Secrets & Lies (9 page)

After lunch at a little French café, the name of which I can't remember or pronounce, we discussed plans for the afternoon. I voted for the hotel pool. Lucy agreed. So that's what we did for three hours—we just reclined in our swimsuits and
did nothing
. It was heaven. We both had some white wine, too. We swam. We laughed. Men gawked at us. A few flirted with us; when they learned Lucy was married, all their attentions fell on me. I had to fight them off, ha ha.

Lucy brought up the date with Leo and pointed out something that I knew but never paid much attention to. She said I tend to be attracted to the “dangerous” types. Fiorello was an Italian mobster in New York. John Richardson was an FBI agent. And Michael Sokowitz was a Communist assassin! Of course, Lucy doesn't know that last tidbit; she just knew Michael was a jerk. Lucy also has no clue that my relationships with these men were so much more complicated than she thinks. I had to relate to each man
twice
—once as myself and then again, almost simultaneously and quite differently, as the Stiletto. Am I doomed to always have to conduct
two
separate relationships with the same man?

I replied to her, “Oh, Leo's not dangerous.” What I saw was a dark attractiveness and said so.

“Just watch yourself, Judy,” she said. “Be careful. I may have pushed you into that date, but afterward I didn't like the way he was so slick. I can't explain it.”

“What does Peter say?”

“He had nothing to say. He thinks it's great you got a date for tonight.”

“Look, I think you're just seeing the ‘Hollywood' in Leo,” I said, in denial that I really knew nothing about him. “That's just a Hollywood attitude he's got. I think he's very friendly.”

“He is, and he's charming, but I feel like it's just an act. It's not really him.” She waved the thought away. “Don't listen to me, I want you to have fun tonight.”

Deep down, I know she's right, but I'm actually very excited about it. Danger or no danger.

So at 7:30 I was in the hotel lobby, wearing my new dress and heels. Peter and Lucy had already departed for the banquet, so they didn't get to see me. I think I looked pretty good, dear diary. I was a little afraid I was showing too much cleavage, but I just told myself I was in Hollywood. All the men in the lobby watched me while I waited, so I must have done something right. I probably could've snatched a date there if I'd wanted, ha ha.

Leo showed up promptly at 7:30 and was dressed in a different suit than he wore at Flickers. This one was a bright blue, and he had on a wide tie with a wild print. He reminded me of the
Ocean's 11
guys—Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin and those fellas.

When we stood next to each other, yes, I was taller. I didn't mind and I tried to gauge if he was bothered by it. He didn't seem to be. He said I looked beautiful and we went out to his car, which he said was a Karmann Ghia. It was a little thing, and only two people could fit in it. It was gunmetal gray and looked like a racing car. It was a convertible, too, but he had the top up. We couldn't help but sit
very close together
in that car, dear diary! I also felt like my bottom was just inches above the road as we drove. And oh yes, I
did
feel like a movie star.

“Do you drive?” Leo asked me as we sped through the city streets.

“No,” I answered. “But I think I'll take lessons when I get back to New York. It's something I should know how to do.”

“Definitely. Everyone needs to know how to drive. And you'll love it, too.” He indicated the scenery that was flashing past us. “Isn't this fabulous? It's like we're in a little bubble and the rest of the world can't hurt us.”

“It's breathtaking. I've never been in a car like this.”

“Usually I ride in a big Lincoln and my driver is at the wheel. But I thought tonight I'd get the Karmann out.”

“You wanted to impress me?”

He shot a twinkle-eye at me and smiled. “Maybe I did.”

He took me to a place on the Sunset Strip called Villa Nova. It's a famous place that's been around nearly thirty years and known for being a hot spot. And guess what! I saw my first movie star! Bing Crosby and his wife Kathryn were there! They were sitting in a more secluded area of the restaurant, probably so no one would bother them. Leo whispered to me and pointed them out. I was thrilled!

Before we were shown to our table, Leo stopped to talk quietly with a big guy who was sitting at the bar. He was dressed in a suit, too, but he looked more like a football linebacker.

We then sat at a table that was lit by a candle. Leo knew the staff, and they greeted us warmly. They treated him like a VIP.

“You know that man at the bar?” I asked. An obvious question.

“That's Boone, my driver. He works for me, so he acts as a driver and assistant when I'm on business.”

“What's he doing here?”

“He was supposed to meet us here. He… looks after me.”

Aha!
The man got more intriguing by the minute. “He's your bodyguard?”

Leo shrugged. “In my business, it's best that I travel with one.”

“How come?”

So he explained to me what he does. He runs a company that leases warehouses to shipping firms and railroads. He called himself a “glorified landlord.” He also dealt a lot with the warehousemen's and longshoremen's unions, because his warehouses were often used to store goods and stuff that come in from overseas. He asked me if I'd ever seen
On the Waterfront
, and I told him I had. “That was the East Coast, but the same kind of corruption can occur here. The unions, organized crime—it's a rough world. I have some powerful friends and some powerful enemies. I can't be too careful, so I keep
Boone around. Don't get me wrong, I can take care of myself just fine.”

By the look of his shoulders, I could tell he was a fighter. “I believe it. You're not in the mob, are you?” I asked with a laugh.

He smiled broadly. I swear his eyes really do twinkle. There's a little light that sparkles at the edge of his pupil. It's simply enchanting. Dear diary, I didn't care about anything he was talking about, but I sure liked looking at him. Watching his mouth as he spoke drove me wild. I admit it! It sounds scandalous, but I really wanted to feel his lips on mine.

“No, I'm not with the mob. I'm not Italian. Well, my mother was Italian, but my father was Irish. But I know some of them, sure,” he answered. “I grew up on the streets,” he said. “That tends to toughen you up, and you meet a lot of interesting characters. My industry is full of guys from the streets. You know, warehousemen and longshoremen, you gotta be pretty tough to do those kinds of jobs. So, sure, you get some corruption every now and then. I stay out of that part of the business.”

I studied him to see if I could detect any hint of deceit. My natural knack of perceiving lies had benefitted me in the past, but there was only a slight tingle of doubt this time. He wasn't lying, but he wasn't telling me everything.

I didn't care. He had me captivated. The meal was
fabulous
. I had linguine in clam sauce that was out of this world. Leo had lasagna. I tasted it and it was great. We also drank a whole bottle of delicious red wine, so I was feeling pretty good, ha ha.

Our conversation was about all sorts of things. I told him a little about my upbringing, confessed that I ran away from home when I was fourteen, and that I currently work in a gymnasium. He found that unusual, which of course it is. He asked where in Texas I'm from, and I told him—Odessa. Leo said he had some business associates in Texas, and that he knew people in Odessa. He didn't elaborate, but I found that amazing.

When we were nearly done with the meal, he looked over at
Boone. The bodyguard/driver was talking to two other men, and they definitely looked like gangster types. They had the style and attitude I recognized so well from my interaction with “wiseguys” in New York. It appeared as if Boone was trying to prevent them from coming over and talking to Leo.

“Excuse me a minute,” he said as he rose and joined his driver. I couldn't hear them, but the two newcomers seemed angry about something. Leo must have placated them, for he calmly and quietly spoke to the men, placing a hand on one guy's shoulder. After a moment, the men nodded and looked sheepish. They all shook hands, and then the two guys left. Leo returned to the table and sat. “Sorry about that.”

“That's all right. Who were they?”

“More business associates.”

“Everything okay?”

“Everything's just fine. How's your pasta?”

I studied his face and once again detected no dishonesty. But Lucy's right. I realized then and there that something mysterious, hard, and dark resided inside Leo, and that only made him more attractive to me. Part of me wanted to find out what it was; another part of me
didn't care
. I just wanted to feel his arms around me. He was
that
magnetic. I think he might be the most charismatic man I've ever met.

He asked me what I wanted to do with my life. “You're so young, Judy. Do you really want to work at a men's gym forever?”

I told him I might be ready for a change. Lately New York was getting me down.

“You should move to Los Angeles,” he said. “The weather's always perfect here. You would love it.”

“I do love it, at least what I've seen. But I don't know what I'd do in Los Angeles. I'm not an actress or anything like that.”

“L.A. isn't all show business, although I must say you are beautiful enough to be an actress. Or a model. Have you thought about that?”

“No.” I think I was blushing up a storm!

“I tell you what. If you came out here, I could convince Charlie to give you a hostess or waitress job at Flickers. Would you like that?”

It sounded glamorous. It would certainly be a complete change from what I was doing now. Would it be something I'd like?

“Maybe.”

“I think you've got the looks to be a hostess. Just think of all the movie stars you'd meet. They really do come in the club all the time. And then there are all the wonderful men who drive Karmann Ghias.”

That made me laugh. In fact, through most of the evening he said funny things. I can't remember them all now, but he had me in stitches at one point. He told me one story about meeting Jimmy Cagney at Flickers. Leo did an imitation of the actor and it was perfect.

After they'd brought the bill and we were about to leave, he said, “I'm going to be in New York in March or April. May I look you up?”

“Of course!” He then took one of his business cards and a pen from his jacket pocket and wrote down the gym's phone number as I recited it. I don't know why I never got a separate line; I didn't feel the need to.

We rode around in his little sports car for the rest of the evening. He drove up into the hills near the Hollywood sign that overlooks the city. We sailed along Mulholland Drive, a scary winding road in the hills, but the view of L.A. from there was breathtaking. It was very romantic. Then he mentioned ice cream and I fell for it. He took me to a place called C. C. Brown's, apparently another Hollywood landmark. Leo said they invented the hot fudge sundae, and that's what I had! Yum!

By then it was nearly 11:00. The time had flown. He drove me back to the hotel, and we said good-bye in the driveway in front of the main doors.

“I'm going to call you when I'm in New York,” he said.

“You'd better.”

And then he kissed me.

Oh, my gosh, dear diary. It was like someone had plugged me into a light socket. It was electric, it really was. It was a wave of energy. That kiss traveled through my body from my lips down to my breasts and into my ribcage. I felt it
down there
.

“We could continue our evening at the bar,” he said softly. “Or in your room.”

I really felt flushed when he said that. Dear diary, as much as I wanted to, I knew I couldn't just jump into bed with someone on a first date. That wouldn't be proper. I wasn't that kind of girl, and I told him that. He said he understood, that he couldn't help himself asking, and that he had enjoyed our evening together. He told me again how beautiful I am and that he can't wait to see me again. He wished me a safe flight home. And then he was gone.

There were clouds under my feet as I walked into the hotel. I went up to my room and called Lucy, but no one answered their phone. I guess they were still at the banquet. She said they might not be back until midnight.

I went to bed and, surprisingly, slept very soundly. This morning I filled Lucy in on my adventure last night, and she said it sounded like I had a better time than she did. She was one of very few wives at a stuffy old businessmen's banquet.

So that was my California trip. I've got memories of Disneyland and Hollywood Boulevard and sunshine and great food and drinks. But mostly I'm thinking about Leo Kelly.

I think I'm smitten again. Heaven help me!