Hollywood Husbands (66 page)

‘I wasn’t planning a trip in the near future,’ she said brightly.

‘You’re missing a lot of fun,’ he replied, double entendre at full mast.

‘I’m sure I am.’ She looked at Jack to save her, but he was allowing her no mercy, forcing her to handle the randy Senator all on her own.

Whitney Valentine, undulating past, rescued her. The Senator took one lecherous look at the quivering Ms. Valentine – sheathed in body-hugging silk jersey with nipples on show – and was on his feet in a flash.

Jack almost laughed aloud. Washington meets Hollywood. What a
perfect
combination. Real power and real glamour. He remembered the Kennedy scandals and Marilyn Monroe. The entire country had shivered on the edge of ecstasy for months.

Unfortunately, Danielle Vadeeme had failed to materialize. Earlier, when Jack and Kellie had arrived to pick them up, the Senator was alone. ‘Food poisoning,’ he’d explained. ‘Danielle insisted I mustn’t let you down.’

Now he was hot to boogie. With whoever cooperated.

‘Hasn’t the man ever seen a woman before?’ Kellie whispered, as they both watched him go to work on Whitney, who seemed to take him quite seriously.

* * *

Zachary held court in his library. The large yacht featured several entertaining areas, and the guests could wander around as they pleased.

Poppy Soloman sat as close to Zachary as possible. She was worried about Howard. He had been behaving very strangely lately. In the car on the way to the party he was like a zombie, and he wouldn’t even tell her what the urgent phone call from Mexico was all about.

‘What’s the matter?’ she’d asked.

‘Migraine.’

After that he’d refused to speak, in spite of valiant efforts on her part.

‘I’ve been meaning to ask you something,’ she said to Zachary in her breathy, little-girl voice. ‘You do know that Howard lives, eats, and breathes Orpheus? The studio is his life.’

‘I’ve always appreciated loyalty,’ Zachary replied, puffing on his cigar. ‘I pay well for it.’

‘I’m sure you do. And you can’t get anyone more loyal than my Howie.’

Zachary couldn’t be bothered with people who didn’t get right to the point. ‘What are you getting at?’ he asked brusquely.

‘He needs a vacation, he really does,’ she sighed.

‘I’m not stopping him,’ Zachary pointed out.

‘I know,’ she said very seriously, realizing that if Howard caught her having this conversation he would be furious. ‘But he refuses to take one. And unless you force him, he’ll just keep going until he drops.’

Zachary nodded. He was quite impressed by her concern. Poppy had never struck him as a caring wife until now.

‘I’ll see he takes a vacation,’ he promised. ‘I’ll order him to. Will that suit you?’

‘Thank you,’ she said gratefully, already planning Paris, Rome, maybe even London – the shops were great in London.

* * *

Meanwhile, Clarissa had cornered Howard on one of the upper decks.

‘I phoned the nursing home earlier,’ she said sharply. ‘They refused to give me any information about Norman. You know perfectly well they’re supposed to tell me how he is. Have you changed the instructions and forgotten to leave my name?’

‘Uh… things are a little different.’

‘Different? What are you
talking
about?’

He looked around to see if they were being overheard. ‘It’s not a matter for discussion tonight.’

‘
What
isn’t?’ Aggravation filled her voice.

‘Tomorrow, Clarissa. I’ll come by your house in the morning.’

‘I don’t need you in my house, Howard. I want to know what’s going on, and I want to know
now
.’

Howard muttered something she didn’t hear. ‘What?’ she snapped, making him repeat it.

‘He’s dead,’ he mumbled.

Mesmerized, she watched a muscle twitch wildly by his right eye while a cold, clammy feeling swept over her, a mixture of fear and hate. ‘Dead?’ she echoed dully.

Taking a deep gulp of night air and wiping the sweat from his brow, he said, ‘’Fraid so.’

Chapter Ninety-Two

He knew she was aboard – Beverly had told him. Only Jack Python had her number now, and he wasn’t about to fall a second time.

Casually he strolled around the yacht looking for her. He had told Kellie he was going to the men’s room, and she seemed quite happy chatting to an amenably stoned Chuck Nielson.

When he spotted her, he thought –
Ha! So she’s beautiful. So what?
And like a magnet he was drawn towards the table where she sat with the Whites and a sandy-haired man. ‘Hello, Zeppo. Ida, how are you?’

Zeppo jumped to his feet. ‘Jack, my boy. The report on tonight’s show is fabulous.’

Zeppo always knew everything – sometimes before it happened.

‘Thanks. Zachary’s putting it on later. Are you going to watch?’ He could smell her scent; it reminded him of no one else.

‘Wouldn’t miss it, kiddo,’ enthused Zeppo. ‘Do you know Jade Johnson?’

‘Yes, he does,’ interrupted Ida knowingly.

‘We’ve met,’ Jack replied, staring straight at her.

‘And her fiancé, Lord Mark Rand.’

Her
what?

‘Congratulations,’ he said, almost too quickly. ‘I didn’t know you were engaged. When’s the wedding?’

‘Tomorrow,’ she said calmly. ‘How are you?’

‘Fine, great, I couldn’t be better.’

Her eyes were wide and flecked with little pieces of gold coin. He knew what her hair felt like, soft and silky. And he could remember in an instant how incredible it was to be in bed with her.

She was engaged,
goddammit
. She was about to marry someone else.

‘I saw the show you did with Lord Snowdon,’ Mark said. ‘A very interesting piece of journalism. You asked all the right questions.’ Turning to Jade he added, ‘Didn’t we see it together, darling?’

Together? The show with Snowdon was three years ago. This must be the English jerk she’d mentioned. The English jerk she’d said was out of her life.

‘I don’t remember,’ she murmured vaguely.

The Brazilian trio were playing
The Girl from Ipanema
.

Tall and tan and young and lovely

The girl from Ipanema goes walking

And when she passes each one she passes goes

Ahhh…

‘Do you mind if I steal a dance with Jade?’ Jack asked abruptly.

‘It’s up to the lady herself,’ Mark replied with a hearty chuckle. ‘She always makes her own decisions.’

‘Shall we?’ He held her gaze with his deadly green eyes.

Oh God! Why did she feel like this whenever she saw him?
I swear I’m regressing
, she thought.
I’m sixteen, and standing next to the football hero at my first prom
.

She wasn’t about to let the professional stud think he’d got to her. ‘Sure,’ she replied casually, wondering why her voice sounded like an idiot’s squeak.

They moved to the dance floor, held each other at arm’s length for a beat or two, and then – as if by mutual consent – he pulled her closer to him, and she felt her flesh burn where his hand rested on her bare shoulder.

‘Hello,’ he whispered, as if nothing had happened.

* * *

‘
Adore
your dress,’ Silver said to Dee Dee Dionne.

‘Adore
yours
,’ Dec Dee replied. ‘Fabrice?’

‘But of course.’

‘Shit! I hate it when broads gab on about clothes,’ Carlos said loudly. Zachary and he had forgotten about their fight and were now talking again, hence his appearance at the party.

‘It’s just our way,’ soothed Dee Dee.

‘Broads are good for fuckin’, suckin’ an’ shoppin’. Give ’em anything else t’do, an’ they’re lost souls.’ Carlos roared with laughter at his own humour, expecting Wes to do the same.

Wes didn’t. He wasn’t entourage material, and Silver loved him for it.

Carlos was three-quarters of the way through a bottle of Jack Daniel’s and feeling no pain. ‘Wassamatter?’ he slurred. ‘Not funny?’

‘No,’ Silver said curtly, remembering why their affair – so many years ago – had broken up. When Carlos got into heavy drinking he became a pig. ‘Vulgar and
very
unamusing.’

Ignoring her, he nudged Wes. ‘Ever had a black chick suck your dick?’

Dee Dee’s mouth tightened with disapproval and embarrassment.

‘Black chicks are the best,’ Carlos continued.
The… very… best
.’

‘Come on, darling, let’s go get some food,’ Silver said quickly.

“Course, our little Silvy here doesn’t want to hear that,’ Carlos sniggered. ‘’Cos our little Silvy thinks
she’s
the best cocksucker in town. She th—’

Wes hauled back and punched him right in the mouth.

Carlos slid to the ground like a pole-axed bear.

It was over in seconds.

Summoning a couple of waiters, Wes said, ‘Carry Mr Brent downstairs an’ put him to bed, he’s not feelin’ well.’

The waiters exchanged glances, then proceeded to pick up the fallen superstar and cart him off, a concerned Dee Dee in attendance.

‘You shouldn’t have done that,’ Silver said, her eyes bright with admiration.

‘Why not? He insulted you.’

‘Darling, he was drunk.’

‘Yup. An’ that’s the only way to deal with ’em. When I was working bar I used to do it all the time. He won’t even remember when he wakes up.’

‘Someone will tell him. And Carlos Brent is not a nice man to have as an enemy.’

‘You think I care? Listen, Silver, I may be a peasant, but where I come from – if someone insults a lady, they’re askin’ for it. ’Specially if that lady just happens to be my wife.’

Inexplicably she felt like crying. Nobody had ever defended her before – except Zachary, and he didn’t count.

* * *

The news was brought to Zachary by a minion.

‘Put him in my stateroom,’ he said generously.

‘Yes, Mr Klinger.’

‘What happened?’ Beverly asked.

‘A little fracas. Carlos seems to have a penchant for inviting a right hook.’

‘That man is one rude sonofabitch.’

‘We’re fortunate he left his bodyguards on shore. A brawl was hardly my plan for this evening.’

‘Maybe he’ll sue you,’ Beverly said flippantly.

‘He didn’t sue when I hit him. Why should he do so now?’

‘It’s your boat.’

‘Perhaps I’ll go see him.’

Beverly stopped him with a hand on his arm. ‘What
is
it with Silver Anderson? She’s not exactly Brooke Shields, and yet every time there’s a fight, she’s involved.’

Zachary paused to think of the right answer. ‘She’s a true star,’ he said at last. ‘She excites loyalty.’

* * *

‘Has anyone ever told you that you are—’

‘Whatever you’re going to say – don’t. Okay?’

‘Why?’

‘Because I can’t stand bullshit. You’ve drowned me in it once, and I don’t need a repeat performance. Shall we sit down?’

‘No.’ He had her in a tight hold, and he couldn’t help noticing that she didn’t attempt to break it. ‘Are you seriously getting married?’

‘Yes, I seriously am.’

‘Why?’

‘I don’t really imagine it’s any of your business, do you?’

‘As a matter of fact I think you owe me an explanation.’

Now she did struggle, but only slightly. ‘
I owe you
an explanation?’ she asked incredulously.

‘We had a great time, didn’t we?’

‘Oh, sure. One
helluva
night. Only that wasn’t enough for loverboy. Python, huh? It was on to the next victim, with hardly a pause for a coffee break.’

‘What are you talking about?’

‘Forget it.’

‘I don’t want to forget it.’

‘Well,
I
do.’

‘You hardly waited around, did you?’

‘What?’

‘You heard.’

‘Will you quit holding me so tightly. I want to sit down.’

‘No, you don’t.’

‘Yes, I do.’

‘No – you
don’t
.’

‘You’re a bastard.’

‘You know something? I think I’m going to forgive you.’

Her voice was icy. Her body uncomfortably warm. ‘For what?’

‘For standing me up.’

‘Standing
you
up. You stood
me
up, with that French jam tart.’

‘If you mean Danielle, she was with the Senator.’

Caustic sarcasm. ‘Sure.’

‘And who was the guy
you
were walking into Chasen’s with? Some half-baked actor, huh? I credited you with better taste.’

‘I guess you would have been happier if I’d sat at home thinking about what a wonderful time we had together, and hoping that one of these days you’d call me again. You know – when you had nothing better to do.’ She paused, her voice alive with indignation. ‘I actually
cooked a
meal for you
. Your slave phoned me at nine-thirty. If you couldn’t see me, why didn’t
you
call me earlier? Or are you too big a star to pick up the phone yourself?’

‘Aretha phoned you before the show at eight o’clock and told you I was tied up at the studio, and that I’d contact you later. You couldn’t even wait, could you? Out on the town without missing a beat.’

‘Don’t tell
me
what time she called and what the message was. It was after nine-thirty. And there was
no mention
of you contacting me later.’

‘Hey, lady – when you’re angry I think I love you even more.’

‘Can I break in?’ Mark smiled smoothly as he pried them apart, but there were daggers of anger in his eyes.

Jack half considered saying –
No – you can’t
. And grabbing her back. But it was already too late. She was in Mark’s arms. He was whirling her around the dance floor as the fairy lights twinkled and the yacht headed on its way to Laguna and the New Year.

* * *

Carlos Brent sprawled snoring in the middle of Zachary’s bed in the master stateroom. Dee Dee Dionne sat in a nearby chair, her ebony features calm and composed, like a beautiful carved statue.

As Zachary walked into the room he wondered why she put up with the ageing superstar. She was a talented singer, with a certain amount of stardom of her own – she didn’t need Carlos Brent.