Jennie's Joy (12 page)

Jerome looked at Susie.  “That dress was in Alexander McQueen
’s spring collection, and so was her suit… I covered that show for the magazine. I didn’t know Jennie could afford to shop there.”

Susie nodded. “She can
’t, not on what this company pays.  But obviously he can.  The man in the limousine. She had on Louboutin shoes…”

Mick
had kissed Jennie tenderly when she got into the car, and then had turned her body so that her back was to him.  She felt something cold and heavy around her neck, and he brushed her hair aside and fastened the clasp.  She turned back to him.  He smiled down at her.

“Until yesterday, I hadn’
t bought you any gifts, baby.  Not one gift. So I’m making up for it now.  You won’t be able to see what I bought you until you see yourself in a mirror…maybe you’ll have to go into the ladies’ at Martine’s Gallery to see your present.  I hope you like it.”

Jennie
kissed him, her tongue taking possession of his mouth.  “Mick, I’ll love it, because you bought it for me.  But you don’t have to buy me presents, darling.  I’m thrilled to be with you…”

Mick
smiled down at her.  “I don’t know if you’ll feel that way after tonight, my little Jennie.  The paparazzi will find out about us tonight or at the latest on Saturday.  You will be hounded.  I think I’ll get you a bodyguard.” He didn’t tell her one of the pictures from the restaurant had found its way into a tabloid that morning, captioned, “
Mick’s Secret
Love
?”  The story under was short.

             
“Has Mick Gerrard found love again with this beautiful blonde? Who is she? This paper will give a Hundred Pound Gift Certificate to the First Person who gives us her name.”

Jennie laughed.  “You’re the star, Mick. The paparazzi won’t even notice me.”

“How could they miss you,
Jennie?  How could they miss your beauty?”

The limousine pulled up outside Martine
’s Gallery.  The chauffeur helped her out of the car. A member of the press snapped her picture.  He didn’t know who she was but she was gorgeous.  And that diamond necklace!  It must be worth a small fortune….He snapped more pictures as Mick emerged from the limo, took her elbow and guided her into the Gallery.

She was Michael Gerrard’s new lady!  He could sell these photos for a
lot
of money…and her lipstick was smudged, and on Michael’s lips…oh, yes, these pictures would sell for great money!

They walked into the Gallery.  Dan spied them, and went over to say hello.  He whispered into Jennie’s ear, “Darling, your lipstick is very smudged…” and smiled as she went straight to the Ladies. He looked at Mick. “Got a tissue, Mick? Because you’ve got Jennie’s lipstick all over your mouth.”  Mick laughed
, pulled out a linen handkerchief, and wiped it off.

“Just can’t keep her lips off me, can she?”

Jennie turned as she got to the Ladies Room door.  Turned and saw Belinda Boyle make a beeline for Dan and Mick. She saw Belinda go up to Dan and kiss him on his lips. 

“There goes trouble,” she thought.  Jennie knew who Belinda
Boyle was. Belinda had been famous for about twelve years now for her wonderful male nudes. She was equally famous for seducing all of her male nude models and then discarding them and moving quickly to the next one. Jennie remembered that Dan and Belinda had been at Art School together, and smiled as she recalled that it was Belinda’s nude sketch of Dan that had first brought Lucy and Dan together, all those years ago. Dan had ditched Belinda so fast once he met Lucy, Jennie thought with glee. He might be the only man Belinda had painted who had dumped her for another woman…

Jennie
caught a glimpse of herself in a mirror in the Ladies Room, and gasped. She was wearing an amazing diamond necklace, three strands of large diamonds set into platinum balls, hung like pearls around her neck…it was exquisite. Jennie stood staring at herself in the mirror, fingering her necklace for a long time. He’d spent a fortune! Finally, she repaired the lipstick Mick had smudged in the limousine, and went out to join him. 

He was
still talking to Belinda and Dan.  Lucy was sitting at a desk in the back that had a neat sign on it
“Donations”,
talking to Martine as they watched the black widow spider try to weave her web around the two men. Jennie changed direction, and went to join Lucy and Martine.

Mick saw her, and smiled at her, a brilliant smile. Brenda looked over to see who he was smiling at.  The woman looked vaguely familiar…oh yes, she’d been going out with that stockbroker a few months ago.  But only going out with him until Belinda had decided to paint him nude. Belinda wondered idly what the stockbroker was up to
now; she couldn’t even remember his name.

Lucy wa
s smiling at her. “Do you remember Martine? I know it’s been several years since you met each other….”

“Oh, yes. Here at the Gallery, wasn’t it?  At one of Dan’s earlier shows.”

“Yes,” Martine smiled at her.  “You look lovely, Jennie.  I didn’t recognize you.  Your hair is shorter now, and you’re looking so happy. Your picture was in the paper this morning, you know.

“No. I didn’t know.
”

“It may still be in my office…” Martine returned in less than a minute with the tabloid.

              Jennie and Lucy looked at the picture and read the print underneath. Lucy laughed. She pulled out her mobile. “We might as well have that gift certificate, Jennie, if nobody’s claimed it yet. We can split it.

Jennie chuckled. “First time somebody’s offered a reward to find out who I am.”

Lucy dialled the number given. “Hello, I’m calling about the picture of Mick Gerrard’s mystery lady… oh, somebody’s already called. Who did they say it was?...well, you’ve given the prize out to the wrong person…Mick’s lady’s name isn’t Barbara, it’s Jennie. Jennie Talbot…yes, they’re both good friends of mine….of course I know it’s Jennie, she’s sitting right beside me now….she knows I’m calling you, I think she was highly amused that you only offered a hundred pound  gift certificate….what do you mean, you know I’m wrong, it’s Barbara Brown?  I tell you, both Mick and Jennie are with me now, at an art function….you silly little girl, you’ll look foolish in the morning, when the paparazzi run their pictures together with the correct name….”

Lucy shrugged. “The young woman on the other end insisted your name is Barbara Brown and you’re an actress with a bit part in the
Avengers
. Ah well, they’ll be wearing egg.”

Jennie smiled at her friend. “I don’t care if they get the name right, Lucy. Maybe it’s better if they get the name wrong.”

Jennie smiled at Mick across the room. He was looking blandly at Belinda Boyle, shaking his head about something. He caught Jennie’s eye, and beamed at her.

“You look so happy, Jennie,” said Martine. “Much happier than you used to be.”

“I am happy, Martine.  Very happy.”  She smiled back at Mick.  He rolled his eyes above Belinda’s head.  Jennie grinned.

Martine and Lucy did too.  “Well, it looks as if Belinda’s giving it her best shot, but not hitting the target,” smiled Martine.

“She’ll keep trying though, for a few minutes.  Until another younger man catches her eye,” smiled Lucy.

“I don’t know, Lucy.  I hate to be negative, but I think she’s pretty determined to get Dan.” Martine frowned.
“She’s still smarting from the way he dropped her when he met you, all those years ago. He was the first man ever to walk away from her, you know. Maybe the only man to ever walk away from her, except for her ex-husband, of course. ”

Lucy smiled. “Dan’s
a grown man, Martine.  He’ll do what’s right for him.  So will Mick.  They’re both strong men.”

Jennie smiled.  “Nothing we can do about it, Martine.  Either they’re with us or they’re not.  And if a woman like Belinda can turn their head, I don’t think either Lucy or I would want to be with them.”

“You know about Belinda, do you, Jennie?” asked Martine.

“Too well. I was going out with a stockbroker a few months ago. About six years younger than me.  Very good looking. We went to a party one night. Belinda was there. She decided to paint my boyfriend.
Nude. He was in her bed the next day and I was out of the picture…”

Martine frowned again. “She’s evil sometimes….”

Jennie smiled. “Actually, she did me a favour.  I might still be with him and not with Mick, and I’m very happy with Mick.”

“That’
s some necklace, Jennie.  Some dress and some necklace. Did Mick take you shopping?”

Jennie
sat down beside her friend. 

“He did, Lucy.
Yesterday. I took the day off, and we came into London and we went shopping.  He had the day off filming, and I’m way ahead of schedule for the next three issues.

“
The limo drops me at the office about seven, and picks me up around six, so I’m getting lots done.”

“Doesn’
t sound like the Jennie I know…”

Jennie
smiled.  “I think I was rather lazy before. But I’m really enjoying my work now.  My work and my life…”

Martine wandered off.  She could see a potential buyer looking at one of Dan’s most expensive paintings.

Lucy smiled.  They couldn’t talk more as someone came up to the donation desk.  Jennie listened carefully to what Lucy said, explaining how the Foundation was planning to convert empty factories into pleasant, functional flats for low income singles and families, and she took the next enquiry.  They developed a friendly rivalry, to see which of them could collect the most money for Lucy’s Charity.

Dan and
Mick stood across the room, surrounded by a number of beautiful women. It appeared that Martine was correct. Belinda was not leaving Dan’s side. 

Dan and Mick
looked at each other and smiled.  Neither had the least interest in the young ladies crowding around, trying to impress them.

Dan answered many questions about his painting and his travels, and
Mick about his career and his current role as
John Steed
. Neither man was flirtatious, or personal.

Bertie and Lucas arrived,
both close friends of Lucy and Dan. They’d been in the Bahamas on business and had flown in by private jet to attend this Opening.  Lucas also happened to be Martine’s husband.

The two men went over to Dan and Mick.  Belinda immediately drifted off.  Both Bertie and Lucas were
also friends of John Brown, her ex-husband, and she knew that neither was impressed by her.

Dan took Mick to show him a series of paintings he’d done of Lucy, in varying stages of undress. Lucy glowed in the paintings.

“She’s wonderful, your Lucy, Dan,” Mick said. “These paintings are genius.

“I’d like to paint Jennie, Mick. Nude, on a white bearskin, posed like a Vargas girl, in all that
Old Hollywood glamour.”

Mick smiled. “You know, Dan, I think I’d like to own that
painting very much. I have a white bearskin rug, and she looks luscious when I lay her on it. You’re right. Just like a Vargas girl, from all those years ago…”

“So when can I paint her?”

“When we come back from Mexico, Dan. We’re going there shortly for a few weeks filming. I might get you to do another painting of her, Dan, that I can hang on the Staircase. In her silver gown and the diamonds. For posterity. Something for our grandchildren to admire.”

Dan looked at his friend sharply. “That good is it, Mick?”

“That good, Dan. Jennie doesn’t know it yet, but she’s going to be the mother of my children.”

“Oh.”

TEN

By nine, when the Gallery turned down the lights, and the crowds left, Martine had sold over eighty pieces of Dan’s art.  Lucy and Jennie were busy counting up the totals on their two piles of cheques.

Dan and
Mick came over and perched on the corners of the desk…

“We couldn’
t disturb you two, you looked like you were having too much fun,” smiled Dan.

“We were,” agreed
Jennie.  “We’ve had a little competition going.  To see who could raise the most for the Housing Foundation.”

“I’
ve got nearly two hundred thousand pounds here, Jennie,” said Lucy triumphantly.  “Bet I beat you…”

“I’
ve got a hundred and sixty thousand, Lucy, so, yes, you won.”

“No, she didn’
t, darling.  Because I’ve just written a cheque for the Foundation for half a million.  Dan’s been telling me about it all night, and of course, I’m giving it to you…so you beat Lucy…”

Lucy jumped up and gave
Mick a huge kiss. “You angel, what a donation!”

“My accountant was on to me the other day to make some
substantial charitable contributions, Lucy. What better place to give it all than here?”