Winning is Everything (26 page)

56 

Kip awoke to find Adrienne in his arms. They had slept entwined together for hours. A bright March sun was shining through the window.

“I guess we fell asleep,” said Kip, kissing Adrienne on her lips.

“Is it any wonder?” asked Adrienne. “After what we went through, it was either going to be some solid sleep or a fast run down to the local Red Cross for a pint of blood.”

Adrienne got out of bed, turned back, and quickly kissed Kip on the lips. “You are cute,” she said. “And I’ve got to find a way to stop thinking about you so much, to stop liking you so much. You are, I know, the biggest retardant to my career to come along in ages.”

“Why’s that?” asked Kip.

“Last night is ‘why’s that,’” she answered.

“Well, I have only one answer,” Kip said, reaching out to take her in his arms.

“What is it?” asked Adrienne, as if she didn’t know.

“This!” said Kip, bringing his lips to hers. He slowly brought her back down on the bed and wrapped his arms around her.

“Stop!” Adrienne protested mildly. “We’ll be late for breakfast.”

Kip smiled down at his dancer. “You can bet your tap shoes on it, kid.”

When they returned to the city that evening, Kip carried Adrienne’s valise to her doorstep. “Key, please …” he said.

“What’s that?” asked Adrienne.

“Give me your key,” said Kip. “I’ll open the door.”

Adrienne reached into her purse, pulled out a small key on a chain, and moved to the door. “I’ll get it … no trouble.”

“How about we put your things down, go get some dinner,” said Kip.

“I think I’d better pass,” said Adrienne.

“But it’s not late,” said Kip.

“I know,” said Adrienne. “But I am tired. I’ve got some stretching to do, then early to bed. Remember, I have to dance tomorrow night.”

“Who could forget?” asked Kip. “How about if I come in for just a little while? I won’t get in the way. Hell, I’ll even limber up with you.”

“You’re sweet,” said Adrienne. “But I know I’d never get anything done with you in the apartment. You’re far too cute to ignore.”

Kip put his arms around Adrienne and drew her close. “What’s going on? I thought what happened between us last night was pretty special.”

“Kip …”

“Am I wrong?”

“No!” said Adrienne. “Of course you’re not wrong. But that was last night. If I let my emotions rule me,
all
I’d be doing is thinking about last night. I’m a dancer, dammit. Potentially a very good one. I don’t want anything to interfere with that. I spend one night with you, and already you’re opening my door. It’s just a gesture, sure, but you want to come in, you want to stay, right?”

“Right. I want to be with you.”

“I’m not sure, Kip. Not sure I have time in my life right now for both you and ballet.”

“Sure you do,” said Kip. “At least you can give it a try.”

“I can’t!” Adrienne said strongly. “I don’t want anything to stand between me and—”

“All right, all right. I’m mad about making love to you. If that’s going to get in your way, I’m sorry. All I want is to see you happy.”

“And I want the same for you, Kip. But look at me. Have you once heard me ask about how things are going with your acting? Of course not. My selfishness is consummate. I’ve only got time to think about one career, and right now that career is mine!”

“Never met a girl quite like you …” Kip said quietly.

“I’m crazy about you, Kip. But we’ve got to calm this thing down.”

“Fine,” said Kip. “When can I see you again?”

“Tell you what,” Adrienne said. “One of the dancers in the company is leaving to have a baby. A bunch of us are throwing a party for her after the performance tomorrow night. Maybe you’d like to go with me.”

“I sure would,” said Kip.

“A baby! Can you imagine?” Adrienne threw her arms into the air. “That’s sure one way to stop your dancing career cold.”

“You mean dancers don’t have baby dancers?”

“Sure they do,” said Adrienne. “But it’s never the same. Your thighs, your breasts, your stomach. Mothers don’t leap as high.”

“I’ll remember that,” said Kip, leaning forward to kiss her. “We’ve got a date tomorrow night, right?”

“Right. I think I can even get you a ticket to see the performance.”

“All this and heaven, huh?”

“You bet,” said Adrienne. She put her arms around his neck, kissed him, then took a step back and said, “I’m sure going to try not to think about you
at all
tomorrow. Go on, now. Get out of here. Can’t you see you’ve caused enough damage already?”

Kip would have preferred to hustle her into the bedroom and spend the next three or four weeks doing nothing but making love, but that clearly was not in the cards. Better to retreat gracefully.

“Stay on your toes,” he said, and picked up his valise.

With firm resolve Adrienne stepped into her apartment and closed the door behind her.

Twenty minutes later, after circling the block six times, Kip was banging on the door. Adrienne, her willpower crumbling, leaped into his arms.

“Mmmm,” she moaned as they fell onto her bed. “Just what are you doing?”

“Making love to you,” whispered Kip between kisses. “And I never want to stop.”

57 

It was at 3:15 in the morning that the downstairs buzzer began ringing incessantly.

“What the fuck …?” Ron sat up in bed and rubbed his eyes.

Gary turned over, pulled the covers above his head, and mumbled, “Probably somebody forgot their key, one of the other apartments…. Ignore it.”

The buzzer continued to ring.

“Maybe you should answer it,” said Ron.

“God damn!” Gary swung his feet to the floor and staggered into the other room, where he pressed the intercom button and screamed,
“Whaddayawant?”

“It’s Casey …” said a whimpering voice.

“I don’t believe it,” Gary mumbled as he pressed the buzzer to open the downstairs door which would let Casey into the lobby. “Come on up,” he said into the receiver. Then he turned around, headed back into the bedroom, where, just before flopping back into bed, he said, “It’s Casey. She’s on her way up.”

“Casey V
⁹
Ron bolted out of bed. “What the hell is she doing
here?”

He hurried into the bathroom, splashed some water onto his face, swallowed half an inch of Colgate, shrugged into his bathrobe, and ran to the door.

A sobbing Casey nearly fell into his arms.

“Whatsamatter?”

“Oh, Ron,” Casey moaned. “Ron, I’m so glad you’re here. So glad you’re home. I …”

“What is it?” asked Ron. “Tell me what’s wrong.” He lifted her chin, and that’s when he saw.

She was bleeding. Her bottom lip was cut open, her left eye was swollen, the skin turning a sickly purplish shade.

“Holy shit,” Ron said quietly.

“Oh, Ron … Ron!” Casey sobbed.

“Shh!” He took her in his arms. “It’s okay. Come inside. Tell me what happened. I’m right here.”

He coaxed her into the living room and gave her a small glass of brandy.

“Ben returned from the Coast tonight,” Casey sniffled. “And I figured, why beat around the bush? So I told him I thought it best he move out because I’ve met someone else.

“He went crazy. He started hitting me, the bastard. Punching me. God in heaven, Ron … I thought he was going to kill me!”

She fell into Ron’s arms and he patted the top of her head reassuringly. “Don’t worry,” he said softly. “It’s okay. Everything’s going to be all right. I’ll take care of you. Come on … finish your brandy. You’ll stay here with me tonight. We can use Kip’s room … he’s away. Come on, now, drink up….”

Casey finished her drink and then she and Ron walked slowly into Kip’s bedroom, where they spent the night together, her arms wrapped tightly around him, holding on for protection as she cried herself to sleep.

Kip didn’t leave Adrienne’s apartment until nine the following morning, and only left then because she had to get ready to get to her class.

They stood at her front door kissing good-bye.

“I can’t believe I actually let you spend the night,” Adrienne complained. “What happened to my sense of discipline … my commitment?”

“I loved every moment,” said Kip.

“You are impossible and can just be grateful I adore you. Otherwise—”

“Hey, kid”—Kip interrupted her with still another kiss—”I’m going to be out there tonight watching your every move. Better be fucking brilliant.”

“See you backstage soon as it’s over,” said Adrienne, opening the door.

Kip leaned forward and took Adrienne around the waist. “This one will have to suffice until tonight,” he said, delivering a final kiss.

“Come on, Kip. I’ve got to shower, I got to get going, I have—”

“I know,” Kip interrupted. “A ten-o’clock class!”

Casey Kramer awoke with a black eye, a bruised lip, and a roaring hangover.

“Must have been the glass of brandy I gave you last night,” Ron told her as he kissed the tip of her nose.

“Look at me!” Casey cried out, looking at the bathroom mirror. “You’d think I’d just gone three rounds with Joe Louis!”

“You look fine,” said Ron.

“I’m supposed to have lunch with Berry Berenson today at Voisin. I’ll have to cancel.”

“Don’t cancel,” said Ron. “Tell her you got mugged.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

“Tell her you fell in the shower.”

“Stop.”

“Tell her your ex-boyfriend beat you up.”

“Now
you’re making sense!” said Casey as she removed some hydrogen peroxide from the medicine cabinet to dab the clotted cut on her lip.

Twenty minutes later she was dressed and out of Ron’s apartment. She grabbed a taxi and asked to be taken to Saks Fifth Avenue.

At the luggage department she walked around for five minutes before she knew what she wanted. Then she asked the saleswoman on the floor if a delivery could be made that morning to Sutton Place.

The saleswoman spoke to her supervisor and reported back to Casey that if an order was placed for a substantial enough amount, they would gladly have a package delivered anywhere.

Casey assured the saleswoman her luggage order would be substantial. She rattled off a list of exactly what she wanted, thanked the saleswoman very much, whipped out her charge card, and asked to be billed.

On her way out of Saks she stopped at the bank of phones by the Fiftieth Street exit and called Priscilla, her housekeeper, with specific instructions as to just what to do when Mr. Wantrus returned to the apartment that afternoon. Next she called Ron to thank him yet again for comforting her last night and to suggest he allow her to take him out to dinner that evening for having been there when she needed him.

The Prince graciously accepted the Princess’s offer.

Then, after powdering a fresh caking of rouge onto her bruised cheek, Casey dashed off to meet Berry Berenson for lunch.

At 3:15 Ben Wantrus turned the key in the lock and walked into Casey Kramer’s apartment.

Priscilla was waiting for him. “That’s for you,” she said, pointing to a Louis Vuitton steamer trunk in the corner of the living room.

“For me?” Wantrus asked, slightly bewildered. He wasn’t quite sure where his relationship stood with Casey after their scene of the night before.

Like a small boy on Christmas morning, he hurried across the room, dropped to his knees, and snapped open the expensive Vuitton trunk. He found a large Vuitton suitcase inside. And a smaller suitcase inside that. And inside that, an overnight case. Wantrus opened this and found an expensive Vuitton wallet.

And inside the Louis Vuitton wallet was a small handwritten note which read: “
NOW PACK YOUR THINGS AND GET OUT.”

Wantrus looked up at Priscilla. “I don’t understand …”

“Miss Kramer said you’re to give me your key. She said if you ain’t packed and out of here by five o’clock, I should call the police.”