Obsession: Warm Bodies, Cold Hearts

by Rice, Rachel E.

  Phillip once an eternal bachelor never met a woman he didn’t want to fuck. He had been a major action star in the U. S. and abroad since he was a teenager. His life was the movies, as well as bedding every pretty woman he encountered, and there were many in his bed on and off the set.

  The art of the conquest fascinated him. He had to conquer a woman who defied his reality.

  He felt the pains of his pass transgressions and of performing his own stunts. Phillip with all his money, charisma, class, and good looks, could never get a handle on a woman who could rock his world, and send him out of orbit. That woman had to demand his attention and satisfy his insatiable desire for sex. He never figured out why he could not find that someone. His status as a sex symbol, and the world’s most eligible bachelor, should have made it easy.

  Phillip’s time had been invested in his career, and spending a lot of time out of the U. S. He traveled throughout Europe and Asia, and saw beautiful women, but nothing could satisfy him. He traveled intently searching for a place to give him the peace from his fans and women storming his hotel room. He finally discovered a country where he would love to invest his time and renew himself, and that was Italy. He longed to live there.

  Phillip loved Italy, with its quant homes and beautiful gardens. The wild flowers that grew all along the countryside were especially appealing. Maybe it was his age, and lack of children that caused him to be melancholy, because he longed for something different in his life.

  Maybe I should purchase a home there, he thought. The idea sounded inviting. He would sell one of his many homes in California, because they were costly to maintain. He could only live in one at a time. Some homes he rented out, and forgot he owned those palaces.

  A notion came to Phillip, and he picked up the phone and called a friend who is a realtor. “Sandy, Phillip here, I’m thinking about moving to Italy. Can you find me a place and e-mail some pictures?”

  “Do you have a place in mind?”

  “No, I ‘m thinking about a town on the border of Switzerland and Italy, near the sea.” I have to be near water.”

  “Sure Phillip, it’s been a busy time lately. Everyone wants to live in Italy.”

  “How so?”

  “Well, I just received a call from a friend and she said that a woman from Houston wanted to purchase something in Italy.”

  “Anyone I know?”

  “I don’t know, but gossip has it she’s the woman that was caught with you in that altercation with Danny McCloud, but you know how gossip is in Hollywood.” Sandy whispered.

  “For one thing I don’t want to hear his name again. The papers made me look bad. Those stupid jerks said I was a washed up actor. Move over Phillip, Danny McCloud has more juice. Those rags detailed every event as if they had cameras in my bedroom.”

  “Well they did. Those cell phones sent pictures all over the world,” Sandy said reminding Phillip.

  No one knew that Steven was selling stories to the press, because he wanted to be a part of the Hollywood crowd. He didn’t need the money. He loved juicy gossip, only if it was about someone else.

  “What’s the name?” Phillip inquired.

  “Sydney Benning.”

  “That’s her, that’s her. I will never forget that woman. I want you to get me a house near her. I don’t care where she buys one,” Phillip said, remembering that night, tilting his head, shaking it as he smiled.

  “Will do,” Sandy said following Phillips orders.

  “Thanks Sandy.”

  Phillip sat on his plush sofa, put his feet on a table, poured himself a drink, and enjoyed his thoughts.

  He broke into a laugh that revealed his deep dimples on the sides of his strong jaw line. Extremely attractive for a man in his forties, his piercing cool grey eyes, a thick head of curly mingled grey hair, which the makeup artist always concealed in his movies, revealed still a virile sexy man. Proudest of his grey hair and chiseled good looks, he knew women of all ages desired him. His money, sex, good looks attracted them to him, and he aimed to please.

  He promised everything except marriage. A lone bachelor waiting for the perfect woman for his needs and desires, however, he never met her—well maybe for a few minutes.

  The woman called Sydney intoxicated Phillip. Until recently, he didn’t know what he lacked in side of him. He couldn’t get that woman out of his head or the desire for her.

  It may have been that Danny loved her with a passion, which caused her to be so pleasing to Phillip. She had such an attitude and presence. She was quirky, smart, and brash. She was able to have a young man want to fight for her. That just wet Phillip’s appetite. He had to know more about her. He knew that Danny still wanted her and that made her even more appealing to him. After Phillip hung up the phone, he called an associate who owed him a favor.

  “Max this is Phillip Cross.”

  “Oh, what can I do for you Phillip?”

  “I’m interested in some information.”

  “You know me, I will give you any information on anyone except my clients,” Max stated shrewdly. Max wasn’t a complete dick, he had scruples.

  “Yea, Yea Max, I know. Let’s cut the bull; can you tell me about Sydney Benning?”

  “You should know more about her than I do. She was the one in your bed with only a towel on when Danny slugged you and dragged her out of your home.”

  “Listen Max…” Phillip did not get a chance to finish.

  “I can’t tell you anything. I have to go,” Max said, hanging up on Phillip.

  Phillip’s anger ceased because he understood. He knew loyalty ran deep with Max, however, he could have gotten lucky.

  Phillip depended on luck to color his life. Why not, that’s how he had become a star, became rich, and stayed a bachelor. He told everyone he was just lucky when asked why no woman had managed to capture him.

  He didn’t have children that could be proven by DNA.Many women didn’t think of accusing him of fathering children from the Atlantic, Pacific, and the Mediterranean Sea. If a woman dared say he was the father, Phillip’s lawyers dragged them into court. Few showed up. The pressures exerted on them, proved worthless to them in time and money. That was in his youth, now no one said he had a chick or a child. Now he welcomed flattery, but none came his way. Now he was searching for the things most people wanted, and had at the midpoint of their lives—a wife and a family.

  Phillip snapped back from his yearnings, daydreams, and thoughts of Sydney. He placed call to his investigator friend to get the lowdown on her.

  “This is Phillip Cross. I want you to find out everything you can about Sydney Benning. I want everything, including her medical records. I want information from as far back as high school,” Phillip demanded.

  “You got it Mr. Cross.”

  Phillip used his private investigator to get the goods on women and men. He had to be the first to know about someone if he planned to have contact with them, or if they were rivals in the movie business. The power of information seduced him. He discovered Danny’s weakness when agents and producers mentioned Danny as a possible threat to his career as a leading man.

  Phillip learned that Danny was born in Glasgow, Scotland, and his mother left him taking his twin brother with her to Canada, where she died. He found out about everyone except Sydney. He heard rumors about Danny’s drug use, where he snatched a role from him. The information he gathered, and presented to the producers saved Phillip’s ass.

  If Danny was doggit about what he wanted, Phillip was ruthless, and seldom lost what he desired. He was always a winner, and staying on top of the game was his game. Even if he had to muddy the waters of everyone who posed a threat to what he wanted in life, and now he wanted Sydney.

  Phillip invented the “deep screw shot” he would snooker Danny and take Sydney.

  If Phillip knew how to play “Snooker,” a billiard game, he would be a master.

  It didn’t take long for the investigator to get back to Phillip. The phone rang only hour
s after Phillip hung up.

  “Mr. Cross, I found out some information on that woman Sydney. She’s from Texas and has been married before. She’s twenty eight.

  “Look, tell me something I don’t know.”

  “She’s living with a lawyer named Robert Farrell, who is due to be indicted for his role in that oil company scandal in Houston. It bottomed out and bankrupt thousands in the company, and that little boy is not his, he’s Danny’s son.

  “What?” Phillip said shocked.

  “Get this, he adopted Danny’s son and won’t let Sydney take him out of Texas.”

  “She’s living with a genuine bastard,” Phillip stated.

  “Not for long, I understand she’s buying a home in Italy. Listen to this; she’s pregnant again for Danny.”

  Phillip sat silent. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. After a long pause, his mind focused on what had to be done.

  “Good Job. Call me when you’ve got more.”

  “Will do.”

  There are several things about information that rings true throughout the world, and it is that you can’t keep anything a secret as long as you are not the only person on the planet. The second thing is people will talk and there is a lot to be said about six degrees of separation.

  The theory is six people in this world separate us. Those six people will know someone that know you, and provide all the information. This is Phillip’s belief, and he used this mantra to his advantage.

  A confident Phillip knew he possessed destructive information against Danny and Robert. Kill two birds with one stone and get rid of his competition. How was he going to make the information work for him? What was Sydney planning? Few people knew of the villa.

  The thought of seducing Danny’s woman and capturing her heart interested and intrigued him. The proposal is intriguing as the woman herself. Sydney is a woman that leaves a lasting impression on a man whenever she comes in close contact with him, he thought. For Phillip, it took only a few minutes, because she electrified his body. She presented an intense pleasure that surrounded her like a magnetic field drawing him in.

  The sexual power, and youthful voluptuous body of Sydney caused his desperation and lust, but he couldn’t help thinking about the possibilities of love, children, and a life with her. What started out as a notion to get revenge, changed to a real desire to know Sydney.

  Phillip couldn’t get Sydney’s scent out of his senses. She had a smell that was so erotic and enticing. The smell of her body reminded him of the most intense longing and loving of a young schoolboy, falling head over heels for his first love. The smell sent him back to his youth, and carried him away when he was near her. For no apparent reason than that, Phillip desires ran rampant for Sydney.

  The next day Phillip contacted his realtor to discover that she had this perfect property in Lake Maggiore, and after looking at it from her office computer, he bought the villa. The realtor informed him that Sydney had closed on a villa next door to him. Phillip learned some important gossip that the realtor had gleaned from Sydney. Sydney was having another baby. This was old news.

  Phillip thought for a moment. The idea of a family was what he had in mind. He knew now he could never have children of his own. The idea of marrying Sydney and becoming a father to her children suited him just fine--as it stands, it was what he wanted, and that was better than adopting children, he thought.

  Phillip was a meticulous person with his life and money.

  Phillip made wonderful plans, however, he didn’t know whether he was the type of man that Sydney wanted, and he didn’t know whether Danny was somewhere near to screw up all his plans.

  He knew women because he had a lifetime of women. He had all types and all colors. Women were women to him until he met Sydney. Maybe she would be the one to do it for him. She certainly had that it he was looking for. She was independent, strong willed, humorous, and could make a man want to spend an eternity with her.

  These thoughts opened his mind to possibilities that Phillip would take liberties to achieve. He decided to make another call to his investigator friend to include another person in his background check.

  “Phillip here, I want you to check on Robert Farrell.”

  “Strange, but I just got this information on him. Robert Farrell is under and indictment for his part in the scandal at Galaxy Oil. I have it on good authority that the indictments will be handed down soon.”

  “Is this reliable information?”

  “I have connections at the justice department and they are talking ten years if found guilty. He could lose everything.”

  “That’s what I am counting on.”

  “Keep me informed.”

  Phillip had his secretary book him a flight to check out his property. He would arrive in New York, do some shopping, and fly on to England—then Milan, and on to Lake Maggiore.

  * * * *

  Phillip arrived in Milan in the late afternoon, and decided to tour the city. He forgot to brush up on his Italian. Loping through the streets of Milan, without any help, he looked foolish. He always traveled with someone who could speak the language, drive, and whatever else he needed to transverse a foreign country, yet this time he was on his own flying solo.

  It was something new to him to be alone in a strange and beautiful country. The only time he stopped in Milan was to get to Rome and Venice. Milan was for shopping, but Venice was for love and business, especially when the film festival came to Venice. His affinity for Venice ran deep as the canals. This may have been because pirates of old found rest and played in Venice. He was a bit of a pirate whenever he was in Venice.

  Phillip ambled around Milan and then rode a trolley to see how the regular people lived. This was the first time he had the opportunity to do this. A freedom descended over him. He could go anywhere without someone stopping him and asking for an autograph. Years gone by he longed for the attention of fans, but as he gained fame and became older, he wanted his solitude. He finally knew the thoughts and feelings of ordinary people. I may get use to this type of life, he thought.

  Phillip purchased a ticket for another trolley in the nearby bar. He rode looking around like a baby, seeing things for the first time. Finally, he stopped and leaped off in the middle of the Piazza. He needed to get directions, so he spied a woman that could be American or a well dressed Italian.

  Approaching the woman and a child, he said, “Scooze,” in his bogus Italian. These were the only words he knew and he prayed she spoke English. He gestured trying to get the woman’s attention. As she turned, she looked directly into Phillip’s eyes.

  “Yes”

  “I know you, you are Sydney Benning.”

  “And you are Phillip Cross, how could I forget.”

  “I’m sure I will never forget that night. I still have nightmares about you.” They both began to laugh.

  “I hope you’re not having those nightmares any longer.”

  “As a matter of fact, they have now turned into dreams, and one of them has now come true.”

  “And which one is that?”

  “The one where I can meet you again and you are alone.”

  “As you can see, I ‘m not alone. I have my son with me.”

  “I mean there is no Danny McCloud around. I’m no longer connected to Danny, I mean not me.”

  “You are connected because your child is Danny’s son.”

  “How did you know that?”

  “Why don’t you have lunch with me, and I’ll tell you how I know.”

  “O.K., over here is a great restaurant.”Phillip, Sydney, and Sean sat and ate. Sean enjoyed Phillip’s company and Phillip genuinely liked Sean.

  “You asked me how I knew about Sean, well Danny told everyone about his son. He appeared to be on a mission to let everyone know that he had someone he could call his own. Everywhere he goes he talks about this son, no one sees him, but everyone knows about him. He talked about you incessantly, people thought he was taking too many drugs and th
at he was having delusions. No one saw you, well until that night.”

  “I apologize for that night.”

  “You don’t have to, you didn’t do anything, besides, I would never have known you, and I’m delighted it happened.”

  Sydney and Phillip talked and walked around the city like two lovers meeting after a long absence.

  “Where are you staying Sydney?” Phillip inquired, knowing the answer to his question.

  “I live in Lake Maggiore.”

  “So do I,” was Phillip’s disingenuous statement.

  “Are you serious?”

  “Yes I just bought a home near the water. I guess we will see a lot of each other.

  We may be the only English speaking people in the area.”

  “I guess so. There appear to be a great many Germans who visit regularly.”

  “It’s probably because it’s at the foot of the Alps.”

  “Maybe so,” Sydney said pretending she knew much more that she did. When in fact this was the first time in her life, she visited Europe.

  “Can I see you and Sean home?”

  “I don’t think that would be a good idea. I’m worried about Sean. He thought Robert was his father, and finally I had to tell him the truth. I made mistakes and I’m trying to correct them. I accrued debts in my life, now I’m paying.”

  At that moment, Sydney rushed from the table holding her hand to her mouth. Phillip looked on and holding Sean’s hand and telling him that his mama is coming back. After leaving the restroom, Sydney returned to Phillip and Sean with a smile.

  “Is there anything I can do to help you?”

  “No I’ll be alright, it’s nothing.”

  “What do you mean,” asked Phillip, pulling her seat out and helping her sit. He wished Sydney would tell him. Yet she did not.

  “I’ll have to go,” she said taking Sean’s hand and leading him in the direction of the door.

  Phillip stood and escorted them to the café door, watched as they walked through the door, and turn the corner. He ordered himself a glass of red wine.