Impossible Glamour

by Maggie Marr

  “Daddy couldn’t have known the CTA retreat was here. He wouldn’t have ever let any of his girls stay in a hotel filled with Hollywood agents.” Amanda stood, pulled a robe around her body, and walked toward the door where all of our slippers waited for us.

  “Speak for yourself,” Sophia mumbled under her breath.

  If Sophia had been sitting closer to me, I would have kicked her in the shin. If Amanda heard Sophia, she didn’t let on. Instead, she slipped her feet into her slippers.

  “I’m thinking shower, then nap, and then dinner. Can I meet you two around nine?”

  I nodded. “Sounds good.” There was an uneasy peace between Amanda and Sophia, mainly because they were both related to me and I demanded it. Amanda had tried over and over and over again to create a relationship with me, Rhett, Sophia, and even Mama. Three out of four had come around, but Sophia had few feelings for Amanda other than hostility.

  “See you a little later.” Amanda walked out of the massage room and gave me a wave and a smile. The door slowly closed behind her.

  I looked at my sister. “Why are you such a bitch?”

  “What?” Sophia lifted her hands in a who-me gesture. “I didn’t say anything to her that was unkind. I didn’t even look at her.”

  “Exactly right. You didn’t look at her, you didn’t speak to her, she might as well have been invisible as far as you’re concerned.”

  “If only it were true,” Sophia said and slid off the table. “I don’t even know why you want her around.” She pulled on her robe and walked to the door. “You have a sister—you don’t need another.”

  “Is that what your impossible behavior is about? You’re jealous? I always thought it was about Daddy and how Amanda and Sterling got to grow up as Legends and we weren’t in the spotlight like them, but is it truly because you’re jealous of the relationship that Amanda has with me, Rhett, and Mama?”

  Sophia’s head whipped around. “What relationship with Mama?” Her eyes were hot and hard. Her lips pressed into a line.

  “She talks to Mama nearly every day. They shop, they lunch, you know all that.” I pulled on my robe and slid from the table.

  “Whatever. Mama doesn’t really like her. She’s simply nice to Amanda because of Daddy.”

  “No, Mama really likes her. So does Rhett and so do I. You’re the only one that can’t stand Amanda. Your behavior is awful, and to be honest, Soph, it’s getting old.” I was ready for her attack, the onslaught of words and the anger that would come from my twin. But instead her shoulders dropped a little and she looked at the floor.

  “That’s what Trick says.”

  “Trick’s a smart guy.”

  She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. “It’s just”—she pulled in a lungful of air—“it’s just I can’t seem to stop myself. To get myself to be nice to her. To want to be nice to her. She’s just…she’s so…she always has a pole up her ass.”

  “Amanda? What are you talking about? She’s fun and relaxed and has a wicked sense of humor.”

  “Maybe with you, but she’s never been that way with me. She’s always closed off and it always feels like she’s judging me. Like I’m not measuring up.”

  “Right, well, I think maybe you laid the groundwork for that relationship. You’ve never cut her any slack. Ever consider just biting that sharp tongue of yours instead of saying every mean thing that enters your mind? At least where Amanda is concerned?”

  Another deep breath. This time an eye roll accompanied the exhale of air. “I guess I could try.”

  “Great, let’s start tonight. Try at dinner. Use the silent unless nice things to say rule. Or funny things. I always appreciate funny. Funny is my favorite. But not funny mean, only funny ha-ha, or funny self-deprecating—”

  “I don’t do self-deprecating very well,” Sophia said with a serious look on her face. “It’s hard to be self-deprecating when you’re perfect.”

  I tilted my head and tipped my chin. “Seriously?”

  “A joke!” Sophia said with a broad smile and a tap to my shoulder. “See? I’m doing funny already.”

  Webber

  “Dick Munch, tell me something good that I don’t know.” I weaved through the crowd of agents that had just exited the giant conference room. Like lemmings to the sea, they were all on their phones to their assistants, rolling calls and checking on clients. I was no different. That was my mambo, my jive, my dealio… Agenting was my life.

  “Steve Legend returned.”

  “Fuck yeah!” I said and fist-pumped the air. Three of my compatriots turned to me and one shot me a dirty look while two shot me a thumbs-up. Didn’t matter why I was happy, let them think I’d just nailed down a multimillion-dollar film deal.

  “But I couldn’t get through to you.”

  Fuuuuuuck, I mouthed. Right. Those bozo partners had not just required we turn our phones to silent, knowing what little addict bitches we were, they’d actually confiscated our phones. Like a damn coat-check system, they’d given us a chip we could exchange for our phone when the meeting was over. Damn.

  “Try him,” I said and Dick Munch hopped onto the other line. I closed my eyes and envisioned Roger ringing Steve on all five of his lines. Finally, finally, getting him. What would he be doing at seven p.m. on a Wednesday? Most likely getting a blow job. Or a little group sex. The man was a monster on the sex side.

  “Left word at all numbers.”

  “Fuck.” This time I said it out loud. “Get me—no matter what, you hear me?—you get me when he returns.”

  “You know your ‘drinks’ with Selena is tonight, right?”

  I pressed my palm to my eyes. “Don’t remind me. Did her office call to confirm?”

  “Not only did they confirm, but her assistant suggested I clear your calendar until noon tomorrow.”

  “No. Just no. You call me thirty minutes in. Tell me there is an urgent matter, got it? I don’t care what excuse you make, but it better be pretty fucking good.”

  “Got it.”

  “And get me no matter what when Steve calls.”

  “Done.”

  “Okay.”

  “Anything else?” Dick Munch asked.

  “Nope, just heading up to the room so I can get ready to take this evening in the ass.”

  Chapter 12

  Ellen

  The waves rolled in and out and the Pacific nipped at my toes. A warm breeze, soft moonlight, and my sister Sophia, again yammering in my ear.

  “I told Trick we simply can’t stay at Pawtown all twelve months of the year.”

  I glanced over at Amanda who walked on my right side. The stroll on the beach was Sophia’s idea because first, we were all three uncomfortably stuffed after dinner, and second, Sophia simply wanted to stay up longer. Extrovert extraordinaire, if there wasn’t a party, Sophia would make one, even if that party was simply taking a walk on the beach with her twin and the half sister she loathed.

  “You know, Sophia, it’s probably best for Pawtown if you and Trick are in LA more. There are a lot of donors who’d write more checks if they saw you and Trick more often. I’m sure of that.”

  Sophia’s head whipped toward Amanda. There was a flash in her eyes, her mouth opened, but instead of some horribly unkind and inappropriate comment like she usually unleashed on Amanda, she said, “That’s exactly what I told Trick!”

  Good girl. Sophia even smiled at Amanda. Smiled. And the smile didn’t seem fake or forced or about to turn into some snide comment. In fact, all through dinner my difficult sister had actually tried to be nice. I think she quite literally bit her tongue two, maybe three times. Amanda hadn’t said anything unkind, she was much too diplomatic and had been raised under the bright lights of Hollywood. Amanda left herself open and vulnerable, she said what she meant and what she felt, and for Sophia, with her wicked sharp tongue and inferiority complex, that meant she had the ability to throw sarcasm-laced barbs toward Amanda.

  Amanda never retorted. She didn’t
respond. She simply behaved as though she didn’t hear the tart words or didn’t understand their unkindness.

  The woman was a saint.

  “I think we’ve reached a compromise,” Sophia continued. “One week a month in LA when I’m in the States and two weeks at Pawtown, and then he’s agreed to come with me on a shoot if I’m away for a week.”

  “That works. Probably both for him and for Angie,” Amanda said.

  “Right.” Sophia ran her fingers through her hair. “Angie loves having Trick at Pawtown, but she enjoys running the place too.” Sophia dropped her gaze to the water. “Plus I’m not sure Angie has ever really liked me.”

  Wow. My sister being vulnerable? And not only vulnerable, but vulnerable in front of Amanda… Wow, wow, wow.

  Amanda stopped walking and turned to Sophia. “She didn’t.”

  And kaplooey. My body stiffened in preparation for the blast of words and anger that would now come from Sophia.

  “What?”

  “Okay, girls, what say we go back and get a drink at the—”

  “No, I mean Angie didn’t like you when you first got to Pawtown, you know that. She told you that, but now I don’t think she dislikes you, I’m just not sure you have anything in common but Trick.” Amanda tucked her hair behind her ear.

  Heat rolled off Sophia, but her creased brow and pursed lips softened with Amanda’s explanation. “I thought we’d gotten beyond that. That maybe we’d become friends, but this last time I got back to Pawtown…I don’t know, there was something different going on with Angie.”

  “Did you ask her?” Amanda flipped her hair over her shoulder.

  “No…it feels like there’s a wall between us—maybe because of my career or how I’m there and then I’m gone—”

  “Or how it seems your emotions are up and down and all over the map.”

  Sophia bit her bottom lip. Wow. Amanda was really pushing, but Sophia seemed to be taking her words well.

  “I’ve always been that way.” Her gaze met mine. “Ask Ellen. She’s Miss Calm, Cool, and Collected, and I’m Miss Drama, Drama, Drama. Right?”

  I slung my arm around my sister’s shoulder. “Your drama brings life to the party. You’re enthusiastic and fun and always have enough energy to get both of us out the door.”

  “Those are the good bits, sure,” Sophia said. “But the bad bits are the temper tantrums, the crying jags, the irritability. I know. And I’m sure Angie knows too.” Her gaze left mine and trailed out toward the horizon. “It’s not like Pawtown is that big.”

  “She hasn’t said anything to me,” Amanda continued. She and Angie had been friends since they were both kids. “There may be personal stuff she’s going through.”

  Sophia’s gaze returned to Amanda. “I didn’t know…”

  “She wouldn’t tell you or Trick if there was. She’s private that way. She doesn’t share much of herself unless you ask or she’s known you a really long time. I don’t think it’s you, Sophia. I think it’s just the way Angie inhabits the world.”

  Sophia’s lips turned into a smile. Gratitude. Amanda had just lifted a burden that even I didn’t know Sophia’d been carrying.

  “You were worried that Angie didn’t like you?” I asked.

  “She’s Trick’s sister, of course I was worried. They’re close and they have Pawtown together. I want to get along with his family.” She stopped talking and looked toward Amanda. “Just like I want to get along with mine.” Her voice was soft and her face held a childlike hopefulness. Sophia reached her hand toward Amanda and Amanda grasped it.

  “We can do that,” Amanda said. “I don’t know that it’ll be easy always, but we can definitely try.”

  Wow, I’d totally go through the Webber thing again to get to this moment. My heart warmed. This was the outcome I’d hoped for since Amanda and Sterling had discovered Daddy’s other family. I’d wanted all of us to find a way to become happily blended. Amanda wanted that too, and now I was realizing that deep down inside, Sophia wanted all three of us to be close, she just hadn’t known how to make that happen for all of us.

  “Champagne!” Sophia yelled. “We need champagne to celebrate!”

  My gaze locked with Amanda’s. She, like me, wanted to retreat to our rooms, put on jammies, and go to bed. But we would celebrate if only for one drink with Sophia, because how often did a family dynamic totally get saved?

  Webber

  Selena and I sat at the resort bar, which was populated by CTA agents and a couple of poor souls who didn’t realize a bunch of hard-selling, beer-swilling, tail-chasing, upscale salesmen were taking over the resort for a week. Wonder how many of the non-agent types had asked the hotel for their money back? The longer CTA was in residence, the faster the whole “team building” retreat devolved into a drug-fueled sex-fest on speed. Lots and lots of speed. Agents were high-energy, adrenaline-junkie, top-performing machines. You couldn’t lock them up in San Bernardino County and expect them to hold hands and sing songs without a few orgies on the side. Give them booze, coke, titties, and something to sell, otherwise watch them find all those things for themselves.

  Wowza! No arrests yet. Though a rumor floated that Jeff had been caught in the Presidential Suite with three Norwegian swimsuit models who were visiting the US.

  Selena was no different than any other CTA agent. Her appetites were legendary, and right now, this moment, I was the guy on the menu. Big Boy and I were meant to serve her well tonight. The problem? I couldn’t stop staring at her titties, and not because I wanted to suck on them. Her breasts were not a shape seen naturally. After years of exploration, I knew ta-tas, and those babies were way too round. And hard. They looked like someone had shoved softballs beneath her golden-brown skin. I couldn’t take my eyes off them because their unnatural state mesmerized me. Golf balls were too small, basketballs too big, softballs were the right size…but why would she want them so hard? Selena leaned closer. My gaze shot up to meet her eyes. Whoopsie. Unfortunately, Miss Rodriguez had gotten the wrong idea. Her wicked grin was all about believing I wanted her beautiful, perfectly round boobs.

  “Webber?” She put her fingertip under my chin and tilted my head up.

  I shivered. Oops. I absolutely did not want her ta-tas. What I wanted was her vote for me to become a CTA partner and to get out of this evening without having to put Big Boy to work.

  “You want my vote for partner.” She reached for her vodka martini and took a long sip.

  “I do. My client list is the best one in the motion picture department, I’ve been at CTA going on a decade, I’ve packaged some major projects, Steve Legend is—”

  “You have my vote.” Again with the wicked smile. She waved to the bartender to bring her another martini and another Jack for me. Her hand dropped to my thigh and squeezed. “Of course, there is something that I would like in return.”

  Yowza! Those double-D globes might pop out from that halter dress. Big Boy perked to life, but I was unsure of his abilities after his flaccidity from the night before. Was that a onetime thing? Was it because of Ellen? Was my cock forever ruined?

  Selena’s hand trailed up my thigh and I scooted back a bit on my barstool. Any other man in the entire world would lean in. Lean in, baby! Selena with her millions, her partnership, her business sense, her ta-tas, gorgeous black hair, smokin’ body, and well…appetites. Nearly every man at CTA wanted to be me tonight except for…well, me.

  “Uh…” I slurped my drink. My game hadn’t been this bad since middle school. What the hell? Of course the woman scared me a little, but come on, I should at least want to bang that beauty to the moon.

  She leaned forward and now pressed one hand on each thigh. Her fingertips were dangerously close to Big Boy. “What say after this drink we go up to my suite and hammer out the details of your partnership agreement?”

  Big Boy liked to hammer, or so it seemed by his response. And yet even with Big Boy’s response, I couldn’t get my heart into the idea of hopping into
the sack with Selena when what I really wanted was—

  “Webber.”

  Cool. Crisp. With maybe even a touch of…anger. I swiveled my barstool away from the cougar copping a feel and toward Ellen, Sophia, and Amanda Legend. Lucky me, all three of Steve’s daughters were here, in the bar, while Selena’s hands were on my thighs and I’d failed to perform just last night.

  “The Legend ladies!” I stood. “Amanda.” I leaned in and gave her a peck on the cheek. She was the Legend I’d known the longest. “Save me,” I whispered in her ear.

  She pulled back and smiled. “Webber, I think you’re fully capable of doing that yourself.”

  “Selena, have you met Steve Legend’s daughters?”

  “I’ve not had the pleasure, but I’ve heard amazing things about each. Sophia,” she said and looked straight at Ellen. “I’d love to talk to you about our urban division. If you’re in LA for a while, will you ring me?”

  I nudged Selena in the arm, “Sorry, sweetheart, it’s an easy mistake, but that’s Ellen. The brainiac Legend.”

  “What?” Selena’s eyes flashed from Ellen to Sophia.

  Ellen and Sophia were like looking at a reflection in a mirror. I’d never gotten them confused though, even when Ellen was all dolled up with makeup and hair done and a dress…which was nearly never. But tonight they both had hair done and makeup and a dress and heels and to be honest, Ellen, my beautiful Ellen, was more exquisite-looking than her übermodel sibling.

  Wait…my?

  “He’s right,” Ellen said. “I’m just the med student, she’s the star.”

  “You two…I would never be able to tell you apart,” Selena said.

  “Most people can’t.” Amanda’s gaze slid toward me. “Unless they’re family or—”

  “Would you ladies join us for a drink?” I asked and nodded toward a table.