Jackie Collins, page 38
breakfast of bran and bananas and got himself mentally ready for his
first phone call of the day. He called Annie.
"Hey, listen," he said. "Remember I was supposed to work on some kinda
scene for Joy Byron?"
"Yes?" she said in her Who gives a damn voice.
"You promised to help me out. I haven't had a lot of time this week-"
"I can imagine," she interrupted.
"I've found the scene I want to do. I thought I'd drop by tomorrow and
read through it with you."
"I'm working tomorrow," she said coolly.
"I'd really like to rehearse before I do it for Joy," he said, hoping
to persuade her.
"Miss Byron," she corrected. "Nobody calls her Joy."
"You will read with me, won't you, Annie?"
"Did I say I would?"
Time to turn n the charm, not so easy over the phone-he did better in
person. "Are you pissed at me?"
"Should I be?"
"I dunno." A short pause. "Hey-about DeVille arriving on my
doorsteshe's an old girlfriend from Chicago who blew into town with
nowhere to stay. She be moving on soon." He glanced over at
DeVille-still asleep on his bed. DeVille wasn't moving anywhere.
There was a long awkward silence, finally broken by Annie. "I bumped
into Cyndra yesterday," she said. "She'd like to hear from you.
"I've been meaning to call her."
"What are you waiting for? She is your sister."
7
"I call her tomorrow. I'm driving to Mexico today "Mexico?"
"Yeah, I'm picking up a passenger. Somebody's kid is getting out of
boarding school."
"Boarding school-in Mexico?"
"You think I'm making it up?"
"I'm never sure what you make up and what's the truth."
He got off the subject. "So . . . can I see you tomorrow?"
There was another long pause before she finally said, "Okay, I guess
so. Come by at five, we'll go to class together."
"I'll be there," he said, hanging up.
After scoring the two grand he was going to tell Manny goodbye.
One trip was enough. Soon he'd have an acting job and wouldn't need
this crap.
Manny had told him to go out and buy a chauffeur's uniform. He'd done
so reluctantly. Jeer! There was nothing worse than dressing up in a
uniform, feeling like somebody's lackey.
The uniform hung in his closet. He took it out, looked at it, put it
away and went back to bed.
DeVille groaned in her sleep as he snuggled up behind her, letting her
know he was awake. Tomorrow he really would tell her to leave.
May as well make the best of this last opportunity.
"Annie remarked, rubbing suntan "I finally heard from your brother, oil
on her legs.
"What's he up to?" Cyndra asked, turning on her lounger beside the
pool. "I call him all the time-he's never home."
"That's because his girlfriend came in from Chicago."
Cyndra sat up. "What girlfriend?"
"Some tall showgirl type with long red hair."
"Jealous?"
"Who, me?"
"Come on, Annie. I know you like" "Well . . . I must admit I thought
there might be something between us, but that was before I found out he
was the Don Juan of the out-of-work actors."
Cyndra nodded knowingly. "Nick's always been like that. Back in high
school he could have any girl he wanted."
"You should have warned me."
"I didn't think you were planning on getting involved."
"You're the one who gave him my phone number."
"I had a feeling you two might be good together."
"Listen, the last thing I need in my life is a guy who can't keep it in
his pants."
Cyndra laughed. "Okay, okay, I get the message." She glanced up as
Reece emerged from their apartment wearing a pair of flashy madras
shorts with several heavy gold chains swinging around his neck.
Annie greeted him with a desultory wave. "Hi, Reece. Another hard
day's work?"
"Don't look like you're exactly bustin' your ass," he said, throwing
her a dirty look before settling down on the lounger next to Cyndra.
"Reece likes to work on his tan," Cyndra said quickly.
"You don't have to explain nothin' to her," Reece snapped.
"I wasn't explaining."
Annie jumped up before they got into another fight. Lately she'd heard
a lot of yelling coming from their apartment. "What's happening with
that demo record you were supposed to do?" she asked, to change the
subject.
"These things take time," Cyndra said.
Annie stood up and stretched. "I guess they do. See you guys
later."
Luigi managed to ignore Nick when he arrived to collect the car. Nick
ignored him back as he made his way through to Manny's office.
"The uniform suits ya," Manny wheezed, looking him up and down. "Now,
make sure ya got this right. Ya drive across the border, pick up Suga
from the hotel an' drive straight back to L.A. If they stop ya at the
border ya don't know from nothing. Ya was hired to pick up a
schoolkid." He sucked on his cigar. "Who was ya hired by?"
"Prince Limos," Nick said, reciting his part.
"Yeah-no mention of Glamour. Ya got the address I gave ya?"
"All set."
I: "Did Luigi put new plates on the car?"
"They're on.
"Okay, you're ready."
Yeah. As long as I don't get busted.
What was he bringing back? He hoped it wasn't drugs.
Who was he kidding? Sure, it was drugs. What else could it be?
On the drive to San Diego he played Rolling Stones tapes nonstop,
making the trip in record time. He was ahead of schedule, so he parked
the car in an underground garage and sat in a Burt Reynolds movie
killing time. After that it was all the way to Tijuana.
Once there he parked outside the hotel and searched the lobby looking
for Suga.
He couldn't see her. Shit! Manny had said she'd be standing right in
front.
Just as he was about to approach the desk an apparition sneaked up
behind him and tapped him on the arm. It was Suga, looking twelve.
Scrubbed of makeup, her hair in braids, a school cap on her head and in
full uniform, she resembled a truculent tomboy.
"Are you blind?" she hissed from the corner of her sulky mouth. "I
been standin' here forever."
He did a double take-the transformation was remarkable.
"Pick up my goddamn suitcase," she commanded, marching outside.
He followed her, carrying the case, which weighed a ton. Maybe he
should spring it open before they crossed the border and check out the
contents. For all he knew he could be carrying a goddamn body, it was
heavy enough.
Suga stood next to the limo, stamping her feet impatiently.
He sprung the trunk open, loaded the suitcase, then got into the
driver's seat.
"Bust your ass outta here," Suga squeaked, jumping in the back. "I
hatethese runs-they make me wet my pants."
"How many times you made this trip?" he asked, sliding the car away
from the curb.
"Too many," she replied, popping bubble gum.
They drove in silence for a while, until he couldn't contain himself
any longer. "What's in the suitcase?"
"Did Manny say you could ask questions?" she snapped. "Whyn't ya just
drive. You're making your money-what do you care?"
He eased the limousine along the crowded streets. Now he was getting
nervous. Two grand was one thing, but it wasn't worth getting
busted.
Yeah, well, two thousand was a lot of bucks, he reasoned. It would
take months of real work at Glamour Limousines to score that kind of
money-especially with clients like cheapskate Evans. Although right
now, as he headed toward the border, Mr. Evans seemed like a dream
passenger.
Suga didn't care for his Rolling Stones tapes. "Turn that crap off,"
she whined. "I hate Mick Jagger."
He saw no reason to take her lip. "Anybody ever told you to shut
up?"
"Oh?" she said sarcastically. "You're gonna tell me? Big fat
chance."
"How much older than you is Manny?"
"Mind your fuckin' business."
"Why'd you marry him?"
"Get fucked."
So much for conversation with little Miss Charm.
There was a long line of cars at the border. It was getting dark and
he was more nervous by the minute.
Suga sat in the back, chewing gum, perfectly calm.
By this time he imagined the suitcase was filled with cocaine.
They'd throw him in jail for fifty years if he was caught. Never
again.
This was it.
By the time they reached the guard, he was sweating through his
clothes.
The guard leaned down and looked through the window. "Do you have any
fruits, vegetables or plants?" he asked, peering into the back of the
car.
"No, just one juvenile delinquent I'm delivering to her parents," Nick
said pleasantly. Jeer, he actually sounded cool!
"Okay," the guard said, walking away.
Okay? Did that mean they could go?
Apparently it did. He put his window up and drove the car out of
there.
"Faster!" Suga urged from the back.
"I gotta stop an' take a piss."
"No!" she yelled. "Get away from the fuckin' border."
By the time they reached San Diego he was on a high. It was so easy,
like nothing. Christ, he could make this trip twice a day if he had
to. He checked out the rearview mirror. Suga was busy wriggling out
of her schoolgirl clothes and struggling into a short skirt and tight
sweater.
"Hey," he said. "Now you can tell me. What's in the case?"
"Two hundred and fifty thousand buckerooneys," she said casually.
"Wanna take it an' run off together, Nick?"
"Are you shittin' me?"
She hitched her skirt down. "Would I do that?"
"No drugs?"
"You think I'd have anything to do with drugs?" she sniffed
indignantly. "What I need is to find me a guy with enough balls to
split.
Manny would track us, but we'd have the money, wouldn't we? We could
vanish good."
Two hundred and fifty thousand dollars! Holy shit! What if he dumped
her and took off by himself?
For a moment he thought about it. But only for a moment. He had no
desire to spend the rest of his life running from Manny Manfred.
"Well?" Suga challenged. "You got the balls or not?"
The little bitch was testing him so she could report back to Manny.
"Whyn't you shut up," he said.
"Dumb prick," she muttered. "I meant it, you know."
He never found out if she was putting him on or not, because as soon as
they got back to the garage she jumped out of the car and vanished.
Luigi opened the trunk, removed the suitcase and brought it to Manny's
office.
"When do I get paid?" Nick asked, following him.
"Don't sweat it. Nobody's leaving town," Luigi said.
I made a mistake. I should have gotten the money up front. Now
they're gonna screw me.
"I did the run, I took the risk. I want my money.
"Later," Luigi threw over his shoulder.
He followed him all the way into Manny's office, where Luigi put the
suitcase down. "I want my money," he repeated.
"Yeah, Nick, sure," Manny said, producing a thick bankroll and peeling
off hundred-dollar bills. "Here ya go, ya did a nice job."
He didn't trust the fat man. Standing in front of his desk he counted
the bills. "There's only a thousand here," he said.
"That's right," Manny answered, reaching for a handful of cashews. "A
thousand for the first run, two grand for the second."
"No. We had a deal-two grand for this run."
"Tell ya what I'll do," Manny said magnanimously, crunching on the
nuts. "I'll split the difference. Ya get fifteen hundred for this
run, an' two an' a half for the next. How's that?"
Nick was angry. "Who the fuck d'you think you're dealing with?"
Manny's voice hardened. "Some punk kid who's lucky to have a job."
"I want my two thousand, Manny, or you'll regret it."
Manny's beady little eyes froze. "I'll regret it? You're threatening
me?"
"I know what's in the suitcase."
"Howdja know that?"
Suga might be a pain in the ass but he wasn't about to put her away.
"Do I get my two grand?"
Manny wheezed with laughter. "You're okay, kid. Q.J. said ya was."
He peeled off ten more bills and handed them over. "Ya can work for me
any Yeah, like he wanted to. Snatching the money, he walked out.
"See ya tomorrow," Luigi called after him. "Mr. Evans is comin' back
t'town. Nine p.m. LAX. Don't be late."
Fuck Mr. Evans.
Fuck Glamour Limousines.
He had his two grand-this was the last they'd see of him.
you can't leave," Nature shrieked.
"I have to," Lauren said.
"But why?" Nature demanded petulantly. She was so used to getting her
own way that she didn't understand the word no.
Nature was involved in a full-fledged affair with Emerson Burn. It was
not peaceful-another reason why Lauren had decided to move on. Their
screaming fights were legendary. Even worse, their passionate
reconciliations.
Valiantly she tried to explain. "I feel like I'm living in your
shadow.
It's time I got my life back on track."
Nature pouted. "We're having fun, ein't we?"
"Yes, but it's not enough for me."
Reluctantly Nature accepted defeat. "What will you do? Work for Samm
again?"
She shook her head. "I was thinking of starting my own businesskind of
a . . . you know, like a Girl Friday."
"Girl Friday? What's that?" Nature asked, hooting with laughter.
"Someone who does everything. I'll put myself out for hire and people
will pay me by the hour. I can even work for you occasionally."
"That's nice."
"Actually, I've been speaking to Pia and she's going to be leaving
Samm's."
Nature raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Pia's quitting? Samm'll have a
freaking fit."
Lauren hadn't planned on confiding in Nature, but now she couldn't stop
herself. "We've already talked about going into business together.
We'd call ourselves Help Unlimited."
Nature nodded. "Sounds good to me-but only if I can get you back any
time."
Lauren grinned. "Pay my hourly rate and I'm all yours!"
