Hollywood Divorces • Hollywood Wives: The New Generation

by Jackie Collins

  ‘Of course I do, Lucia.’

  ‘I have a wonderful career,’ she continued. ‘Only sometimes a career isn’t everything, and the truth is…Matt doesn’t make me happy.’

  Claudine frowned. ‘Why not?’

  ‘Because he’s boring.’

  ‘All men are boring,’ Claudine replied.

  ‘That’s a ridiculous statement.’

  ‘You have to train men not to be. Look at your Papa,’ Claudine said.

  ‘Yes, look at him,’ Lola responded.

  ‘What do you mean by that?’ Claudine asked, her lips tightening.

  ‘Well, Mama, it’s no secret that Papa is always…he’s…’

  ‘What are you trying to say, Lucia?’

  ‘Papa has other women and you know it,’ Lola blurted.

  Angrily Claudine slapped two pancakes on to a plate and almost threw it at her daughter.

  ‘I’m sorry, Mama,’ Lola apologized. ‘It’s true. Everyone knows.’

  ‘Eat,’ Claudine ordered.

  ‘I am not staying with Matt.’

  Claudine stood by the table, hands on hips. ‘I suppose your idea of happiness is getting back together with that drug-dealer?’

  ‘Tony Alvarez is not a drug-dealer,’ Lola said, sick of having to defend him all the time. ‘He’s a fine movie director. People look up to him. Ask Selma, she loved him.’

  ‘Yes,’ Claudine said, her lip curling. ‘And look where it got her.’

  ‘What happened wasn’t Tony’s fault.’

  ‘Whose fault was it, Lucia?’

  ‘Whatever, Mama, I refuse to fight with you. I wanted you to hear it from me. I thought perhaps you’d understand. I am going to divorce Matt and marry Tony. I’d like to do it with your blessing.’

  Claudine shook her head in a despairing fashion. ‘I can’t tell you what to do.’ She sighed. ‘You know very well how I feel.’

  ‘Sorry, Mama.’

  ‘Yes,’ Claudine said ominously. ‘So am I.’

  ‘You ran out on us,’ Jonas said accusingly, catching Cat at the blackjack table, where she was winning big time, with a stack of blue chips in front of her–each worth twenty-five dollars.

  ‘This game’s way cool,’ she said enthusiastically. ‘I could play all day.’

  ‘Cash in,’ Jonas said.

  ‘Why?’

  ‘I’d like to talk to you.’

  She pushed her chips over to the dealer who changed them into five-hundred-dollar tokens, which she threw into her purse. ‘I’ve got, like, three thousand dollars,’ she said, leaving the table. ‘How good is that?’

  ‘Excellent,’ Jonas replied.

  ‘Gambling is a major kick.’

  ‘Let’s go get coffee,’ Jonas suggested, ‘before you turn into an addict.’

  ‘Sure. Where’s Amy?’

  ‘Over with Nick.’

  ‘How’s he doing?’

  ‘Winning.’

  They made their way through the crowded casino to the coffee shop. Cat got a double espresso and a jelly doughnut. ‘I’m in heaven!’ she exclaimed, taking a big bite. ‘So, c’mon, spill–what’s all this about you and Merrill? Tell me everything.’

  ‘I took your advice,’ Jonas said. ‘Went to him and told him I thought I’d done a good job on Caught, and I’d like to continue being a producer on his next project. He agreed!’

  ‘When did all this happen?’

  ‘After you left the party. He’s putting me on his next movie–Joe Fabulous. They’re trying to get either Jim Carrey or Mike Myers to sign on. It’s such a great thing for me, Cat, and it’s all because of you.’

  ‘You would’ve done it one of these days,’ she said, taking another bite of her doughnut.

  ‘Not without your encouragement and support.’

  ‘Well…’ she said, teasing him. ‘You were a lousy executive assistant.’

  ‘Sure.’

  ‘Now you can be a lousy producer.’

  ‘Thanks a lot.’

  ‘You’re welcome.’

  ‘How’s everything with you and Nick?’

  ‘You know what? We’re just having a good time. I’m not looking on it as anything lasting.’

  ‘According to Amy, he’s very into you. She says she hasn’t seen him like this before.’

  ‘Look, I know he’s had a million different girls. Believe me, I’m not taking it seriously,’ Cat said, squeezing his arm.

  ‘If that’s how you feel—’

  ‘It is,’ she said, quickly changing the subject. ‘I’m so psyched for you, Jonas, and since this is such a special weekend let’s make sure we all have a blast–’cause after this it’s all work, work, work!’

  With a minimal amount of effort, Matt scaled the hedge around Tony Alvarez’s property. Landing on the other side, he found himself within easy sprinting distance of the one-storey Spanish-style house. He crouched on the ground for a moment getting his bearings. The sprinklers had recently gone off, and the grass was wet and spongy.

  One deep breath, and he made a quick dash towards the house. Hopefully there were no TV cameras to capture his arrival–not everyone had the kind of security Lola insisted on.

  Lola. His wife. The famous Lola Sanchez. Without Tony Alvarez around, maybe she’d revert to the girl he’d married. The girl who’d once loved him.

  He’d spent the night wandering around Lola’s house, chugging beer and trying to figure out how to right a situation that had gone horribly wrong.

  Every time he’d come up with the same solution: remove Tony Alvarez from Lola’s life and she would be all his again.

  Matt had grown up in a household where his parents had vied for his affection. His mom was a rich girl whose family had disowned her when she’d married his dad, a lowly on-the-beat cop. They’d met when his dad had given her a parking ticket. Shortly after that, much to her family’s disgust, they’d fallen in love and got married.

  Even though there wasn’t much money in the Seel household, his mom had always wanted the best for him. She’d grown up with the best of everything, and she’d wanted him to have privileges too, so she’d insisted that he take tennis lessons, while his father had made sure he learned how to handle guns.

  The battle began when he was extremely young. He was never sure which parent to please first.

  He excelled at tennis and received a scholarship to a good school, which led to a career as a professional tennis player.

  His father had considered it a cissy occupation, so to appease him Matt had learned everything he could about guns. Every birthday, from the age of eighteen on, his dad had given him a gun. He had quite a collection. Usually they were locked safely in a drawer at the house. Every weekend he took them out to clean them, exactly like his dad had taught him to do.

  When he married Lola Sanchez, his father was delighted; his mother was not. She considered Lola beneath him, not good enough for her son, even though Lola was a big movie star.

  During his first separation from Lola, his mother had told him exactly what she thought of her sexy daughter-in-law. It wasn’t pretty.

  When Lola had taken him back, his father had said, ‘Hang in there, son. You belong with a beautiful woman,’ a wink and a nudge, ‘and a sexy one too. Take no notice of your mom–it doesn’t matter that Lola’s not our kind.’

  What did that mean? He’d never quite understood.

  Now he was skulking outside Tony Alvarez’s house, and the education his dad had given him was finally about to pay off.

  He had a Glock semi-automatic pistol stuck in the waistband of his pants, and a thirst to eliminate the man who stood between him and his gorgeous wife.

  Matt Seel was on a mission.

  ‘’Bye, Mama,’ Lola said.

  ‘You listen to me, Lucia, do not do anything foolish. Think carefully about everything we’ve talked about this morning. Oh, and give my love to Matt.’

  Lola shook her head. Wasn’t Mama listening? I’m divorcing Matt. I want Tony, and that’
s the way it is, so stop trying to manipulate me. One of these days she was going to have to reveal the truth. ‘I can’t have children,’ she’d say. Mama would be sad, but she’d understand.

  Or would she? ‘You had another abortion, girl?’ Claudine would shriek. ‘God is punishing you for your sins!’

  No, she could never tell Mama the truth. It was safer to make up a story.

  At least she had her nieces and nephews, on whom she lavished much love and affection. Next weekend she would plan a trip to Disneyland. Big Jay would organize guards and maybe they’d all go early before the place opened.

  Yes, it would be fun. The children would love it, and so would she. Sometimes she had to let the little girl in her out to play.

  After the verbal skirmish with Mama, she’d eaten one pancake too many, which meant she’d have to punish herself in the gym. Lately she hadn’t been taking care of herself. What with Selma in hospital and that drama, she’d lost the drive to work out, eat right and generally stay on top of things.

  She had a sinking feeling that New York State of Mind would not turn out to be one of her better movies. Linc Blackwood had been a bad mistake when she was eighteen, and a bad mistake now for the lead in her movie. Plus she needed to play stronger roles–roles that meant something. The other night she’d watched Sophia Loren in an old movie on TV. That was the kind of role she should be playing, dramatic and sexy, a showcase for her acting talents. She had to play women with brains as well as a body. Why couldn’t she score the kind of role Shelby Cheney played in Rapture? An Oscar-worthy role.

  The sun was coming up, signalling another glorious California day. She hoped Matt was not going to return home and give her trouble. In case he did, she decided to alert Otto, although she was sure she’d have to endure one of his lectures.

  ‘I’m paying you,’ she often wanted to yell at her overpriced lawyer. ‘Don’t argue. Do as I say.’

  Otto was a big-time lawyer, which meant that if she wanted to keep him on her side she couldn’t say shit.

  Oh God! She’d have to tell Faye that she was dumping Matt again. That wouldn’t go down well.

  Wasn’t it amazing? Here she was, this big superstar, and she had to answer to people she paid. It was a ridiculous situation.

  Maybe she should fire everyone and surround herself with a new crew of people who wouldn’t dare criticize her.

  What a great idea!

  The blonde stirred, her long silky hair a gossamer cloak around her delicate shoulders. Maria snored lightly.

  Tony’s eyes snapped open. He felt a wave of doom, as if he’d just awakened from a particularly frightening nightmare.

  Someone was in the bedroom.

  Someone was standing at the foot of the bed pointing a gun at him.

  All he could make out was the shadow of a man and the gun, the metal glinting in the dusky half-light creeping through the blackout blinds.

  Tony struggled to sit up, attempting to shove the girls off him.

  ‘What d’you want?’ he said, in a low, angry voice. ‘You want money, I got plenty. On top of the dresser. Take what you want an’ get the fuck out.’

  Maria woke up. ‘Tonee,’ she cried out, not sure what was happening.

  ‘Stay still,’ Tony warned. ‘Everythin’s gonna be fine.’

  ‘I…don’t…think…so,’ Matt said, feeling tough and in control.

  Who had the power now? Not Tony Alvarez with his flashy demeanour and insulting mouth.

  Not Tony Alvarez–wife-stealer.

  Oh, no, not Tony Alvarez.

  NOT THE FUCKING SPIC.

  For once, Matt Seel was totally in charge.

  Chapter Forty-Six

  ‘I’ve been thinking,’ Nick said.

  ‘Hang out the flags,’ Cat joked. ‘Mr Logan’s been thinking!’

  Nick and Amy had joined Cat and Jonas in the coffee shop. Cat still had her three thousand dollars’ winnings, and Nick had won twenty-five grand. Neither Jonas nor Amy were into gambling.

  ‘You wanna hear what I’ve been thinking or not?’ Nick said, devouring a plate of scrambled eggs.

  ‘Not,’ Cat said, drinking espresso.

  ‘Are you ever serious?’ Nick asked, throwing her a look.

  ‘Only when I’m working. Remember?’

  ‘Cat has a quirky sense of humour, like me,’ Amy offered, holding hands with Jonas.

  ‘That’s great to know,’ Nick said. ‘But here’s the deal–I’m trying to be serious here.’

  ‘Sorry,’ Cat said, reaching for a slice of his wheat toast. ‘Go ahead, be serious.’

  Before he could reply, two giggling teenage girls approached their table. ‘Are you Nick Logan?’ one asked.

  ‘Course he is,’ the other giggled, nudging her friend.

  ‘Guilty as charged,’ Nick said, poker-faced.

  ‘Can we get your autograph?’

  ‘On what?’ he said.

  They turned to each other and completely broke up. ‘Maybe on my T-shirt,’ one of the girls suggested, thrusting out her small breasts.

  ‘Got a pen?’ Nick asked, unfazed.

  ‘Oh.’ The girl looked blankly around the table. ‘Does anyone have a pen?’

  Amy reached into her purse and obliged. Nick spun the young girl round and scrawled his name on the back of her T-shirt.

  ‘The girls at school will go, like, nuts!’ she exclaimed. ‘You’re the bomb!’

  ‘You were sooo hot in The Jack,’ the other girl gushed. ‘I, like, saw it, like, four times. I even cut class to see it.’

  ‘Thanks, girls.’

  ‘Do you know Ashton Kutcher?’

  ‘Never met him.’

  ‘He’s cute too. Can we take a picture with you?’

  ‘Got a camera?’

  ‘We’ll get one from the gift shop.’

  ‘Do that, an’ if I’m still here you’ll get your photo.’

  Giggling, the two nymphets ran off.

  ‘Doesn’t that drive you crazy?’ Cat asked.

  ‘What?’ Nick asked, finishing his eggs.

  ‘The attention.’

  ‘If I didn’t have the attention, they wouldn’t go see my movies. And we want them to see our movie, right?’

  ‘Don’t you miss being able to walk around and not be bothered?’

  ‘It’s a trade-off,’ he said. ‘I’m not wild about it, but I gotta put up with it.’

  ‘Oh, please,’ Amy interrupted. ‘You love it. Ever since you were a little boy, you always wanted to be noticed.’

  He grinned. ‘My married sister with the big mouth.’

  She grinned back. ‘My famous brother with the big—’

  ‘Hey,’ he interrupted, motioning her to shut up. ‘Enough already.’

  ‘No need for modesty,’ Amy said mischievously. ‘I’m sure Cat has already noticed your enormous…ego.’

  They all laughed.

  ‘So, c’mon, what were you thinking when I interrupted you?’ Cat asked.

  ‘I was thinking that since we’re only here for a day how about taking a boat out on Lake Mead?’

  ‘You’re amazing,’ Cat said. ‘You drive all night, sleep for two minutes, win twenty-five thousand bucks, and now you’re up for a boat trip.’

  ‘Why not? It’s all in a day’s fun.’

  ‘I think it’s a fine idea,’ Amy said, joining in. ‘Come on, Jonas, we’ll go to the front desk and find out about hiring a boat.’

  Jonas jumped up, and the two of them went off, still holding hands.

  ‘Ain’t love grand?’ Nick remarked.

  ‘Seems like it,’ Cat agreed.

  ‘He’ll have a shit-fit when he catches her act.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘She’s tough.’

  ‘Like you?’

  ‘I’m a pussycat.’

  ‘Sure.’

  ‘Hey–y’know what we should do?’

  ‘Tell me,’ she said drily. ‘I can’t wait.’

  ‘Organize some kinda part
y.’

  ‘What kind of a party? There’s only the four of us.’

  ‘I know people here. C’mon, Blondie,’ he said persuasively. ‘We gotta throw them a wedding party.’

  Cat looked at him fondly. ‘You really are a total nutter.’

  He met her gaze with one of his own. ‘An’ you love it, doncha?’

  ‘Guess I must do,’ she said, unable to keep the smile off her face.

  And she realized, as she said those words, that she was becoming far too attached to him. While they were making the movie she’d been able to keep her distance, but now it was a whole different vibe, and it was a dangerous one.

  She had no desire to get hurt again, not after Jump.

  Nick was nothing more than a diversion for a fun couple of days, and if she took it more seriously than that, she had only herself to blame.

  ‘You’ve been asleep practically the whole flight,’ Pete said, as Shelby stirred and opened her eyes. ‘We land in less than an hour.’

  ‘Sorry,’ she said, flustered. ‘Was I leaning all over you?’

  ‘Don’t worry about it,’ he said, as he attempted to get some feeling back in his arm.

  ‘Should we call the hospital?’ she asked.

  ‘No, it’s better to wait until we get there. There’s nothing you can do from the plane. You’ll go straight to the hospital from the airport.’

  ‘I feel so helpless,’ she said, drinking from a bottle of water.

  ‘I know the feeling.’

  ‘It’s not as if I haven’t tried so many times to help Linc,’ she said, her eyes tinged with fatigue and worry. ‘I begged him to have therapy or get into rehab. He did it a couple of times for about five minutes, and that was it.’

  ‘Nobody ever said Linc was easy. He’s a stubborn sonofabitch.’

  ‘You know about his childhood?’

  ‘He talked about it a few times.’

  ‘It’s the reason I put up with so much of his crap, because I know how difficult it is for him to get over what happened.’

  ‘I’m sure you helped him a lot.’

  ‘I’ve always tried to be there for him, Pete, but there comes a time when enough is enough. Unfortunately I reached that point.’ She paused for a moment. ‘Oh, God, I never imagined something like this would happen.’