Lovers and Gamblers (52 page)

‘You and I are going to dance,’ he stated.

‘But…’

He stood up, ‘No buts.’ He guided her to the dance floor and, at last, held her. He was immediately hard.

‘You remind me of an Arab I once knew…’ she murmured demurely.

‘
An Arab?’

‘Yes. Didn’t you know they consider it a great compliment to get a hard-on as soon as they dance with a woman.’

‘Who told you that crap?’

‘This Arab I knew – Charles something or other. It’s like burping after a meal if you enjoy the food.’

‘Horse crap!’

‘That you have to fart for!’

‘Nice. Very nice.’ He pulled her even closer. ‘Why haven’t you returned my calls?’

She looked surprised. ‘What calls?’

‘Don’t give me that…’

‘Don’t give me that. You haven’t called.’

‘No, but Paul has.’

‘He hasn’t.’

‘He hasn’t?’

‘He hasn’t.’

‘Sonofabitch! I’ll kill him. I’ve been thinking about this since the South of France. Remember?’

How could she ever forget? ‘Nope.’

‘Regines. Dancing together.’ God she felt marvellous.

‘Oh yes – wasn’t that shortly before I got the icy treatment?’ She tried to edge away from his persistently hard body.

‘Who’s talking about icy treatment? What about the time I called you from Chicago?’ He pulled her firmly towards him.

‘You’re holding me too tight. I can’t breathe.’

He released her slightly. ‘Why don’t we split from this boring party?’

‘And do what?’

‘What do you think?’

‘Oh, no!’

‘Oh no why not?’

‘Because I do not want to.’ Liar! Liar! For the first time in her life she did.

He shrugged. ‘We can do what you want. Drive to the beach, grab a hot dog, take in a strip show, buy some new sounds at an all-night record shop.’

‘OK.’

‘OK what?’

‘OK to everything. It sounds like fun.’

He laughed. ‘You’d really sooner do all that than…’

‘Yes!’

‘What are we waiting for then?’

‘You can’t leave.’

‘Why not?’

‘You know why not. You’re the guest of honour.’

‘So what? I don’t know any of these people, and what’s more I don’t think I want to.’

Out of the corner of her eye Dallas saw Doris emerge from the house. She seemed completely recovered from the incident in her bathroom. She was smiling and nodding. Lew was sitting at a table with his cronies. Dallas was thankful not to have had to talk to him.

‘I can’t leave Linda,’ Dallas said.

‘Linda’s all right.’ Al indicated that she was dancing with Paul.

‘Why don’t we ask them to come with us?’

‘Whatever you want.’

‘You’re being very nice tonight. Whatever I want. I thought it was always a question of what
you
want.’

‘If it was a question of what
I
wanted we’d be in a bed somewhere screwing our…’

‘No way.’

He smiled, enjoying her company, enjoying the thought of what he knew would happen later. He threw up his hands in mock despair. ‘I’m not arguing!’

She laughed, happy for the first time in weeks. ‘You’d better not!’

* * *

Giggling and laughing they collapsed in the back of Al’s limousine.

‘What did she say?’ Dallas asked again.

‘She said, “Mr King – you are the rudest man I have ever met.” Her eyes filled with tears – and I said, “Darlin’ I’ve got a headache, what can I do?” And
she
said, “You can stay, you prick!” I nearly fell over. Doris Andrews using language like that. Disgusting!’

Dallas giggled. ‘I could tell you worse things about Miss Andrews than that.’

‘You could? Go on – tell.’

‘I can’t.’ She indicated Luke, who was driving the car. ‘It’s secret.’ She felt extremely lightheaded, almost carefree for once in her life.

‘Where to first?’ asked Al.

‘You promised the beach.’

‘You heard the lady, Luke. The beach it is.’

‘What about Paul and Linda?’

‘I said we’d meet them in an hour at Pips. He wanted to square things away with old man Margolis. You know Paul – business first.’

‘I didn’t get a chance to talk to Linda. I was so busy sneaking out before Aarron grabbed me – was everything back to normal with her and Paul?’

‘Didn’t ask.’

‘You’re so concerned.’

‘I’m concerned with being alone with you. Anyway – Paul lied to me. He told me he’d called you. Who the fuck does he think he’s playing games with?’

‘Maybe he thought he was doing you a favour.’

‘I’ll pick my own favours.’ He took her hand and held it. When was the last time he had held a girl’s
hand?
When was the last time he had bothered to
talk
to a girl? He was enjoying every goddamn minute of it.

The car sped silently down the winding curves of Sunset.

‘What about some music?’ Al asked. ‘Who would you like to hear?’

‘Bobby Womack,’ Dallas replied.

‘
Bobby Womack
! How about Al King?’

‘Bobby Womack please. Or Rod Stewart. Or David Ruffin. Or…’

He silenced her with a kiss. Burying his hands in her mane of hair. Holding her head so that she couldn’t move.

He could not remember the last time he had kissed a girl. He was Al King. He did not need the preliminaries. It was either fuck or out.

Kissing Dallas was more exciting than any of the dumb bimbos he had screwed.

He was exploring her mouth with his tongue. Wow – he had forgotten what fun kissing could be. He was so horny he could have come there and then.

At the beginning she had returned the kiss, but now she was pushing him away.

‘I want you,’ he muttered. ‘I want you…’

She leaned back in the seat, gazed out of the window. ‘No,’ she said.

He reached for her magnificent breasts. He could see her nipples were hard through the thin material of her dress.

She slapped his hand away. ‘Forget it!’ she snapped.

‘What’s the matter?’ he asked in a puzzled voice.

‘Do I have to have a reason for not wanting you? Or is it part of the ride to have sex with the great Al King if he takes you in his car?’

‘I thought you felt the same way I did.’

‘You thought wrong.’

They sat in silence for a few minutes, then Al said, ‘Luke, we got any Womack tapes?’

Silently Luke slotted the
Home Is Where The Heart Is
tape into the machine, and the sexy voice of Bobby Womack serenaded them with ‘How Long’.

‘OK?’ demanded Al.

‘Terrific,’ replied Dallas.

He took her hand again, and they listened quietly to the music which was assaulting them from all four speakers.

Nearing the coastal road Al spotted a drive-in. ‘Hot dog time?’

Dallas replied, ‘It’s on our list, isn’t it? Plenty of relish.’

‘Luke – two hot dogs – one ketchup – one relish.’

Luke swerved the big car into a parking bay, and got out.

‘What do you want to do at the beach?’ Al asked.

‘Can we take a walk along the seashore?’

‘We can do whatever you want.’

Luke returned with the hot dogs and they munched them hungrily.

‘Been reading about you,’ Al said. ‘It’s all happening, huh? Long way from that old guy you were with in the South of France.’

‘That old guy is one of the richest men in America.’

‘Is that why you were with him?’

‘How’s your wife?’

‘What’s my wife got to do with this conversation?’

‘The same as my old guy – exactly nothing.’

Al laughed. What a change to find a woman who answered him back. She hadn’t even said yes the first time. Of course she would the second time – but that was only to be expected.

Dallas breathed deeply. She was with him. It was nice. It was fun. But it was all a crock of shit. He was just another superstar on the make. All he wanted was her body. All he wanted was to add her to his list. He was a married man – at the most it would be a few nights of good times. Who needed that? She certainly didn’t. So what was she doing with him? She couldn’t explain it.

They walked along the beach hand in hand. Dallas had taken off her shoes, and Al had rolled up his trousers. They talked about inconsequential things. A television show they both liked. A book Dallas thought he might be interested in reading.

‘Hey – why don’t we swim?’ Al suggested.

‘You’re kidding – I’d feel like that girl in
Jaws!’

‘Come on, it would be great. Look at those waves.’

‘
You
swim.’

‘Is that a challenge?’

‘Go ahead.’

‘Hold this,’ he handed her his jacket, stripped off his shirt, took off his trousers. The hell with it – he stepped out of his Y-fronts. Let her see the treat he had in store for her.

She didn’t bother to look, just said, ‘Be careful, I’m not very good at mouth to mouth resuscitation!’

He ran into the dark sea, ducked under a huge wave, and was swimming strongly out to the calmer waters. He trod water and looked to shore. She was standing there holding his clothes. ‘Come in,’ he shouted. ‘It’s like a warm bath.’

She waved. She couldn’t hear him.

Dallas sat down on the sand. Why – when he kissed her – had she not shoved him away immediately? Why had she dissolved into soft mushy pieces? Why had she wanted him with a passion she had never felt in her life before? It had taken every bit of will power she possessed to push him away. How come he was invading her feelings?

In the distance she watched him swimming back to the beach, and come staggering out of the sea. He ran towards her. ‘It’s freezing when you get out,’ he laughed: ‘Real brass monkey time! Hey – can you run up to the car and see if Luke’s got a towel or blanket or something I can dry myself with.’

She did as he asked, and the impassive Luke gave her a large rug which she carried back to Al. He wrapped himself in it. ‘You missed a treat.’

‘Yeah. Why are you shivering then?’

‘Smartass.’

‘Get dressed, we’ll be late for Paul and Linda.’

He tried to put his arms around her.

‘You’re all wet!’ she complained.

‘So help me get dry.’

Laughingly she pushed him away. ‘I’ll see you in the car. Hurry up!’ She didn’t trust herself with him.

Waiting at Pips, the Beverly Hills discotheque, they found a disconsolate Paul. ‘Your friend,’ he complained to Dallas, ‘what does she want from me? I said I was sorry. Does she want it written in my blood? Why is you hair wet, Al?’

‘Went swimming.’

Paul shook his head in amazement.

‘Where’s Linda?’ inquired Dallas.

Paul said, ‘You may well ask. I tried to talk to her but she doesn’t want to know. Maybe you could talk to her for me.’

‘Yes –
you
talk to her for him,’ interrupted Al, ‘just like he called you for me.’

Paul glared. ‘I was only doing what I thought was—’

‘Shut up,’ said Al amiably. ‘Order champagne. Dallas and I are going to dance.’

They pressed together on the crowded dance floor, and once again Dallas could feel his insistent hardness.

‘Having a good time?’ he asked.

‘Not bad.’

‘That’s what I like – enthusiasm!’ He hugged her tightly, unaware of the fact they were getting a lot of attention and stares. ‘You’re going to come to my concert tomorrow. Then after, Karmen Rush is giving a big party for me. Yes?’

‘I don’t know…’

‘Stop giving me a hard time. I’ve got the message you’re not an easy lay. I’m asking you to a concert and a party, not a twenty-handed orgy. Right?’

‘Right.’

‘I still want you…’ he whispered in her ear. ‘Don’t tell me you aren’t feeling the same way…’

She was saved from answering by Cody Hills. Cody in a suit and tie, dancing with the definitive dumb blonde.

‘Cody!’ she exclaimed, surprised to see him. ‘What are you doing here?’

* * *

It was obvious to Cody that to get through the whole traumatic experience with Dallas he was going to need outside help.

Carol Cameron was ready, willing, and available. She was also very pretty. And if you had an ego that needed repairing – well, she was the best sexual mechanic around – and where better a place to starting restoring a shattered ego than in bed?

Of course after a few days her conversation did begin to pall. It was always about herself. Her new photos. Her acting classes. Her clothes. Her hair. Her face. Her
career
.

Because he felt it was only fair to do a trade – she wasn’t giving him her body for
nothing
– he took her on his books and got her the small but interesting part of a hooker in a double-part
Kojak
. She was delighted, and dragged him to Pips to celebrate. Whereupon who was the first person he bumped into? Dallas of course. Dallas nuzzled on the dance floor with Al (goddamn English sex maniac) King. And why did she stare at him in a state of surprise and say, ‘What are you doing here?’ As if he was some kind of freak who should only be seen during business hours.

He managed to give her a cool smile and mumble something about he came here often.

Meanwhile Carol was freaking out over Al King, and digging Cody in the ribs muttering, ‘Introduce me! Introduce me!’

Cody did as she asked, and Al dismissed her with hardly a glance, and who could blame him when he was dancing with Dallas.

When they were out of earshot Cody said, ‘Let’s go home.’

‘Let’s stay,’ enthused Carol, jiggling about in her tighter than tight gold pants and lurex sweater.

‘We’re going,’ Cody insisted. At least with this one he was going to be the boss.

‘If you’re going to
force
me…’ she pouted.

‘Yes,’ he said. She didn’t argue further.

* * *

Dallas and Al left Pips at two in the morning, Paul tagging along with them.

News had leaked out that they were there, and several photographers sprung into action. Paul tried to shield his brother.

‘Forget it,’ said Al. ‘I’m not bothered.’

He might not be bothered now, mused Paul, but he would not be too thrilled in the morning when his picture was flashed all over the newspapers. Especially when the news services flashed it all the way to England, and Edna got a load of it.