"You flipped or something?"
"Oh, Nathan, I've found you."
"Baby, you've had, me all the time," he said. Shit. She had it bad. He really felt tender toward her.
"I'm going out tomorrow and try to find a job. A regular job."
"What about your career?" he asked; dubious.
"If I make it, I make it. If not, I've got you."
"You'll get the breaks if you keep on. You've got the talent and the looks."
"1 can't Not anymore. It's ridiculous, I know, but I'm in love with you," she said. "Oh, darling, I forgot."
"What?"
"There's a male part in Weindorf's picture just list for you. Second lead. His budget is low, so he might use a new face. Needs a good looking guy like you."
"Fat chance I got. My agent won't even see Weindorf. They don't get along."
"No, dear. What I mean is… I told him about you."
He was surprised. "About us, you mean? Baby, you've mined your chance."
"I didn't exactly tell him that way,"' she faltered trying to explain. "When he was talking about the roles, I kept thinking about you, and I… well., I told him I knew a guy who was just right for the part. I said you were a… a cousin."
She turned beet-red. Shit… maybe she might get away with it, he thought. Be a helluva thing if Nancy got him to Weindorf where his genius agent couldn't or wouldn't. -
"Great girl. You did right, Nancy. Look, if you could set up a meeting some way… say you have him over some night, and I'll drop by, see?"
She was silent for a moment. "Do you really want me to, Nathan?"
"Sure, honey. That'd be great. You could pass me off as a cousin. I meet him, have a few drinks, and I'd blow, see."
She gave him a funny stare. Sometimes he couldn't get her at all. Little tear pockets formed, then she wiped them away and laughed. Or tried to laugh. It was a cross between a chuckle and a sob.
"All right; darling. If you really want, I'll do it for you."
"Know what that'l1 make you?" he asked
"It could make me a sort of working housewife." She blushed and lowered her glance. Her words hit him. He didn't mean it that way at all. God, one thing he didn't need now was a money eyed girl hanging around.
Nathan finished dressing, ate all of the sandwiches and coffee, and went to look once more for the piano player's name and phone number. He didn't want Nancy to know, because it still bothered him about what he was going to do to Buck Pappas if he didn't get somebody to take his place. He moved around, restless, then he remembered what Nancy said about waiting up. Sonofabitch! He didn't want her to do that. Suppose he couldn't get away from the wealthy widow until morning? Above all, he didn't want to upset his chances with all that Texas gold before he really got the lay of the land.
"Say, Nancy. Don't wait up for me. Go on to bed and-"
"You will be back when you close, won't you?"
"Sure. Sure!"
She looked relieved. It annoyed him. He was thinking of the rich dame, the Beverly Hilton, and that South African lodestone. Maybe there'd, be another forty..or more.
"Look, Nancy. I met a guy that's got something going with Producer's Studio. Small deal. But if he comes in, I may have coffee with him for an hour
or so. Could be something."
He was lying like hell, but it relieved him. She was all tender smiles,
"Oh, darling.. Of course. I'll go to sleep and dream of this afternoon, and you can wake me when you come." She walked into his arms and slid her arms under his suit coat. "Don't tell anyone, but I'll be… in the nude for love." She squeezed him. "Run along or you'll be late."
He kissed her and left. She was standing still with the doorway still slightly open watching him depart just like a dutiful wife. Fuck that! He got sweaty in his palms thinking of it.
He started the MG and kept the top down. He knew he should go straight to the club and tell Buck. Instead, he headed up into the Hollywood hills, not particularly thinking of any destination, rode around awhile, looking at the cars and dames, thinking, then drove ever to the Beverly Hilton. He hunted for an un metered unrestricted parking post, which put him three blocks away. He walked back to the hotel.
"Well, Empress." he muttered, "if you got forty bucks worth last night, I'll try for eighty tonight."
He sure as hell needed the money.
As he walked back towards the hotel, he couldn't help thinking about 'Nancy and that love-struck look in her eyes. She was Willing to blow her own chance to get a part in a movie; but would do anything to get him a part. It didn't make sense, he told himself. Not in Hollywood anyway. And to make matters worse, his
conscience bothered him; not only about Nancy, but also what he was doing to Buck Pappas.
"Man, you better get your head on straight! First things first. And right now you need some operating money because without it, you ain't got nuthin' no how."
His pace quickened and he found himself grinning at the difference twenty-four hours had made in his life. A beautiful woman with lots of money walked into his life and suddenly he's worrying about hurting the feelings of the very people that were down on him the day before. Yesterday, Nancy sent him off to the club bitching about rent money; and when he got there, Buck Pappas pleaded poverty when he asked for his back pay. Today, everyone was singing a different tune.
He liked the new lyrics better.
CHAPTER TEN
Paulette Du Bois of Ranchland Oil may have been in that foggy bottom age between forty and forty-five, but she was dressed for game that night when Nathan Warner met her. Nathan didn't know then that it took her two hours to app1y her makeup so that it would take a microscope to find those spider-web wrinkles of the night before on
her face. Her features reminded him of a beautiful Japanese wax doll, especially when he saw she had her hair done up in the curious Oriental manner she used.
Paulette was wearing the most gorgeous-colored Japanese kimono he'd ever seen. Sexy as all hell! And those kimonos cost like hell, too.
She looked silly. She bowed low to him when she opened the door. Then raised up quickly. Her movements were jerky. and awkward. Bitch! Nathan thought. Why the hell. don't American women realize they can't wear kimonos?
"Do you like my kimono?" she asked, trying to delicately spin around for him.
"And how! Do I!" he said. "You were my lucky night."
"I hope so," she said.
"But why the special rig?"
"For our Japanese dinner," she said. "We'll have Japanese sukiyaki tonight, and I just knew you'd love me to wear a kimono. I'm small, like Japanese women.
"Paulette, you're great. Sukiyaki sounds terrific." He didn't really like it. Chinese food was his fare, not Japanese. But he could take it.
"You have a valid driver's license, don't you?" she asked.
"Sure, why?"
"I've arranged for a rental car."
"I'll be damned!" he said, then remembered Buck Pappas. He asked to use the phone. Hell, since he was going out with her, Paulette could just
as well hear. Might make a point.
"Paulette, I've got to call the club. I di4w't geta chance yet."
"Sure," she said, unconcerned.
He dialed the club number. Buck Pappas came on like a demon. Nathan had to shake his ear and hod the receiver out six inches. Pappas was talking Greek, English, and a little Egyptian as well. It culminated with: "Where in the hail are you?"
"Buck, I'm sorry, but I can't make it. Something important."
The receiver smoked. Buck started calling Nathan an assortment of names.
"Look, big boss man. You. can't squawk. I got last week's money coming."
Buck called him some more dirty names.
"Screw you," Nathan said. "I can't make it." He saw Paulette had paused and was listening. Buck hung up on him. Nathan covered real quick by talking. "Okay, Buck I know how much it means to you. I value your friendship. I won't let you down, if that's the only way you'll pay me for last week. I'll be there. I'll just have to explain to someone."