Lovers and Gamblers

by Jackie Collins

  Now Manny Shorto was back in her life. And he didn’t even remember her! The bastard.

  But he wanted her – oh how he wanted her. His wife had died of cancer, and he lived alone in a large hotel suite surrounded by hangers-on. He was more than a star – he was an American legend.

  They had met again at a party. He asked her out – she said no – he sent her some presents – she said yes – he tried to screw her – she said no – he sent her some more presents – she still said no.

  She was his type. There was no denying that. ‘What do you want?’ he asked. ‘Name it – you got it.’

  She wanted to be Mrs. Manny Shorto. She wanted to be the star’s wife.

  Now if she played her cards right… If she could only stay in New York long enough… This time she was going to screw him. This time she would win.

  * * *

  The Hollywood Bowl concert was a smash. Even Bernie had to admit that he had never heard Al in better voice. He grabbed the audience in his fist, and held them there in a dazzling performance. They screamed their approval – stars and fans alike. At the end of his ‘tribute to other singers’ he dedicated Bobby Womack’s version of ‘We’ve Only Just Begun’ to a ‘wild-haired, green-eyed lady out front.’

  Dallas, sitting with KM and Chuck, smiled slightly. No one knew it was for her. It was their secret.

  He over-ran by half an hour, and everyone stamped and clapped and cheered for him to stay longer – but it was time to go – and he gave them his boxer’s salute and vanished.

  ‘Wow!’ exclaimed Kiki. ‘He is too much – but the best. I never realized what impact he has. Jeeze – I’m weak at the knees. That is one horny man!’

  Chuck laughed. ‘I’d look horny if my pants were cut to within an inch of my life!’

  Kiki giggled. ‘You’re horny anyway, baby.’ She hugged him. ‘In fact – you are the horniest! I can vouch for that!’

  They got caught in a huge traffic snarl-up, and it seemed like hours before they reached the Beverly Hills Hotel. There was a hassle to get directed to Al’s bungalow, and Chuck nearly got involved in a fight.

  There was a mob of people at the bungalow. Dallas found Paul and asked what was happening. ‘Go through to the bedroom,’ he said. ‘He’s waiting for you.’

  She edged through the crowd, and Luke ushered her into the bedroom.

  Al was lying on the bed in a towelling dressing gown. He sat up when he saw her and said, ‘Where have you been?’

  ‘The traffic…’

  He reached around her waist and pulled her onto the bed with him, ‘Let’s fuck,’ he said urgently, ‘I was thinking about you all the time…’

  She shoved him away. ‘What is it with you?’

  He leapt on top of her, pinning her arms down. ‘What is it with me? I haven’t had a woman for weeks. I can have my pick, but I’ve been waiting for you… Do you know what it means for me to wait?’ He lowered his mouth onto hers. She flicked out her tongue to meet him. He relaxed his hold on her arms and pushed his own tongue into her mouth.

  She bit his tongue sharply, at the same time springing free and rolling off the bed. ‘I don’t want to screw you. Get it? I’m not another one-night lay. Another silly little star fucker.’

  He started to laugh. ‘Is my tongue bleeding?’

  ‘I don’t believe you,’ she huffed, picking herself up from the floor. ‘I walk in the room – you attack me. There’s a million and one people right outside. Honestly…’

  ‘I love you,’ he laughed. ‘I really love you.’

  ‘Good,’ she replied. ‘Now get dressed and we’ll go to the party.’

  He saluted, still smiling. ‘Yes, ma’am.’

  She couldn’t help smiling too. ‘And don’t get smart, or we won’t go.’

  * * *

  Karmen Rush wanted him.

  She was a lady who always got what she wanted or all hell was let loose.

  She was a not too attractive female who had styled herself into a devastating cult beauty. Her aquiline features she emphasized with deliberate shading. Her too-close-together myopic eyes she hid behind black contact lenses, and emphasized the outer eye and lid in a dramatic Egyptian fashion. Over her thin mouth she drew a shape of a more inviting nature, which she filled in with a dark brown lipstick. She dieted fanatically to keep her thinner-than-thin figure. And her hair she had dyed a jet black and wore it very long with the help of various hair pieces.

  Her magic voice was all her own.

  She was one of the very few bankable female stars in the world.

  At the age of thirty-two, she had devoured three husbands, and was currently sharing her sumptuous house with a young dress designer by the name of Keeley Nova. His friends sometimes called him Keelin’ Over, on account of the fact that he was always stoned out of his head, and had a habit of falling down flat at the most inopportune moments. Karmen never seemed to notice. She sailed through everything like a queen, her face an impenetrable mask. As long as she was never disturbed during the three hours it took for her to get herself together every day – then she seemed unruffled by anything.

  When Al arrived at her house she took him by the hand and husked, ‘Beautiful… Beautiful…’ in his ear.

  He had always wanted to meet her. She did not leave go of his hand, and she had a grip of steel.

  The house was alive with freaks – music issued forth from every corner – an old Shirley Temple movie played soundlessly on a giant screen.

  Karmen fixed him with her deadly eyes. ‘Come with me,’ she whispered. ‘I want to tape record our first conversation.’

  Dallas gave him a little shove from behind. ‘Go on,’ she urged. ‘I’ll be fine.’

  ‘But…’Al began.

  ‘Go on!’ insisted Dallas. ‘I don’t mind – really.’

  ‘I’ll be back in a minute, then.’

  Karmen dragged him away.

  ‘I can’t get over this house,’ Kiki was saying. ‘Dallas, have you looked around – it’s insane!’

  The house was indeed weird. Not furnished in the conventional sense – but littered with exotic cushions and rugs, and only lit by long black candles that were stuck in holders ranging from exquisite silver to wine bottles.

  On the walls priceless Picassos jostled next to old movie posters. The back of the house was sheets of glass which led out to the beach and the ocean. Various huge dogs wandered about apparently harmlessly. Word had it that at a gesture from Karmen, they would attack and kill.

  ‘Kinda cosy!’ joked Kiki. ‘What do you think, Chuck baby, shall we take it?’

  ‘Christ! Be careful what you drink!’ Chuck replied. ‘There’s not one normal person here. They’ll slip you acid before you can say hello!’

  Dallas wandered onto the beach. She didn’t mind the fact that Karmen had spirited Al off. In fact in a way she was pleased. If he was so anxious to get laid, let Karmen do him the honours. At least it would give her an excuse to stop seeing him. And she wanted to stop seeing him – she wanted it to be over before it had begun. That was the only way she would be safe.

  * * *

  Paul arrived at the party a little later. He had stayed behind to get rid of the people at the bungalow. He couldn’t spot either Al or Dallas, and assumed that they had finally got it together and were hidden away somewhere consummating the relationship. Good. That would mean the end of Dallas. It didn’t seem right for Al to be so hung up. Paul preferred him the way he knew him – this whole Dallas trip was unusual.

  He looked around. It was pure freaksville. What was he doing here? Why wasn’t he out trying to get Linda back?

  A stoned redhead swayed over to him. ‘What star sign are you, lover?’ she asked. ‘If you’re a Scorpio we’re in luck. My horoscope promised me a Scorpio today and you look like a beautiful human being.’

  ‘No, no,’ he backed away. He couldn’t turn on to women the way Al did. He couldn’t produce an instant hard-on with a complete stranger. It just wasn’t his scen
e. He needed more. He needed a certain mental communication before anything physical could happen.

  He wanted to leave. This wasn’t his kind of party. Quietly he headed for the door.

  * * *

  Karmen said, ‘Your vibes are reaching me, Al. I knew you and I were tuned into the same thought waves.’

  They were in her bedroom. A room painted black with no ceiling. The ceiling was the sky littered with stars.

  ‘Like it?’ she asked. ‘I designed the whole house myself.’

  ‘Nice.’

  ‘Nice! It cost me a goddamn fortune! Listen, Al. We can lock ourselves away from the party. We can party on our own – just the two of us. You want to snort a little coke? I’ve got the best stuff – or is grass your treat? Whatever. Name it.’

  ‘Hey,’ he objected, ‘thanks for the offer, but I came here with someone.’

  ‘So? Who is she? Some nothing chick you can hump any day of the week. I’m offering you me – Karmen Rush.’ With a gesture she undid a clip, and the black halter-neck dress she was wearing slid to the floor.

  Her body was so thin that her ribs were visible, and her hip bones jutted out, emphasizing the fact that she had shaved off every inch of pubic hair. Her nipples were black flowers –painstakingly designed. A black heart was tattooed on her waist.

  She stared at him. ‘Don’t tell me you’re not king. Don’t tell me all I saw up there on that stage was a pair of old socks.’ She turned her back on him and walked contemptuously over to the black fur bed. She flopped onto it, opening her legs.

  He could see everything. There was no black bush impairing his vision. He had not had a woman for over four weeks. Besides which, this was Karmen Rush – the superstar lady – asking him – begging him…

  He wanted to get back to Dallas. He wanted to…

  He unzipped his trousers. One quick fuck wasn’t going to make any difference.

  * * *

  Twice Linda nearly dialled the number. Twice she copped out at the last minute. What was it about California? She felt so horny. Was it something they put in the water? Or was it just her way of getting Paul out of her system?

  The parking boy had been fun, a laugh, a one-night stand. But a hooker – wasn’t that taking things a bit too far?

  Men had been using hookers forever. Yeah – but probably men who couldn’t get it on for free elsewhere. Either that or they wanted to do things they didn’t want to do with their wives.

  But what the hell. She wanted something different. She wanted a man who was dedicated to pleasing her. Dedicated. Not some dude who expected as good as he gave.

  Determined, she picked up the phone again. But just as she was dialling, the doorbell rang.

  She slammed the phone down and went to the door. It was Cody Hills. He looked distraught. ‘Where is Dallas?’ he demanded.

  ‘She went to the Al King concert at the Bowl. You want to come in? You look like you could do with a drink.’

  Morosely he followed her inside. She fixed him a vodka on the rocks and he gulped it down.

  ‘So what’s up?’ she asked. ‘You look in a state.’

  ‘Yes,’ he agreed. ‘I have to get hold of Dallas. I’ve got bad news – really bad news.’

  * * *

  Dallas sat on the beach for a while, and the while grew into a long time. So she went back inside, and found Kiki and Chuck. There was no sign of Al. No sign of Karmen. ‘I’ll be back in a minute’ indeed. What bullshit!

  ‘I’m going to leave,’ she said, trying to keep the hurt out of her voice.

  ‘But what about Al?’ Kiki asked.

  ‘He’s a free agent. There’s nothing between us, you know.’

  ‘Sure,’ agreed Kiki, ‘just an electric charge you could cut with a knife.’

  ‘Yeah – so electric he’s run off to screw rent-a-witch.’

  ‘Who?’

  ‘Do I have to draw you a picture? Our lovely hostess. Listen, Kiki – I don’t give a shit, I’m splitting.’

  ‘Wait until we finish eating and we’ll come with you,’ Chuck joined in. ‘After all – it’s up early again tomorrow – back to the grind.’

  Dallas nodded. She was tired. She only had to hear the words ‘up early’ and it was instant yawn time. She would go home, get into bed, and forget about Al King.

  If she had been smart she would have forgotten about him in the first place.

  * * *

  Edna rose at seven. There was so much to do, and with Evan away visiting friends she planned to spring-clean his room.

  The house was looking wonderful, sparkling clean, the way it had never looked before. She had been horrified at the filth she had found. You pay people to look after your home, and what did you get? You got dust swept under couches, cobwebs in the hall light fixtures, thick grease in the oven, a permanent rim around the bath, unpolished silver, unmoved furniture.

  Edna had soon taken care of all that. She had personally scrubbed the house from top to bottom. Now all she had to do was maintain it.

  She made herself a cup of tea. Oh, the luxury of an empty kitchen! Then she strolled round the front of the house and picked up the newspapers from the mailbox. On the front page of one of them, there was a large picture of Al and Dallas. They were laughing, looking at each other. Al’s expression was of rapt interest.

  Calmly Edna read the blurb.

  ‘Al King Meets his Queen Again’. That was on top.

  Underneath the story read: Los Angeles, Saturday, Superstar Al King (38) and Ex ‘Miss Coast to Coast’ Dallas (20) seemed to find plenty to laugh about at a party in his honour given by Doris Andrews (43). Earlier in the year Al’s name was romantically linked with Dallas. The claim then was ‘just good friends’. Isn’t it wonderful how friendships last? Edna folded the paper carefully and returned to the house.

  She couldn’t make up her mind what to do first. Wax the kitchen floor or start on Evan’s room. She decided on the kitchen floor. Humming softly to herself she switched on the radio.

  How nice to no longer have Melanie coming around to try and rub her nose in it. Because, quite frankly, she couldn’t care less.

  * * *

  ‘I’m sorry,’ said Karmen blankly, ‘I must have given you too much.’

  Al, struggling his way to consciousness through a throbbing headache, muttered, ‘Too much what?’

  ‘Ether,’ replied Karmen matter of factly. ‘I put a pad over your face when you were coming – it usually produces the most hallucinatory effects. I guess you must have breathed too deeply or something. You’ve been asleep for hours, the doctor was quite worried.’

  Al did not believe what he was hearing. Ether! She could have killed him. The woman was totally insane.

  He wanted to throw up. He felt terrible. ‘You stupid bitch!’ he slurred. ‘You’re mad, fucking mad.’

  She pinched the bridge of her nose with dangerously taloned black-painted nails. ‘I tried to wake you. I did everything to wake you.’

  Al focused on her boyfriend standing behind her. He looked very spaced-out and very nervous.

  Al tried to stand. ‘I want to get out of here,’ he said. ‘I don’t need fucking maniacs in my life. Where is the doctor anyway?’

  ‘When he saw you were coming to he left. He doesn’t like to get involved.’

  ‘Jesus!’ Al spat in disgust. ‘Get me my driver – Luke. I want out.’

  ‘Sure, man,’ Keeley said, ‘I’ll arrange everything. Don’t you worry about a thing.’ He unlocked the bedroom door and exited.

  Al staggered to his feet. He noticed he was fully dressed. The last thing he could remember was giving this ugly bitch a good hammering. Then – pow – nothing until now. Ether! Christ Almighty!

  ‘Who dressed me?’ he demanded.

  ‘Keeley,’ replied Karmen. ‘You could have just slipped quietly away. I didn’t think you would want to go with your pants off.’

  Al glared at her. What could you say to a psycho screwball? She was nuts.

&
nbsp; She stared impassively at him, unruffled by the whole event.

  Keeley came bouncing back in the room followed by a concerned Luke.

  ‘Where the fuck were you?’ Al demanded, not waiting for a reply. ‘Get me to the car.’

  Karmen fluttered her hands vaguely in the air. ‘It could’ve been a beautiful experience,’ she murmured. ‘You could’ve thanked me.’

  ‘Sod off, you dumb bitch.’ He followed Luke through a side door and out to the car. He still felt weak. ‘How long was I in there?’

  ‘Nearly three hours,’ replied Luke. He didn’t dare to ask what had happened.

  ‘Where’s Paul?’

  ‘He came and left.’

  ‘Dallas?’

  ‘She left hours ago.’

  ‘Figures,’ said Al glumly. Nobody had been concerned. Nobody had been worried. They had all thought he was having the hump of a lifetime – why disturb him?

  Fuck it. He deserved it. He had been so hung up with Dallas… Then the first superstar that had exposed her skinny body had pulled him. Terrific. What will-power. What strength of character. What a pile of shit.

  He was disgusted with himself.

  ‘Stop off at the first liquor store we pass and buy a couple of bottles of Jack Daniels,’ he instructed Luke.

  What the hell… Dallas wouldn’t want to know about him now. She wouldn’t believe him whatever story he told her. He had blown her out in front of her friends, humiliated her. He didn’t even have the courage to call her. For one lousy star fuck he had crapped on the first relationship he might have had in years.

  The concert had been such a triumph. He had been riding on a natural high. Was his ego so insecure that he’d felt obligated to screw Karmen Rush? Or was it just that he was plain horny after being without a woman for so long, and when she had taken off her clothes… When she had opened those white thin superstar legs…

  Luke stopped the car at a liquor mart and ran inside.

  Al slumped back in the car. A few shots of Jack Daniels would soon get him together again.