Read Online Entwined by Lynda La Plante - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Lynda La Plante
Tags: UK
Ads: Link
snapped for him to put the rest of the act on hold.
"Now. Do it right now, get to Mike, tell him to keep the cages shut!"
The boys ran, leaving the drunken man alone, his face flushed a deep red. Then slowly she removed her thick leather gloves and spoke to her husband, her voice low.
"Get out of here, Luis, get out before I have you thrown out."
Grimaldi held his own. Swaying slightly, he glared at her.
"I'm sorry, I fell, you know I'd never…"
Ruda snapped the glove in his face. "Get out of my sight, you drunken bum!"
Luis touched his cheek. "I want a divorce, you hear me, bitch? I want a divorce… I want you out of my life !'"
The show continued for those performers still hanging around. Ruda gripped her husband by his shirt and hauled him to the exit.
She pushed him out, and he fell facedown in the mud. She turned on her heels and strode back into the tent. Seeing a sweeper standing with a wide long-handled broom, she ordered him to get the drunk out of there, and not to let him near the arena until she was through.
By the time she had finished the rehearsal, got the cats back into their cages and fed, it was after six. She hoped Luis had passed out so she wouldn't have to confront him, but when she returned to the trailer he was remarkably sober, and waiting for her.
The windows of the trailer were thick with condensation from the steaming coffee pot. She switched on the air conditioner. Without saying a word, Luis handed her a mug.
"I'm sorry, I should never have done that, I was drunk, I am ashamed, I'm sorry."
Ruda threw her coat over the heater and began to unbutton her shirt. "You know how dangerous it was. You don't need me to tell you that, dangerous and stupid, and from you of all people."
Grimaldi nodded glumly and held out his hand, but Ruda didn't take it. She unzipped her trousers, and kicked them off. He picked them and her shirt from where she tossed them, and took them to the laundry basket. She wore a silk one-piece bodysuit with dark green stains under the armpits. She didn't strip completely; after all the years they had been together, she was still self-conscious about her body. She put on an old robe, and wrapped it around her before she took a sip of the coffee. She uncoiled her hair, the nape of her neck still damp from the workout.
"Did you mean it, Luis? About the divorce?"
Grimaldi looked at her sheepishly and sat down. He held his big hands between his knees.
"I guess so, I've been wanting to talk to you about it for a while now, but…"
"But what?"
"Well, why not? We don't have a marriage, we haven't ever really had one, you know that…and she's, Tina's, going to have a baby."
"You've got kids all over Europe, what's one more? Anyway, knowing that little tart, how can you be sure it's yours!"
Grimaldi cocked his head. "It's mine, I may be worn out and past it, but my dick works, it's about the only thing that never lets me down."
"What about the act?" She tried to keep her voice casual, but she was shaking. He still wouldn't look at her. "Luis, what about the act? We're partners—if we divorce do you still want me to run the show?"
He turned to her then. "You can do what you like with it, it's not mine anyway, but…I'll still retain my fifty percent—half the animals are mine."
Ruda felt drained. "I see…so my money, all the money I've earned and poured into it, everything, all the new cats that I've trained, my cats, it's all split fifty-fifty, is that right?"
Luis nodded. "That's only fair, you had nothing when we met, everything you have is from me. I mean, if you want, you can pay me what the act is worth, what the animals are worth, and then, do whatever you want, but you can't use my name."
Ruda snatched the poster off the wall. "Look at it, Luis—it's not your name, it's mine! I've not used your name for the past two years, I don't want your name!"
"Just my act! You think nobody knows? My name is still a crowd-puller, may not be on the fucking headlines,
"Now. Do it right now, get to Mike, tell him to keep the cages shut!"
The boys ran, leaving the drunken man alone, his face flushed a deep red. Then slowly she removed her thick leather gloves and spoke to her husband, her voice low.
"Get out of here, Luis, get out before I have you thrown out."
Grimaldi held his own. Swaying slightly, he glared at her.
"I'm sorry, I fell, you know I'd never…"
Ruda snapped the glove in his face. "Get out of my sight, you drunken bum!"
Luis touched his cheek. "I want a divorce, you hear me, bitch? I want a divorce… I want you out of my life !'"
The show continued for those performers still hanging around. Ruda gripped her husband by his shirt and hauled him to the exit.
She pushed him out, and he fell facedown in the mud. She turned on her heels and strode back into the tent. Seeing a sweeper standing with a wide long-handled broom, she ordered him to get the drunk out of there, and not to let him near the arena until she was through.
By the time she had finished the rehearsal, got the cats back into their cages and fed, it was after six. She hoped Luis had passed out so she wouldn't have to confront him, but when she returned to the trailer he was remarkably sober, and waiting for her.
The windows of the trailer were thick with condensation from the steaming coffee pot. She switched on the air conditioner. Without saying a word, Luis handed her a mug.
"I'm sorry, I should never have done that, I was drunk, I am ashamed, I'm sorry."
Ruda threw her coat over the heater and began to unbutton her shirt. "You know how dangerous it was. You don't need me to tell you that, dangerous and stupid, and from you of all people."
Grimaldi nodded glumly and held out his hand, but Ruda didn't take it. She unzipped her trousers, and kicked them off. He picked them and her shirt from where she tossed them, and took them to the laundry basket. She wore a silk one-piece bodysuit with dark green stains under the armpits. She didn't strip completely; after all the years they had been together, she was still self-conscious about her body. She put on an old robe, and wrapped it around her before she took a sip of the coffee. She uncoiled her hair, the nape of her neck still damp from the workout.
"Did you mean it, Luis? About the divorce?"
Grimaldi looked at her sheepishly and sat down. He held his big hands between his knees.
"I guess so, I've been wanting to talk to you about it for a while now, but…"
"But what?"
"Well, why not? We don't have a marriage, we haven't ever really had one, you know that…and she's, Tina's, going to have a baby."
"You've got kids all over Europe, what's one more? Anyway, knowing that little tart, how can you be sure it's yours!"
Grimaldi cocked his head. "It's mine, I may be worn out and past it, but my dick works, it's about the only thing that never lets me down."
"What about the act?" She tried to keep her voice casual, but she was shaking. He still wouldn't look at her. "Luis, what about the act? We're partners—if we divorce do you still want me to run the show?"
He turned to her then. "You can do what you like with it, it's not mine anyway, but…I'll still retain my fifty percent—half the animals are mine."
Ruda felt drained. "I see…so my money, all the money I've earned and poured into it, everything, all the new cats that I've trained, my cats, it's all split fifty-fifty, is that right?"
Luis nodded. "That's only fair, you had nothing when we met, everything you have is from me. I mean, if you want, you can pay me what the act is worth, what the animals are worth, and then, do whatever you want, but you can't use my name."
Ruda snatched the poster off the wall. "Look at it, Luis—it's not your name, it's mine! I've not used your name for the past two years, I don't want your name!"
"Just my act! You think nobody knows? My name is still a crowd-puller, may not be on the fucking headlines,
Similar Books
