drink station with high-top marble tables and leather barstools and a dance floor in the middle of the room. Beyond that was a DJ hired just for the private back-room crowd. Dinner was served in the early evening by request only.
Dayne approached the manager. “I’m meeting Kelly Parker.” “Yes, Mr. Matthews.”
The tuxedoed man slid a key into the door and opened it for Dayne. “She’s by herself.” He bowed. “Enjoy your evening.”
Dayne made his way into the room and looked around. He’d never been here during dinner, only during the late evening, the nightclub hours. His eyes searched the back of the room, and he saw her sitting in a booth by herself.
48
48
She was crying.
“Kelly..” He whispered her name as he jogged the remaining distance to her table. Without waiting for her to acknowledge him, he slid in beside her and put his arm around her. “Honey, what’s wrong?”
She looked at him, and something about her was different. So different he almost didn’t recognize her. Gone were the confident look, the dimpled smile that had won her millions of dollars for every film. Now her face was tearstained, her mascara running down her cheeks. “Dayne…”
He pulled her into a long hug and rocked gently. “It’s okay, baby. It’s okay.”
She wept on his shoulder for a few minutes before lifting her head and searching his eyes. “I can’t do it. I can’t take it.” Dayne nodded.
“Okay, Kelly, tell me about it.”
She took a tissue from her purse and wiped her nose. sorry.”
“It’s all right. What happened?”
“I was…” She took three quick breaths, still finding her composure. “I was having dinner with a friend, one of the makeup artists I met on my last film.”
She pointed toward the main dining room on the other side of the door. “It was early. I figured I wouldn’t get recognized.” She gestured to her white T-shirt and denim miniskirt. “I don’t exactly stand out dressed like this.”
Dayne kept his opinion to himself. Kelly Parker could stop traffic in a potato sack. “So what happened?”
“We were.., we were eating when someone from another booth walked up and handed my friend a copy of Special Event.”
Dayne felt his stomach tighten. Of all the Hollywood magazines, Special Event was most known for exaggerating the facts and sometimes fully making them up.
“Do you have it?” He held out his hand. “Give it to me, Kelly. Let me see what it says.”
She hung her head, but after a few seconds she pulled the magazine up from the seat beside her and handed it to him.
49
KAREN KINGSBURY
“How can they print this, Dayne?” Her voice was a strained whisper. “Do they think we’re not real people? That we don’t feel things?”
The magazine was turned to a layout with pictures of Kelly. One showed her with her most recent leading man, Ari Aspen, the guy she’d been seeing until lately.
The other showed her sitting at a restaurant with her friend the makeup artist.
Above the pictures the headline read “Did Kelly Parker Leave Ari Aspen for a Woman?”
Dayne let the magazine fall to the table. “That’s ridiculous.” He pushed the air from his lungs and then tightened his grip on the rag. In a rush of frustration he picked it up and used it to hit the side of the table. “It’s insane, Kelly.
No one who knows you would ever believe that.”
“That’s just it.” The tears were gone, but her hands shook. “Most of the world doesn’t know me, Dayne. They’re the ones who’ll be reading it.”
A painful mix of feelings churned in Dayne’s gut. Anger at the magazine for having the nerve to print such a story and a helpless ache for his friend. “Ah, Kelly..” He stilled her hands with his. “I’m sorry. Know what they’re saying about me?”
She managed a smile, despite her puffy cheeks. “That you’re an alien woman in disguise?”
“Practically.” He gave her fingers a gentle squeeze. “They say some crazy woman is
Dayne approached the manager. “I’m meeting Kelly Parker.” “Yes, Mr. Matthews.”
The tuxedoed man slid a key into the door and opened it for Dayne. “She’s by herself.” He bowed. “Enjoy your evening.”
Dayne made his way into the room and looked around. He’d never been here during dinner, only during the late evening, the nightclub hours. His eyes searched the back of the room, and he saw her sitting in a booth by herself.
48
48
She was crying.
“Kelly..” He whispered her name as he jogged the remaining distance to her table. Without waiting for her to acknowledge him, he slid in beside her and put his arm around her. “Honey, what’s wrong?”
She looked at him, and something about her was different. So different he almost didn’t recognize her. Gone were the confident look, the dimpled smile that had won her millions of dollars for every film. Now her face was tearstained, her mascara running down her cheeks. “Dayne…”
He pulled her into a long hug and rocked gently. “It’s okay, baby. It’s okay.”
She wept on his shoulder for a few minutes before lifting her head and searching his eyes. “I can’t do it. I can’t take it.” Dayne nodded.
“Okay, Kelly, tell me about it.”
She took a tissue from her purse and wiped her nose. sorry.”
“It’s all right. What happened?”
“I was…” She took three quick breaths, still finding her composure. “I was having dinner with a friend, one of the makeup artists I met on my last film.”
She pointed toward the main dining room on the other side of the door. “It was early. I figured I wouldn’t get recognized.” She gestured to her white T-shirt and denim miniskirt. “I don’t exactly stand out dressed like this.”
Dayne kept his opinion to himself. Kelly Parker could stop traffic in a potato sack. “So what happened?”
“We were.., we were eating when someone from another booth walked up and handed my friend a copy of Special Event.”
Dayne felt his stomach tighten. Of all the Hollywood magazines, Special Event was most known for exaggerating the facts and sometimes fully making them up.
“Do you have it?” He held out his hand. “Give it to me, Kelly. Let me see what it says.”
She hung her head, but after a few seconds she pulled the magazine up from the seat beside her and handed it to him.
49
KAREN KINGSBURY
“How can they print this, Dayne?” Her voice was a strained whisper. “Do they think we’re not real people? That we don’t feel things?”
The magazine was turned to a layout with pictures of Kelly. One showed her with her most recent leading man, Ari Aspen, the guy she’d been seeing until lately.
The other showed her sitting at a restaurant with her friend the makeup artist.
Above the pictures the headline read “Did Kelly Parker Leave Ari Aspen for a Woman?”
Dayne let the magazine fall to the table. “That’s ridiculous.” He pushed the air from his lungs and then tightened his grip on the rag. In a rush of frustration he picked it up and used it to hit the side of the table. “It’s insane, Kelly.
No one who knows you would ever believe that.”
“That’s just it.” The tears were gone, but her hands shook. “Most of the world doesn’t know me, Dayne. They’re the ones who’ll be reading it.”
A painful mix of feelings churned in Dayne’s gut. Anger at the magazine for having the nerve to print such a story and a helpless ache for his friend. “Ah, Kelly..” He stilled her hands with his. “I’m sorry. Know what they’re saying about me?”
She managed a smile, despite her puffy cheeks. “That you’re an alien woman in disguise?”
“Practically.” He gave her fingers a gentle squeeze. “They say some crazy woman is
Similar Books
