Lady Boss (59 page)

It was disappointing. She'd hoped that by this time he'd have gotten over his anger and would have called to make things all right.

‘Where's Brigette?' was Bobby's next question.

Lucky had tried to reach Brigette on several occasions, but missed her each time.

‘I'll try her again now,' she promised. ‘Maybe we can persuade her to come out here soon. Would you like that?'

Bobby liked it a lot.

Lucky placed another call to the Websters. ‘You're in luck this time,' said Effie Webster. ‘She's right here. Hang on a second.'

Brigette sounded full of high spirits. ‘Lucky! I'm sorry we keep on missing each other. How
are
you?'

‘Fine,' Lucky replied. ‘More important – how are
you?
Enjoying New York?'

‘Yes, it's terrific. Is Bobby with you?'

‘That's exactly why I'm calling. I met him at the airport today, and he's disappointed you're not here. I hope you're coming.'

Brigette hesitated. ‘I wasn't sure you still wanted us.'

Did
us
mean she was bringing Lennie? ‘Of course I still want you. Lennie told me we're all spending the summer together.'

‘Yes, I know,' Brigette said awkwardly. ‘But Lennie told
me
that you and he were having some sort of um… disagreement… and so we've made other plans.'

‘Who's made other plans?'

‘Well, Lennie actually. He's taking me and my girlfriend to the South of France.'

Lucky felt a cold chill. Lennie had made plans to go away without telling her. He was taking off without a word. Was that how much their relationship meant to him?
Christ!
He really
didn't
care.

‘How long are you going for?'

Brigette sounded vague. ‘Lennie said maybe ten days or a couple of weeks.'

She took a long deep breath. It wasn't fair to involve Brigette. ‘Well, that sounds wonderful. Perhaps when you get back you'll come to Malibu.'

‘I'd love to,' Brigette said happily. ‘Can I bring my girlfriend?'

‘Sure.' Lucky paused, and then added carefully, ‘By the way, I saw
Truth and Fact
. Who was that boy you were pictured with?'

‘Oh, Paul. He's nobody,' Brigette said casually. ‘Just Nona's brother. You know how these stupid photographers trail me whenever they find out where I am.'

‘I was just wondering,' Lucky said. ‘I don't want to see you get into any more difficult situations.'

‘Lucky, I was a kid when all that happened with Tim Wealth. I'm grown up now.'

‘Hardly grown up!'

‘I'm seventeen. That's old. You were running wild in the South of France with Mommy when
you
were my age. And then you were married a few months after that.'

True. She couldn't deny it. She and Olympia. Out of control. Until Gino and Dimitri had come to collect their errant daughters. And then a forced marriage to Craven Richmond – Mister Personality!

‘OK, sweetheart. It's just that I worry about you.'

‘You don't have to, Lucky. I
can
look after myself.'

‘Good. Call me when you get back.'

‘Yes, I promise.'

Lucky put the phone down and went to find Bobby. He was on the beach and into everything – running, swimming, playing with a neighbour's dog.

He was having the best time. Later, he fell asleep watching television.

She picked him up, carried him to his bed, and tucked him in. Then she brushed the soft dark hair off his forehead. He looked so like Gino. Olive skin, black eyes, curling lashes – a miniature Gino. God! She loved him.

She kissed him and left the room.

The nights were the loneliest. She couldn't stand the thought that it might be over with Lennie. It was just too painful.

After a while she went to her bedroom and called him – something she'd promised herself she wouldn't do. He was the angry one. It was up to him to make the first move. But so what?

He answered on the third ring. ‘Yeah?'

She didn't know what to say. It was so unlike her to be at a loss for words. After a long and painful silence she hung up.

If Lennie really loved her he would pursue her. He'd fly out to California and make everything all right.

Sadly she realized he wasn't going to make that move.

She went to bed and slept restlessly. Sleep was not easy. She missed Lennie so very much.

Martin Swanson flew back to New York. He'd left the city a well-known businessman and returned a media superstar. Somehow, Martin Swanson had attracted the attention of a celebrity-hungry public. He was fairly young. He was extraordinarily rich. And sex was involved. What better headline for the eighties?

Deena greeted him as if everything was normal.

‘We can't ignore what's going on,' he said, getting straight to it. ‘We're going to have to face it.'

‘It's you who has to face it,' Deena said, trying to keep her fury under control. ‘Do you want to be with that… that… woman?'

Was Deena saying he
could
be with Venus Maria
and
keep their marriage intact? That's what he'd like. Maybe it wasn't necessary for things to change.

‘I haven't thought about it,' he lied, because apart from the successful takeover of Orpheus, he hadn't thought about anything else. ‘Venus Maria
is
special,' he added carefully.

Deena raised a sceptical eyebrow. ‘Special?' she sneered. ‘As special as the ballet dancer, or the author, or the lawyer? How
special
is she, Martin? Is she special enough for you to give up half your money?'

‘What are you talking about?'

‘If you ever considered divorce, that's exactly what you'd have to do.'

‘Do you want a divorce? Is that what you're saying?'

‘I'm
saying
I do not enjoy being followed by the media and having my personal life written about in the press. It's an embarrassment. I feel foolish and humiliated.'

‘Yes, well, might I mention that one of the reasons we're all over the newspapers is because you keep giving exclusive interviews to Adam Bobo Grant. Why can't you tell the little fag to back off?'

‘Bobo has been a true friend to me. I couldn't even get you on the phone in Los Angeles. That's hardly loyalty, Martin.'

‘You know what I'm like when I'm closing a deal,' he said.

‘Didn't you feel this was important enough to take the time to speak to me?'

‘Deena, I'm here now. What more do you want?'

‘I want you to stop seeing her.'

There! She'd said it. Her words were out in the open. It was the first time she'd challenged Martin about a woman. Now all he had to do was agree, and everything would be all right.

Deena held her breath. This was a crucial moment.

‘Give me time to make a decision,' Martin said, not looking her in the eye.

Deena sighed. As far as she was concerned, Venus Maria was dead.

* * *

Dennis Walla turned out to be right. When Emilio Sierra's revelations about his famous sister hit the stands,
Truth and Fact
was another sellout. Two weeks in a row – not bad. He was on a winning streak. It seemed the public couldn't get enough of mega-money, power, and lustful sex. They loved the combination.

Dennis Walla was now in daily contact with Adam Bobo Grant. He fed the New York gossip columnist tit-bits, and Bobo used them in his column.

Dennis had two men watching Venus Maria around the clock – a photographer and Bert Slocombe. They reported everything she did. In fact, they were even getting pretty good at figuring out her various disguises. Sometimes she wore a long black wig. Other times she hid under a huge floppy Garbo hat and big dark glasses. Sometimes she rushed out with a ponytail and no makeup hoping they wouldn't recognize her. Other times she dressed up as the maid.

It was a game. They were winning. Usually she just attempted to ignore them and rushed to her car. When she was particularly irritated she gave them the finger.

They had her house, the studio, and the video rehearsal hall staked out. She couldn't make a move without them knowing it.

Martin Swanson wasn't such an easy deal. There were two more reporters assigned to him.

A stray paparazzo had managed to snatch a shot of Martin and Venus Maria strolling in the grounds of the Bel Air Hotel.
Truth and Fact
bought it, and planned to run it front page in the next issue with the lurid headlines:

LOVE NEST DISCOVERED!

THE BILLIONAIRE AND THE SHOWGIRL!

A third week's bonanza coming up.

Did Dennis ever have any regrets about invading people's privacy?

No way. He knew he was onto a good thing, and felt no guilt whatsoever.

When he got back from Hawaii Emilio called up to whine. ‘There's a message from my sister on my machine telling me to fuck off. She's furious with me,' Emilio nagged. ‘And that's before my story has even appeared.'

‘It's out on the stands now,' Dennis said, ‘Read it. All good juicy. You'll be proud, mate.'

The Hawaii trip had cost Emilio more than expected. He wouldn't mind making a further killing out of this story. After all, it was unlikely Venus would ever speak to him again.

‘Uh, I've got more stuff for you,' he told an insatiable Dennis.

‘Yes? What?' Dennis asked eagerly.

‘Oh, just some more bits and pieces about Venus I remembered. Friends she went to school with. Her first boyfriend, that kind of thing.'

Dennis was interested. ‘You have?'

‘Yeah. How much can I get for it?'

‘Why don't you tell me exactly what you got an' we'll see,' Dennis said.

‘I just told you. School friends, boyfriends – whatever you're after.'

‘Give me “the day she lost her virginity” story and I'll find out what it's worth.'

Emilio decided to get his ass back to New York. With a little intelligent digging he could come up with anything Dennis wanted.

Cooper greeted Lucky at the door to the screening room, dressed casually and looking as good as ever. There was a showing of
Strut
, and Lucky was anxious to see it. She studied Cooper and idly wondered if she'd ever feel the desire to go to bed with another man again. She'd done as she pleased before Lennie. Now, if their relationship was over, what next? Going to bed with somebody in the eighties was a whole new thing. A dangerous commitment.

‘Venus is joining us,' Cooper said, taking her arm and leading her inside.

‘I was hoping she could come.'

‘How's everything going? Are you enjoying running a studio?'

‘It's time-consuming,' she said, taking a seat at the back.

‘I hear you bumped the Sleazy Singles,' he remarked, sitting down beside her.

‘That was Lennie's nickname for them.'

‘Yeah, it's everybody's nickname for them. Are they hitting you with a law suit?'

She shrugged casually. ‘Who knows? Who cares? We're in good shape. I told them I was willing to honour their contract, it's just that I won't make any of their dumb movies. If they want to make sexist crap, they can make it elsewhere.'

‘I understand,' he said. ‘Pretty smart move.'

‘I don't imagine they've got much of a case, do you? Besides, the rumour is they'll follow Mickey to Orpheus.'

He smiled. ‘Ah… Mickey, Arnie, and Frankie. The perfect team.'

Venus Maria rushed in late. ‘The paparazzi are driving me insane!' she complained. ‘They're camped outside my house like a band of Gypsies. I nearly knocked a couple of 'em down this morning.'

Cooper kissed her on the cheek. ‘Maybe you should have.'

‘Oh, yeah, great. I can see the headlines now –
Venus Maria – the paparazzi killer!
Very tasteful!'

Lucky picked up the phone and instructed Harry to roll the film. They settled down to watch.

From the moment Venus Maria appeared on the screen everybody knew the film was hers. She looked sensational and her acting was captivating. Even Cooper was aware of it, and yet he didn't seem to mind because it made
him
look good as the director.

‘Oh, God! I hate watching myself!' Venus Maria cried, half-covering her eyes. ‘It's so painful. God! Do you see how big my teeth look? And my hair – I
hate
my hair!'

Cooper groped for her hand in the dark and squeezed it. ‘Shut up,' he said firmly. ‘You're a star. Face it.'

Cooper wasn't so bad himself. On screen he came across with exactly the right amount of charm and self-deprecating humour. It was a skillful performance.

When the lights went up, Lucky said confidently, ‘We've got a winner. In spite of the fact it was made under Mickey Stolli's regime.'

‘I did have
something
to do with it,' Cooper chided gently. ‘Mickey requested seventeen bare-breasted girls in the opening credits, but I told him no, let's cool it.'

‘What does everybody think?' Venus Maria asked anxiously. ‘Am I OK?'

It amazed Lucky that Venus Maria had to seek reassurance. Couldn't she see? ‘You're a natural,' she told her. ‘You light up the screen. You really do.'

‘Yes?'

‘
Yes
. You're going to be a mega movie star. And
I'm
going to make sure this film is handled in exactly the right way.'

‘Yeah,' Cooper interjected dryly. ‘Bud Graham is designing the poster now. A naked Amazon surrounded by a dozen nymphettes with their tits on fire!'

Everyone laughed. Bud Graham's reputation went before him.

Lucky suggested the three of them lunch together. They went to the Columbia Bar and Grill, where they pigged out on pasta and spent the entire time discussing everyone at the studio.