Cut to the Chase (7 page)

She looked up, scanning the interior of the motor home for nothing in particular. “Mostly, I’ve been getting used to being with me again. My lover and I broke up and it was pretty horrible for me.” When she looked back at Avalon, a flood of warmth filled her because her expression was so gentle and caring. It also rattled her a bit.

“What happened?” Avalon said.

“I guess the usual breakup. We grew apart. She wasn’t the easiest person to live with. Maybe I wasn’t, either. She was prone to depression and could get pretty mean. I suppose one too many nasty remarks finally made me see that I was becoming extremely unhappy.”

“I’m sorry.”

There she was being disarmingly kind again.

“You shouldn’t be. I’m glad she’s gone. Well, she’s not really gone. I mean, she’s moved out, but she tried to find me almost every day for a month to tell me how much of a bitch I am.”

“For trying to be happy?”

She shrugged. “For not supporting her anymore, I presume.”

“Oh, one of those.”

“I don’t imagine you have problems like that.”

“Maybe different problems, but problems just the same. My ex is still around, too. We’re in the same industry so it’s hard to avoid her at times.”

“Jessica Wiley.” Who didn’t know they had been together? Their relationship had been well covered in the magazines and TV entertainment shows.

“That would be her. Luckily she’s been in Toronto shooting a film, so I’ve gotten a little break. But I guess she’s on vacation now.”

“Are you two on speaking terms?”

“Not really. She calls me when she wants. I’d rather not be involved anymore because she exhibits a vengeful streak at times, especially when she doesn’t get her way.” Avalon seemed to grow a bit sad. “It’s unfortunate when you can’t be friends with someone you loved.”

“It must be strange to see her in the news and in magazines.”

“I try to ignore a lot of that stuff. I mean, people have to make money and the paparazzi serve a purpose.”

“Keeping your name out there,” she said.

“Yes. But it’s not always a great thing.”

“It’s got to be hard having your life recorded all the time.”

Avalon shrugged. “It’s the parsley that comes with your meal. You never want it, but it’s always there.”

Paige chuckled and made a note to remember that quote for her book.

“I’d ask you what you do when you’re not working, but I’m sure the list is a lot longer than mine.” She felt a little foolish for asking. It was obvious that Avalon’s life was more glamorous than hers, but she didn’t have to ask her to spell it out.

“I attend a lot of industry stuff. It’s important to network. But I wish I had more time to do some of the things I haven’t done for a long time.”

“Like what?”

Looking toward the ceiling, Avalon inhaled deeply. “A hike in the mountains, maybe. Or the chance to sit in a bohemian coffee shop and just hang out. And I can’t remember the last time I sat around the house in my jammies and no makeup, watching old scary movies on TV.”

“Which one, for instance?”

“The Day of the Triffids.”

“With Howard Keel,” Paige said a little too quickly. She shrugged. “I’m a B-film geek.”

“You, too?”

“B films are my weakness, and
The Day of the Triffids
is one of the best.”

“Just between you and me, I’ve never watched a meteor shower since.”

Paige laughed. “What else?”

“Hmm. All right, geek, which one is this? Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. Steve McQueen—”

“Too easy.
The Blob
.”

“I love that one! No one believes the teenagers when they’re trying to warn everyone about the monster. What a classic.”

“Okay, here’s one for you,” Paige said. “Vincent Price, five unsuspecting people, and a $10,000 reward.”

“
House on Haunted Hill
!”

“I may have met my nerdy match.”

“Well, I’ve been called a lot of things, but I think that’s the nicest one I’ve heard in a long time.” Avalon grinned as if she truly meant it. “I like you.”

The comment was a little surprising, not because it was out of the blue, but because it appeared that Avalon had just had a revelation. Maybe she didn’t run into that many people she truly liked.

Paige emptied the last of her whiskey.

“Want another one?”

“No, thank you.”

A knock on the door made Avalon sigh, and Paige liked that she didn’t seem to want to be interrupted. Helen poked her head inside the door, telling Avalon that the set medic recommended a trip to her doctor to look at her head.

“I don’t think I need it,” Avalon said.

“The producers told me they need some paperwork for your injury.”

“Tell them they can cover their asses with their own paperwork.”

“Seriously?”

“Yes.”

Helen paused and then left.

Paige set the glass down on the coffee table. “You don’t mince words, do you?”

Avalon shrugged. “My mouth gets me into a lot of trouble sometimes.”

“So does your slow reaction to oncoming fists.”

Avalon squinted again and looked adorable. “Funny.”

“I should go,” Paige said as she stood. “Are you going to be all right?”

“My head is fine. And since they’re reshooting that scene tomorrow and scheduling other stuff for the rest of the afternoon, I’m done for the day.”

She looked at her watch. It was just after two o’clock. “Well, now’s the time you’ve wanted.”

Avalon looked at her, apparently not quite understanding.

“Time for you to do what you want to do,” she said, then added, “See you tomorrow.”

Avalon stood and took a step toward her. “Care to take in a double feature?”

“What?”

“I’ll tell my driver to take the rest of the day off. Drive me home and I’ll show you.”

Was Avalon asking her to go home with her? Was she kidding? Maybe she considered this part of the interview. Maybe the blockbuster actress had hit her head too hard.

Did she want to go home with her? Did jackpots come from slot machines?

“My car’s parked on Highland.”

*

Avalon directed Paige east, through the upper-crust neighborhoods of Westwood and Brentwood, down Sunset Boulevard and, finally, to an address on Via De Las Olas Drive in Pacific Palisades. From high in the hills above, the front of the house overlooked Palisades Park and, beyond that, the shimmering, cobalt-blue expanse of the Pacific Ocean.

The house wasn’t a mansion by any stretch of the imagination, but rather a typical California-style ranch house built, probably, in the early 1950s, but
typical
ended there. These houses were priced in the millions, given the exclusivity of the neighborhood and the exceptional ocean views.

Avalon took her inside and the comfortable décor impressed her.

“I remodeled the place to resemble what it might have looked like when the house was first built,” Avalon said, as if reading her mind.

Blond furniture stood upon a large rug that followed the outline of the room, allowing about six inches of hardwood floor to peek out from underneath. It was a light, pleasant room that captured the spirit of the intended design.

“The interior decorator mixed original fifties furniture with new, retro pieces,” Avalon said. “I feel like I’m in a time warp, but a carefree, innocent one, you know?”

It was almost as if Avalon was looking for her approval. “I like it a lot. It’s really nicely done.”

She liked the exultant feeling Avalon’s engaging grin gave her. When Avalon headed toward the open kitchen, she told Paige to seat herself on a low, red couch that looked like it was taken straight from a mid-century modern encyclopedia. The walls of the front room were not light blue or beige, like contemporary houses, but gray. Classic bark-cloth drapes in shades of gray and yellow framed the large windows. It lacked all the unnecessary ornamentation that the 1950s eschewed.

“Form follows function,” Paige said as she admired the kidney-shaped coffee table and no-nonsense easy chairs in one corner.

“My designer would love you. She said that in a house like this, there needs to be a seamless marriage between eye-pleasing style and real-world practicality.”

The house was probably three or four times the size of Paige’s, but not one of those gargantuan mansions that stars were prone to possess. “You’ve hit the mark, I’d say.”

Avalon returned with two glasses of iced tea, served in large tumblers. “Is this okay?”

“Perfect.” She took the drink and realized that she was more comfortable than she’d been since meeting Avalon.

Here at home, Avalon seemed relaxed too, and Paige felt the tug of an urge to photograph her that way but resisted the temptation since they’d only just gotten there.

Avalon sat next to her and a rush of exhilaration coursed through her. She was in Avalon Randolph’s home, just the two of them. Sure, it was a work assignment and Avalon was just doing the publicity part of her job, but she’d never been to a famous actor’s house before, and in her wildest dreams she would never have imagined being invited by Avalon.

“How do you think the movie is coming along so far?” Paige hadn’t really talked to Avalon about that subject, and any comments might be good for the book.

“For my first action film, pretty well, I guess. The crew is really nice and I love the director.”

“And Brent?”

“He’s great. He teases me a lot, but I think that’s his way of telling me he likes working with me.”

“Tell me how the action scenes have been.”

Avalon sat back and crossed her legs, the glass of iced tea perched in her lap. “We’ve only done a few, but I love them. Barring the thumping I received today, of course.”

“Of course.” She wanted to laugh but pressed her lips together to try to staunch the urge. But when Avalon chuckled, she couldn’t help but join in.

“I swear,” Avalon said, “I’m going to get those images from you if it’s the last thing I do.”

“That won’t be hard.”

“It won’t?”

“Not at all.” Paige paused, then said, “You’ll be able to pick up my book at any large chain bookstore and major online retailers.”

Avalon squinted and shook her head, but her lovely upturned mouth belied her attempt at a threat.

“Okay, how’s this. I’ll let you pick the one that goes in my book.”

“How many do you have?”

“Oh…” Paige said, mischievously drawing out the answer, “ten.”

“Really?”

“No.”

Avalon sighed loudly.

“Actually, I think it’s more like fifteen or sixteen.”

When Avalon groaned, she couldn’t help but add, “My camera records at ten frames per second, so be happy that it only took Brent about a second and a half to punch you.”

“This is horrible.”

“And there are some of you when you hit the ground.”

“I’m going to take away your iced tea.”

“Plus the ones with you on your back looking up at the sky.”

“And send you home.”

She laughed. “It will prove to the world that you do your own stunts.”

“One of my first action scenes and I end up with a big, honkin’ bruise.”

She leaned toward Avalon. “It’s not that noticeable. But it might be tomorrow.”

“Well, I guess that’s what makeup is for.”

Avalon ordered dinner from some place Paige had never heard, of and as the sun began to set over the ocean, it came, and Avalon spread it out on the coffee table.

Everything made Paige’s mouth water.

“I hope you like dim sum,” Avalon said as she pointed out each item written in Chinese. “That’s bean-curd rolls, shrimp dumplings, and pork spareribs in black bean sauce. Those are vegetarian dumplings, that’s vegetable fried rice, and, for dessert, we have papaya in warm rice and coconut juice.”

Paige’s stomach rumbled as she realized she hadn’t eaten since breakfast. Avalon brought a pitcher of iced tea from the kitchen and refilled their glasses.

“I have chosen an insect theme for our double feature tonight,” Avalon said as she picked up the remote and pointed it at the largest television screen Paige had ever seen. “The first one takes place in 1954, right after the earliest atomic tests in New Mexico have caused a freakish mutation.”

She knew that film and dramatically raised her hand, pointing to nothing in particular as she mimicked the little girl in the opening scenes. “Ahhh! Them! Them!”

Avalon laughed, seemingly pleased, and Paige loved it. She’d watched the film about atomically altered giant ants wreaking havoc on civilization many times and guessed that Avalon had as well.

The film started as she and Avalon shared the dim sum. When the police questioned the little Ellison girl, she suddenly came out of her catatonic state and screamed, Avalon tilted toward her, pushing her shoulder into her. “The delivery of your line was much better.”

“Why, thank you.” She was floating in her own B-film fantasy, costarring Avalon and Paige. Who knew what adventures they could have.

They both pointed to the screen when the shadow of a sound technician’s microphone boom came into view and commented on all of the continuity gaffs, which were plentiful in that type of low-budget movie. It was as if they’d watched this movie together many times. They mimicked lines throughout, and when Jensen got frustrated at the military general, she and Avalon simultaneously bellowed the rest of his lines.

By then, she noticed that Avalon had moved closer to her, and with every laugh, their bodies touched as if completing a magical and exquisite connection between them. She tried not to read much into it, told herself not to make anything of it, but she found it almost impossible.

By the time the police had firebombed the giant mutant ants, the dinner and dessert were long gone.

She stretched as Avalon cued up the next film.

“Can you stay for one more?” she asked, almost childlike. Paige wondered if she was feeling vulnerable for some reason. They’d just laughed through an hour and a half of bad science fiction and now Avalon didn’t want her to go just yet.

“I don’t think it’s healthy to watch only one dreadfully classic movie at a time. And you promised a double feature.”