She Sins at Midnight (21 page)

Lila groaned, “Mitzie, I can’t leave home right now. Not without the tabloids stalking me everywhere I go. In fact I already tried sneaking out and they still followed me.” She knew that they would track her to lunch today as well, but being that the club wouldn’t let them in, they were going to be SOL at documenting her girls’ afternoon.

Mitzie answered, “I’m not sure how you’re going to get out of your house but the good news is that you won’t have to go far from home.”

Panicked, Lila asked, “What do you mean by that?”

“I mean that Maggie has organized one book signing for you right there in Bentley and one in downtown Chicago.”

Lila gasped, “Mitzie, how am I going to keep my secret in my own town? Someone is bound to recognize me!”

Mitzie suggested, “You can always wear your disguise.”

Lila resigned herself and asked, “When are the signings?”

“The one in Bentley is on Friday afternoon and the one on Saturday is in Chicago. I’ll email you the information.”

Lila hung up the phone feeling an enormous rush of anxiety. Gone was her excitement over Creigh and lunch with her friends. She only had a couple days in which to devise the perfect costume and figure out how she was going to get through the signings undetected. Why couldn’t her life ever be nice and simple like everyone else’s?

Lila walked into the dining room and saw that Jilly and Jessica had already arrived. Jilly had just handed Jessica a brown paper back and declared, “It’s some of the best sex I’ve had all year.”

Lila overheard and asked her friend, “You just gave Jessica a bag full of great sex? Where’s mine?”

Jilly turned bright red and answered, “Li, I didn’t think you’d approve which is why I didn’t give it to you first.”

Meanwhile, Jessica opened the bag and pulled out a very familiar looking paperback. She gasped when she saw the cover, “Oooooooooooohhh, this looks like a good one!”

Lila stared at both of her friends in astonishment. Sitting down next to them she announced, “I didn’t take the two of you for trashy romance readers.”

Jilly answered, “I knew you wouldn’t approve. But let me tell you Lila Montgomery, some of the best romance of my life comes from these books and I don’t care what you think, I’m not going to give them up.”

Jessica announced, “The
only
romance I get comes from these books and believe me Lila, you don’t know what you’re missing.”

Shocked by her friend’s staunch support of bodice rippers, Lila asked, “What makes you guys think that I don’t read them too?”

With a shared look, Jilly answered, “Oh please, Lila, as if you’ve ever read
She
Sins at Midnight
or anything like it.”

Jessica added, “You just seem too ladylike. You’re more the Charlotte Bronte type I bet. You know dignified romance, not hot and sweaty getting busy stuff.”

Lila replied, “I’ll have you both know that I’ve read one or two of those books before.”

Jilly laughed, “One or two doesn’t make you a fan, Li. I’ve read one or two hundred!”

Lila looked shocked. After all, she didn’t know anyone who read as many as she had.

Jilly misinterpreted her friend’s look as one of disgust and snapped, “Geez Li, I just read them. It’s not like I write them.”

Lila’s life was getting weirder and weirder by the second. But before she could defend herself and maybe even come out of the closet as the creator of the trash they were discussing, Jessica laughed, “Can you imagine the kind of desperate old spinsters who actually write these books? I’m pretty sure they haven’t had sex in longer than I have.”

Lila choked on her water. Hearing herself described a desperate old spinster changed her mind about telling her friends the truth. So she decided to confess what a vixen she really was and regale them with the events of the night before. When she finished recounting her tale, she asked, “Now, does that sound like a woman who wouldn’t approve of hot steamy sex?”

Jilly and Jessica stared at her with what could only be construed as pride and perhaps a bit of envy. Jilly spoke first, “My god, Li, I always thought you had the perfect life before, but now? Holy cow, I really want to be you!”

Jessica declared, “Lila Montgomery, I’m impressed. Maybe you’re not the goody-goody I took you for. In fact, when I’m done reading this fabulous book, I’m giving it to you.” Then added, “What I wouldn’t do for some stud to climb through my window at night.”

Jilly agreed, “You know, Li, that might just be the ticket.” She pulled the book out of Jessica’s hands and declared, “In fact, this guy on the cover looks a lot like Creigh, doesn’t he?”

Jessica vowed to keep her part in Creigh’s plan a secret. Therefore she didn’t want her friends to know that she knew exactly what Creigh looked like. So she pretended to think about her answer before answering, “I guess so. But I haven’t seen him in so many years I couldn’t really say.”

Nervously, Lila lied, “Really? I don’t see the resemblance.”

After ordering lunch, Jilly asked Jessica, “So what’s going on with your love life? Any plans to leave Charles?”

Jessica answered, “I’m filing for divorce next week.’

Lila said, “I bet it’ll be nice to find someone worthy of you after years with that loser.”

Jessica replied, “You know, if you asked me two days ago, I would have said that I didn’t want to date anytime soon.” Her friends looked at her expectantly and she laughed, “But now… well, now I think there may actually be a man that I’m interested in.”

Lila sensed a problem, “But?”

With a sigh Jessica declared, “He’s taken.”

Jilly gasped, “You mean he’s married?”

Jessica answered, “No, but he’s almost engaged.”

Lila laughed, “Jessica, if he’s not married and not even engaged, I think it’s fair to say he’s not really taken. Does he feel the same way about you?”

Jessica answered, “I think so.”

Jilly wondered, “Have you kissed him yet? That’s the way to know for sure if you have a future with him.” She recounted, “I knew the minute Bill kissed me that I was done for.”

Jessica answered, “No, but if I kissed him, I’d be sending signals I couldn’t take back.”

Lila said, “But it’s the only way to find out. And face it, the kiss might be horrible.”

Panicked, Jessica asked, “But what if it isn’t? What if it’s amazing?”

Jilly laughed, “Then you’d enjoy yourself, silly.”

Jessica asked, “But what about the other woman?”

Jilly answered, “Believe me Jessica, you’d be doing her a favor. If he wasn’t meant to be with her, it’s best he finds out before the wedding. Don’t you agree?”

Remembering her own shambles of a wedding, Jessica nodded, “I guess your right. I would much rather have known that Charles wasn’t the one before we said our vows.”

Lila smiled, “Looks like I’m not the only one who is going to be getting lucky.”

Jilly grumbled, “I have got to drop the kids off with my mom for an overnight. It’s the only way I’m going to see any action again.” She looked at both of her friends and shared, “Do you know that I thought we were on the verge of a little something last night, but Jack walked in and proceeded to vomit all over my bed. Tell me that doesn’t ruin the mood?”

Lila and Jessica laughed at their friend’s dramatic tale and Lila said, “We’d both kill to be in your shoes, so nice try. Neither one of us feels the least bit sorry for you with your wonderful husband and perfect little angels.”

Jilly shook her head and picked up
She Sins at Midnight
, “All I can say is that I hope Jasmine Sheath has another book coming out soon. With those three little angels you speak of, I’m going to need it.”

O
scar and Creigh left for the country club to play a round of golf and Melinda was bored silly. She decided to lay out by Creigh’s pool and read more of her book. Although she was getting a little irritated about how things were working out between Julius and Vivian, she knew the Countess was the one for Julius. Now all he had to do was come to his senses and see that.

Isabelle, Countess of Trent was outraged that she didn’t receive an invitation to Julius’s house party. Even though his mother was the hostess, he should have informed her that she was to be invited. After all, he was a Viscount; he could ask whomever he wanted into his own home.

Isabelle knew it was more urgent than ever that she get him to the altar. The ladies of the ton had become less welcoming as the season progressed. Of course the reason for this was that she had recently been discovered naked on the Marquis of Ferth’s desk, by his wife. The pinched old biddy had been making it her goal to bad mouth Isabelle to anyone who would listen. And being that she was a Marquisette, everyone listened.

Isabelle tried twice to see Julius since their failed tryst in the garden at the Willoughby’s ball, but both times he wasn’t home. She searched for him in vain at other fetes, to no avail. Of course his absence didn’t keep her from enjoying dalliances with other men of her acquaintance. But it really was time to trap her quarry and say her vows before she was no longer welcome in society. She sensed that before much longer, she wouldn’t be on any of the guest lists despite the wishes of the husbands.

The truth was that the wives already referred to her as “that actress” and in the eyes of the haute monde, the words whore and actress were one and the same.

Still contemplating her dilemma, Isabelle rolled over and straddled the man lying beside her in bed. While he was nothing more than a commoner, he was quite a handful between the sheets and she was in desperate need of a worthy diversion.

Melinda realized that reading about the Countess was like reading about her own life. She was in desperate need of a diversion too, but she could never seem to get Creigh alone. She briefly wondered if she should set her sights on marrying Creigh. But in the eyes of Hollywood, Oscar Solomon is the one who would bring her the greatest career cache. The problem was that Oscar hadn’t proposed yet and she was getting more and more nervous he wouldn’t get around to it.

Having no idea how to fix her own life, Melinda dozed off, rewriting the ending of
She Sins at Midnight
. In her dreams, she foresaw a terrible riding accident for Vivian, where both legs get broken. Sadly for her she isn’t able to attend any more balls during the season and has to convalesce at her family’s estate nearly fifty miles away. Enter the Countess, who dances every waltz in Julius’s arms. He falls passionately in love with her, marries her and breaks the Lady Vivian’s heart. Melinda fell asleep with a big smile on her face.

She didn’t know how long she napped, but when she woke she found Cynthia Flynn sunning herself on a chaise next to hers. Melinda smiled and said, “Hello. So you’ve been abandoned by the men too.”

Cynthia replied, “I don’t feel the least abandoned. In fact, I’m just enjoying being away from the office for a few days and laying out here by the pool is better than anything else I could imagine.”

Prying for information, Cynthia asked, “Did you and Creigh meet here in Chicago?”

“No, we met in L.A. at an industry party.” Then she added, “But we really are just friends.”

Believing her, Melinda asked, “So you live in L.A.? What do you do?”

Cyn rolled her eyes, “What does everyone do who isn’t an actor?”

“You’re a producer?”

“Worse.”

Melinda asked, “You’re an agent?”

“You got it. I’m with Quest.”

Melinda was immediately interested, “No way! They’re the hottest new agency in town.” She leaned in excitedly and said, “I hear they just signed Mila. Have you been there long?”

Cyn answered, “No actually, I just started. I’m making calls while I’m here to get my top people to come over with me. I was with Amalgamated before.”

Curiously, Melinda gasped, “No way, I’m with Amalgamated! Which actors have gone with you so far?”

Cyn answered, “Katie Smith and Lillith Tanner.”

Melinda was impressed, “They’re huge. I hear that Katie just got the lead in the next Bond film. Did you do that deal?”

Smiling, Cyn answered, “That was me. Ten mill up front, then points on the back end. She’s going to make a fortune on the points because they got Jon Shank to play the villain.”

Excitedly, Melinda asked, “What kind of percentage do you take from your stars?”

Melinda was very interested and Cyn realized that she had performed beautifully. Maybe she’d become an actress herself and give the star a run for her money. Cyn already knew the deal Melinda had with Josh, which was 8 % on parts up to 5 million and 7% on jobs that exceeded that. She answered, “I really shouldn’t be talking about other actor’s deals with someone who isn’t looking for a new agent. It’s just not good business, you know?”

Melinda sat up and gave Cynthia her full attention, “Who says I’m not looking? I’m with that pig Josh Furber, and to tell you the truth, I’m not sure he’s the right fit for me.”

Cyn smiled and leaned in, “Okay, here’s the skinny. I’m offering my people 5% up to the first five and 4% after that regardless of the ceiling. So, on a fiver, that’s an extra hundred grand in your pocket, not mine. Although I’m sure Josh must be getting you six or seven by now, right?”

Melinda had never gotten over four million and she hated Josh when she realized that Cynthia was right. She should be getting six or seven by now, especially since she received an Oscar nomination. She thought for a moment and asked, “How long a period is the initial contract for, one year or two?”

Cyn answered, “Quest doesn’t do contracts so you could leave at any time you want. Our policy is that you should be happy with your agency. And by not doing contracts, we’re very motivated to keep you happy.”

Astounded, Melinda asked, “You’re kidding, I could leave whenever I wanted to?”

“Yup. But we do require you to sign a parting release with your current agent. I don’t want to get you a juicy deal and then have them claim they started the leg work on it months ago.”

Melinda was positively bouncing off her seat, “What if I offered to leave Amalgamated for you?”

Cynthia grinned, “I’d work my ass off for you. As a matter of fact, I wish I had you when they were casting that super hero movie. You would have been perfect for Plastic Girl. I know I could have gotten you seven on that, too.”