So , the two men got into the car, after putting their bag over the back seats, and headed for the busy streets of the city, as the sun hit the buildings and the hot air of Los Angeles filled their lungs.
***
They arrived in front of the gates of the villa late in the evening, after spending the entire afternoon in the studios of Cross n' Sweeny, the famous literary agency in which Andy worked, to show him the amount of work that awaited him.
Not that it frightened him: he knew well the long course he would have to undergo once the new novel had begun. The problem was that he still had no idea what he was going to write, or what argument or would have discussed his next book. Nothing, total emptiness.
To hear his agent, something would come to his mind in the end, and this was what he hoped too.
The gates opened under the touch of the small gray remote control that his agent had in his hand and the v8 echoed his powerful noise, lazily moving toward the driveway of the house, right by the pool illuminated by the spotlights inside. The lights were on, and he imagined Michela, in her double bedroom, choosing the most suitable dress for the evening that would await all three.
Actually it was an evening to four, and despite the significantly behind communication from his agent, he couldn’t refuse now.
As they descended from the car, he, pulling himself shouldered his bag of black leather, turned to Andy.
«Are you absolutely sure I can’t refuse this four-way?» He asked, knowing what the response from his agent would be.
«Exactly, and as I've already told you, Greta is a famous actress who likes to know talented writers like you. And this, as you can well understand, remains an excellent opportunity to advertise if, as expected, they will release the film of your next novel.»
He was skeptical about it, but when it came to sniffing good chances, he had to admit that his agent knew what he was doing.
Despite this, he did not in fact to dine out with an actress full of herself that he would not stop a second to talk about their latest professional activities in film.
He was tired, and after that long day he wanted to lie down on a bed and sleep until the next day. On the other hand, persuading Andy was just as hard as it was to keep her away from young students with customary hormonal storms.
They headed down the stone driveway until they came across a huge, double-armored, solid wood door.
«You have a lot to hide in here.» He said, serious.
«Security is never too much, you know.»
He looked at him sideways.
«Oh, come on. You're in one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in Los Angeles, here the cops are just waiting to be filmed by a camera while they kick some criminal trying to break into one of the luxury villas in the area.»
«I would like to be rich as they are, my friend.»
He knew, roughly, the economic situation of his agent, and even if he did not know how much he had on the bill, a single customer did not have to bring enough income to maintain a two million dollar villa, a hundred and seventy thousand car and vices ‒ that he knew perfectly too ‒ of Michela.
But basically life was like that: sometimes there are the highs, and you're fine, and sometimes you have to hold on when things don’t go the way you want. He was definitely the second case.
When they entered the house, Andy switched on the lights of the atrium , which gave the view of an immense, and clean living room, with a long white leather sofa in front of an unlit black marble fireplace. They started towards the kitchen, even the latter so clean as to be close to obsession. He remembered his apartment, however, for those months that had been there in Los Angeles, at the premiere of his film, and certainly the cleanliness, without Karen around to keep the house, was not the best. The moments spent with Karen and her daughter came back to him: when he was writing, late at night, after putting Elizabeth to bed, and Karen approached from behind without wanting to disturb him and gave him goodnight. Or, when the morning they woke up all three and ate breakfast together, as a family or at night, when in bed he and Karen were embraced and made love all night and then fall asleep in each other arms. A tremendous sadness enveloped him, as he tasted certain memories but with the knowledge that they would not be back soon.
Andy took a bottle of wine from under a kitchen cabinet, then reached for one of the drawers and took a bottle opener. He uncorked the wine and took three glasses from above a cupboard, at the top he stood .
«Micky! Come down, I'm with James.»
«I'm coming!» Michela answered from the floor above, probably intent on making up her face.
Andy started pouring wine into one of the glasses and handed one to him.
«To your future success.» The man said, solemnly.
«And at the beginning of our adventure here in Los Angeles.» He replied, equally serious and solemn.
He took a sip, then he heard the sound of Michela's heels descending one after the other the steps of the staircase that led downstairs. He turned and saw the woman, set up for the evening.
«Hey! How long is James that we don’t see each other.» She said excited, approaching and hugging him warmly.
He returned the hug, and the three of them, after drinking their glass of wine, set off outside the house, heading for the restaurant where his agent had booked that afternoon.
It took about twenty minutes to get to the restaurant, which was exactly in the heart of L.A.
One of the rather elegant ones, no more or less than most of the locals in the city center.
It took him a little over ten minutes to find the parking space, while, Andy, as usual, was more fortunate to find parking.
They had decided to go each on their own so that, later, he would first reach the hotel he'd stayed in that afternoon , being a few blocks from there, but Andy and Michela had insisted so much that he would stop at the less for that night, at home .
He, however, had expressly refused, a bit for cuteness, and a little because he did not have the slightest desire to feel the reality of marriage between a married couple. He remembered thinking of the young secretary in fishnet stockings and bra, in the video that saw both she and his agent as the protagonist.
Probably, Andy likes all the mailboxes full of piercings, but he couldn’t understand how he could, when he had a wife like Michela. It was still decidedly attractive. Boredom, perhaps, to enter a monotonous marriage, had pushed him to do what he had done? He had never had these problems with Karen, and despite all those years of marriage, he still found her irresistibly sexy and attractive.
After placing the new fireball in a parking lot, about five hundred meters from the restaurant, he got out, and putting on his jacket he walked along the sidewalk. At that moment, the cell phone vibrated.
He took it from his pocket and read the message.
It was from his agent, who asked if he had finally found parking and that they were already sitting at the table with Greta.
Perfect, he thought.
His desire to sit at a table and dine as if there were nothing more fantastic in life, depressed him even more. Nothing personal to the woman, but he was not in the right mood and despite having warned his agent, the latter had deliberately ignored him. So, now he was forced to entertain a conversation for hours, pretending to be amused. All right, he could do it, or at least he would try.
He entered the restaurant and headed for the tables. It was a completely colored room, and even the waiters had trouble not to confuse them with the red and black upholstery of the place. He finally arrived at the table, and it was time for presentations.
«He's James Alliston.» Announced his agent, introducing him to Greta.
She was a rather charming woman, about forty. Nothing special, but after a quick glance, he concluded that surely, with the mature face she had, she was the kind of woman who knew how to make you have fun in bed. She smiled warmly at him.
«I finally make your acquaintanc
e.» Said, Greta. «I must admit that you are much more handsome live than on the back of a cover.» The woman continued, hairless on her tongue.
He smiled and sat at the table.
«So, why did you decide to move here to L.A.?» Asked Greta, waiting for the waiter to order.
«I found it was a rather remarkable source of inspiration. Beautiful beaches, warm weather and charming women.» He replied. «A winning mix, in short.»
«Obviously, he omitted some reasons, such as his ex-wife and a marriage that ended up behind him, a betrayal, a way in search of righteousness and full evenings where the only friends were alcohol and loneliness. It was not the type to unbutton on the first date, even if that seemed quite different.
Andy answered in his place.
«Exactly. You must know, Greta, that this strange guy sitting next to me, even though it may seem quite different, is an excellent writer. In fact, it happens that he has some plans in mind to get an extraordinary book out of his head.»
He was not exactly of the same opinion, neither on the innovative idea nor on his talent. But in any case he didn’t even want to contradict Andy in a completely shameless manner.
«It's not entirely true.» He spoke, devoid of emphasis.
«Oh, yes it is.» Confirmed, Michela. «He's a fantastic writer, Greta.»
The woman looked at James.
«Your reputation precedes, I fear. You must know that I have read your last novel and whether you believe it or not, I found it very fascinating.» She gave him a look that he considered without a shadow of doubt persuasive. Maybe, it was old age, but it made you pose towards men in a more limpid and direct way, probably. Perhaps, was only his ability to be able to read in the behavior of women to turn out Greta a poor spinster of forty years in search of his last victim to chained to himself. As if reading his mind, his agent shared this thought with the woman.
«You also need to know that she has an innate talent for communicating and reading people's behavior.» Andy said , sure who knows what he's saying.
«Oh, really?» Said the woman, fascinated.
«Not exactly. I only have a good eye.» He concluded, penny.
She looked at him sketched. «Come on, show me.» She said, even more soothingly, now.
The two looked at each other for a moment, and even before opening his mouth he knew exactly where the conversation would end. He took a deep breath and started talking.
«Let's see, my ability is to know how to observe people's behavior. And from what I could see... » he paused. «You are a middle-aged woman desperately looking for a partner who will give you back that little bit of self-esteem that has remained, after having passed from bed to bed and being discharged by the umpteenth man, you just have to throw yourself headlong in new and exciting relationships to be able to still feel attractive, because of an asshole that has given you up for a girl younger than you. Unfortunately, I cannot help you, which is why I did not want to accept being here for dinner tonight.» He concluded with a regretful smile, but that was the truth.
The woman's eyes were a mixture of awareness combined with the bitterness she felt toward him at that moment. She didn’t even shed a tear, but took his glass of wine from above the table and threw it on him, before getting up wildly and heading for the restroom of the restaurant.
«Excellent move, champion.» His agent said.
Michela scratched herself behind the back of her head and coughed. «Well, it didn’t go so badly.»
«Excuse me, but now it will be better if I go.» He said, and then stood up.
«All right, we'll talk over the phone.» Concluded, Andy.
He headed out of the restaurant, his shirt smelling of wine. When he got to the car, he set off and headed for the hotel. He made a first stop at a discount store. He parked and turned off the engine before going down and entering in the small shop. He took a cart and stepped into the corridors lighted by neon lights. He put some precooked food to be heated in the microwave and went to the alcohol department. He examined some bottles before choosing one of the many poor wines put on display. He opened it and started to take a big sip. Then, he headed for the candy department and began to put in the shopping bags of candy and lollipops. After that, while he paused to examine some snacks that Elizabeth liked so much, irremediably a sense of nostalgia hit him in the stomach. At that moment, he saw a girl along the corridor who put a pair of candy bags in her purse. He stayed where he was, and turned to her.
«You know it's a crime, don’t you?»
«She turned to him, looking at him intently with her blue eyes.
«Of course, that's why I was careful that the cameras wouldn’t recover from me.»
«Come on, you don’t need to steal.»
«You believe?»
«And even if it were, you cannot do it anyway.»
«I don’t think you know me enough to say what I need.»
«I'm sure you need a good spanking from your father. What would he say if he caught you stealing here?»
«You can try asking him in jail, if you want.»
«Or maybe you'll tell him when they arrest you.»
She pretended to think about it. «All right, I just wanted to see what happened if I did it.»
«Don’t you dare, my girl. The consequences could be devastating if you're not careful about what you do.»
«In truth , I was waiting for a person like you to come and get me redeemed from all my sins.»
The young girl took the bottle from him and took a long drink.
All right , he thought skeptically, this situation is not taking a good turn .
«Come on, I'll pay for it.» He did. «If you promise me you will not do this again. Prison is a bad place for young girls like you.»
She smiled and the two walked to the counter.
After putting his stuff in the bag and paying for the young girl's candy, they set off the discount store.
«Wow, nice ride.» She did, looking more closely at the car parked in front of them.
«Yes.» He answered, putting the bags in the back seat.
«So... » he began to say. «Try not to get in trouble.» Then, got into his car and started the engine.
«Wait, I'd like to pay somehow.» She said, leaning her arms on the passenger door.
«It doesn’t matter.» He did, shifting the gear ready to go.
«Seriously. Unfortunately, now I have no money with me.» She concluded her with a guilty smile.
«Really, I don’t mind.» He reiterated, but having the feeling that the girl would not give up.
«Do you live around here?» She asked suddenly.
A smile appeared on her face, and it was not the typical smile of a fresh and jovial girl. Rather, a different kind of smile. One of those smiles that will certainly put you in trouble.
They arrived at the hotel, and after entering the room, the girl sat down on the sofa while he went into the kitchen to put the discount bags. When she returned, she looked at him mischievously and showed him the small enclosed cigarette in his hand.
«Do you smoke?» Asked then, the girl.
«Usually, no. But I don’t despise.» He made it short, him.
He also sat on the sofa and let the girl light the joint, then, after a couple of shots, he passed it to him.
In short, this was reduced his life: smoking joint with a decidedly attractive stranger whose name he still didn’t know, while his ex-wife was with his daughter in New York, God knows what was doing. Nothing unseemly, he hoped. But now he didn’t want to think about her, so he gave a couple of shots and leaned back in the sofa. After a few seconds of silence, she saw the stunning signed electric Stratocaster resting near her suitcase.
«Oh my god, this is... » she said, excitedly.
«Correct.» He confirmed.
She took it carefully and examined it more closely.
«Can I?» She asked, and he nodded.
She approached th
e sofa again and sat down on the carpet in front of him, before starting to sing some chords. After that, she made some sound from the mouth.
«You're not bad.» He said, passing the joint.
She took a long shot and passed it back. «My father taught me to play.» She confessed.
Who knows what his father would have thought now, knowing it in a stranger's house. After all, he was not a bad person and events sometimes could not be controlled as planned.
Minutes passed, and the girl played and hummed a few pieces of the Beatles, a pair of Jimi Hendrix and one of the Blue Violet. Then she put the guitar carefully on the sofa and sat next to him, closer this time. It didn’t take long for the joint to take effect, and their inhibitions would vanish. They slipped slowly away, like silk sheets, delicately, second by second. Then, she turned to him and leaned close to his lips. Then, he rose and the two of them let themselves go completely, kidnapped by that moment and without thinking in the least to the future or to the past. She took off his shirt and he untied his bra. Then it was the turn of the denim shorts. At the time when certain things happened, there was very little that could be done to control them, James found himself thinking. How delicately all the others escaped fears and uncertainties, letting go to a night full of passion, as soft as the skin of that young girl by the name still unknown and sensual as the curves of a young maiden met in the discount store around the corner. Was this the life waiting for him there in Los Angeles, and how would Karen find it right? His head was more clouded than usual at that moment, and his reasoning suddenly no longer mattered; he simply allowed himself to go to the events and to what would bring him.
Andy Jackson was headed to his villa along with Michela. Lately , James's thinking had been one of his main priorities and he knew he had to take off as soon as possible, or the car loan and financing would not be paid for on their own. His wife was there beside him, staring at the street lit by street lamps on the side of the road .
«Poor James.» She said suddenly, Michela. «Left like that, and without the slightest warning.» With a hint of regret in her voice.
Arrival in Los Angeles (#1 of California Dreaming)--A Los Angeles Series Page 2
