own thoughts.
‘That would only have confused him.’
‘Do you want me to punch him?’
She shrugged. ‘Whatever for? Everyone’s happy.’
‘Are they? Are they? ’ His eyes, fixed on hers, were angry and dark with meaning.
She was saved from having to answer by the arrival of Vera, offering to take Charlene to see some more of the studio.
‘That sounds great,’ Charlene said cheerfully. ‘Let’s go.’
Her mind seemed to have slipped into another dimension and she enjoyed the tour, especially the last part, where they crept into the rehearsal room just as Travis was confronting Lee in a scene.
‘It’s best to think a little before you speak,’ ‘Dr Harrison’ was saying. ‘Your patients will appreciate it.’
‘I do try,’ Lee was saying in character. ‘But things can get very difficult.’
‘Hey, what happened there?’ called Vince. ‘Travis, you’re supposed to simply stand there and look at him, not reach out as though you meant to hit him.’
‘Sorry,’ Travis said in a tight voice. ‘Something made me jump.’
‘OK, do it again,’ Vince called. ‘Travis, remember you’re full of warm feeling and generosity.’
‘Yeah, right!’
‘Let’s leave them to it,’ Vera murmured, and they slipped away.
Charlene recalled Travis saying he rarely lost his temper and found it hard to cope when he did. But surely he hadn’t lost his temper with Lee?
Yet the look on his face had surprised her, and possibly everyone else in the room. Anger coming out of nowhere.
At the end of the day she went out to wait for him in the car. There were nods and salutations from the others who were leaving, always with an edge of curiosity and respect.
I could get used to this, she thought. OK, so it’s all a con, but who says I can’t enjoy a con while it lasts?
After a few minutes Travis joined her and they relaxed in the back together.
‘Do you ever have to drive yourself?’ she asked.
‘I’m not allowed to drive myself,’ he said, grinning. ‘The bosses say they want me free to think of nothing but my “art”. The truth is that I’m not a brilliant driver and they’re terrified I’ll have an accident that will reflect badly on the show.’
As the car pulled away, Charlene saw Lee watching her from a distance. He waved and quickly stepped back into the shadows. She glanced at Travis, wondering if he’d noticed, but he was looking the other way.
CHAPTER SEVEN
T HEY got out a few blocks from his home, and went to dine in a small restaurant.
As they relaxed over the main course, Charlene said, ‘We need to talk about money. You give me too much.’
‘You deserve every penny. I want you to take more and equip yourself with more clothes.’
‘Then I’ll buy them myself.’
‘At LA prices? No way.’
‘I mean it. I’m your useful piece of stage equipment, not your kept woman. This is an arrangement of equals or it’s nothing.’
‘Equals?’ He looked comically alarmed. ‘I don’t do equals.’
‘You’ve never heard of women’s lib?’
‘I’ve heard of it but I try to ignore it. I don’t know! My girlfriend paying for herself. Whatever is the world coming to? Well, at least you have to accept this.’
From his pocket he produced a small jewel box. Inside she found the pearl earrings that he’d left behind on the first night.
‘Sorry about that,’ he said.
‘And the press thinks you’re the great romantic,’ she teased.
He fixed the earrings for her. She had to admit they were beautiful. He thought so too, from the way he was smiling.
They strolled home, yawning, for it was very late. As they got into the elevator a middle-aged man appeared, hurrying. Travis held the doors open for him, calling, ‘It’s all right, Sam, I’ve got it.’
‘Thanks,’ said the man. He smiled and nodded at Charlene.
‘Charlene, this is my friend, Sam Barton. He and his wife live on the floor below us.’
‘And you don’t have to tell me who this is,’ Sam said,
‘That would only have confused him.’
‘Do you want me to punch him?’
She shrugged. ‘Whatever for? Everyone’s happy.’
‘Are they? Are they? ’ His eyes, fixed on hers, were angry and dark with meaning.
She was saved from having to answer by the arrival of Vera, offering to take Charlene to see some more of the studio.
‘That sounds great,’ Charlene said cheerfully. ‘Let’s go.’
Her mind seemed to have slipped into another dimension and she enjoyed the tour, especially the last part, where they crept into the rehearsal room just as Travis was confronting Lee in a scene.
‘It’s best to think a little before you speak,’ ‘Dr Harrison’ was saying. ‘Your patients will appreciate it.’
‘I do try,’ Lee was saying in character. ‘But things can get very difficult.’
‘Hey, what happened there?’ called Vince. ‘Travis, you’re supposed to simply stand there and look at him, not reach out as though you meant to hit him.’
‘Sorry,’ Travis said in a tight voice. ‘Something made me jump.’
‘OK, do it again,’ Vince called. ‘Travis, remember you’re full of warm feeling and generosity.’
‘Yeah, right!’
‘Let’s leave them to it,’ Vera murmured, and they slipped away.
Charlene recalled Travis saying he rarely lost his temper and found it hard to cope when he did. But surely he hadn’t lost his temper with Lee?
Yet the look on his face had surprised her, and possibly everyone else in the room. Anger coming out of nowhere.
At the end of the day she went out to wait for him in the car. There were nods and salutations from the others who were leaving, always with an edge of curiosity and respect.
I could get used to this, she thought. OK, so it’s all a con, but who says I can’t enjoy a con while it lasts?
After a few minutes Travis joined her and they relaxed in the back together.
‘Do you ever have to drive yourself?’ she asked.
‘I’m not allowed to drive myself,’ he said, grinning. ‘The bosses say they want me free to think of nothing but my “art”. The truth is that I’m not a brilliant driver and they’re terrified I’ll have an accident that will reflect badly on the show.’
As the car pulled away, Charlene saw Lee watching her from a distance. He waved and quickly stepped back into the shadows. She glanced at Travis, wondering if he’d noticed, but he was looking the other way.
CHAPTER SEVEN
T HEY got out a few blocks from his home, and went to dine in a small restaurant.
As they relaxed over the main course, Charlene said, ‘We need to talk about money. You give me too much.’
‘You deserve every penny. I want you to take more and equip yourself with more clothes.’
‘Then I’ll buy them myself.’
‘At LA prices? No way.’
‘I mean it. I’m your useful piece of stage equipment, not your kept woman. This is an arrangement of equals or it’s nothing.’
‘Equals?’ He looked comically alarmed. ‘I don’t do equals.’
‘You’ve never heard of women’s lib?’
‘I’ve heard of it but I try to ignore it. I don’t know! My girlfriend paying for herself. Whatever is the world coming to? Well, at least you have to accept this.’
From his pocket he produced a small jewel box. Inside she found the pearl earrings that he’d left behind on the first night.
‘Sorry about that,’ he said.
‘And the press thinks you’re the great romantic,’ she teased.
He fixed the earrings for her. She had to admit they were beautiful. He thought so too, from the way he was smiling.
They strolled home, yawning, for it was very late. As they got into the elevator a middle-aged man appeared, hurrying. Travis held the doors open for him, calling, ‘It’s all right, Sam, I’ve got it.’
‘Thanks,’ said the man. He smiled and nodded at Charlene.
‘Charlene, this is my friend, Sam Barton. He and his wife live on the floor below us.’
‘And you don’t have to tell me who this is,’ Sam said,
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