Fame (22 page)

Katy leaned in across the table. “What happened?”

“Okay, so I’m standing there stuck in the elevator. Everyone’s laining and pushing buttons and using the emergency to see what’s wrong, and half the people are shouting for to get the thing moving again. And you know what I Katy shook her head.

“I was breathing in the smell of this guy’s cologne, feeling his against mine, trying to remember the last time I stood close to a man.” She exhaled sadly. “All I could think was,

let it stay stuck like this for an hour.”

Katy hung her head for a minute and then looked at Rhonda.

sorry.”

“Don’t be.” She managed a partial laugh. “I mean, think about it, Katy. The closest I’ve come to a guy in five years is getting in an elevator with one? It’s pathetic.”

“Well—” Katy gave her a half grin—”did you get his name?” “Hardly. He was one of the ones trying to get us out, you know, shouting for someone to help us. The elevator started up

about a minute later.”

:: “Hmmm.” Katy frowned. “Not very promising.”

“No.” Rhonda drew a long breath. “Anyway, yes. I care about 178

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Heath. But I see the way he looks at you, Katy.” She took a sip of her water. “I gave up on him a long time ago.”

“Heath isn’t my type.” Katy used her straw to break up the ice in her glass. It was still hard to believe that Rhonda had feelings for Heath. After all this time. “I don’t know what my type is.”

Rhonda pushed her glass back. Then she leveled a knowing look across the table.

Her eyes danced the way they always did when she was teasing. “I think I know.”

“What?” Katy smiled. This was why she liked spending time with Rhonda. They could be serious, but they were just as often silly. “You know what type of guy I like?”

“Yeah.” She placed her napkin over her plate. “Mysterious guys, guys who drop in on a CKT performance and then disappear, guys who just so happen to be among Hollywood’s most famous leading men.”

Katy twisted her face. “Dayne Matthews?”

“That’s right.” Rhonda tapped her chest.. “You heard it here first.”

“What?” Katy’s pulse quickened. She laughed to cover the flustered way she was feeling. “That’s crazy, Rhonda. He’s a playboy, a movie star. He’s the last person on earth I’d fall for.”

Rhonda nodded in Katy’s direction. “Just remember what I said. You heard it here first.”

“I hardly think Dayne Matthews is the sort of guy God would have planned for ne.” Katy stood and grabbed her purse. “Come on, crazy friend. I have errands to run before tomorrow.”

Even after they left in Katy’s car and the subject changed to Tom Sawyer and the progress the sets committee was making, Katy couldn’t get the wild notion out of her head. Dayne Matthews? The idea was insane. The guy had nothing in common with her, and even if he did, he had starlets hanging all over him.

But as Katy dropped off Rhonda at her own car and Katy climbed back into her Nissan, she realized her heart was still beating faster than before. She looked in the rearview mirror atd

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something else—her cheeks were red. She held the backs of hands to her face, doing her best to tone it down.

What was wrong with her?. Was her body betraying secrets her heart hadn’t considered? Did some small part of her with Rhonda? That she just might be attracted to Dayne

Katy frowned and turned on the radio. Of course she wasn’t attracted to him. She would fly to CA, read for the part, and get home. That was all there was to it. The idea of her and

Dayne was laughable, and something more than that.

It was dangerous.

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CHLOE WAS FED UP.

She hated the idea of sitting in her Honda all day watching the driveway. After all, there was another entrance. Just because Dayne came in through the front didn’t mean he’d leave 7. It was hot and stuffy, and the knife in her pocket kept her in the ribs.

With any luck, he’d be in and out. An hour or two at the most. had wanted to come along for the ride, but Chloe pulled before she could grab her shoes. That was the best part this Tuesday morning. At least she was alone.

started the day in her usual spot, on the hill overlooking Coast Highway. It wasn’t her favorite place to watch him, :en noticed too often lately. Once outside Ruby’s res-and once walking around that Kelly Parker’s house.

The police had almost figured things out the first time; at least Anna had told her. From the hillside, she could see everything she needed to see. binoculars worked well, and it was a straight shot down the to the place where she could tail Dayne.

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She pressed her head against the driver’s-side window and stared at the studio entrance. What kind of husband was he, anyway? Living by himself and keeping her locked in her Honda outside the studio? Worst of all, sleeping around with Kelly Parker.

The knife in her pocket pulsed against her rib cage. Kelly Parker wasn’t long for this world. Neither was anyone else who messed with her husband. The nerve.

“Go home, you wacko.”

Chloe jerked around and looked at the passenger seat. It was empty, nothing there but her binoculars. “Who said that?” She stared out the windshield. “Anna?

Are you there?”

“I know what you’re thinking.” Anna laughed, that same witchy laugh. “You’ll wait here for Dayne and follow him to whatever restaurant he’ll eat at, and maybe this will be the day he’ll claim you as his wife.” She laughed again, and the laughter filled the car, seeping into Chloe’s mind, filling her head, and pounding through her veins.

“Anna?” Chloe looked on the floorboard beneath her feet and then she remembered.

The backseat! She turned all the way around and gasped. Anna was sitting directly behind her. “Have you been there the whole time?”

Her sister sneered. “Don’t kid yourself, Chloe. You can’t get rid of me.” She jerked her thumb toward the studio entrance. “This is stupid, sitting out here.

The guy’s not your husband.”

Anger rose fast and certain, and her heart pounded with the immensity of it. She pointed at Anna. “Don’t say another word, you hear? Not another word!”

Anna rolled her eyes and made a zipperlike motion across her lips.

“Good.” Chloe liked when this happened, when she got so angry it actually silenced her sister. “Stay that way!”

She looked out the windshield and focused on the studio driveway again. Now the day was definitely shot. Anna would

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everything. Dayne would never go home with her, never her the way a husband should, not while Anna was with Dayne had already told her that—although not so much his words as with the look he gave her that time he saw her in his neighbor’s driveway.

She had a pretty good idea why Dayne was at the studio today. magazines said he was trying to find a leading lady for his movie. Of course, no one would be better to star opposite Matthews than her. She’d been an extra in three movies so far, and each time she proved herself a better actress.

“I’m right here, Dayne.” She rolled down the window halfway )ered the words into the still summer air. “The woman you’re looking for is right here.”

“You’re delusional, Chloe. You’ve never acted a day in your life.

Chloe rolled the window back up and gritted her teeth. Anna to drive her mad.

This time she pulled her knife from her pocket and whirled around in her seat.

“I told you to—”

Anna was gone. She wasn’t sitting behind her any longer. here, stupid.” The voice was harsh and critical. Chloe jerked back against the car door as she spotted Anna. was in the seat beside her now. Anna was tricky that way. “I told you to shut up!” Chloe narrowed her eyes and held the knife up near her shoulder, poised, ready to attack if necessary.

I don’t want to hurt you, Anna, but I will. I promise I will.” Her was shaking now, drips of sweat trickling down the sides face. “Shut up!”

Anna gave a disgusted look and then turned and faced her Chloe brought the knife down slowly. “That’s right—keep out the window.” She eased the knife back into her “Don’t push me, Anna. I’ve used this before, you know.

found out about it then, and no one will this time.” Another drop of sweat fell off her face. What was the prob

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lem? Why was it so hot in here? She looked around the perirne. ter of the car and realized every window was closed. On a summer day she almost had to open the windows. Even if that meant Dayne could hear her beating heart or her murderous threats to Anna.

The windows were the kind you opened by hand, nothing fancy, not for Chloe. Oh, sure, Anna had lived the fancy life Once a long time ago. But not Chloe. Her fancy days were ahead of her, once Dayne claimed her as his wife. Then she’d have automatic windows.

She opened her window halfway and barked at Anna to do the same thing. Anna made a grunting sound, but she did what Chloe said. If Anna knew what was good for her, she’d always do what Chloe said. After all, Chloe had the knife.

Cooler air filled the car, and Chloe wiped the moisture off her forehead. That’s what she needed. Open windows. She stared at the studio entrance. What had she been thinking about? She

waited a beat, and then it came to her.

Dayne’s search for a leading lady.

Just then a car pulled into the parking lot, one Chloe would’ve recognized anywhere. It was a silver Mercedes—Kelly Parker’s car. Chloe heard a hissing sound, and for a moment she wondered if she had a leak in one of her tires. She looked at Anna and felt her anger building again. Anna was laughing at her, laughing at the idea of Kelly Parker trying out for the part in Dayne’s movie.

“Shut up!”

The hissing stopped.

Chloe leaned her head out the window and yelled, “Not her, Dayne!” He had to hear her. She was so loud she could barely concentrate. “Not Kelly Parker!”

Chloe rattled off a string of expletives. She should’ve taken care of Kelly while she had the chance. That way Dayne

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would’ve asked her to come read for the part—not some flooz like Kelly Parker.

‘ Five minutes later the police showed up. As they moved in behind her Honda, Anna came to life again. She turned and face pointing at her and laughing her most evil laugh. “You now look what you’ve done.”

Chloe’s heartbeat skipped around erratically. She couldn’t kill not with the police behind her. With a flick of her wrist lled the knife from her pocket and tossed it onto the floor-Then she glanced at the rearview mirror and saw there two officers. Both were getting out of the car.

…. Don’t say a word, Anna.” Chloe spat the words at her sister, 1, before the officers could see, she slapped Anna across the face. “Get lost!”

“No.” Anna leaned closer. “This is all Kelly Parker’s fault, Kill her not me.”

There was the sound of footsteps beside her car door. She and smiled at the men. “Hello, Officers. Can I help you?” One of the men kept his hand on his revolver. The other ed forward. “Hi.” He nodded toward the studio. “We got a from the studio that someone was parked here. Paparazzi, be.”

He looked around the inside of her car. “You got any “No, sir.” Knives, yes. Cameras, no, She put her fingers to her “You think the call was about me?”

“Was there a reason why you slapped yourself as we pulled ?? A bug maybe?”

“Right.” Chloe’s mind raced. She hadn’t slapped herself. Anna the one she’d slapped. “Yes, Officer, a mosquito.”

“Quite a mark you’ve got on your face.”

“Yes.” She laughed. “But no mosquito bite.”

The officer stared hard at her. He didn’t believe her; that was written across his face. “Well, ma’am, this is a no 187

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parking area.” He crossed his arms. “Why don’t you tell me why you’re parked here.”

“Research.” The answer came without warning. Chloe scram. bled for a better explanation. “My sister’s writing a book about the studio.” She tried to look serious. “I’m doing research for her.”

He barely paused. “I see. Could I take a look at your driver’s license?”

Why were they always wanting that? Chloe thought about grabbing the knife from the floorboard and waving it at the men. That’d make them back off. She looked at the seat beside her.

It was empty. Anna was gone. Typical. She never stayed around for the harder moments.

Finally she gave the officer the sweetest smile she could muster. “I’m afraid I left it at home.”

“You know it’s against the law to drive without a license?” The man whipped a small pad of paper from his back pocket. “I could haul you in for this, ma’am.

Instead, I’ll write you a ticket and ask you to leave. If anyone from the studio sees you parked out here again, we’ll be back.”

The second officer shifted his weight. “We take studio security very seriously.

You should tell your sister that any research needs to be done through the studio’s publicity office.” Chloe nodded. “I’ll do that.”

“Okay—” the first officer had his pen poised over the ticket pad—”I need your name.”

“Chloe Madden.”

The officer nodded. “Date of birth?”

“December 19, 1960.”

“Forty-three years old, is that right?”

Forty-three? “Yes, sir.”

He walked to the back of her car and scribbled something onto the ticket—her license-plate number probably. The whole

188 Le’ the second officer stared at her. She could feel him doubther,

doubting everything about her story.

,’i The first officer retur,n, ed to the window and tore a white slip Il

l.paper from the pad. You have ten days to show proof of a ilid license at the courthouse. The address is on the back, along a phone number.” He gave her a concerned look. “Get it care of, and get out of here. Understood?”

She gritted her teeth but just for a few seconds. Her smile was in place almost instantly. “Understood.” She gave a nod a pleasant wave.

The officers returned to their car, but they made no sign of Chloe groaned. They were waiting for her to go first. turned the key in the ignition and cursed under her breath. She would leave, but she’d be back. She’d just have to be careful next time.