star?’ asked Nicky.
‘Silver, plastic, and tarnished.’
Nicky laughed. ‘Don’t let anyone hear you say that. Oh, here comes his brother.’
Paul had been delayed at the hotel on long-distance calls, and as soon as he arrived Al said, ‘She’s here. Go find her and tell her to join me for a glass of wine and a quick fuck.’
‘Are you serious?’
‘About the wine. The other I’ll ask her myself.’
‘Terrific. I hope it will have all been worth it.’
‘Got a feeling it just might be.’
Paul spotted her immediately. You could hardly miss her with that tangle of sun-streaked hair and incredible figure.
He approached briskly. ‘Hello, I’m Paul King. Al would like you to join him for a drink.’
Dallas smiled. ‘I bring love and kisses from Linda. She said to tell you New York misses you.’
‘That’s nice.’ He shot a wary look at Nicky. It wasn’t exactly discreet of Linda to send that kind of a message. Suppose Melanie had been with him? ‘How about the drink with Al?’
‘Gee, thanks. But I think I’ll just stay out here. The sun is so lovely, I’m really enjoying it.’
‘Oh. You see Al thought it might be nice if the two of you got to know each other a little better.’
Dallas winked. ‘I know.’
Paul felt suddenly awkward. The village pimp. ‘Sure you won’t change your mind?’
‘Not unless it’s part of my contract.’
‘No, it’s not,’ Paul said stiffly, and he walked away.
Nicky shook his head in admiration. ‘Wow! Mr. King is not going to like this.’
‘Mister King is not going to get this.’
‘This is the second of his television shows I’ve been on and he gets
everything
he wants.’
‘So he’s just going to have to be deprived. I’m sure there are plenty of ladies around who wouldn’t mind him jumping on their bones, but I am
not
one of them.’
Nicky grinned shyly. ‘Would you come out with me tonight?’
‘How
old
are you?’
‘Twenty-two. We could go dancing. There’s a good disco in Juan les Pins.’
‘Sounds like fun, Nicky. And I know that you wouldn’t even
think
of jumping on my bones.’
‘Certainly not.’ He smiled proudly. ‘So it’s a date then?’
‘A date.’ Even Ed couldn’t get mad about her going out with a kid like Nicky, and she didn’t want to sit in her hotel, she wanted to get out and see something of the Riviera.
* * *
‘So what’s the matter with the bitch?’
‘I don’t know. Jesus, Al, I don’t even much care. You’ll nail her – you always do.’
‘I know
that
,’ agreed Al coldly. He lit a cigarette, thought of his voice, stubbed it out, and swore softly. ‘I felt like having her now.’
‘So you’ll have her tonight – big deal.’
‘Yeah. I’ll have her tonight. Arrange dinner – set something up.’
‘Christ!’ exclaimed Paul, ‘I think the message is she wants you to ask her yourself.’
‘You’re right. That’s the problem – she wants
me
to ask her. OK, boyo. Book me a table somewhere horny, order flowers, champagne. Jesus H, she had better be worth it.’
Paul frowned. Orders. Sometimes Al treated him just like another lackey. Linda was right. Maybe he should stop wet-nursing Al and put a manager on the job. Then he could relax, enjoy his money, and organize everything from the air-conditioned comfort of his suite of offices in Park Lane. Maybe after the tour. He knew what Al was going through now, it wasn’t the time to start making changes. Al didn’t mean to issue orders, he didn’t even realize he was doing it. Having everything done for him had just become a fact of life. It was all part and parcel of being a star.
‘You could take her to dinner at the Colombe d’Or in St. Paul de Vence. Romantic. Private.’
‘Ask her, Paul.’
‘I thought
you
were going to ask her.’
‘You give it another try.’
‘Oh shit – Al.’
‘Arrange it. I’ll romance her first and fuck her later!’
Chapter Twelve
Edna King awoke to the sound of the phone
‘Silver, plastic, and tarnished.’
Nicky laughed. ‘Don’t let anyone hear you say that. Oh, here comes his brother.’
Paul had been delayed at the hotel on long-distance calls, and as soon as he arrived Al said, ‘She’s here. Go find her and tell her to join me for a glass of wine and a quick fuck.’
‘Are you serious?’
‘About the wine. The other I’ll ask her myself.’
‘Terrific. I hope it will have all been worth it.’
‘Got a feeling it just might be.’
Paul spotted her immediately. You could hardly miss her with that tangle of sun-streaked hair and incredible figure.
He approached briskly. ‘Hello, I’m Paul King. Al would like you to join him for a drink.’
Dallas smiled. ‘I bring love and kisses from Linda. She said to tell you New York misses you.’
‘That’s nice.’ He shot a wary look at Nicky. It wasn’t exactly discreet of Linda to send that kind of a message. Suppose Melanie had been with him? ‘How about the drink with Al?’
‘Gee, thanks. But I think I’ll just stay out here. The sun is so lovely, I’m really enjoying it.’
‘Oh. You see Al thought it might be nice if the two of you got to know each other a little better.’
Dallas winked. ‘I know.’
Paul felt suddenly awkward. The village pimp. ‘Sure you won’t change your mind?’
‘Not unless it’s part of my contract.’
‘No, it’s not,’ Paul said stiffly, and he walked away.
Nicky shook his head in admiration. ‘Wow! Mr. King is not going to like this.’
‘Mister King is not going to get this.’
‘This is the second of his television shows I’ve been on and he gets
everything
he wants.’
‘So he’s just going to have to be deprived. I’m sure there are plenty of ladies around who wouldn’t mind him jumping on their bones, but I am
not
one of them.’
Nicky grinned shyly. ‘Would you come out with me tonight?’
‘How
old
are you?’
‘Twenty-two. We could go dancing. There’s a good disco in Juan les Pins.’
‘Sounds like fun, Nicky. And I know that you wouldn’t even
think
of jumping on my bones.’
‘Certainly not.’ He smiled proudly. ‘So it’s a date then?’
‘A date.’ Even Ed couldn’t get mad about her going out with a kid like Nicky, and she didn’t want to sit in her hotel, she wanted to get out and see something of the Riviera.
* * *
‘So what’s the matter with the bitch?’
‘I don’t know. Jesus, Al, I don’t even much care. You’ll nail her – you always do.’
‘I know
that
,’ agreed Al coldly. He lit a cigarette, thought of his voice, stubbed it out, and swore softly. ‘I felt like having her now.’
‘So you’ll have her tonight – big deal.’
‘Yeah. I’ll have her tonight. Arrange dinner – set something up.’
‘Christ!’ exclaimed Paul, ‘I think the message is she wants you to ask her yourself.’
‘You’re right. That’s the problem – she wants
me
to ask her. OK, boyo. Book me a table somewhere horny, order flowers, champagne. Jesus H, she had better be worth it.’
Paul frowned. Orders. Sometimes Al treated him just like another lackey. Linda was right. Maybe he should stop wet-nursing Al and put a manager on the job. Then he could relax, enjoy his money, and organize everything from the air-conditioned comfort of his suite of offices in Park Lane. Maybe after the tour. He knew what Al was going through now, it wasn’t the time to start making changes. Al didn’t mean to issue orders, he didn’t even realize he was doing it. Having everything done for him had just become a fact of life. It was all part and parcel of being a star.
‘You could take her to dinner at the Colombe d’Or in St. Paul de Vence. Romantic. Private.’
‘Ask her, Paul.’
‘I thought
you
were going to ask her.’
‘You give it another try.’
‘Oh shit – Al.’
‘Arrange it. I’ll romance her first and fuck her later!’
Chapter Twelve
Edna King awoke to the sound of the phone
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