B00CAXBD9C EBOK (16 page)

Claudia had never seen him before. ‘Leave me alone, you oaf,’ she said.

He was very strong. ‘You beautiful,’ he said proudly. Obviously his English vocabulary was limited. He twisted her around in his arms and kissed her.

‘Your breath stinks!’ she exclaimed, still struggling.

He held her even tighter and kissed her again.

It was at this moment that David appeared. He stood furiously in the doorway of the apartment, spotted Claudia immediately, and, striding across the room, he hauled the Italian away from her – smashing his fist into his face.

The man slumped to the floor, blood seeping from his nose.

David then turned his attention to Claudia. ‘You fucking tramp,’ he said, and brought his arm back-handedly across her face.

Nobody really noticed what was going on. The music was too loud and they were all too stoned.

‘Get these dregs out of here,’ David snarled.

She rubbed her cheek, her eyes huge and filled with tears – more from pain than from anything else. ‘You
sonofabitch,’
she screamed. ‘How dare you hit me –
how dare you?’

‘I’ll do what I want to you. I bought you, didn’t I? Now get this damned place clear.’

‘You can go to hell and back, you bastard.’ She bent to the Italian and cradled his head in her arms.

‘I’m warning you, Claudia, you’re pushing me too far.’

She ignored him.

He stood for a few seconds, then said, ‘Right.’ He marched into the bedroom.

It was at this particular moment that Giles was reaching a hard-fought-for climax with a skinny redhead. It was unfortunate that it happened to be right in the middle of David’s bed.

David swore loudly, but nothing bothered Giles. He kept on going, although the girl squeaked and attempted to object.

David grimly took a suitcase from the top of a cupboard. He methodically sorted his clothes from Claudia’s, packing as much as he could.

Giles and the girl got up. She glared at David as she rearranged her clothes. ‘Some people just don’t care,’ she muttered. ‘They barge in anywhere.’

Giles made a mock bow. ‘Performance over, next show at four o’clock.’

They walked out of the bedroom.

David locked the door behind them and continued packing. He finally filled three suitcases. His mind was cold with anger.

He unlocked the bedroom and strode to the front door with two of the cases. The party was still in full swing. He returned for the third suitcase.

‘Bye-bye, darling,’ Claudia yelled above the noise. She reeled across the room toward him. The front zipper on her cat suit was undone to her waist, and her breasts pushed forward to escape. Her hair was wild, and blood smeared her face.

‘You look lovely,’ he said. ‘Just like the drunken little slut you are.’

She laughed. ‘Get stuffed,’ she shouted. ‘Get lost, asshole – don’t come back. You’re a bloody bore.’

Giles joined her. ‘You tell him, kid,’ he said, slipping his hand inside her open zipper.

She made an obscene gesture and turned her back.

David left.

‘Well, look, darling, what
is
happening?’ Claudia’s voice was edgy and cold on the phone. ‘I mean, they’ve been back ten days now, and they should be able to tell us
something?
’

Her agent was noncommittal. ‘I can’t get any definite date out of them.’

‘But I signed a contract for two days’ work – a contract, remember?’

‘Yes, I know. But they’ve paid you for the work you were supposed to do. They don’t have to use you.’

She snorted angrily. ‘What kind of an agent
are
you? I’m supposed to be in that film. It’s a big film, and it will do me a lot of good – a lot more good than these walk-on bits you keep offering me. If you can’t do it, tell me, and I’ll get someone who can!’

Her agent’s voice was resigned. ‘I’m doing my best.’

‘Your best’s not good enough. Forget it, I’ll do it myself. 
I’ll
call Conrad Lee.’ She slammed the phone down.

The apartment was in a terrible mess. The new cleaner had walked out the day after the party. Actually, the party had still been going on the next morning when she arrived, and she had taken one horrified look at the red-headed boy wearing Claudia’s cat suit who answered the front door and left.

It had been a good party, lasted three days in all. Claudia didn’t remember much about it, really – but Giles assured her it had been a mind blower.

David hadn’t returned. He hadn’t phoned and he hadn’t communicated in any way, although a mousy secretary had arrived one day about a week later to collect his mail and request that in future it be forwarded to his office.

Claudia didn’t miss him. She was rather glad he had gone. Life was too confining with someone watching every move you made. She had fallen in with David because it was easy, and he had left his wife, and it just sort of happened. It was rather nice having all the bills paid and lots of new clothes and no problems.

Now she would have to think about going back to work, a secret job she had which had always given her enough money to lead a comfortable, independent life. It would be better to be in Conrad’s movie and become a star and make lots more money that way.

The other way gave her a vicarious thrill, though, and none of her friends – no one – knew about it. She had always kept it a closely guarded secret. Before she was living with David all her friends had wondered but never found out how she managed to be so financially secure and independent. The job excited her. She wore wigs and did special creative makeup jobs, completely disguising her own features. She starred in glorious Technicolor in porno movies! In four years she had been in thirty of them, making a lot of money along the way. So successful was she at the disguise jobs that she was known as three completely different girls, all in constant demand by the voyeurs who got to see the finished products. If she wanted to work again, all it would take was a phone call. This is Evette – or Carmen – or Maria – and arrangements would be made. She was paid cash, and she contacted
them
– they had no way of reaching her. It was a satisfactory arrangement.

However, she wasn’t sure that she wanted to go back to doing that. Sometimes her co-stars left a lot to be desired, and of course, if you weren’t in the right mood, it could be pretty grim.

No – to appear in Conrad’s movie was the best thing, and if her agent couldn’t fix it, she certainly could. Conrad would probably be delighted to hear from her again.

She phoned the hotel he had stayed at on his previous visit, but he wasn’t registered there. She phoned the studio and spoke to a secretary who took her name and said she would pass Mr. Lee her message. She tried to find out where he was living, but the girl was polite but firm – ‘We’re not allowed to disclose Mr. Lee’s address,’ she said. ‘I’ll certainly see he gets your message.’ It wasn’t very satisfactory. Claudia wanted to get to him personally.

Giles would be able to find out. Giles was able to get hold of anyone. She called him at his studio, but there was no reply.

‘Dammit!’ she muttered, finally getting up.

There was a stack of bills by the front door. David had stopped paying for everything since he had left, and the bills were steadily mounting. She couldn’t stick him with any of them, as the apartment and everything was in her name. It was a question of getting hold of Conrad and becoming a star.

* * *

Linda stayed in the country with her parents and the children much longer than she expected to. It was so peaceful. The children were out playing all day while she sat in the house with her mother fussing around her. It was very relaxing, and knowing that to return to London was to be the beginning of a new life, she clung onto the limbo period of being with her parents.

Her mother wanted her to stay there permanently. ‘Sell your house,’ she urged. ‘There’s plenty of room for you here.’

Linda rejected the offer. Her parents’ home was just a temporary retreat, and tempting as the thought was, it would be a mistake to stay. She would be buried there, stifled. Her mother would take care of everything, even to bringing up the children. Linda would become the elder daughter of the family.

One Saturday afternoon David turned up. It was the first time she had seen him since the divorce.

‘I tried phoning the house. I was worried,’ he said. ‘I thought you’d be here.’

Her voice was stilted, cold. ‘Why didn’t you phone first? Why did you just come?’

He was ill at ease. It was strange to see David groping for words – he who was usually so sure of himself.

‘I wanted to see the children.’ A note of indignation crept into his voice. ‘I’m supposed to see the children, you know.’ He looked thin and tired. ‘I’ve left Claudia,’ he blurted out.

She looked at him dispassionately. ‘Really.’

‘You look marvellous,’ he said.

She did look well. Her skin was glowing from long walks in the country, and her hair was shining and unset, tied casually back with a ribbon. She looked slim in a pair of slacks and a loose shirt.

She gestured outside. ‘The children are in the garden. I’ll call them in.’

He put a hand on her arm. ‘I said I’ve left Claudia.’

She brushed his hand impatiently away. ‘I heard you the first time, David. I’ll get the children.’ She walked quickly from the room.

He stayed the whole afternoon, chatting amicably to her parents, entertaining Jane and Stephen with all sorts of games.

David is turning on his well-known charm, Linda thought miserably. I wish he’d go away.

He finally left at six.

Her mother wanted to ask him to stay for dinner, but Linda hissed at her, ‘Don’t you dare.’ His charm had worked. ‘He really wants you back,’ her mother said after he had gone.

She was really saying you should go back to him. Linda knew the signs.

Her father was less direct. ‘That boy needs a father,’ he said, when Stephen played up before going to bed.

Her mother said later in the evening, ‘Poor David looks so unhappy.’

It was too much for Linda. They just didn’t understand. They meant well, but she had had enough.

The next morning she told them she was going back to London, and on Monday morning she packed. Amidst tears from her mother and gruff words of wisdom from her father, she and the children were put safely on a train.

She was glad to be back in her own house. The children were pleased and excited to be reunited with all their books and toys, and cries of ‘super’ and ‘that’s mine’ rang through the house.

Ana gave her a list of phone messages, and among them were two calls from Jay Grossman. He had left his number. She didn’t call back. She thought about it, but somehow she felt if he really wanted to see her, he would try again.

Monica had phoned. They hadn’t spoken since the separation; they were David’s friends. She phoned her.

Monica was delighted. ‘Darling,’ she exclaimed, ‘I’m having a little dinner party – I’d love you to come.’

Linda was hesitant. ‘When?’

‘Tomorrow night. I must see you. It’s been such ages. Will you come?’

She hesitated. ‘I don’t know. Have you invited David?’

‘What do you take me for? Of course not. I don’t want any other excuses. I’ll see you tomorrow, eight o’clock. Don’t be late.’

It was settled. It might be fun. Monica always invited interesting people. She would go to the hairdresser’s and then buy a new dress. It was about time she started going out again.

* * *

Claudia sprawled untidily on a sofa at the back of Giles’s studio. He was hard at work photographing a languid brunette clad only in a silver body stocking.

Claudia yawned. ‘Why the hell don’t you answer your bloody phone? You could have saved me a trip.’

Giles didn’t look around; his concentration was completely on the model. After a few minutes he stopped, told the girl to take a break and wandered over to Claudia. He lit a cigarette and stuck it in her mouth.

She took a long drag, spluttered, and choked. ‘Jesus Christ! Smoking pot at this time of the day! You’re too much!’

He laughed, took it back, and said, ‘What do
you
want?’

‘I came to see you,’ she replied coyly. ‘’Cos I love you.’

‘Cut the crap. I’m busy. What do you want?’

‘Actually…’ She stretched. ‘I need Conrad Lee’s number – I thought you could get it for me.’

‘Things must be tough if you’re chasing him again.’

Her voice was irritable; sometimes she couldn’t stand him. ‘Things are not tough – and I’m not chasing anyone.’

He laughed. ‘Don’t forget it’s me you’re talking to, baby.’

‘How could I possibly forget?’

They exchanged stares. ‘All right,’ he said, ‘keep cool. I’ll get it for you.’ He made a few calls and got her the number.

She wrote it down and smiled. ‘Thank you, darling,’ she purred.

‘That’s all right, sweetheart – now get the hell out of here. I’ve got work to do.’

Claudia went shopping. She bought a white-and-gold silk jersey dress and gold spiky-heeled shoes, unfashionable but sexy. She went to the hairdresser’s and had her hair elaborately piled on top of her head. Back home, she bathed, splashing half a bottle of musky oil into the water. She took two hours with her makeup – worrying until it was perfect.

By the time she was dressed it was seven o’clock. She dialled the number Giles had given her. Conrad’s unmistakably accented voice answered.

She smiled. It was all going to work perfectly. She sounded cool and efficient. ‘Mr. Lee?’

‘Yes.’ His voice was gruff.

‘I am calling for
Star
magazine. You may know we are featuring your photograph on our cover this week, and I wondered if you might answer a few short questions about yourself.’

He became friendly. ‘My picture, huh? Sure, I’ll answer a few questions.’

Conceited pig! ‘Thank you so much. Mr. Lee, if you will just give me your address, I’ll be right over. It will only take a short while.’

He was surprised. ‘Can’t I answer them now?’

‘No, Mr. Lee, it’s important to get your comments in person. I’m such a fan!’