Turned and saw Belinda Boyle make a beeline for Dan and Mick. She saw Belinda go up to Dan and kiss him on his lips.
“There goes trouble,” she thought. Jennie knew who Belinda Boyle was. Belinda had been famous for about twelve years now for her wonderful male nudes. She was equally famous for seducing all of her male nude models and then discarding them and moving quickly to the next one. Jennie remembered that Dan and Belinda had been at Art School together, and smiled as she recalled that it was Belinda’s nude sketch of Dan that had first brought Lucy and Dan together, all those years ago. Dan had ditched Belinda so fast once he met Lucy, Jennie thought with glee. He might be the only man Belinda had painted who had dumped her for another woman…
Jennie caught a glimpse of herself in a mirror in the Ladies Room, and gasped. She was wearing an amazing diamond necklace, three strands of large diamonds set into platinum balls, hung like pearls around her neck…it was exquisite. Jennie stood staring at herself in the mirror, fingering her necklace for a long time. He’d spent a fortune! Finally, she repaired the lipstick Mick had smudged in the limousine, and went out to join him.
He was still talking to Belinda and Dan. Lucy was sitting at a desk in the back that had a neat sign on it “Donations”, talking to Martine as they watched the black widow spider try to weave her web around the two men. Jennie changed direction, and went to join Lucy and Martine.
Mick saw her, and smiled at her, a brilliant smile. Brenda looked over to see who he was smiling at. The woman looked vaguely familiar…oh yes, she’d been going out with that stockbroker a few months ago. But only going out with him until Belinda had decided to paint him nude. Belinda wondered idly what the stockbroker was up to now; she couldn’t even remember his name.
Lucy wa s smiling at her. “Do you remember Martine? I know it’s been several years since you met each other….”
“Oh, yes. Here at the Gallery, wasn’t it? At one of Dan’s earlier shows.”
“Yes,” Martine smiled at her. “You look lovely, Jennie. I didn’t recognize you. Your hair is shorter now, and you’re looking so happy. Your picture was in the paper this morning, you know.
“No. I didn’t know. ”
“It may still be in my office…” Martine returned in less than a minute with the tabloid.
Jennie and Lucy looked at the picture and read the print underneath. Lucy laughed. She pulled out her mobile. “We might as well have that gift certificate, Jennie, if nobody’s claimed it yet. We can split it.
Jennie chuckled. “First time somebody’s offered a reward to find out who I am.”
Lucy dialled the number given. “Hello, I’m calling about the picture of Mick Gerrard’s mystery lady… oh, somebody’s already called. Who did they say it was?...well, you’ve given the prize out to the wrong person…Mick’s lady’s name isn’t Barbara, it’s Jennie. Jennie Talbot…yes, they’re both good friends of mine….of course I know it’s Jennie, she’s sitting right beside me now….she knows I’m calling you, I think she was highly amused that you only offered a hundred pound gift certificate….what do you mean, you know I’m wrong, it’s Barbara Brown? I tell you, both Mick and Jennie are with me now, at an art function….you silly little girl, you’ll look foolish in the morning, when the paparazzi run their pictures together with the correct name….”
Lucy shrugged. “The young woman on the other end insisted your name is Barbara Brown and you’re an actress with a bit part in the Avengers . Ah well, they’ll be wearing egg.”
Jennie smiled at her friend. “I don’t care if they get the name right, Lucy. Maybe it’s better if they get the name wrong.”
Jennie smiled at Mick across the room. He was looking blandly at Belinda Boyle, shaking his head about something. He caught
“There goes trouble,” she thought. Jennie knew who Belinda Boyle was. Belinda had been famous for about twelve years now for her wonderful male nudes. She was equally famous for seducing all of her male nude models and then discarding them and moving quickly to the next one. Jennie remembered that Dan and Belinda had been at Art School together, and smiled as she recalled that it was Belinda’s nude sketch of Dan that had first brought Lucy and Dan together, all those years ago. Dan had ditched Belinda so fast once he met Lucy, Jennie thought with glee. He might be the only man Belinda had painted who had dumped her for another woman…
Jennie caught a glimpse of herself in a mirror in the Ladies Room, and gasped. She was wearing an amazing diamond necklace, three strands of large diamonds set into platinum balls, hung like pearls around her neck…it was exquisite. Jennie stood staring at herself in the mirror, fingering her necklace for a long time. He’d spent a fortune! Finally, she repaired the lipstick Mick had smudged in the limousine, and went out to join him.
He was still talking to Belinda and Dan. Lucy was sitting at a desk in the back that had a neat sign on it “Donations”, talking to Martine as they watched the black widow spider try to weave her web around the two men. Jennie changed direction, and went to join Lucy and Martine.
Mick saw her, and smiled at her, a brilliant smile. Brenda looked over to see who he was smiling at. The woman looked vaguely familiar…oh yes, she’d been going out with that stockbroker a few months ago. But only going out with him until Belinda had decided to paint him nude. Belinda wondered idly what the stockbroker was up to now; she couldn’t even remember his name.
Lucy wa s smiling at her. “Do you remember Martine? I know it’s been several years since you met each other….”
“Oh, yes. Here at the Gallery, wasn’t it? At one of Dan’s earlier shows.”
“Yes,” Martine smiled at her. “You look lovely, Jennie. I didn’t recognize you. Your hair is shorter now, and you’re looking so happy. Your picture was in the paper this morning, you know.
“No. I didn’t know. ”
“It may still be in my office…” Martine returned in less than a minute with the tabloid.
Jennie and Lucy looked at the picture and read the print underneath. Lucy laughed. She pulled out her mobile. “We might as well have that gift certificate, Jennie, if nobody’s claimed it yet. We can split it.
Jennie chuckled. “First time somebody’s offered a reward to find out who I am.”
Lucy dialled the number given. “Hello, I’m calling about the picture of Mick Gerrard’s mystery lady… oh, somebody’s already called. Who did they say it was?...well, you’ve given the prize out to the wrong person…Mick’s lady’s name isn’t Barbara, it’s Jennie. Jennie Talbot…yes, they’re both good friends of mine….of course I know it’s Jennie, she’s sitting right beside me now….she knows I’m calling you, I think she was highly amused that you only offered a hundred pound gift certificate….what do you mean, you know I’m wrong, it’s Barbara Brown? I tell you, both Mick and Jennie are with me now, at an art function….you silly little girl, you’ll look foolish in the morning, when the paparazzi run their pictures together with the correct name….”
Lucy shrugged. “The young woman on the other end insisted your name is Barbara Brown and you’re an actress with a bit part in the Avengers . Ah well, they’ll be wearing egg.”
Jennie smiled at her friend. “I don’t care if they get the name right, Lucy. Maybe it’s better if they get the name wrong.”
Jennie smiled at Mick across the room. He was looking blandly at Belinda Boyle, shaking his head about something. He caught
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