for me.
Olympia, Warris and Pippa emerge as a happy threesome around noon. This is getting to be a routine – the noon-time wake-up call. What exactly does Olympia think I do all morning? The truth of the matter is that she doesn’t care. Now that she has Warris I am totally disposable.
I am kind of disgusted by this latest turn of events. A threesome. Really?
Pippa looks a sight, with smeared make-up and tangled hair. She is wearing one of Warris’s T-shirts, and nothing much else. Whatever happened to March? Surely he’s the one they should be sleeping with since he’s the one with the money to invest in their big-time movie?
‘Morning, little Lucky Saint,’ Olympia trills, heading for the kitchen.
Oh great, now she’s talking down to me. Using my fake surname like I’m some sort of dumb kid.
Pippa throws me an interested look. ‘Lucky Saint?’ she questions. ‘That’s a strange name.’
Oh, like Pippa isn’t?
‘Actually it’s Lucky Santangelo,’ I answer boldly.
‘Oh my God!’ Pippa exclaims, her pencilled eyebrows shooting up. ‘Are you Gino’s kid?’
What? She knows Gino ? This is impossible . Did Olympia tell her?
Warris is suddenly all ears. ‘ The Gino Santangelo?’ he questions. ‘The dude who practically owns Vegas ?’
There follows a long silence while I consider what I am supposed to say. Do I admit who I am? Or do I try to fake it?
Can’t fake it. Not with Olympia and her big mouth.
‘Yes,’ I say vaguely. ‘Breakfast, anyone?’
* * *
It is now two o’clock and I’m waiting for Jon to show, praying that he’ll turn up soon, because since Warris and Pippa have discovered my identity they have been fawning all over me. It’s major creepy.
I am sitting by the pool with Pippa.
‘Do you know that I was engaged to one of Gino’s dearest friends?’ she reveals after a while, creeping me out even more.
How is this possible? Who is she?
‘You were?’ I mumble. ‘And who would that be?’
‘Jake,’ Pippa answers proudly. ‘It was a long time ago – Jake the Boy as he was known then. I was very young, but I remember the day you were born. We sent over a present – a solid gold brush and comb set with your name inscribed.’
Oh crap! I know what she’s talking about. There is a tarnished gold brush and comb set sitting in a box of junk Gino keeps in the basement, and it has my name engraved on the back of the brush! This box is filled with stuff nobody wants – Gino keeps it because he says some things have sentimental value.
I am in shock. How did this happen? How does a fiery Latina actress on the make know who I am?
‘Where is Gino?’ Pippa asks. ‘I would love to see him again.’
I bet you would . WHO ARE YOU?
‘Gino’s not here,’ I say, my words tumbling over each other.
‘Is he coming?’ Pippa asks.
I stare at her. Shortly she’ll figure out how old I am and maybe wonder what’s going on.
‘Uh . . . yes,’ I lie. ‘He’ll be here soon.’
Pippa’s eyes light up. ‘Wonderful,’ she purrs. ‘I can’t wait to catch up on old times.’
This is a nightmare. What to do? I have to warn Olympia, who is currently naked in the swimming pool, smoking a joint and cavorting with Warris.
I get up and hurry into the kitchen.
‘So . . .’ Pippa says, following me, ‘whose house is this?’
‘It belongs to Olympia’s family,’ I reply, wishing the woman would leave me alone.
‘And they allow you two girls to live here by yourself?’
Get lost, lady . Who are you to interrogate me?
‘Uh . . . yeah. Everyone will be here in a few days.’
‘Not a moment too soon,’ Pippa remarks dryly, extracting a cigarette from her purse while glancing out the window and observing Warris and Olympia in the pool.
‘How old is your friend?’ she asks, tapping her manicured nails on the counter.
‘Nineteen,’ I lie, casually taking a Coca-Cola from the fridge.
‘Really,’ Pippa says. A long pause. ‘And you?’ she
Olympia, Warris and Pippa emerge as a happy threesome around noon. This is getting to be a routine – the noon-time wake-up call. What exactly does Olympia think I do all morning? The truth of the matter is that she doesn’t care. Now that she has Warris I am totally disposable.
I am kind of disgusted by this latest turn of events. A threesome. Really?
Pippa looks a sight, with smeared make-up and tangled hair. She is wearing one of Warris’s T-shirts, and nothing much else. Whatever happened to March? Surely he’s the one they should be sleeping with since he’s the one with the money to invest in their big-time movie?
‘Morning, little Lucky Saint,’ Olympia trills, heading for the kitchen.
Oh great, now she’s talking down to me. Using my fake surname like I’m some sort of dumb kid.
Pippa throws me an interested look. ‘Lucky Saint?’ she questions. ‘That’s a strange name.’
Oh, like Pippa isn’t?
‘Actually it’s Lucky Santangelo,’ I answer boldly.
‘Oh my God!’ Pippa exclaims, her pencilled eyebrows shooting up. ‘Are you Gino’s kid?’
What? She knows Gino ? This is impossible . Did Olympia tell her?
Warris is suddenly all ears. ‘ The Gino Santangelo?’ he questions. ‘The dude who practically owns Vegas ?’
There follows a long silence while I consider what I am supposed to say. Do I admit who I am? Or do I try to fake it?
Can’t fake it. Not with Olympia and her big mouth.
‘Yes,’ I say vaguely. ‘Breakfast, anyone?’
* * *
It is now two o’clock and I’m waiting for Jon to show, praying that he’ll turn up soon, because since Warris and Pippa have discovered my identity they have been fawning all over me. It’s major creepy.
I am sitting by the pool with Pippa.
‘Do you know that I was engaged to one of Gino’s dearest friends?’ she reveals after a while, creeping me out even more.
How is this possible? Who is she?
‘You were?’ I mumble. ‘And who would that be?’
‘Jake,’ Pippa answers proudly. ‘It was a long time ago – Jake the Boy as he was known then. I was very young, but I remember the day you were born. We sent over a present – a solid gold brush and comb set with your name inscribed.’
Oh crap! I know what she’s talking about. There is a tarnished gold brush and comb set sitting in a box of junk Gino keeps in the basement, and it has my name engraved on the back of the brush! This box is filled with stuff nobody wants – Gino keeps it because he says some things have sentimental value.
I am in shock. How did this happen? How does a fiery Latina actress on the make know who I am?
‘Where is Gino?’ Pippa asks. ‘I would love to see him again.’
I bet you would . WHO ARE YOU?
‘Gino’s not here,’ I say, my words tumbling over each other.
‘Is he coming?’ Pippa asks.
I stare at her. Shortly she’ll figure out how old I am and maybe wonder what’s going on.
‘Uh . . . yes,’ I lie. ‘He’ll be here soon.’
Pippa’s eyes light up. ‘Wonderful,’ she purrs. ‘I can’t wait to catch up on old times.’
This is a nightmare. What to do? I have to warn Olympia, who is currently naked in the swimming pool, smoking a joint and cavorting with Warris.
I get up and hurry into the kitchen.
‘So . . .’ Pippa says, following me, ‘whose house is this?’
‘It belongs to Olympia’s family,’ I reply, wishing the woman would leave me alone.
‘And they allow you two girls to live here by yourself?’
Get lost, lady . Who are you to interrogate me?
‘Uh . . . yeah. Everyone will be here in a few days.’
‘Not a moment too soon,’ Pippa remarks dryly, extracting a cigarette from her purse while glancing out the window and observing Warris and Olympia in the pool.
‘How old is your friend?’ she asks, tapping her manicured nails on the counter.
‘Nineteen,’ I lie, casually taking a Coca-Cola from the fridge.
‘Really,’ Pippa says. A long pause. ‘And you?’ she
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