Thrill! (12 page)

"Kyle, you know you're the best-looking man on the screen today,"

Barbara said, feeding his ferocious ego.

"You put Kevin Costner and Michael Douglas to shame."

"Michael Douglas!"

Kyle exploded.

"He's fifteen years older than me."

77 "And looks it,"

Barbara assured him.

"I'm off to grab a quick bite of lunch,"

Lara said, anxious to get out of Kyle's way.

Til come with you,"

Miles said, taking her arm.

They left the trailer together.

"I know you think Kyle's an asshole,"

Miles said.

"But you have to admit the two of you are pretty damn hot together."

"Ah . . . movie magic,"

Lara said, laughing softly.

"Fools

"em every time."

"You've always had movie magic,"

Miles said admiringly.

"Even in our first film together. You were so young and innocent and'

"And playing a hooker,"

she interrupted matterof-factly.

"Every healthy American male's fantasy. The sweet little whore who stops turning tricks for the right man."

"It worked for you, babe,"

Miles said, with a quick laugh.

"Made you a star. Did the same for Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman."

"There's nothing like a good hooker role to jump-start a career,"

Lara said drily.

"That or a spread in Playboy"

Miles added.

"Which, of course, you never did."

"No, Miles. Taking off my clothes for a bunch of horny guys to jerk off over is not my idea of a good time."

Cassie appeared as they approached the catering truck.

"Can I get you anything, Lara?"

Tm fine,"

she replied, noticing Joey Lorenzo sitting at a table surrounded by women.

Miles said, Til have a bite in my trailer. Work calls."

Lara turned back to Cassie.

"Same for me. Something light, maybe a salad."

"It's done."

She took another look at Joey and his female entourage. He glanced up. Their eyes met for a few seconds. She smiled, that cool little smile she used to such good advantage. Then she turned and walked to her trailer.

He was an engaged man. A flirtation was out of the question.

78

T

^^^.^^f^ JOEY CAUGHT her looking at him a few times, ^^^P^P^A but that was about as near as he got to the delectable Ms Ivory. He kept his distance, well aware she must be so used to men going apeshit over her that the only way he had a chance was to make her realize he was different.

He sat at the bar playing background all day, waiting for them to reach his scene - which they never did on account of the fact that Kyle Carson was the slowest actor on two legs and seemed incapable of getting anything right.

Trinee kept him company between shots, giving him a running commentary on everyone involved with the film. She'd warmed up considerably since he'd revealed that he too was engaged.

"Tell me about Lara Ivory,"

he asked casually.

"What's she really like?"

"Oh, everyone loves Lara,"

Trinee replied.

"She's very popular. No big-star trips with that lady."

She shot him a quick glance.

"Gorgeous, isn't she?"

Joey nodded.

"Who's she sleeping with?"

"How would I know?"

"C'mon, Trinee, if she's in bed with someone it must be all over the set."

"Word is she doesn't do it with just anyone."

"How come?"

"She's particular."

Trinee yawned, bored with talking about Lara.

"So,"

she said.

"Your fiancee gonna visit us?"

"She might,"

Joey answered vaguely.

"How about yours?"

79 "Marek's coming for the weekend,"

Trinee said, with a huge grin.

"An', man, this girl can't wait!"

ft ft ft

That night Lara had a long phone conversation with Nikki. They spoke about Richard and his satisfaction with her performance and the way the editing was going on French Summer. Then they discussed The Dreamer, and Lara began telling Kyle Carson tales.

Nikki started to laugh - she couldn't get enough.

"He sounds like the definitive Mr Big Star,"

she said.

"A true pain in the ass."

"You've got that right,"

Lara responded.

"And slow. The crew are calling him Ten-take Kyle!"

They both giggled.

"How's Summer doing?"

"I can't control her,"

Nikki said.

"All she cares about is parties, parties and more parties!"

"It's her age,"

Lara assured her.

"She fails to see you as a mother figure. After all, you're only seventeen years older than her, she's probably a little jealous."

"Nonsense,"

Nikki said firmly.

"Why would Summer be jealous of me} She's gorgeous."

"So are you - with personality, a great career, and a well-known and respected husband."

"No,"

Nikki said.

"It's not the jealousy thing. Girls of Summer's age think everyone's a raving idiot, and that they're the smartest person on the planet. I know I was like that, weren't you?"

"I don't remember,"

Lara said quickly.

Nikki knew Lara didn't like talking about her childhood, it obyiously hadn't been very happy. All she knew was that Lara's parents had been killed in a car crash when she was very young, and that she'd been raised by various relatives. Once she'd asked Richard.

"Lara doesn't get into her past,"

he'd said.

"Leave it alone."

So she had.

"Anyway,"

Lara continued.

"Don't worry about Summer, she'll come around."

"I sure hope so,"

Nikki said glumly.

"I'm beginning to feel like nag of the year."

80

Til read the script as soon as it gets here,"

Lara promised.

"Then call me at once. Can't wait to get your reaction."

Lara put the phone down and wandered out onto the back deck, staring out into the darkness. She wanted to walk along the beach, but not by herself, the dark was too scary.

Sometimes everything was too scary . . . Especially when the memories came back to haunt her. The nightmare memories . . .

if if

"Scaredy cat!"

Andy, her older brother, yelled in her face.

"Skinny little scaredy cat!"

"I'm not! I'm not!"

Lara Ann responded.

"Yes you are,"

said Andy. He was eight and very handsome. When they weren't fighting Lara Ann worshipped him.

"Mommy, Mommy - can I have another piece of chicken ?"

LaraAnn asked.

"What, honey?"

Ellen, her mother, seemed distracted as she moved around the kitchen.

"More chicken, Mommy, it'ssooo yummy."

"Sorry, honey, I have to save some for your daddy."

"Why must we wait for him?"

demanded Andy.

"He's always late."

"Cause Mama says we have to,'Lara Ann said, primly.

"You shut up,"

Andy said, sticking out his tongue behind his mother's back.

"No, you shut up,"

Lara Ann retorted, red in the face.

"Mama's always right - aren't you, Mama?"

"Hush, both of you,"

Ellen said, brushing back a loose strand of hair. She was an exquisitely pretty woman, with wide-set hazel eyes find natural blond hair that fell in soft waves below her shoulders.

Lara Ann gazed up at her mother and sighed wistfully.

"I wanna be just like you one day, Mommy. You're sooo pretty."

"Thank you, darling,"

Ellen said, removing a canon of chocolate lce cream from the freezer.

"You're pretty too."

"No, she's not,"

taunted Andy.

"She's a stupid dumb girl."

"Can I be a famous artist when I grow up, Mama?"

Lara Ann

81 asked, ignoring him. She'd been thinking about school and all the fun she'd had in painting class.

"Can I?"

cTou can be whatever you want, my sweet,"

Ellen answered, gently touching her daughter's cheek.

"I know what you can be,"

sneered Andy. You can be the ugliest girl on the block."

"I've told you once, Andy,"

Ellen said crossly,

"and I'm not telling you again. Do not be mean to your little sister."

I'm not mean,"

Lara Ann said proudly. I'm nice."

"Tou're mean, too,'Andy retorted.

"Mean! Mean! Mean!"

"No I'm not."

"Yes you are."

"Willyou two behave yourselves,"

Ellen exclaimed.

"I'm not in the mood today."

"Can I watch Charlie's Angels, please, Mama ?"

Lara Ann asked.

"No, I wanna see Dukes of Hazzard/^lw^y interrupted.

"It's Lara Ann's turn to choose,"

Ellen said.

"Tonight you'll both watch Charlie's Angels/

"Piss!"

Andy said.

Ellen frowned.

"What did you say?"

"Piss! Piss! Piss!"

"When your father gets home he'll wash your mouth out with soap, young man."

"Don"

care."

"You will when he hears what you've been saying."

"Mama,"

Lara Ann asked, her pretty little face completely innocent,

"what's a cocksucker?"

"What? What did you say?"

Andy began to snigger.

"Where did you hear a word like that?"

Ellen asked, her cheeks flushing red.

"Daddy said it one day about Mr Dunn."

"Tour daddy does not use language like that."

"He does! He does! I heard him."

"No, he doesn't. And don't ever say that word again. It's a very bad word."

"What's it mean, Mama?"

1 know what it means,"

Andy said, smirking.

"It's when a mfM puts his dickie in a stupid girl's mouth."

82

Ellen turned on him angrily.

"Stop it, Andy. Stop it right now!"

At that moment the door opened and Lara Ann's father, Dan, walked in. He was a big, blustery man - handsome, although heavy around the jowls, with a gut that was growing every day.

"Daddy, Daddy!"

Lara Ann squealed, running over to him, throwing herself into his arms. Dan swept up his little daughter, hugging and kissing her. She smelted liquor on his breath, but she was used, to it. tier father owned a liquor store, and every Saturday morning he took her there, and sometimes, when it wasn't busy, they'd sit in the back and he'd let her drink as many Coca-Colas as she could manage, while he'd swig Scotch from the bottle and warn her not to tell.

"Can I have half your chicken, Daddy?"

she asked, cuddling up to him.

"You're late,"

Ellen said, moving over to the stove, sounding grumpy.

"Gladyou noticed,"

Dan replied, putting Lara Ann down.

"What's that supposed to mean ?"

Ellen asked.

"You know what it means,"

he said, swaying slightly.

"No, I don't."

Dan pulled out a chair at the kitchen table, sat down, and told the two children to go in the other room and watch TV.

"I wanna stay with you, Daddy,"

Lara Ann objected, clinging onto his hand.

"No, pumpkin,"

he said, giving her a little shove.

"I'll see you after I've had my dinner."

"C'mon, scaredy cat,"

Andy said, pulling her arm.

Ellen wagged a warning finger at her handsome son.

"Don't forget - Charlie's Angels/

Lara Ann sat quietly in front of the television staring at Farrah Fawcett and her glorious mane of golden curls. Andy picked up a toy car and began zooming it around the living room floor making loud car noises.

"Be quiet, Andy,"

she said.

"No!"

he said, sticking out his tongue again.

"You're a stupid girl. Girls gotta shut up."

"No they don't."

"Yes they do."

83 "No they don't."

They were so busy arguing that at first they didn't hear the reused voices coming from the kitchen.

Then Andy said,

"They're fighting again -shush!"

"Bitch!"

they heard Dan shout.

"Cheating bitch!"

Then Ellen's voice.

"How dare you accuse me."

Til accuse you of what I want. Everybody in town's talking about you and that dentist! It's not just your teeth he's filling, Ellen ... it's not just your fucking teeth."

"Elliott Dunn is nothing more than a friend."

"Teah, a friend who screws your ass off."

The raised voices frightened Lara Ann.

"What are they talking about'?"

she whispered.