Lovers and Gamblers (36 page)

‘Let me ask Al,’ Paul decided. It was up to Al to decide the company Evan should keep.

Al said ‘Jesus!’, shook his head and laughed. ‘I guess it can’t do any harm. Leave him alone if that’s what he wants.’

Paul passed the word to Bernie, who snorted with disgust. If it was his kid… Aw – what the fuck… Fortunately it wasn’t.

* * *

They counted out the money.

Two hundred and sixteen bucks!’ exclaimed Plum in delight.

Glory slid her arm tightly around Evan’s waist, ‘Wanna add your fifty?’ she asked slyly, ‘wanna be our partner?’

‘Yeah,’ agreed Plum, ‘if you go with us y’gotta pool your bread too. S’only fair.’

‘OK,’ squeaked Evan. He reached into his jeans’ pocket for the money, pleased he hadn’t told them about his two hundred dollars.

Plum took the fifty, added it to their money, and then placed the wad of notes firmly in her bra. First she extracted a twenty which she handed to Glory. ‘She’ll score for us,’ Plum explained to Evan. ‘Now you’re our partner you can join in all the fun.’

He shivered in anticipation. They weren’t Nellie, but they liked him, accepted him, and if he couldn’t have Nellie… Well…

Glory vanished off into the crowds who had not managed to get into the concert.

‘She won’t be long,’ Plum informed him confidently, ‘she’s gotta nose f’ the best score. Few quacks be just right.’ She nudged him knowingly. ‘You’re not into the heavy stuff, are you?’

He wanted to ask what heavy stuff? He wanted to ask what quacks were. He wanted to know score what?

He stood silently. Maintain an aura of being one of them. Mustn’t ask questions. Mustn’t act like a fool.

Once, at school, one of the seniors had been caught smoking grass. He knew what grass was. His father had offered him some once, stuffed a vile-smelling cigarette in his mouth and said: ‘Drag on that and if you ever want it again, come to me. I don’t want to catch you doing it behind my back.’

Glory returned, skipping and laughing. Both girls seemed to have forgotten about the concert; indeed they had sold all the tickets, including their own.

‘Let’s go back to the hotel,’ Plum suggested, ‘an’ have a good time.’

Glory giggled shrilly. ‘Can you give us a good time, Evan? Can you? Can you give
both
of us a good time?’

He smiled bravely. Why not? If his father could do it, why couldn’t he?

‘Yeah,’ he croaked, ‘let’s go.’

Dallas waited for their relationship to develop. She waited for Cody to tell her something corny like he loved her. She waited for him to make love to her again. He did none of those things.

He phoned her on the Sunday to tell her his mother was sick and he couldn’t come over.

He turned up at the studio on Monday for lunch as usual. And it was as usual. No mention of what had taken place between them. No words of love. No physical contact. He was exactly the same as he always was. Sweet, charming, funny. He had a script he wanted her to read. He had two important magazine interviews he had arranged for her. He had a franchise on
Man Made Woman
T-shirts he wanted to discuss with her. He had a top photographer coming in from New York specially to photograph her.

What with working and doing all the things Cody had arranged she did not have much time free.

At first she was hurt by his attitude. But the hurt soon turned to a cold anger, and she felt used and debased.

How dare he treat her like this, Cody Hills. Short, balding, not even rich – yet. And she had gone to bed with him, given herself to him – and he didn’t want to know.

When the call from Lew Margolis finally came, she was in just the right mood for it.

‘I’ll come to your house,’ he informed her, no doubt hoping she would arrange a second session with the luscious Diamond.

‘No, I’ll come to your office,’ she insisted, ‘I have a surprise for you.’

The date was made, and she went home, selected some of the best photos, and slid them into the cellophane pages of a leather-bound album. It was a touch she was sure Linda would have appreciated.

* * *

Cody was destroyed. Dallas was everything he had ever dreamed about in a relationship. But Christ! What did she want with him? She could have anyone.

He loved her. He loved everything about her. But he knew it was a love that would destroy their relationship. And God Almighty – ultimately theirs was a business tryst. And that’s the way he had to keep it.

Regarding things clearly and logically he could see where it was all at. She was looking for something – someone, and he just happened to be there. Yes – it could be great, until she found what she was
really
searching for. And then what? Wasn’t he better off being her agent, manager and friend? That way he would always be around.

Mr. Cody Hills regrets that although he would give his left leg to keep on trucking, his head rules his heart (fortunately), and he is too smart to screw up a golden opportunity.

He hated himself. He knew she was hurt. But one of these days she would thank him. This is where analysis got you. Made you so smart you cut off your own balls!

On the Sunday, after being with Dallas the previous day, he had steeled himself into action. He had phoned Connie.

‘My God! I figured you died!’ she exclaimed. ‘Where have you been?’

‘Working,’ he explained. ‘Can I come over?’

‘I was just washing my—’

‘I’ll be there in time to dry it!’

‘Haven’t changed, have you?’

He hoped not. He rushed over to her apartment on Fountain, and within fifteen minutes had talked her into bed – wet hair and all.

She did not have a body like Dallas. No one had a body like Dallas.

He did not come all over her in one schoolboyish spurt. He indulged in twenty minutes polite foreplay and seventeen minutes of polite fucking. He then spent a further half hour being affectionate and considerate. Fell asleep for an acceptable hour, and then went home.

Things weren’t what they used to be.

* * *

Lew Margolis looked through the book of photographs once, then a second time. He didn’t speak.

Dallas, sitting across from him, lit a cigarette and tried to appear as calm as possible.

Lew studied the photos yet again.

‘Like them?’ Dallas inquired. She couldn’t stand the silence. Let’s get this show on the road and over and done with.

‘Is this the surprise you had for me?’ he asked at last.

‘I thought I’d show them to you first. Thought it might make rather a nice anniversary present for your wife. I understand you’ve been married nine years next week.’

‘Once a cunt always a cunt,’ he said wearily. ‘How much?’

‘How much for what?’

‘The pictures.’

‘No charge, Mister.’ She glared at him. ‘Just no more private meetings between us. Get your rocks off on somebody else’s time.’

His lips tightened. ‘We had an arrangement, you agreed.’

‘I agreed shit. You blackmailed me and now I’m throwing the ball back into
your
court.’

‘I can make or break you.’

‘Likewise.’

They stared at each other, then finally he said, ‘You don’t want to fuck me means you’re a silly girl. You got the pictures means you’re smart. But it’s all a game – remember that – just a game. And I am an
ace
player –
an ace
. What are you? Some down-and-out hooker I gave a break to.’

‘Thank you, Mr. Margolis.’ Her voice was thick with sarcasm. ‘May I please go now?’

He flicked through the photos again. ‘Yeah. Go. You’ve won this round – but if Doris ever sees these pictures you’ll find yourself washed up on the beach one morning along with the rest of the garbage. Remember that, it’s not an idle threat.’

‘I’ll remember. But
you
remember there’s a letter with my lawyer should anything happen to me. And the negatives will become very public property.’

‘You’ve been seeing too many movies. Get your ass back to work. If I can’t hump you I may as well make money out of you.’

She stood up. Christ! Was it worth it? She felt more dirty than if she’d slept with him a hundred times.

‘Get lost, cunt,’ he added. And it was the last she saw of him until Cody received an invitation for the two of them to attend a dinner party at the Margolis residence two days later.

‘I don’t want to go,’ she told Cody.

‘Are you kidding?’ he argued. ‘An invitation to one of their dinners is like the seal of approval in this town. He must really like you.’

She had no alternative but to accept the invitation. To refuse would certainly make Cody suspicious. Besides she was curious to see what Lew had in mind.

* * *

The dinner party was on a Saturday. Dallas spent the day doing pictures with the photographer from New York who was an outrageous, amusing fag. He was full of gossip about the so-called Beautiful People and told the most scandalous stories. He also took magnificent photos, and she continued her love affair with the camera. It was the only love affair she had.

When Cody picked her up, she was tired, irritable, and not at all looking forward to dinner at the Margolises.

‘You look wonderful,’ Cody told her.

‘Wonderful enough to make love to?’ she questioned. It was the first time either of them had mentioned it.

Cody was prepared. He knew that eventually she would have to say something. He pulled the car over to the side and turned to her. ‘You want to hear a really corny speech?’

‘Try me. I’d like to hear
something
. It’s our anniversary, you know. Exactly one week ago we made fast abortive love – or rather we
nearly
did. And I’d like to know why you’ve been trying to forget it ever happened.’

‘I…’

‘How do you think I
feel?’
she continued, her emotions rushing to the surface. ‘I don’t enter into relationships easily, you know. You have no idea what it took for me to sleep with you.’

He was temporarily speechless. He hadn’t expected this. What about the night he had sneaked up to her house and seen her taking part in an orgy? What about her big black boyfriend?

‘Well?’ she demanded. ‘What’s the problem, Cody? Don’t I turn you on?’

Another laugh. She turned him on so goddamn fast it was over before it had even happened.

He took her hand. ‘You know I adore you…’

‘But?’ she interrupted.

‘But I think if you and I indulge in any sort of a thing you’re going to regret it.’

‘Oh, come on!’

‘I mean it, Dallas. Don’t you understand this is just the beginning for you? Once a week you’re going to be on millions of TV sets all over the country. Your face – you – will be public property. You’ll have all the pressures of being a star, plus all the advantages. I don’t want to get in the way of all your advantages.’

‘What are you talking about?’

‘You know what I’m talking about. You’ll be able to have any guy you want, and I don’t want to be shoved in the background like some schmuck. It may surprise you but I’ve got an enormous ego.’

‘Terrific,’ said Dallas coldly, ‘really terrific!’

‘What?’

‘Your opinion of me.’

‘It’s not my opinion of you. I love you – and because I love you I don’t want to put you in a position of feeling guilty.’

‘Ha! We haven’t even made it properly and already I’ve discarded you for ten other men!’

He sighed. ‘Basically I’m being selfish. I don’t want to get kicked in the teeth.’

‘But I wouldn’t…’

‘But the chances are you would.’

‘Chances? What chances? I think you’re full of shit.’

‘So does my mother – that’s why she wants me to get married to a nice kosher lady who’ll stuff me full of Ex-Lax hidden in the chicken soup!’

Dallas couldn’t help laughing. She felt better after their talk, and in a way she understood how he felt, but that was only because he didn’t know her very well. ‘Take me to the party, Cody. Maybe I can get drunk and rape you when you’re not so busy protecting your
enormous
ego.
I
think we have a future together – let me see if I can convince
you.’

The first person she saw at the party was Ed Kurlnik.

The second person she spotted was Aarron Mack. The two of them were engaged in an animated conversation – well, about as animated as two elderly billionaires could be.

Two of the richest men in America, and they had both wanted her. Not bad for a girl who had had to make it on her own.

Lew Margolis was bearing down on her, a fatherly smile suffusing his false teeth. ‘Glad you two kids could make it,’ he said warmly.

Tonight she was kid. What had happened to cunt?

‘Mr. Margolis.’ Eagerly Cody shook hands. ‘So nice of you to think of us.’

‘My pleasure. Got to look after my little star!’ He winked at her. ‘Right, Dallas?’

‘Right, Mr. Margolis.’

‘Call me Lew, no need to be formal. Come, I want you to meet my wife.’

Dallas had seen Doris Andrews in so many movies that meeting her was like coming face to face with an old friend. The same wispy brown hair, cornflower-blue eyes, kindly smile, a little girl voice. ‘So pleased to meet you, Dallas dear. Lew has told me all about the wonderful series you’re doing for him. It sounds such fun.’

Dallas could hardly imagine the ordinary-looking Doris Andrews seducing every man she came in contact with. Lew’s games were probably a figment of his very vivid imagination.

‘Let me introduce you around,’ said Doris, adjusting the Peter Pan starched white collar of her dress. She certainly lived up to her screen image.

Both Ed and Aarron had spotted her at the same time, and their conversation was abruptly terminated, whilst they both tried to wander over in an unobtrusive way.

Aarron reached her first, as Ed was waylaid by a woman who Dallas realized with a shock was Dee Dee Kurlnik.

‘Dallas!’ exclaimed Aarron, clutching both her hands. ‘You leave New York just like that. No word, no address. I am hurt.’

She stared down at his bullet head. God, all the money in the world couldn’t make you tall.

Doris smiled. ‘Aarron, I didn’t realize you knew our little star.’