Unforgettable (20 page)

“
Do you all have a little
newsletter you share in the mornings…’Sam got kissed six times,
Fritz made her cum, Roger got laid last night, pork bellies are
dragging…’? How do you know I haven’t had sex?”

He laughed. “Fritz made you cum, didn’t
know that one. I want details.”

I bit his thigh.

“
Wait. You just said you
haven’t had sex. That means more than just with the two of them.
That means at all. You were a virgin when you were
raped?”

“
No!”

“
Since the rape
then.”

I didn’t answer.

He was silent for a long
time.

“
I’m sorry, Sam.” He rubbed
my neck and back. If I’d been a dog I’d been thumping my leg it
felt so good.

“
I often forget the kind of
hell you’re in. So David is like your sex therapist.”

I nodded.

“
Swear you won’t tell
Jack.”

“
If that’s what you want,
but he’s going to find out.”

“
I know.”

While I was in the shower my phone
rang. Getting out I saw my message light blink. It was
David.

“
Hi Sam. I’m stuck in Japan
for another day. Won’t be back until late tonight. Sorry. Call you
tomorrow. Call if you need me.”

Damn. I really wanted to see him
tonight.

I dressed in a hurry and smiled,
thinking about my plan for John Black. I made a Wookie sound and
giggled. Which made my head hurt even more.

When we got back to the studio the
doors were open and Jack was drinking a bottle of water.

He gave me a big hug, which I wasn’t
expecting.

“
If you ever pull anything
like that again I’ll duct tape you to the wall. Or to Roger, which
is pretty much the same thing.”

“
I’m sorry. I just imploded.
I had to get out of here.”

“
What’s going
on?”

I shook my head.

“
Get me some lunch. How did
the scene go?”

“
Okay. I guess you didn’t
watch it…that’s what’s wrong. You saw the scene.”

“
Yes. And I’m terribly
jealous. Now …lunch before I fall over. I forgot I hadn’t eaten
before I had those boiler makers.”

“
You’re still lying but I’ll
get you some lunch anyway.”

We wandered to the food
table.

“
You and Fritz have a
fight?”

“
No. Fritz has been gone all
morning. Now stop with the twenty questions.”

He stared at me with that grizzly bear
scowl.

“
Staring will do you no
good.”

“
I can’t stand not knowing a
secret. I’ve always been like that. Always have to know what’s
going on.”

John walked by and pulled me
aside.

“
I’m thinking two weeks from
tomorrow.”

“
Oh, Jack won’t be walking
by then. He’ll need to be in a boot before I can leave him
alone.”

“
Right. Maybe three
weeks…”

“
Think you can put me in as
an extra? That would kind of explain what I’m talking about to
you.”

He smiled.

“
Nude?”

“
Maybe.”

He smiled again.

“
Sure. We might have to
rehearse. Tonight.” He winked and walked away.

I turned around. Jack was
pissed.

“
I’m going to be an extra.”
I took a big bite of my sandwich feeling much better.

“
Now tell me what the hell
is going on!”

“
Can’t. Employees have a
right to their own lives. Do you ask Sarah or Roger or Gloria what
they’re doing and who they’re doing it with?”

“
Who are you doing it with,
Sam?” He was building up steam. “Do not step foot into any room,
any car, any dwelling with John. Do you hear me? He...he is not
like anyone you've known. Trust me.”

“
I can handle John, believe
me.”

He reached over and grabbed my
shoulders.

“
This employee thing again.
Is that what the tears are about? You got your paycheck today. Is
that what’s wrong?”

I didn’t want to answer him.

“
What happens when that
ankle is healed and you don’t need me anymore?”

People were staring.

“
Let’s walk. You know one of
the things I hate most about the cast and the crutches?”

“
You can’t dance the hoochie
koochie?” I wriggled around.

“
Boy, you are in a
mood.”

“
Sorry. The booze is still
swirling around in there. By the way, I just love Doug and Larry
the bartender. They were so nice and Doug spoke so highly of you.
Of course being seven feet tall he speaks highly of everyone!” I
doubled over in laughter. “God, I’m so funny.”

“
And you’re still drunk,” he
laughed. “Maybe I should take you to one of the dressing
rooms…no…better not.”

“
What do you hate most about
the cast?”

“
I can’t walk with you, put
my arms around you.”

The grizzly was gone. He was using his
“come-to-bed-with-me” voice now.

“
I do not want to lose you.
And I feel you slipping away. You’re going to leave aren’t
you?”

We sat on a bench. I looked down,
running my finger over his sapphire ring.

“
I won’t let you go. I’ll
find you. I can’t bear to live without you. There’s got to be
another way.”

“
I don’t know, Jack. I’m
broken now.”

“
You can get a job
here…”

“
Doubt it.”

“
You could talk to some of
the big wigs tonight. They’ll have jobs for you in a New York
minute.”

“
Because I’m with you. And
they’ll
compensate me…just like Jack
does
.”

He sat back and stared at me. He’d
finally hit the nerve. It didn’t take long before he put it
together.

His face was dark. He lifted my
chin.

“
A high priced hooker,” I
said. “I’ve already been offered a side job. A little weekend work.
Don’t worry, I scheduled it so that you’ll have your boot on by
then.”

“
Who? It’s not too hard to
guess.”

“
I will not tell you, Jack.
No matter how much you scowl at me. And don’t go sticking up for
me. I’m taking care of it myself—quite well, actually. I have
something planned for tonight so promise me you won’t go getting
macho…”

Silence.

“
I promise you I have it
taken care of. And you damn well better decrease my salary to
something reasonable.”

He nodded.

I went to look for Roger.

Eddie and Robert climbed
the steps to the abandoned building. It overlooked Nolan’s
compound.

Eddie was eating again. “I
bet Nolan’s fucking her.”

Robert turned and punched
him.

Oscar was waiting in the
car. His phone rang.

“
Hey, Arnie! How’s St
Louis?”

“
Ripe for the pickin’.
Bobby still after that piece of ass out there?”

“
Yeah. He’s talkin’ about
snatchin’ her now ‘cause she’s living with Jack Nolan, the big ass
movie star. Can you believe that shit? I hate that Bobby. He’s
lookin’ at kids now, too, man. If I had any money I’d leave his
sorry ass. I hate him…”

“
Well, maybe I can help you
out. I’m in a sweet situation right now but I need my computer
expert cousin to tell me how to do this.”

“
Do what?”

“
I’ve been hired as a sales
rep for this company, right? So I figured out a way to set up a
fake company and I’m going to get invoices and PO’s in here but I
need higher security access to fuck with the processing. What
should I do? I’ll send ya’ a cut…”

“
Just find out what kind of
systems they have, find out who in the company is responsible for
entering vendor information, who enters what’s received…if you can
get access to their logins…like… all you gotta do is just get at
their desks when no one else is around and they’re still logged in
and enter your shit…take a blue tooth with you, let me know when,
and you can call me…I’ll walk you through it…just don’t tell Bobby,
man.”

“
No way is she fucking that
bastard!” Robert pointed his camera, trying to pick up any movement
around the estate.

“
Hot damn! Look Eddie.
Pregnant black woman, nice looking too, by the pool. I’ve never
tasted pregnant blood or the blood of an unborn. Pure. Sweet. Man,
what a find. We could get her and Sam.”

With much pleading Roger had finally
taken me to the store. I bought a large purse and put several items
in it that I wouldn’t let anyone see. I also bought a white
backless sundress. It tied at the neck, fit tight on my stomach.
Just what I needed.

Jack was finishing a scene wearing his
gladiator outfit. He was smeared in mud and ash.

I went to the medic area and loaded up
on ice and wraps.

“
You look incredible,” Fritz
said from behind, whispering in my ear. “Rumor has it that you were
a bit upset today.”

“
I was. But, I’m in a party
mood so I’m feeling much better.”

“
A bar before eleven. Odd.
Not like you. So, my old friend took care of you…while you passed
out.” He put his arms around me. “Jack’s been upset, too. Want to
tell me what the hell is going on?”

“
It’s too much, Fritz. I’ll
think about it tomorrow, fiddle dee dee. But tonight I am going to
have a very good time.”

“
Damn this is a fine day.
First a little photography and now Oscar sets up this nice little
meeting…,” Robert told Eddie as they walked into the bar. They slid
into the back booth, just as they had been told.

“
How’d you find out I did
time?”

Robert smiled. “My
brother’s a hacker. Not Eddie, here. He’s too stupid. My brother
Oscar is a fucking genius. He followed you home from work. We stole
your mail. Just started putting the pieces together.”

“
So this is some sweet set
up here with Nolan,” Eddie grinned.

“
Right.”

“
Stealin a little here, a
little there. Nobody notices. Two beers,” Robert told the
waiter.

“
I don’t steal. He’s good
to me.”

“
Right. And my mom’s
pretty. Fuck. Whatever. Okay, here’s the deal. You put this in
Sam’s room sometime today. It’s on a timer. Make sure you hide it
real good. But…the sounds gotta get out. I want her to move out of
that fucking fortress. Somewhere I can get at her.

“
Early in the morning you
sneak back in and remove it. If you screw up I tell your boss, and
your pretty new pussy, who you are.”

By six the scenes were finally
finished. I helped Jack into a deck chair and wrapped his
knee.

“
You’re in a lot of
pain.”

“
And you’re absolutely
gorgeous. And you’re smiling.”
“I have that business to take care of I told you about and I’m
looking forward to it. I’m going to get us some food and some wine
and we’re going to relax for a while.”

I came back with mounds of food and
wine.

“
Where’s Fritz? He was just
here.”

“
Don’t know.”

John slithered next to me,
smiling.

“
Want to go over that part?”
I nodded, picked up my bag and slipped my arm through
his.

He took me back to one of the dressing
rooms and locked the door. I didn’t like the sound of that lock
turning.

“
You look lovely
tonight.”

“
Thank you.”

“
So, how long have you been
doing this kind of work?”

“
Ten years.”

“
You must be very good at
it.”

“
You can judge
that.”

He put his arms around me and untied my
sundress. He kissed my nipples and began to suck on them. He was
rough and it hurt. And he knew it. He undid his pants. They fell to
the floor.

“
Isn’t there something you’d
like to suck on?”

“
God, yes. But…this is going
to sound silly…a bit kinky.”

“
Mmmm. Kinky is my middle
name.”

His hands were wandering up my
skirt.

“
Over the years I’ve
developed this little chart…a sort of little black
book.”

“
Okay.”

“
Before I fuck my men I get
them very hard and then…”

“
Yes?”

“
I measure them.” I pulled a
book out of my bag that I had weathered and written in that
afternoon.

“
Yours would be one of the
most famous I have.”