tapes.’

‘Poor pretty lady,’ Rocky crooned sympathetically. Lately he liked them younger and younger. This one looked positively illegal. If he wasn’t so stoned he would go for her now. ‘I have a friend in the record biz,’ he added, thinking he could save her for another time.

‘You do?’ she asked hopefully.

‘Oh yeah yeah yeah, I sure do. He’s a good buddy. Maybe I can fix it for him to er… hear your tapes.’

Her amber eyes sparkled. ‘Really?’

‘If I can do – I will do.’ He winked suggestively.

‘Two brandies,’ demanded a fat man in a too-tight cummerbund and rented tux.

‘Comin’ up,’ said Rocky agreeably. He scribbled his number on a paper napkin and slipped it to her. ‘Give me a call. Maybe I’ll be your manager. I’m the kinda guy can make things happen.’

She took the napkin and stuffed it in her pocket. He was probably full of crap. Most people, she had discovered early on in life, were full of crap.

* * *

Antonio and his group fussed around Jade, keeping her a part of their own private circle. ‘You’re a new face in town,’ Antonio warned. ‘So,
cara
, we protect you.’

‘Come
on
,’ she laughed. ‘I’m the
last
person who needs protecting. I’m from New York – remember?’

‘This is a place filled with beautiful women, but you,
bellissima
, are special.’

Jade couldn’t help smiling. Antonio the flatterer. He got some of his best pictures that way.

‘Okay, okay. I guess I’m surrounded,’ she sighed grudgingly. ‘Only I want a running commentary on everyone and everything. For a start – who’s that?’ She pointed out Heaven, lounging defiantly against the bar hanging onto her vodka martini.

‘Who indeed?’ echoed Antonio, peering over. ‘
Another
new face, and one that’s not been lifted either.’

‘She looks completely out of place,’ Jade remarked. She had already observed that the party was filled with impeccably groomed and well-coiffed women in expensive designer clothes.

‘True,’ agreed Antonio. ‘And so young. José!’ He snapped his fingers at the makeup artist with the careful pageboy bob and oriental eyes. ‘Bring the young lady over. She has the peculiar style. Maybe I photograph her.’

José sprang to his feet.

Jade smiled. ‘Still collecting strays,’ she mused.

‘It makes the life exciting,’ agreed Antonio.

Jade looked around the tented patio filled with tables. Dinner was over, and now the party guests table-hopped and danced to the strident disco music. Antonio had commandeered his own table, and he proceeded to point people out as they boogied past. He had a line of gossip on everyone. ‘
She
take the heroin.’ ‘
He
a bigamist.’ ‘
She
in the porno films.’ ‘
He
only like two women.’

‘Stop!’ Jade held up her hand sternly. ‘I don’t want to know any of this.’

‘Why?’ inquired Antonio, quite hurt by her lack of interest. ‘Is true.’

‘I don’t care.’

‘You
should
know these things now you live here,
cara
,’ he said huffily.

‘Why?’

‘Why… she ask me why…?’ He trailed off as José brought Heaven to their table.

The girl was indeed an original. Very pretty. And young. Glowingly, vibrantly
young
.

* * *

Silver wanted the evening to end. Fortunately people were beginning to depart. She couldn’t be more pleased. She had a strong desire to strangle Nora. Did the stupid woman honestly expect her to be thrilled and delighted by Jack’s presence? Not to mention Heaven, who arrived late looking like a reject from a rock concert.

She had struggled long and hard to regain the title Silver Anderson – Superstar. And tonight was to have been her crowning triumph. Now everything was ruined by her daughter and her brother. Just the very sight of them put her in a bad mood, and what the hell did Nora think she was gaining by inviting them?

Poppy Soloman tapped her on the shoulder to say goodbye. ‘We
must
have lunch,’ Poppy gushed.

‘I’m far too busy for lunch,’ Silver dismissed her crisply. Then, remembering that Poppy was married to Howard Soloman, and Howard
was
the head of Orpheus, she added, ‘Perhaps dinner.’ There was no reason, now she was a major television star again, that she couldn’t return triumphantly to the big screen.

‘I’ll
give
a dinner for you,’ Poppy promised.

‘What a nice idea.’ Silver warmed to the plump blonde with the pink and white complexion. They had hardly spoken before, although both realized the advantages of a dinner party in Silver Anderson’s honour.

‘I’ll have
my
secretary call
your
secretary,’ Poppy said, well versed in Hollywood protocol.

‘Do that,’ replied Silver graciously, and moved on to the next departing guest.

Chapter Twenty

Wes had back-ache. He surveyed the stragglers at the party and wished they would all go the fuck home. He was tired and fed-up, not even slightly bombed, while Rocky was stoned out of his head.

Rocky was a dangerous friend to have. He was heading for big trouble, and Wes had no intention of being dragged along for the ride. Selling a small amount of cocaine on the side was one thing, but as soon as Rocky realized he had more customers than he could handle, he made a call and dispatched Wes to the front gate to accept a fresh delivery. Some black dude in a white stretch limo arrived all set to join the party.