Hollywood Husbands (52 page)

And after the second time they fell asleep, wrapped in each other’s arms, peaceful and voluptuously content.

Chapter Seventy-Three

‘Wow!’ sighed Heaven. ‘It’s like
totally
killer!’

Rocky nodded his agreement. He felt pretty confident standing in the recording studio listening to the final mix of her record. She had people swarming all over her – the producer, the sound engineer, a couple of record company executives – but he felt confident because
he
was the one who had set the whole gig up, and
he
was the one with a signed management contract in his pocket, giving him a hefty fifty-one percent of her. And it was signed by her grandfather – who happened to be her legal guardian, even though he lived in cloud-cuckoo-land. She had told the old guy it was something important to do with school – dragged in the housekeeper and a television repairman as witnesses – and he had signed away without even reading it.

Rocky had warned her – up front – that unless she got the contract signed, he wasn’t doing a thing.

Well… once he realized who she was he’d had to protect himself, hadn’t he? She was the under-age, unwanted daughter of – guess who? Silver Anderson. Sweet coincidence.

When Jack Python had walked into the beach house that night, three months ago, Rocky had thought the television king was her
boyfriend
. It soon became clear he was her uncle, and a very pissed off uncle at that. He had wasted no time in throwing Rocky out. Hey – it wasn’t the first time.

Rocky had driven off into the night with no thought of ever seeing the kid again.

Two days later she called him. Out of curiosity he arranged a meet at Charmer’s Market, in Venice.

When she arrived he sat her down, bought her a cup of coffee, and got the full scam.

She was Silver Anderson’s kid. How could he resist?

First of all he came up with the legal papers giving him fifty-one percent of any deals. And once it was safely signed, he got hold of the guy he knew at College Records.

His contact was a major buyer, who was really only interested in scoring the best dope to supply to the recording company’s biggest stars.

‘I’ve gotta girl I wancha t’hear,’ Rocky told him. ‘She sings the ass off Madonna.’

The man sighed wearily. ‘So does my niece, my janitor’s daughter, my bookie’s girlfriend, an’ the checkout flim at Safeway.
This
is what I need from you.’ He then gave Rocky a hefty order for cocaine and Quaaludes.

Rocky filled the order, and shoved Heaven’s tape at him. ‘She’s Silver Anderson’s kid,’ he said. ‘Pass this on to someone who can listen. If anythin’ happens there’ll be a cut for you.’

A week later the man came back to him. ‘What does she look like?’

‘A sixteen-year-old prick-tease. We’re talkin’ juicy.’

‘Get me over a picture. No snaps. Something professional.’

‘It’s done.’

Rocky had to wait for her to call him. He was bad news at the beach house – Uncle Jack had put up a few rules.

When she finally phoned he asked her about photographs.

‘Antonio – you know, the famous photographer – has like these incredible shots,’ she said. ‘Only I can’t get hold of them.’

‘Leave it t’me,’ Rocky said. ‘Just give me his address.’

The next day he sauntered into Antonio’s studio, displaying greased-up muscles and a crooked smile.

‘Hiya, beauty,’ he said to the receptionist, who was all L.A. style – with punked hair, orange makeup, and sixties geometric clothes.

She stared at him. The last time she’d seen anyone who looked like Rocky was on a television programme called
Hollywood Close Up
– when they did a segment on Sylvester Stallone.

‘Can I help you?’ she asked.

‘Baby – y’can help me all ya want. I’m yours!’

He ended up swapping a full ounce of prime coke for one twelve-by-fourteen glossy print of Heaven, which he had to admit was a dynamite photo.

‘Don’t you
dare
ever say where you got this,’ the receptionist warned. ‘It’s appearing in
Bazaar
soon, and Antonio will kill me if he finds out I did this.’

Rocky touched his lips with his index finger. ‘Your secret – my secret. I live by the code of silence.’

Without showing the picture to Heaven, he delivered it to his contact, who must have handed it directly to the right person, for the next day Rocky got the call he’d been waiting for – ‘Bring her in.’

So he did. And after that it all happened.

Now, here they were, months later, with a very hot record all set to hit the airwaves.

Hey – he’d had a hunch his break was on the way.

Heaven was it. And he owned fifty-one per cent of her.

* * *

She accepted everyone’s compliments with a warm glow, hardly believing that it was finally happening for her. All she needed was the record to be a hit. And it would be. She
knew
it. Even though it wasn’t exactly the record
she
would have made. For a start it wasn’t a song that she’d written, and the arrangement was too upbeat – she would have preferred a slower tempo. And the title of the song – ‘Gonna Eatcha Tonight!’ – was kind of gross. The lyrics were certainly bound to cause
mucho
controversy, which wasn’t such a bad thing. The hook went:

I’m a Maneater… yes I am…

Maneater… sure I am…

Maneater… and baby—

I’m gonna eatcha tonight!

Real sophisticated stuff. But she had given it her all. And it sure sounded good!

Sneaking a glance at Rocky she decided he looked pleased, and so he should, for he had half of her action, which as far as she was concerned he deserved. Without Rocky, none of this would have happened.

When Uncle Jack had walked into the aftermath of that bummed-out party, he had vented his wrath on poor Rocky – who was really innocent of any blame. After kicking him out of the house he had turned on her. ‘I don’t want you
ever
seeing that creep again. Do you understand me?’

‘Why?’ she had asked defiantly.

‘
Why?
Are you asking me
why?
’

She had never seen him so angry.

‘I’ll give you a list of reasons why.’ He continued in a tightly controlled voice. ‘One – he’s a lowlife. Two – you’re a child and he’s almost old enough to be your father. Three – he’s—’ He stopped, exasperated. ‘What am I explaining this to you for? I trusted you and you let me down. In future you’ll listen to me, and
when
I say you’ll do something, you’ll do it. No questions.’

What a summer to look forward to! She was better off with her distracted grandfather.

As it happened, all turned out okay. After a few days Jack cooled down, and things returned to normal.

Secretly she contacted Rocky, and after the hassle of traipsing over to the Valley and getting George to sign the contract Rocky produced, it was all go.

Now she actually had a record ready to come out, and it was the most exciting day of her life!

Unfortunately there was nobody she could share it with. Only Rocky, for he was the only one who knew about it.

Soon, everyone would know. College Records planned a big party to launch her upon an unsuspecting world.

‘They’d kinda like it if your mother came,’ Rocky had told her a couple of days ago.

‘
NO WAY
!’ she’d exploded. ‘Like I don’t want any trading on
her
name or Jack’s name. I really mean it.’

‘Forget it,’ he’d said easily. And promptly told the publicity department to drop the information into any column that would run it.

Hey – the kid was a kid – she’d soon learn. Use whatever you have.

Rocky loved the idea that he might soon become a successful personal manager. Jeez! What a kick. Just like Wes Money he could move into the big time without a backward glance. And taking a ride with the same family too. What a double kick! Wes got the old broad, and he got the kid. Not that he’d made a move on her – yet. There was plenty of time for that. Plenty.

Chapter Seventy-Four

‘Have you noticed the way he watches me?’ Silver asked Nora edgily, as they sat in her dressing room eating a light lunch.

Nora picked an olive out of her salad and put it to one side. ‘They should only allow those things in drinks,’ she grumbled.

‘Listen to me when I’m speaking to you,’ Silver said authoritatively. ‘Zachary Klinger can’t take his eyes off me.’

‘I’d be flattered if I was you.’

‘You are
not
me – thank God! And stop being so flippant.’

Nora crunched on a lettuce leaf. ‘The man had an affair with you. He’s never forgotten it. That’s not such a crime, is it?’

‘You don’t
know
Zachary. When he wants something, he always gets it. He was like that when I was with him before, and he wasn’t as powerful then as he is now.’

‘So?’

‘He makes me nervous.’

Nora swallowed a laugh. The thought of Silver Anderson nervous about anything was too ridiculous to contemplate. Silver ate people for breakfast, and spat them out half-digested. On this film she had already seen to it that three crew members were fired because she didn’t like their ‘attitude’.

‘You’ll get a reputation for being difficult,’ Nora had warned her.

‘Professional,’ Silver had corrected. ‘There
is
a difference, you know.’

Silver thought everyone on the film loved her. Some of them did. Some of them didn’t. Right now the crew was split into three camps – Silver’s, Carlos Brent’s, and Orville Gooseberger’s. The poor director didn’t have a chance. He just shot the script and hoped for the best.

That afternoon there was a heavy love scene scheduled between Silver and Carlos.

Nora watched her pop a piece of raw garlic in her mouth and suck on it. ‘What
are
you doing?’ she asked, as if she didn’t know.

‘It’s
so
good for the blood,’ Silver replied innocently.

‘Breathe it over Zachary,’ Nora remarked. ‘
That’ll
get rid of him forever.’

‘You’re not taking this seriously,’ Silver scolded. ‘What if he decides to… do something to Wes?’

This time Nora
did
laugh aloud. ‘I’d like to see any
one
do any
thing
to Mr Money that he doesn’t want done. Your husband can look after himself. Of that I’m sure.’ She pushed the salad away and reached for a cigarette. ‘And talking of family, how long is it since you’ve seen Heaven? It’s her birthday next week, you know.’

‘She’s not a child,’ Silver responded sharply. ‘The phone works both ways. She could have congratulated me on my marriage.’

‘Did you invite her?’

Abruptly Silver stood up. ‘Are you trying to aggravate me? Is that it? Sometimes, Nora dear, you’re a real pain.’

Nora drew deeply on her cigarette. The mystery of Silver and her daughter continued to confound her. Whatever the circumstances of the child’s birth, flesh was flesh, and Silver
had
kept Heaven with her until she was ten. ‘Shall I send her a present from you?’ she inquired.

‘Do what you like.’

Nora decided to mention it to Wes. Maybe
he
could persuade Silver to change her attitude. Now that they had been married for a few months, Nora found she was changing her opinion of him. He had certainly done wonders for his wife’s career. And so far all her hard-earned cash was still intact.

Wes Money – the mystery man – could turn out to be a surprise winner after all.

* * *

The eruption took place the moment they clung together in romantic bliss.

‘Goddammit!’ screamed Carlos Brent. ‘The fucking bitch has got a mouthful of fucking garlic!’

‘Language! Language!’ chided Silver, infuriating her co-star even more.

Orville, hovering on the set as was his habit, leaped into the fray. ‘Carlos. I’m sure you’re mistaken.’

‘Mistaken, for crissake. You can smell the fucking bitch from here to Palm Springs!’

Zachary K. Klinger stepped out of the shadows. ‘I hardly think that’s a gentlemanly way to address Miss Anderson,’ he said menacingly.

‘Go fuck yourself,’ snapped Carlos. ‘Who gives a shit
what
you think?’

Zachary, who was only a few years older than Carlos Brent, but at least four inches taller and fifty pounds heavier, hauled off and hit him straight on the chin.

Carlos staggered and fell.

An amazed silence took over the set.

Silver broke it with a small, triumphant laugh. ‘Well,’ she said succinctly. ‘I guess that takes care of shooting for today. Can we all go home, please, Orville, dear?’

* * *

‘Where are you from?’ Wes asked curiously.

‘Why do you want to know?’ Unity replied.

He sat on a corner of her desk in wet swim-shorts. ‘Is it a secret?’

‘Virginia,’ she replied shortly.

‘I’ve never been there,’ he said, sizing her up and deciding that whatever her reasons she was lying. ‘Do you still have family living there?’

‘No family,’ she said shortly. ‘They all got it in a train wreck. I came to California with a man. He left me. End of life story.’

‘Pretty exciting stuff.’

‘Yeah. Do you think they’ll buy it for the movies?’ she said sarcastically. ‘It’d be a natural for Sissy Spacek. She plays all the losers, doesn’t she?’

Regarding her warily he wondered what was going to happen to her. This time he’d been around to give her a helping hand. It wasn’t always going to be that way.

Outside, in the garden, Vladimir tried to see what was going on in the pool house. Ever since Madame’s husband had brought that girl home, saying she was his cousin, Vladimir had harboured a deep suspicion.
He
thought they might be lovers.
He
thought they could be planning to
murder
Madame and run off with all her money.

This was America.

Anything could happen.