Thrill! (39 page)

"I don't particularly care."

No. Of course he didn't. Sheldon was as cold as a dead shark, with about as much personality.

"OK,"

Nikki said slowly.

"Maybe when the time comes for her to go to college, we can consider her moving here then. She could attend UCLA or USC, both excellent choices."

"That decision is mine, Nikki."

"No,"

she said heatedly,

"it's mine, too. We're both her parents."

H

270

"You gave up that right when you left her with me."

Fuck you, Sheldon. Who do you think you're talking to? The naive little girl you married? I'm a big girl now. I can stand up for myself.

"If you remember,"

Nikki said, her voice a flat monotone,

"you insisted she stay with you. And you made her feel so guilty that she told me it's what she wanted."

A cold laugh.

"Ah . . . Nikki, Nikki, you always were adept at making excuses."

The old familiar anger began to overwhelm her.

"How's your child bride?"

she asked bitchily.

"That's right,"

he said calmly.

"Try and get at me that way."

A brief pause.

"The truth is, my dear, it won't work. I've told you before - you're damaged, you need help."

"Oh, screw you!"

she shouted, suddenly snapping.

"You're still an asshole!"

And she slammed down the phone, furious she'd allowed him to goad her.

Now she was stuck with the job of telling Summer she couldn't stay. Of course, if she was truthful, she knew it was for the best, considering she had neither the time nor the inclination to watch over her. Summer was better off with her father - even if he was major prick of the year.

For a brief moment she was tempted to call him back and tell him that. Sheldon, with his shock of thick white hair of which he was so proud; his smug expression; his perfectly capped teeth; and his small dick.

She couldn't help a vindictive smile when she recalled his tiny member. Sheldon was a big man everywhere except in the one place it really mattered. A psychiatrist with a small dick problem. Not the perfect combination. It forever pissed him off, which is why he went for young inexperienced girls who had nothing to compare it with.

She sighed. Sheldon and his small dick were part of her past, she'd moved on long ago. So why did he still bug her?

There was a tap on her office door and Aiden Sean wandered in looking like he'd just staggered out of bed - which he probably had.

"What's up?"

she asked.

271

^ "You've got that tense face on,"

he said, flexing a skinny arm.

"Me, tense?"

she said lightly.

"Why would you say that?"

"I got a feelin"

for emotions."

"Can I help you?"

she asked, determined not to fall into his let's get intimate trap, because she instinctively knew he wanted to get closer.

"Yeah. I need a coupla changes in the script. Wanna talk t'you about it before I go t'Mick. He can be an uptight bitch

"bout changin"

stuff."

"In other words, you'd like me on your side?"

"Why not? You're the boss."

She grinned, forgetting about Sheldon and Richard and all her problems.

"Flattery will garner you my full attention."

He nodded, like he'd known that all along.

"Let's get a drink,"

he said.

"You look like you could use one."

"I do?"

"Yes, boss lady."

She looked at him sceptically.

"How come you always treat rue like I'm a hundred and two?"

He shrugged.

"Maybe I like t'bug you."

"Why?"

"Cause you're so easy."

She shook her head ruefully.

"Thanks."

"OK, Nikki. Are we goin"

for a drink or not?"

"You sure you're supposed to drink?"

He laughed drily.

"I was a druggie, not an alcoholic."

"Well... I guess I could use a glass of wine."

"Big boozer, huh?"

She ignored his remark and picked up her purse. It was past six, she should be heading home - but for what? To have another fight with Richard? She needed his support, not his constant criticism.

Besides, if Aiden wished to discuss the script it was her duty as the producer to be there for him.

272

^f^^^^Jj^ JOEY WAS lying on the couch in the den, ^^^P^B^>* watching sports on TV, when Lara arrived home. Laid out on the coffee table in front of him was a bowl of caramel popcorn and a plate of freshly baked cookies.

"I see Mrs Crenshaw is looking after you,"

she said, pleased that he seemed to be settling in so comfortably.

He barely looked up.

"I got her under my voodoo spell,"

he said, casually tossing a handful of popcorn into his mouth.

"They're all under your spell,"

she replied, lightly touching his cheek.

"Women adore you, and you love it."

"Whatever you say,"

he said, eyes fixed firmly on the TV.

She wished he'd shut off the television and pay her some attention, she wasn't used to being treated in such a cavalier fashion.

"So,"

she said, perching on the edge of the couch.

"Tell me what happened with you and Quinn."

"Nothin"

much,"

he answered vaguely.

"Will he negotiate for you?"

"You told him to, didn't you?"

"Yes."

"Well,"

he said, a slight edge to his tone, Vhen Miz Ivory tells people to do things - they do

"em. Right?"

She paused for a moment before saying

"Aren't you pleased?"

"I dunno,"

he said moodily.

"Sometimes I think I shouldn't be

273 askin"

you t'do stuff for me. You got me Revenge, then you got me your agent. . ."

"Joey,"

she said softly,

"I can only open the door. Once you're in, you have to prove yourself."

"Yeah,"

he said, laughing sardonically.

"Like they're gonna fire me if I don't deliver. There's no way they'd risk pissin"

you off."

"I didn't get you The Dreamer," she pointed out.

"You did that by yourself

"Yeah, clever me,"

he mumbled.

"Is something the matter?"

she asked, treading carefully around his bad mood.

Tm feelin"

kinda down tonight,"

he admitted, finally giving her his full attention, even though he didn't bother lowering the sound on the TV.

"Why?"

"Cause you deserted me today."

"Joey,"

she explained, sure he must be joking,

"I had to do publicity. I've got two movies coming out soon."

"I know, I know . . ."

A long beat.

"Truth is I'm feelin"

kinda homesick."

"Homesick?"

she said, frowning.

"I miss the New York street action. I don't know anybody in LA."

"I can introduce you to people."

He gave an ironic laugh.

"Oh, yeah - like the people you'd introduce me to are gonna be interested in meetin"

me."

She decided this conversation was not taking a good turn.

"What do you want to do tonight?"

she asked, changing the subject.

"We could go out, stay in - whatever you like."

"What do you wanna do?"

he said, turning the question around so that it was she who had to make the decision.

"I don't mind,"

she replied.

"Then maybe I'll watch the end of the ball game,"

he said, turning back to the television.

Was he dismissing her? She couldn't believe that she'd been thinking about him all day, and now that she was home, he was

274

Bf THRILL!

I

Hi behaving this way toward her.

"Are you saying you want to be

B alone?"

she said, trying not to sound upset.

H

"Is that OK with you?"

H

"Fine,"

she said, Til see you later."

«! She hurried upstairs to her bedroom. They'd hardly been

is together ten minutes and all of a sudden he was pulling this moody

&l stuff on her. Was it something she'd done? Had she offended him

|j|"

in some way?

||| How could she have offended him? As he'd pointed out, she'd

m* gotten him an interview with her agent, a job in her movie. What

M else was she supposed to do?

|l Maybe it hadn't been such a good idea suggesting he stay at

t|f. her house, a hotel might have been better.

? * For a moment her eyes rilled with tears. She'd so wanted this to

V turn out to be something good, now she wasn't so sure.

^ She went into her bathroom, stopping in front of the mirror and staring at her reflection. Lara Ivory. Beautiful movie star. The

?$f woman who could have anyone. Yeah. Sure.

f'i, And the real truth is - Lara Ann Miller - you know who she is -

" the kid who watched her father butcher her mother and brother ^« *

, j*'L then sat back while he blew his brains out.

^

,, Some nice little girl.

^ Some ugly little slut.

Dammit! She wasn't about to start feeling sorry for herself. She went back into the bedroom, buzzed the kitchen and reached Mrs Crenshaw.

"Where are the dogs?"

she asked.

"Mr Joey said they'd be better off spending more time outside in the dog run,"

Mrs Crenshaw replied.

"Oh, he did, did he? Well, kindly let them back into the house

"-"

right now."

*H

"Certainly, Miss Ivory."

J?,* He'd told her he loved dogs, now he was banishing them

*"

outside the house. What was going on?

jw She was tempted to go down and confront him. But what if he

V split? What if he said,

"OK, this isn't working out, goodbye."

Was B she ready for that? K No. She wasn't prepared to give up on this relationship. Not

275 yet anyway. They were still getting to know each other - she had to give it time.

&&&

Nikki and Aiden drove to the Chateau Marmont in her car. Aiden shut his eyes and slept all the way. Hmm, Nikki thought, he's certainly not into being polite.

"Wakey, wakey,"

she said drily when they arrived.

"I'm beat,"

he said, rubbing his eyes.

"Takes a crap-load of energy doin"

nothing. Can't wait to start work."

They sat at a small table. Aiden ordered his usual Jack Daniel's. She went for a glass of red wine. He lit up a cigarette, blowing a stream of smoke into her face. She coughed, clearing the air with her hands.

"Sorry,"

he mumbled, not looking sorry at all.

"So,"

she said, all business.

"What's your problem with the script?"

"It sucks."

"Excuse me?"

"I wanna change my dialogue - do a rewrite, an"

get compensated."

"I presume you're joking."

He dragged on his cigarette.

"Deadly serious."

"Not possible, Aiden. We start shooting in a few days, no time for rewrites. Plus, everyone else is perfectly happy with the script."

"It's corny shit."

Now he was starting to aggravate her; Revenue was a great script.

"Then why did you accept the part?"

she asked coldly.

He gave a mirthless laugh.

"Only game goin"

on. I'm trouble didn'tchaknow?"

Fortunately she was used to dealing with actors, they were all insecure - this one more than most.

"Listen to me,"

she said, as calmly as she could manage.

"Mick hired you. He promised me you were in good shape, now you're coming to me with this."

"I'm fuckin"

bored,"

Aiden said, ice-grey eyes restlessly scanning the room.

"I'm fuckin"

bored with everyone tellin"

me what I

276

can do an"

what I can't. Right now I wanna get laid. You into fast sex?"

Why had she agreed to have a drink with him? Rule one for producers - stay away from actors.

"You're nuts,"

she said, shaking her head.

"Bin told that many times. Wanna fuck or not?"

"Not,"

she said, briskly rising from the table.

"I have to get home."

"Hubby waitin"

patiently?"

"What's it to you?"

"You're too young to set up house with such an old cocker."

"Why don't you concentrate on getting your act together and leave me alone?"

"Cause I like you."

"Really,"

she said, feigning uninterest, although if she was truthful, she had to admit he did intrigue her.