Chapter 85

I had just put on my pants and I was tying my shoes, when I heard a tap on my dressing room door. Meg said, “Are you about ready?”

I answered, “Just about, come on in.”

I was reaching for my shirt when she said, “Wait a minute, you’ll get makeup on it,” and she grabbed a towel, wet it in the little sink, and began wiping my back and arms. She seemed intent on what she was doing, but she hesitated when I turned around so that she could do my chest, and her expression changed a little. She put her hand on my chest, held it there for a minute, then she looked up at me and said, “Jesus, I keep forgetting how big you are.”

The way she said it was sexy somehow, and I pulled her to me without thinking. Her eyes got big and I was about to kiss her, but she turned her head at the last minute, and said, “No, Pete. Let’s not complicate things.”

It wasn’t the wisecracking tone that she usually used. She spoke in a soft, feminine voice that was surprisingly appealing instead. I started to apologize, but she held her fingers to my lips and looked at me for a minute, and in the same low voice said, “If only you were a few years older.”

“You mean that I’m not old enough to kiss you?”

“Oh, you’re old enough, but you’re a distraction that I can’t afford right now. The last thing I need is to get involved in another dead-end relationship.”

“So, one kiss would start a relationship?”

“I’m sorry, Pete, but a kiss means more to me than it does other people, and I don’t want to start something that can’t go anywhere.”

“Where would you like a relationship to go?”

“The regular way, I suppose. I’m getting tired of trying so hard. This constant pushing for a career is getting old, and the thought of kids and a picket fence is sounding pretty good.”

I suddenly got an idea and I asked, “What if Mr. Right came along?”

“I’ve yet to see a Mister Right. Why, do you have someone in mind?”

“Maybe. Are you busy this weekend?”

“I don’t think so, why?”

“I’ll let you know.”

She kept glancing up at me while she was wiping me off, but she quickly washed her hands and left as soon as she was done.

I called Jay at his office when I got home. After I identified myself to several different secretaries before he came online and said, “Hey, Pete, what’s happening?”

“Are you still interested in meeting Marla, that friend of mine?”

“Damn right, I am. What’s up?”

“Well, I can’t guarantee anything, but she and some friends are going to be in La Jolla this weekend, and I wondered if you’d like to join us down there?”

“Sure. What’s the deal?”

I spent the next few minutes telling him about Marla’s new job, and why she was there, then I told him how I was suspicious about the guy who was chasing her.

I could hear the smile in his voice when he said, “Aha! So you want me to go down there and save her from his evil clutches?”

“Something like that.”

“Well, I don’t care about the reason. I’ve been thinking about her, and I’m looking forward to spending some time with her.”

“That’s, uhh, great. I didn’t realize that you were that interested, but there’s one more thing.”

“Is there a problem?”

“No, it’s just that I was going to bring another girl with me.”

“Why?”

“Mostly because she needs to get away, but also in case you and Marla don’t hit it off.”

“How many people are going to be there?”

“Three girls are there now, plus the one I’m bringing.”

“You, me, and four girls! Fantastic.”

“One of them is off-limits, but the others aren’t.”

“Un-fucking believable. Okay, when do we leave?”

“How about Saturday morning?”

“What about Friday after work?”

“I, uhh, don’t know about that. I don’t know the girl who I’m bringing that well, and we don’t have a place to stay.”

“Relax, Pal, our family has a place down there. It’s right on the water in Paradise Cove, and there’s even a boat if we need it. It’s a six bedroom house, so there’s enough room for everyone to stay for the weekend if they want to.”

“Wow, it sounds great, I’ll talk to the girls and let you know.”

“Fantastic. Here’s my private cell number. Call me when you find out what’s happening.”

“Okay, but one question first, Jay.”

“Shoot.”

“You’re a good-looking guy, and you have a plenty of money. How come you don’t have a girlfriend?”

It took a few seconds before he answered, “I had a girlfriend for a long time. I thought that we were going to get married, but I came home early one day and found her with another guy. That was a year ago. I swore off dating for a while and I’ve been concentrating on work.”

“So, why so much interest in Marla?”

“Hell, Pete, I don’t know. Something about her intrigues me. I couldn’t keep my eyes off her that night you brought her to that biker joint in Hollywood. All those people you saw me with are loaded, and the girls they were with all come from wealthy families, but the girls are all alike. Marla was the only one who stood out, and I haven’t been able to get her out of my mind.”

“Fair enough, I’ll get in touch with everyone and let you know.”

“Okay, but let me ask you a question first. You say that you’re bringing an extra girl, what’s she like?”

I fibbed a little and said, “She’s an actress. She’s twenty five, smart, and very attractive.”

“Why aren’t you dating her?”

“She’s twenty five. She says that she’s too old for me.”

“Hahaha, ain’t that a bitch. So, who are you planning to be with?”

“A girl named Monique is there. I thought that I’d spend some time with her.”

“Hmm. It sounds like there are too many girls. Why don’t I bring a buddy of mine along?”

“Is he a good guy?”

“Yes, he’s a very good guy, and one of my oldest friends. He was married, but his wife died in a skiing accident a year and a half ago.”

“How old is he?”

“He’s twenty nine. He owns a Dotcom company and he’s doing very well, but he’s been bummed since his wife died. I don’t think that he dates much, and your friend might be just what he needs.”

“Okay, let me see what I can do.”

I called Mom first, and I told her about the talk that Dad and I had about taking our plane for a ride, then I mentioned that I might be spending a night or two with Tammy and the girls in La Jolla. She surprisingly said it was fine with her because she wanted to spend the weekend shopping for clothes with Erin and Amy.

I called Tammy next, and after I verified that she, Monique, and Marla would be going to La Jolla on Friday, I told her that I’d be coming down there, and that we’d all been invited to stay a few days with a friend who had a house on the beach in Paradise Cove. She gasped and asked, “Did he actually say that it was right on the water?” when I mentioned Paradise Cove.

“Uh-huh.”

“Wow, those places go for five million and up. You guys are going to have a ball.”

“What do you mean ‘Us guys’? Won’t you be there?”

“No, I have to come back Saturday morning. Tony and I are hosting a dinner party for some business people Saturday night.”

“What about Marla and Monique?”

“Marla is doing interviews Saturday morning, but she should be finished around noon. Monique is doing a photo shoot for us in the morning, I don’t know exactly how long it’ll take, but it’s a ‘first light’ session. They start early, but they are usually over around ten or eleven. They are both free for the rest of the weekend after that.”

We talked for a while longer, then I asked if I could speak to Marla. She transferred me, and I told Marla about coming there when she got on the line, and mentioned that I was bringing a friend to meet her.

She asked, “Who is it?”

“It’s Jay, the guy you met at the biker place in Hollywood.”

“Isn’t he the one who keeps pestering you for my number?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Let me get this straight. You, the guy I’ve been sleeping with, are going to bring a friend of yours down to meet me? Hmm, this sounds kinda kinky.”

“C’mon, Marla, I know you’re teasing me. Jay is a nice guy. I know that he likes you, and I think that you’ll like him.”

“Would he still like me, if I dragged you out of the car and made love to you on the hood when you got here?”

“I’m serious, Marla. Jay is a nice guy, and he’s a much better match for you than I am. Besides, I’m going to fly down, and I’m bringing a girl with me.”

“A girl! Who?”

“It’s just a girl I work with. I’m actually bringing her along to meet a friend of Jay’s.”

“Oh. So, where are you guys staying?”

“Jay’s family has a house there. I’ll tell you about it later this week.”

“Well, I’m free Friday evening, but I have a date with my contractor friend Saturday night.”

“Is there any way to break it?”

“Sure, say the word, and I’ll spend the weekend with you.”

“C’mon, Marla, I’m serious.”

“No, I don’t think so. It wouldn’t be fair to him.”

“Well, let’s see how things go. Is Monique there?”

“I’ll transfer you. Are you, uhh, gonna spend time with her this weekend?”

“I haven’t talked with her yet, but I think so.”

“Good. We thought that she was a little strange at first, but Tammy and I have grown to like her. She doesn’t talk much, but lately she’s opened up a bit, and, it’s either about her sister or you when she does talk. I think that you should be with her as long as I can’t have you.”

“Oh, so now you’re my social secretary.”

“Damn right. Tammy and I don’t want you messing with strangers.”

“You want to keep everything in the family.”

“Yup, and I may sneak into your room this weekend and give you a tune-up if things don’t work out with her.”

She was laughing when she put me on hold, and Monique was on the line a second later. I don’t know why, but it’s always a shock to me when I hear her voice. Like everything else about her, her voice is beautiful, and it took me a second to gather my thoughts before I was able to talk to her and tell her that I was coming down for the weekend, and that I’d like to spend some time with her. She surprised me by seeming to be excited about it, and I told her I would get back to her with details later.

I finally called Meg, and I guess that her caller ID told her who I was, because she answered with, “Okay, I might sleep with you, but I’m not going to kiss you!”

I lowered my voice a few notches and said, “Uhh, hello, this is Pete’s father. Are you Meg?”

There was a gasp, and she stuttered, “Oh, M-Mister Baker, I’m sorry, I-I was only kidding. I didn’t mean...”

I cracked up laughing, and she screamed into the phone a second later, “You asshole, Pete. I’ll get you for that.”

I came back with, “Okay, how about this weekend?”

A little calmer now, she asked, “What about this weekend?”

“A few of us are going to La Jolla this weekend, and I’d like you to come along.”

“Pete, I was kidding when I said I’d sleep with you.”

“Relax, I knew that you were teasing me. This is strictly on the up-and-up. You’ll have your own room, and no one will bother you unless you want them to.”

“Who else will be there?”

“Have you ever heard of WE?”

“The fancy Beverly Hills salon? Of course, everyone has. Why?”

“The owner is a friend of mine. She’s opening a salon down there, and she and some of her staff are going to be there.”

After a slight pause she said, “You never cease to amaze me. You actually do know everybody in the entire fucking world, so why are you inviting me?”

“Because you need to relax, and there will be some people there who I’d like you to meet.”

“You’re not trying to fix me up with a date are you?”

“Look, there’ll be some guys there, but what happens is up to you. You have my word that you’ll be okay, and I’ll be around if you need me.”

She sounded a little better when she said, “Isn’t that a little like the fox guarding the hen house?”

“You need someone like me to make sure the hen house is safe when the hens are as foxy as you are.”

That got a laugh out of her, and said she’d call me in the morning to tell me what time to come to the studio and let me know about the weekend.

I woke up Wednesday morning feeling as though something was missing, and it took a while for me to realize what it was. I had gone to sleep last night thinking about the coming weekend instead moping about Sylvia. The ache returned, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as before.

Meg called around nine o’clock to tell me to be at sound stage seven at the studio around ten-thirty. I asked about the weekend, and she immediately said okay. I asked what made her decide to go, and she said that she would tell me when I got to the studio, so I showered, threw a pair of jeans and a t-shirt on, and drove to the studio. I saw Meg and Mrs. Devon already there talking with the director when I found sound stage seven. Meg came to me when I walked up, and she looked peeved when she said, “Sit down somewhere, I’ll come and get you in a minute.” She went back to the discussion, and she came back a few minutes later and said, “Go to the makeup trailer, I’ll meet you there in a few minutes.”

I went to the trailer, and they applied makeup to my chest and arms again, but it was more even and not so dark this time. A wardrobe person then handed me a sweatshirt, a pair of sweatpants, and some boxer shorts. I stepped behind a curtain to put them on, and Meg showed up a few minutes later. She said, “Your part in this was supposed to be a small one, but that faggot director added the grass-cutting scene, and he now wants you to do another scene,” on the way back to the sound stage.

“What kind of scene?”

“You’re supposed to be getting ready for bed. You’re standing next to a window, and the girls are spying on you from the house next door.”

“So, what am I supposed to do, a striptease?”

“No, just pretend that you’re getting ready for bed. Do the best you can, but don’t worry about it. The scene will never make it to the screen.”

“Then why am I doing it?”

“You’re doing it to please the director. He likes to see you with your shirt off.”

“I’m surprised that Mrs. Devon allows this kind of thing.”

“The right director can make or break a show, and this guy is the best. He wasn’t even going to do the show until he found out that you were in it.”

“Where does he know me from?”

“I think that he may have seen you at Epstein’s party.”

“Well, he better not try anything with me. I’ll kick his ass if he does.”

“He won’t. He’ll wait to see if you make the first move.”

“Do a lot of guys go for this crap?”

“Sure, some guys will do anything for their career. Girls will too. I’m sure that you’ve heard of the casting couch.”