Dangerous Kiss (7 page)

She grinned back. 'Your sisters, my ass!'

'And a fine ass it is, too, if I may say so.'

'C'mon,' Lennie said, opening the passenger door of his Porsche and hustling Mary Lou inside. 'You two can flirt tomorrow. Right now we gotta get going.'

She settled into the front seat, fastened her seatbelt, and gave a little wave to Buddy who hovered by the car.

'Does your husband know how lucky he is?' Buddy said as Lennie ran around and started the car.

'I hope so,' she said, blowing him a kiss.

'Baby,' Buddy sighed, 'if you ever decide you want bigger and better, I am waiting.

'There's no such thing as bigger and better than my Steven,' Mary Lou said.

'Sorry to disappoint you.'

'Oh, baby, baby,' Buddy said, shaking his head. 'You are something else.'

The Porsche took off. Mary Lou closed the window and grinned. 'I hope he makes me look good on screen.'

'Buddy's the best,' Lennie said. 'And, considering he has a thing about you, you will look sensational.'

'It's so much fun to be making a movie with you, Lennie,' she said. 'I never imagined we'd work together, and now it's even better than I thought it would be.'

'Hey - you're a pleasure to work with.'

'Coming from you that's a big compliment.'

'I'm bummed we had to run so late tonight,' Lennie said, adjusting his rear-view mirror. 'D'you think Lucky will be pissed?'

'Lucky never gets pissed at you.'

'Oh, yeah?' he said, knowing his wife. 'It's almost eight thirty. By the time we get there it'll be past nine. Trust me, tonight she will be pissed.'

Chapter Eleven

The boy threw himself into the jeep, adrenalin coursing through his veins, vision blurred. The girl wasn't far behind, giggling insanely.

'How many didja get?' she asked, falling into the passenger seat.

'Four,' he said, heart pumping wildly.

'Chicken,' she said. 'I got six. We'd better get outta here before they send a guard after us.'

The boy didn't need to be told twice. He started the jeep and they roared out of the parking lot, practically colliding with a blue Toyota driven by an elderly man who shook his fist at them.

The girl reached for a beer, cracked one open and handed it to him. He was already drunk, but who cared? He felt like he could do anything. He wasn't stuck in the house, he was out and free. Freedom was a good thing. Freedom ruled!

The girl knew how to enjoy herself, she always had. When they'd been small and growing up together she'd always taken the initiative, shown him the way to go.

Sometimes she'd even stood up for him.

'Let's see what you got,' the girl said, fumbling in his pockets.

'Didn't know I was supposed to choose. Grabbed anything I could.'

'Crap,' the girl said, disgusted. 'You're supposed to get stuff we want.' She pulled a CD out of his pocket. 'Celine Dion!' she exclaimed. 'Who listens to her?'

'I told you,' the boy said, embarrassed. 'Wasn't looking.'

'Dunce!' the girl said, reaching under her sweater and pulling out a CD of Ice T.

'Put this on.'

He slipped the disc into the player, and throbbing loud rap filled the jeep.

The girl began moving her body to the beat, then she reached in her pocket for a cigarette, lit up, took a drag and handed it to him.

'Don't smoke,' he mumbled.

'You're such a wuss,' she muttered. 'New York sure didn't wise you up.'

'I smoked grass there,' he boasted.

'Ooooh!' she said mockingly. 'What a bad motherfucker you are. How about coke

- you ever done that?'

He shook his head. His dad was against drugs, having once been a major user of anything he could get his hands on.

'Wanna try?' she suggested. 'I got some, y'know.'

'Where'd you score coke?' he asked.

'Don't you worry 'bout that,' she said, with a sly smile. 'I can score anything I want. I got friends in all the wrong places.'

Chapter Twelve

'Where's that husband of yours?' Gino asked.

'I wish I knew,' Lucky replied, tight-lipped as she wondered the same thing herself.

'Has he left the location yet?' Venus asked, leaning into their conversation.

'Yes,' Lucky said. 'I called the production trailer. He and Mary Lou took off ten minutes ago.'

'Where were they shooting?'

'Downtown. It'll take them at least half an hour to get here.'

'Not the way Lennie drives,' Steven interjected. 'I hope Mary Lou remembers to buckle her seatbelt.'

'Are you accusing Lennie of being a bad driver?' Lucky sniffed.

'He's a road warrior,' Steven said, sounding amused. 'Thinks he's the only one out there.'

'He's a defensive driver,' Lucky explained, 'and certainly better than you, Steven.

You drive like an old lady, huddled over the wheel like it's gonna jump up and bite your ass!'

'Whaaat?'

'Seriously,' Lucky said. 'What shall I do? My speech is already half an hour late, but I refuse to give it without Lennie being here.'

'Why?' Steven asked.

'Because I can't, that's why.'

'He must've heard it? Didn't you rehearse?'

'No. It's a surprise. Okay?'

'Well, maybe you could read it to him later. Y' know, like when you're in bed.'

'Brilliant bad idea,' she drawled sarcastically.

'Don't get uptight. Go tell the organizers to delay it.'

'They're already on my case. My speech was supposed to be before dinner. After dinner there's entertainment.'

'Why don't you tell 'em to serve dinner, and by the time it's finished Lennie will be here and you can make your speech.'

'Oh, great!' Lucky said. 'When everyone's stuffed and complacent, I get up.'

'Hey, listen, it's your problem, not mine. If I were you, I'd give it now.'

'No, Steven. I'm going to wait, okay?'

'Whatever you want.'

Right, she thought. The story of my life. I've always done whatever I want.

She was mad at Lennie. Oh, sure, he was shooting a movie, but he was the director, so if he'd planned it right he could've wrapped early.

She got up and went to talk to the organizers, stopping at several tables along the way, greeting friends and acquaintances in the movie business. Oh, yes, they were all nice to her now because she owned and ran a movie studio. But when she wasn't in the movie business, would it be true what they said? That in Hollywood, if you didn't have a hit, people crossed the street to avoid you?

Maybe, maybe not. She couldn't care less, because she'd always walked her own road. Lucky was not conventional in any way. Perhaps that was why she and Venus were such good friends.

The organizers threw a fit when she told them her plan. She stood firm. They finally agreed. Since she was the star of the evening they had no choice.

Alex joined her as she made her way back to their table. 'Husband running late, huh?' he said, taking her arm in a proprietary fashion.

'Hey - nobody knows better than you what it's like when you're in production,' she said coolly.

'True,' he said. 'But if it was me, and I knew it was your evening, I would've wrapped early.'

Alex was voicing her thoughts, and it aggravated her. He had an uncanny way of tuning into what she was thinking. 'How's your mother?' she asked, knowing exactly how to set his teeth on edge. Alex had an extremely domineering mother, the French-born Dominique, who up until the last few years had ruled his life with an iron fist, or at least tried to.

'Fine,' he said noncommittally.

'Still interfering in your life?' Lucky asked.

'You've got it wrong,' Alex said calmly. 'She gave that up a while ago.'

'Hmm…' Lucky said disbelievingly. 'One of these days you'll admit it. You know you're always trying to please her.'

'I hardly ever see her any more,' he said.

'Have it your way,' she said. 'I've no desire to get into your personal business.

And perhaps you'll do me the same favour.'

'I like Lennie,' he objected. 'Just because he's acting like a rude jerk tonight, I don't hold it against him.'

'He's not acting like a jerk,' Lucky countered, furious at his criticism. 'He'll be here any moment.'

'Okay, okay. In the meantime allow me to escort you back to the table so you don't have to stop and talk to every asshole who grabs you.'

'Thanks, Alex. I'm sure this will make the gossip columns very happy.'

'What do you mean?'

'Lucky Santangelo Golden being escorted across the ballroom by bad-boy director Alex Woods.'

Alex laughed. 'Big fucking deal.'

'Where's Pia?' Lucky enquired. 'And where exactly did you come up with this one?'

'You seem to be under the impression that I only date bimbos and actresses,'

Alex said. 'Well, let me tell you, this one's a very capable lawyer.'

'She is?' Lucky said, trying to keep the amusement out of her voice.

'What's the matter with you?' Alex said irritably. 'Don't you think an attractive woman can function as a lawyer?'

'Sure I do. And if this one's so smart, maybe she'll last longer than five minutes.'

'You can be such a bitch.'

'I can be a good friend, too. Never forget that, Alex.'

'There is something I'll never forget.'

'What?' she said, before she could stop herself.

'Remember that one special night long ago and far away?'

'No, Alex, I do not remember it. We both promised we would forget it ever happened. And if you ever tell Lennie, I will personally slice your balls off with a blunt knife. Do you get the picture?'

'Yes, ma'am,' he said, thinking that only Lucky could come up with such a descriptive phrase.

'It's not funny,' she said sternly. 'I am quite serious, so quit with the shit-eating grin and let's go back to the table where I'll try to be nice to Mia or Pia, or whatever her name is.'

'If I didn't know you better,' Alex said, fixing her with a quizzical look, 'I'd think you were jealous of all my girlfriends.'

'I told you the problem, Alex. I've got to talk to them; you get to fuck 'em.'

'Hey,' he said, straight-faced. 'You think it's fun for me? One blow-job and they expect me to return the compliment.'

She shook her head. 'You're absolutely incorrigible.'

'Thanks,' he said, with a big crocodile grin. 'I love it when you talk dirty!'

Chapter Thirteen

The white girl took the black boy into a restroom at a gas station. She locked the door and laid out the white powder next to the basin, then she snorted it with a rolled dollar bill, carefully showing him how to do the same.

'I'm not gonna get sick, am I?' he asked, feeling like a dumb ass. 'Or maybe it'll turn me into an addict?'

'You're really whacked,' she said, running a hand through her short dark hair.

'Snort the coke for fuck's sake and shut up.'

He was drunk enough to do as she said. Drunk and horny. Tonight he was definitely getting lucky. After all, he'd done everything she'd told him to do -

stolen the CDs, driven around with her in the jeep, played music and had a blast.

Obviously she wanted to be with him. Why else would they be spending all this time together?

The coke tickled his nose. He began to sneeze.

'For Chrissakes, don't sneeze in this direction,' she said irritably. 'You'll blow it away.'

'Where'd you get it anyway?'

'Why do you keep on asking me that? I've got my suppliers.'

'You do this often?'

'Don't you worry about it,' she said secretively. 'I do what I do.'

After a few minutes he began to feel pretty damn good. Maybe it was because he was drunk, but the coke must be helping too, because as each moment passed he felt better and better. Shit! He could do anything. Anything she asked him to. He could jump off a fucking mountain if that's what was gonna get him laid.

Why did he have this fixation on her?

Because she'd always been there. Always in his face. Always challenging him.

And when his dad was doing drugs and sliding into one of his manic rages, she'd been there to rescue him.

They left the restroom and got back into the jeep. 'I'll drive,' she said, shoving him over. 'You're too wasted.'

'No, I'm not,' he argued.

'Yes, you are,' she said, getting behind the wheel as he slumped back into the passenger seat. 'You're fuckin' out of it.'

Maybe she was right. Everything was rolling around in circles in front of his eyes.

It was like being on a high-speed rollercoaster ride.

Zoomin' up.

Zoomin' down.

Zoomin' in a big wide old circle.

Shit! He didn't care about anything at all. He was one happy guy.

Chapter Fourteen

'You know what's nice?' Mary Lou said, gently touching Lennie's arm.

'No, what's nice?' Lennie said, staring straight ahead as he drove the Porsche fast, anxious to get to Lucky's event as soon as possible.

'The fact that you and I are brother-in-law and sister-in-law. Family.'

'Yep,' Lennie agreed. 'That is nice.'

'And the other thing,' Mary Lou continued, 'is Carioca and Maria being cousins and all, and the same age. The two of them are so cute together. Have you ever watched them? They play Barbie dolls for hours on end. And the thing I like about it is that Carioca is so politically correct. She's got the black Barbie, Maria's got the white Barbie, and they kind of share the Ken doll. It's so adorable. I love it that they're so close.'

'I know,' Lennie said. 'The thing I love is that they're growing up with no prejudices at all, because they understand that whatever colour your skin is, everyone's the same.'

'Very profound, Lennie.'

'Y' know,' he said thoughtfully, 'my mom was a total racist - only she didn't know it. She'd make all these rude comments when I was a kid, and I never really understood what she meant until I got smart enough to realize. Course, I never blamed her, she didn't know any better.'

'Your mother lives in Florida now, huh?'

'Finally she moved out of California. She met a ninety-year-old retired gangster who took her to Miami. I see her once a year when she comes out here to spend Christmas with the kids.'