Thrill! (20 page)

134

0^^^Jfl

"So, HERE we are,"

Joey said.

"And me feelin"

V^flP^PL^ like I've kidnapped the golden princess."

Lara regarded him seriously.

"What does that mean?"

"Did you see Cassie's face when you said you were takin"

off for lunch?"

"She's . . . protective."

"Gotta feelin"

everyone's talkin"

about us."

"Why would they? I mean, my God, if two people can't have lunch together . . ."

"Hey, I'm with you?

"Anyway, you're right,"

she said, sipping a glass of water. She'd changed out of her film clothes into faded jeans and a baggy white T-shirt. She still looked sensational.

"I couldn't face another of the caterer's chicken a la king dishes. A burger is exactly right."

Joey had a million sure-fire lines he could use, but he abandoned all of them. She was too good to listen to his bullshit.

"C'mon, Lara,"

he said, fixing her with his penetrating eyes,

"tell me somethin"

about you I'm not gonna read in a magazine. I've told you about my love life, so it's only fair."

She laughed easily.

"I don't have a love life."

"Cut me a break,"

he said disbelievingly.

"Well ... I did. I was with someone for a year ... we broke up six months ago."

She sighed deeply.

"It's not easy being with me."

"Why's that?"

"Isn't it obyious? Whenever I go to a movie premiere or an

135

/

JACKIE COLLINS

opening, photographers jump all over me. The man I'm with is merely the escort who'll make the tabloids because he's new in my life. It does nothing for a man's ego. How would you like it?"

"Hey - my ego's pretty secure."

I She couldn't help smiling.

"So I noticed."

He grinned back.

"Yeah?"

"I've been watching you on the set - all these women flocking around you. You're not famous yet, but it's definitely in your future. How will you handle it then?"

"Same as I do now."

"No, you don't understand,"

she said, her eyes clouding over for a moment.

"Everything changes when you're famous. You find yourself surrounded by people who'll do anything for you."

"You're wrong, Lara, people do anything for you

"cause you're nice."

"How can you say that?"

she said, staring at him.

"You hardly know me."

"I've been doing nothin"

but watchin"

you for the last three days."

"That's because you had to,"

she said lightly.

"Stuck forever in the background of our scene."

"I do know,"

he said, sincerely,

"that you're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."

"Genes,"

she murmured, laughing uncomfortably.

"It's all on account of my . . . parents."

"You don't like compliments, do you?"

"They embarrass me."

"Why?"

"How do I know?"

she said, biting into her hamburger and wondering for the twentieth time what she was doing with him. He was taken. She was free. Not a good mix.

"Whaddya do every night?"

he asked, watching her eat.

"Oh,"

she said flippantly,

"throw wild parties, hang out on the beach. And you?"

"Sit in my hotel room."

"And speak to your fiancee?"

136

"She's too busy,"

he said, dismissing the fictional Phillipa as quickly as possible.

"Always workin"

- never stops."

"And you accept that?"

"I dunno,"

he said.

"As a matter of fact. . ."

he hesitated.

"Naw, I'm not burdenin"

you with my problems."

"Go ahead, burden me. I've a few of my own I can discuss."

He laughed.

"Yeah - sure. Tell me and I'll sell

"em to the tabloids."

"I bet you would."

"Anythin"

to make a buck."

They grinned at each other.

"It's funny,"

he said, suddenly serious.

"How many people do you meet where you get to feel an instant connection? Y'know, a kinda brother-sister thing."

"I could be your big sister,"

she said good-naturedly.

"Hey, don't get carried away - you're only two years older than me."

"I feel like I'm playing hooky from school,"

she confessed.

"I never leave the set when I'm working. This is fun."

"Like I said, they're probably all talking about us."

"Little do they know how innocent it is."

"Maybe we should give them somethin"

to talk about,"

he said casually.

"Like what?"

she asked, equally casual.

"Like how about I take you to dinner tonight?"

he said, leaning across the table.

"There's this little fish restaurant I discovered."

She took a long deep breath.

"Uh . . . Joey, I should warn you, if we're spotted anywhere in public, there's likely to be paparazzi leaping out the bushes. Lunch is one thing - but I've a strong hunch Phillipa wouldn't appreciate photographs of us dining out in all the tabloids."

"She's not jealous,"

he said flatly. She doesn't even exist.

"I would be,"

she said quietly.

"No,"

he said.

"I can't see you being jealous."

"You'd be surprised. I can be a bitch."

"Oh no,"

he said, shaking his head.

"Not you."

And then his dark eyes met hers again, and she felt an intense

137 connection that made her very nervous indeed.

"Uh ... we should be getting back,"

she said, glancing at her watch.

"Yeah,"

he said.

"I gotta rehearse with Kyle and the stunt coordinator. Should be interesting."

She stood up.

"I'm sure Kyle will make it very interesting. Just remember - everyone's on your side."

They walked outside to her car and driver.

Joey opened the door and she slid onto the back seat.

"Dinner?"

he asked.

"We doin"

it or not?"

She felt a flutter in her stomach. This was absolutely ridiculous . . . and yet - why not?

"Yes,"

she said breathlessly.

"Let's live dangerously."

He nodded as if he'd known she'd agree.

"Pick you up at seven."

ft ft ft

Lara sat in the make-up trailer having her lips touched up. For some unknown reason she couldn't stop thinking about Joey - his dark brooding eyes, long hair, sensational smile.

"Hmm . . ."

Roxy remarked, busy with a pot of pale lip gloss and a thin brush.

"He's quite a hunk."

"Who?"

Lara asked, snapping back to reality.

"The Pope,"

Roxy answered good-humouredly.

"Who do you think? Joey Lorenzo, of course."

"Oh yes, Joey. He seems like a nice enough guy,"

Lara said, keeping her tone noncommittal.

"H#.p Roxy exclaimed.

"And how was your lunch?"

"Actually, Roxy,"

Lara said sweetly,

"it's none of your business."

Roxy knew when to keep her mouth shut.

ft ft ft

Joey was working with the stunt coordinator when Kyle finally put in an appearance, striding over to the stuntman, once again failing to acknowledge Joey's presence.

"Give me the moves,"

Kyle said curtly.

"Let's get this over with."

138

I ,'/'

THRILL!

Screw you, Joey thought. You and your phony hairpiece and phony smile. Big fucking movie star. Who gives a shit?

The stuntman began explaining the way the scene should go telling Kyle exactly how to throw a punch without actually striking Joey.

"I know, I know,"

Kyle said impatiently, cracking his knuckles.

"Done it a thousand times."

In rehearsals all went well, but as soon as Miles called for a take, Kyle hauled off, hitting Joey for real, landing a crunching blow to his jaw.

It was so unexpected that Joey fell like a stone.

He was professional enough to stay down until Miles yelled,

"Cut!"

When he got up he was ready to kill.

Miles stepped between them and said to Kyle,

"What the hell happened here?"

"Guess my hand must've slipped,"

Kyle said, a sneer in his voice.

"Better do it again."

Miles edged Kyle to one side.

"Stop the punch when you're supposed to,"

he ordered tersely.

"Yeah, yeah,"

Kyle said, as if he gave a shit.

There was silence on the set as they shot the scene again. This time Kyle behaved himself and pulled his punch.

"OK, once more,"

Miles shouted, still not satisfied.

Roxy nudged Yoko.

"Watch him cold-cock the poor bastard,"

she whispered.

"Settle down, everybody,"

yelled the first AD.

Kyle hit Joey so hard he thought the sonofabitch had broken his jaw, and although it dredged up a lot of bad memories, he managed to stay down until Miles shouted, "Cut! Print it, that's a take!"

As soon as he knew the camera had stopped rolling, he was on his feet, chasing after Kyle, spinning him around, hauling back and punching him on the chin.

For a moment Kyle couldn't believe he was under attack. Then he responded with a left hook of his own, and before anyone could stop them, the two actors were embroiled in a serious fist fight.

"Told you!"

Roxy said.

139 Several of the crew stepped in to separate them, but not before Joey had managed to bloody Kyle's nose.

"You fucking prick!"

Kyle screamed, eyes bulging, hairpiece slipping.

"I'll make sure you never work again, you dumb fucking asshole!"

Rubbing his knuckles, Joey walked away.

Lara came after him as he left the set.

"The jerk asked for it,"

he muttered.

"You were provoked,"

she said.

"Everyone saw what happened."

"Yeah, but I should've taken it out on him later,"

he said, furious at himself for losing control.

"Not here, in front of everyone."

"Joey, he deserved it."

"That's what I like about you,"

he said ruefully.

"You always support the underdog."

She placed her hand lightly on his arm. Td hardly call you an underdog."

He looked at her intently.

"We still havin"

dinner tonight?"

"Of course,"

she said, clear green eyes gazing into his.

"Wouldn't miss it."

And he knew that it wasn't long before he'd make her his.

140

^^^L^Jjl THE INCIDENT had happened on a hot June V^^ML** night. Alison Sewell was not in the best of moods. Her mother was infuriating her with her constant whining and complaining - so much so, that Alison had paid the neighbour's kid - a fourteen-year-old freak who needed money for her heroin habit - to sit with her while she was out. The teenager had green hair and a ring through her nose and God knew where else. This did not sit well with Mother, who told Alison she'd sooner be dead than subjected to this kind of company.

OK with me, Alison thought. Then perhaps I can get some sleep around here.

She'd taken off at six to land a good position outside the Directors"

Guild for a screening Lara Ivory was due to attend. Alison obtained celebrity attendees lists from an acquaintance. Of course she had to pay him, but nothing in life was free - including the new hiking shoes she'd recently purchased which were squeezing her feet, making her even more bad-tempered.

She stood at the back, wondering who Lara's escort would be tonight. According to Hard Copy, Alison's favourite TV show, she'd recently gotten rid of the Lee Randolph creep - he was history. So now Lara was free again. Alison hoped she didn't start dating just anybody. If Lara made bad choices she'd be forced to warn her -

"cause Alison knew plenty about all of them. She knew who cheated on their wives; who was in the closet; who liked transvestites; who was into hookers.

141 So much for Hollywood's so-called Macho Men. A bunch of perverts with dicks.

The reason Lara had dumped Lee was probably because she'd taken heed of all the warnings Alison had written her. Sometimes she'd sent her three or four letters a day, just to make sure she knew that Alison Sewell was on her side, rooting for her. She'd been thinking that now Lee Randolph was gone, she might resume her visits to Lara's house. Only today she'd written her a long letter telling her idol they could now spend plenty of time together since the loser was history. The loser being Mr Lee Randolph himself, who, if she had her way, would have gotten a bullet in his brain because it was his fault she wasn't living in Lara's house and hanging out like real girlfriends did.