The awkward Bessowichte shifted on his shifty feet.
He was nothing to her but Dr. Mengele now.
Gwen froze him out.
“Mom? What’s the matter?”
“Nothing sweetheart.”
“But you’re being rude!”
“The doctor and I aren’t speaking. We had a difference of opinion.”
“About what?”
Gwen hesitated a moment, then:
“Obama.”
. .
Telma on the run again, a sugarless people high.
OMG she saw Khloé Kardashian. OMG!!! They hugged and hugged, hadn’t seen each other since the KKs took over Lucy’s El Adobe for Kourtney’s birthday. Ryan Seacrest paid Khloé and Telma $25,000 to sing “Smile,” & all the money went to the ped-OINK Research wing of St. Ambrose’s.
Telma told Khloé she was singing “Over the Rainbow” tonight and was going on right after Beyoncé. Khloé said she already knew that, because it was in the program (it was too late to print the change re the Aleisha finale). OMG you’re CLOSING the SHOW! said Khloé, which made Telma feel funny/sick in her stomach. You’re my little STAR! I cannot BELIEVE that BEYONCÉ is your opening act!!! Telma said, Yeah I know, I’m at the very end, well not the VERY end but ALMOST (unable to bring herself to tell Khloé that in fact she, Telma, was the opening act for ALEISHA, she felt funny in her stomach again, sick & less-than & ashamed). Then Telma had an idea how she could totally steal the show from Aleisha if Khloé sang “Rainbow” with her like they did for Kourtney’s bday. Khloé! Khloé! Do you want to sing it with me do you WANT TO do you want to do a DUET with me?!?! Khloé laughed, Telma was so happy, she knew she’d found a perfect solution, a way out of the nightmare, Telma hung on Khloé saying how much everyone would love it but Khloé held firm, she said she hated her voice & that she’d “officially retired as a singer. Too painful!” But what if someone pays us $25,000?! Khloé laughed again. I’m totally serious, Biggie will! My friend Biggie & his brother will, they’ll probably give us a MILLION dollars if we sang——My little HUSTLER! said Khloé with great affection. No, she couldn’t, she really just wanted to sit & enjoy & not have the spotlight on her, it was such a relief not to even have the cameras there tonight (the absence of which had initially depressed Telma but then she was glad because all they would do was capture Aleisha’s performance and make a 
out of her), Lamar was in NYC & all she wanted to do tonight was be entertained by Telma & “your opening act, Beyoncé.”
Then Telma remembered with a shock the letter she wrote to Khloé’s mom, she was going to send it to askkris @ Life&Style mag, but why, what a lame plan, what was wrong with her, why didn’t she just think of getting it to Khloé to give to Kris there were a hundred different ways she could have done that, but this was so easy because Telma had actually known for two weeks now that Khloé was probably coming to the Courage Ball — or why didn’t she even think of just leaving it in the Kardashian mailbox (which on 2nd thought probably wasn’t the easiest thing to do, with the security they probably had at the house) with a note that said something like “Pass it on! signed Telma El Adobe.” Luckily, Telma hadn’t yet mailed it anywhere so she ran back to the table & told Khloé she had a letter she wanted her to pass onto her mom, it was very personal, & Khloé said of course she would, Telma said she couldn’t give it to her tonight because it was back at the house & Khloé said not a problem, tomorrow she’d send a courier, not a messenger—the Kardashians know how to do EVERYTHING!!!!) to Telma’s house in Cheviot Hills. Khloé said, “But honey why send a letter when you can just talk to Mom directly?” Telma said OMG do you think she would have the time? & Khloé laughed and said “She’s my mom. I think I know her schedule better than you do! Mom’ll make the time, or I will kick her fat ass. She will always have time for you!”
It was all too much to compute, Khloé was saying her mom always had time for her but Telma barely remembered even saying that much of a hello to Kris at Kourtney’s party, not that she supposed it really mattered, & besides, Telma was really starting to spin out on her crazed sugarfree people-high (she was actually a “vegan Nazi”—she stopped eating sugar when she learned she had kancer, the nutritionist told her to stay away from all karcinogenic or “kancer-friendly” items especially sugar, Telma was always telling everyone ((especially the parents of kancerkidz)) ((except not Aleisha’s mom)) that sugar was THE ABSOLUTE WORST for the human body & along with dairy which human beings were not meant to consume could literally FEED THE KANCER AND KILL you). She thanked Khloé & said she had to hurry and go find Michael Douglas before the show began & Khloé laughed, saying My little hustler again then turned to the unidentified friend sitting next to her to say, This girl’s gunna GO places. As Telma left she extracted/confirmed Khloé’s promise that once she got the letter, she would hand-courier it to Mama Bear. Khloé said she absolutely would but to please call if she wanted her to just pick her up & drive her to Kris’ house (OMG!!!!!!!!) adding with a wink how it was all very mysterious, this mysterious letter, & what a mysterious girl she was & how adorable—turning again to her unidentifed friend to say: Agent Telma — International Woman of Mystery!
The excitable little gal flitted from the table, like a bee moving on to another flower.
. .
Dessert and coffee were being served.
Bud had a few ideas for movies in his back pocket that he wanted to float past Brando. Hey why not, I’m a made man, already in the Ooh Baby stable. Real smooth and casual… just plant a seed. You never know.
“What do you think about doing a kind of prequel to The Social Network, except it’s about the early days of Microsoft. When the cracks in the business—and the personal relationship between Gates & Paul Allen — are just starting to show. Gates was trying to get rid of Allen, even if he had to lie and cheat. And Allen has cancer! Bill Gates is Mark Zuckerberg.”
“Then who’s Eduardo Saverin?”
“Paul Allen.”
“And who’s the Winklevoss twins?”
“I don’t know if we need twins,” said Bud. “But if what you’re asking is did Gates fuck anyone else over there are lots of people out there. But we could have a pair of twins…” Bud didn’t want to talk about actual story anymore; he wanted to get to the mechanics of a potential deal. “I don’t think we need the rights to the Paul Allen book — it’s all public record. We would need to get permission from De Luca and Scott Rudin. I know them both, for years,” Bud lied, knowing such a detail was irrelevant. “We should obviously pitch Columbia, cause they already own it.”