Hollywood Kids (38 page)

'I didn't say you were.'

'Good.' Her eyes glittered dangerously. 'As long as we understand each other.'

After lunch he couldn't wait to get away. He knew that casting her as Sienna was a grave mistake, and there was only one answer.

He had to figure out a way to get them out of the commitment and Barbara off the movie before it was too late.

Luca Carlotti flew to California with two of his henchmen - Reno Luchessi and Bosco (the Pig) Nanni. Both good guys. Both men he could trust.

Trust and loyalty meant everything to Luca. As far as he was concerned, without trust and loyalty you were deader than a dog in a ditch.

Reno Luchessi was Luca's prince-in-waiting. At thirty-nine, Reno was tall and manly looking, with light brown hair that fell casually on to his forehead, long sweeping eyelashes and an innocent expression. His expression belied his true personality.

Reno was a killer - there was nothing he liked better than beating a man to death.

Bosco (the Pig) Nanni was a short, rotund man with pop eyes, hairy hands and no chin. He was nicknamed the Pig because of his excesses with women. Bosco could never get enough pussy, and because of his less than perfect appearance he tried harder in bed. It worked every time. Most of the women he slept with claimed he was the best lover they'd ever had.

They made an odd trio, but as far as Luca was concerned the three of them were totally compatible.

The flight to Los Angeles was uneventful, although Bosco managed to screw one of the stewardesses in the cramped toilet. 'Whaddaya want from me?' he shrugged, returning to his seat with a sly smile. 'She's a neighbourhood girl. I owed her a favour.'

They arrived shortly before noon on Tuesday. A limousine and hand-picked driver met them at the airport and drove them directly to the St James's Hotel, where Luca had arranged three separate suites.

As soon as Luca was settled he requested a manicure, a pedicure and a massage. It wasn't until he'd had all three that he called Mac, reaching him at home. 'I suggest we meet,' he said. 'It's been too long. Drop by the hotel.'

'If you think it's necessary,' Mac replied stiffly.

Luca was not happy with his response. We agreed you was gonna live your life,' he said. 'But sometimes - I gotta tell you - your attitude surprises me.'

'I'm not a kid, Luca,' Mac said hotly, feeling like one. 'Don't speak to me like I'm a goddamn kid.'

'Be here at four o'clock.'

Bosco was already on the line in the living room of Luca's suite, busy finding out where the action was. 'LA's got the best-looking hookers in the world,' he informed Luca. 'Better than Vegas.'

'Vegas hookers are shit,' Luca commented, inspecting his manicure. 'They got no class.'

'Not in my opinion,' Bosco answered, ready for a lengthy discussion. 'I almost married a Vegas dancer once. She gave the greatest head I ever had.'

'You wouldn't know a good hooker if she sat on your face,' Reno snickered, picking up a handful of nuts and tossing them in his mouth one by one.

Bosco threw him a disgusted look.

'Me - I've
never
had to pay for it,' Reno boasted, brushing out a crease in his pants. He aspired to be as sartorial as Luca, but didn't quite cut it.

Then you don't know what you're missin',' Bosco said, with a wink in Luca's direction. 'You get a classy lookin' broad, pay her to do whatever you want, an' the best thing is she don't give you no grief. You don't even havta buy her nothin', not even dinner, not even a friggin' drink! She just fucks the shit outta you an' goes home.'

Reno shook his head. 'I've never paid for it,' he repeated. 'Never have. Never will. Never needed to.'

Luca started to laugh. Reno and Bosco were about as opposite as two people could get. Watching them together was like having his own entertainment channel.

'I found out there's a new place runnin' the best call girls in town,' Bosco announced. 'Primo pussy. You want I should order one for you, Luca?'

Luca considered the question. If he was going to deal with Zane he would certainly feel horny. Violence always made him horny. 'Yeah,' he said. 'Why not? Get me a short one, big tits, red hair and a nurse's uniform.'

'A nurse's uniform?' Reno said. 'What're you - sick?'

'Didn't I tell you about the time I was in the hospital when I was sixteen?' Luca said. 'Some crazy bastard busted my leg with a baseball bat. There was this nurse took care of me - a real looker - gave head like she was suckin' the chrome off a 1969 Cadillac! Yeah, get me a fuckin' nurse.'

They all laughed.

Sitting out by the pool reading
Variety
, Jordanna stopped at Army Archerd's column because she spotted Jordan's name. She read the few lines quickly and her heart jumped.

Friends of Jordan Levitt's will be pleased to know the abdominal pains he suffered recently were nothing serious, and after an over-nighter in Cedar's he's now home.

She read it twice, furious that no one had called her. Then she realized how could they? Neither Jordan nor Kim knew where she was.

The time had come to make her peace. What if anything had happened to him?

Since she'd moved out of Charlie's and started working she felt pretty good about herself. Good enough to forget about her differences with Kim and make peace. Yes, she decided, it was definitely time to resolve matters with Jordan - time to let go. Whatever Jordan had done in the past, it was
his
life and now she'd finally realized it. So Kim used to be a call girl. Big deal. At least she was making Jordan happy. Maybe that's all that counted.

She drove over to her father's house, zooming her Porsche up the driveway. She knew he was home because his Bentley was parked outside.

Jumping out of her car she ran up to the front door. 'Hi,' she said to the Filipino houseman who let her in. 'Is my father around?'

'He's in his study, Miss Levitt,' the man said.

Thanks,' she said, entering the house and heading for Jordan's study. 'Surprise!' she exclaimed, flinging open the door.

He glanced up from behind his desk. 'Where
the hell
have you been?' he said gruffly.

She wrinkled her nose. 'That's a nice greeting. And I thought you were supposed to be sick.'

'I'm serious, Jordanna,' he said sternly. 'Where
have
you been? Don't you think I worry about you? You take your things, run out of here leaving no forwarding address. I don't appreciate that kind of thoughtless behaviour.'

'I'm not a little girl, Daddy.'

'You behave like one.'

Oh, God, were they destined to fight straight off?

'Look,' she said sensibly. 'I came here today because I wanted to tell you that I have a job, I'm looking for an apartment, and I don't need your money any more - I'm making it on my own. I hoped you'd be proud of me.'

He continued to frown.

'
Are
you proud of me?' she persisted.

'I've heard all kinds of rumours,' he grumbled. 'I
even
heard you were living with Charlie Dollar, but I knew that couldn't be true, he's the same age as me for chrissakes.'

'Of course I'm not living with him,' she said, adding a silent, 'Any more.'

He stood up. 'At least I'm relieved.'

'So am I!' she said. 'I read you were in the hospital.'

'Gas.'

'Charming!'

'One fart and they let me out.'

'You're disgusting!'

'Merely truthful, my dear.'

She giggled. 'Anyway,' she said warmly. 'I came to congratulate you - I heard about the baby.'

'Who told you?'

'Kim did when I collected my things. I'm really happy for both of you.'

He was waiting for the catch.

There wasn't one.

'Do you need a cheque?' he asked suspiciously.

'No, I told you, I have a job. And I'm not writing a book. I'm working on Mac Brooks's new movie as assistant to Bobby Rush. I'm learning about the business - just like you always told me I should. Hey, maybe one day I'll even be a producer like you.'

'Jordanna, are you sure you're feeling all right?'

'You know what, Daddy? I've never felt so good. I think it's because I've finally found out being independent works for me.'

He held open his arms. 'Come here, skinny bird.'

'Don't
call
me that,' she said, not really cross at all.

'Come
over
here.'

She walked up to him and he wrapped her in a big hug. 'I've missed you,' he said, holding her close.

'I've missed you, too,' she replied, feeling a rush of emotion. 'I was so worried when I read you were in the hospital.'

At that moment a breathless Kim entered the room, 'What's going on?' she asked in a strained voice.

'We're having a father/daughter reunion,' Jordan said, beaming.

'Hi, Kim,' Jordanna said in full friendly mode. 'How are you feeling?'

'Fine,' Kim said uneasily, waiting for her to ruin everything.

'I'm glad to hear that.'

'So here we are,' Jordan said, unaware of the tension. 'All my girls together. This is wonderful. We should go out and have a celebration lunch.'

Kim chewed on her bottom lip. '
Can
we call it a celebration?' she said, staring meaningfully at Jordanna.

'Yes, Kim,' Jordanna said quietly. We certainly can.'

'Nice of you to make it back,' Michael said, greeting Quincy at the door.

'Can you believe it?' Amber said, lugging the baby inside, while the toddler trailed behind clinging tightly on to her skirt. 'I
told
him he was a lousy skier. But did he listen? Oh no, Mister Big Sports Star Robbins just says, what you worryin' 'bout, baby? An' then promptly skis into a tree!'

Quincy managed to look sheepish. 'I didn't
see
that tree, honey. It came outta nowhere.'

'Don't you honey me!' she scolded. 'I'm putting the kids down for a nap, and I am
not
cooking dinner tonight, so don't you be expecting any.'

'I'm a wounded man,' Quincy said plaintively. 'I need sympathy an' lovin' care.'

'Get it from Michael, 'cause
this
store is closed.' She vanished upstairs with the children.

'Ain't marriage grand,' Quincy sighed, walking into the living room and flopping down on the couch.

'Seems like she's pissed,' Michael said.

'Dunno why -
I'm
the one with the broken arm.'

'OK,' Michael said. 'Let's get serious. There's been plenty going on while you've been away.'

'There has? Why didn't you call?'

'Cause I figured it could hold until you got back.'

'Do me a favour, get me a beer from the kitchen.'

'How long you gonna be in the cast?'

The doc said six weeks.'

'Jeez!'

'I know.'

Michael went into the kitchen and grabbed a can of beer from the fridge. He couldn't stop thinking about Kennedy. He'd never met a woman like her before, she seemed so different. Beautiful
and
smart - a killer combination. He was looking forward to seeing her again.

'Where's my beer?' Quincy yelled.

'Coming.'

He took Quincy his beer, sat next to him on the couch and began filling him in.

After lunch Bobby drove over to the screening room at the studio just in time to view the dailies with Mac. He turned to Mac when the lights went up expecting praise. Instead, Mac glanced at his watch and muttered a fast, 'I've got to go.'

'What did you think of the scenes we just saw?' Bobby asked.

'They're good. Cedric Farrell's giving a fine performance as your father. He's a real pro.'

Just what an actor longed to hear - praise for another actor. Bobby couldn't help feeling hurt, he needed praise too.

'We have to talk,' he said. 'There's a major problem about to happen.'

Mac looked at him sharply. Did Bobby know? How could that be? 'Later,' he said, halfway out the door. 'I have a meeting.'

'This is important, Mac.'

'So's my meeting.'

'Then you'd better come by the production office later.'

'I'll try,' Mac said, running out of there like he had a rocket up his ass.

Bobby hurried across the lot to the office, where the first person he ran into was Stan, now working in the Accounts Department.

'Bobby!' Stan exclaimed happily. Since scoring a job he'd cheered up considerably.

'Hey, Stan, how's it going?' Bobby said, hoping he wasn't about to be trapped.

'Couldn't be better,' Stan replied. 'Everything's under control.'

'Good,' Bobby said. 'Let's keep it that way.'

Stan was still around, but Len had gotten canned after the first week because he'd come to work drunk three days in a row. Len's wife, Trixie, had been trying to reach Bobby to complain about the firing, but so far he'd managed to avoid her calls.

Bobby made a fast escape upstairs to his office, he simply wasn't comfortable around Stan.

Beth greeted him with downcast eyes. 'I have really bad news, Bobby.'

'What?'

'Cedric Farrell's wife just called. He had a heart attack.'

'Oh, Jesus! Is he at Cedar's?'

'No,' Beth said quietly. 'He died an hour ago.'

'God, that's terrible.'

'I know.'

'How old was he?'

'Seventy-two.'

'Can we do anything?'

'His wife said she'll let us know the arrangements.'

It was shocking news. One moment Cedric was walking around perfectly healthy, and the next gone. He couldn't believe it.

When the news sank in he began to realize they were in a crisis situation. Cedric had been in almost every frame for the last two days, now they'd have to recast and reshoot. This would put them behind schedule and over budget.

'Try and get hold of Mac,' he said, thinking fast. We'll need him. And call Nanette Lipsky pronto. Get everyone up here as soon as possible.'

Beth couldn't reach Mac since he'd failed to leave a number, but she did manage to locate everyone else.

They gathered for an emergency meeting, Nanette and Florrie, Gary, Tyrone and several of the production staff. They sat around the office trying to come up with a solution.