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Authors: Cheryl Crane
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anything.
Ginny seemed to be standing on the outside looking in, as if she was somewhat a part of the family, but not completely. Which was sort of true. She was married to Abe, the wife of the famous writer/producer and got invitations to all the movie premières and awards shows, but she was a second wife and, therefore, very possibly a temporary entity, and everyone knew it. She lived in the big, new house, had an assistant, housekeeper, and maid at her beck and call, but first wife, Melinda, who lived in the guesthouse, was still very much in charge. And, tonight, Abe was at Melinda’s side and there seemed to be no room in their place of grief for Ginny. Maybe Ginny didn’t want to be there.
“You never think something like this will happen to you,” Nikki said, trying to make conversation with Ginny since she was the only one in the room not engaged in conversation. Nikki was actually thinking about her father’s death and how numb she had felt in the days following his murder. The Bernards had to be feeling the same way.
“And then it does.” Ginny frowned. She was wearing slacks, high heels, and a silk blouse, all freshly pressed. Her makeup, hair, and nails were perfect. It didn’t appear as if she’d cried anytime lately.
Of course, Eddie wasn’t Ginny’s son, Nikki reminded herself. And they had not been the best of friends. Eddie had not made Ginny’s life, or her marriage to his father, easy. He had been very vocal against Abe divorcing his mother to marry Ginny, and he hadn’t attended the Palm Springs wedding three years ago. Eddie had embarrassed the family, including Ginny, time and time again, being in and out of jail, in and out of rehab. He’d appeared on the cover of the gossip magazines regularly, never in a good light.
“I’d offer you a drink,” Ginny said to Nikki, raising her empty glass.
Nikki glanced at her. “Oh, no thank you. I don’t need a drink.”
Ginny turned to look her over. “You in AA, too? I swear, half of L.A. is a member.”
Nikki chuckled. “No. I just . . . I don’t need a drink. We don’t expect you to entertain us. Mother wanted to offer her condolences.” (It was only a tiny lie, barely more than a fib.)
“Well, I can tell you, I could use another gin and tonic. It’s been a hell of a day.”
Nikki couldn’t resist a little smile. She hadn’t wanted to like Ginny. She had always liked Melinda and Ginny had usurped Melinda’s position. Nikki had tried hard in the beginning to not like her, but she just couldn’t help herself. Nikki might not have liked her fashion choices, but Ginny was sharp and she said what was on her mind, even if it was unpopular. You definitely didn’t see much of that in Tinseltown.
Ginny tipped her glass and one tiny ice cube clinked. “My assistant took the ice bucket to refill it, but she never came back.” She glanced over her shoulder at her daughter, who was still engrossed in her phone messaging.
“Ice? I can get you some ice.” Nikki jumped at the opportunity to get out of the room. Seeing Abe and Melinda so broken was hard. So sad. Besides, the kitchen was always the pulse of a home, any home, whether it was a multimillion-dollar mansion in Beverly Hills or a rundown apartment in South L.A. If Nikki expected to hear anything about the circumstances of Eddie’s death, she had a better chance of hearing it in the kitchen.
“You don’t mind?” Ginny asked. She glanced at her daughter again and frowned. “I’d ask Lissa, but she’s in a mood . She was supposed to go clubbing with her friends and Abe forbade it. With all the paparazzi crawling all over us, he was afraid it would be misconstrued as being insensitive to her stepbrother’s passing.”
“The ice bucket?” Nikki asked, already headed for the kitchen.
Ginny shrugged. “Ashley took it.”
Back in the center hall, Nikki quietly pulled the doors closed behind her and went through the arches to a cross-hall. She passed the stunning
Ginny seemed to be standing on the outside looking in, as if she was somewhat a part of the family, but not completely. Which was sort of true. She was married to Abe, the wife of the famous writer/producer and got invitations to all the movie premières and awards shows, but she was a second wife and, therefore, very possibly a temporary entity, and everyone knew it. She lived in the big, new house, had an assistant, housekeeper, and maid at her beck and call, but first wife, Melinda, who lived in the guesthouse, was still very much in charge. And, tonight, Abe was at Melinda’s side and there seemed to be no room in their place of grief for Ginny. Maybe Ginny didn’t want to be there.
“You never think something like this will happen to you,” Nikki said, trying to make conversation with Ginny since she was the only one in the room not engaged in conversation. Nikki was actually thinking about her father’s death and how numb she had felt in the days following his murder. The Bernards had to be feeling the same way.
“And then it does.” Ginny frowned. She was wearing slacks, high heels, and a silk blouse, all freshly pressed. Her makeup, hair, and nails were perfect. It didn’t appear as if she’d cried anytime lately.
Of course, Eddie wasn’t Ginny’s son, Nikki reminded herself. And they had not been the best of friends. Eddie had not made Ginny’s life, or her marriage to his father, easy. He had been very vocal against Abe divorcing his mother to marry Ginny, and he hadn’t attended the Palm Springs wedding three years ago. Eddie had embarrassed the family, including Ginny, time and time again, being in and out of jail, in and out of rehab. He’d appeared on the cover of the gossip magazines regularly, never in a good light.
“I’d offer you a drink,” Ginny said to Nikki, raising her empty glass.
Nikki glanced at her. “Oh, no thank you. I don’t need a drink.”
Ginny turned to look her over. “You in AA, too? I swear, half of L.A. is a member.”
Nikki chuckled. “No. I just . . . I don’t need a drink. We don’t expect you to entertain us. Mother wanted to offer her condolences.” (It was only a tiny lie, barely more than a fib.)
“Well, I can tell you, I could use another gin and tonic. It’s been a hell of a day.”
Nikki couldn’t resist a little smile. She hadn’t wanted to like Ginny. She had always liked Melinda and Ginny had usurped Melinda’s position. Nikki had tried hard in the beginning to not like her, but she just couldn’t help herself. Nikki might not have liked her fashion choices, but Ginny was sharp and she said what was on her mind, even if it was unpopular. You definitely didn’t see much of that in Tinseltown.
Ginny tipped her glass and one tiny ice cube clinked. “My assistant took the ice bucket to refill it, but she never came back.” She glanced over her shoulder at her daughter, who was still engrossed in her phone messaging.
“Ice? I can get you some ice.” Nikki jumped at the opportunity to get out of the room. Seeing Abe and Melinda so broken was hard. So sad. Besides, the kitchen was always the pulse of a home, any home, whether it was a multimillion-dollar mansion in Beverly Hills or a rundown apartment in South L.A. If Nikki expected to hear anything about the circumstances of Eddie’s death, she had a better chance of hearing it in the kitchen.
“You don’t mind?” Ginny asked. She glanced at her daughter again and frowned. “I’d ask Lissa, but she’s in a mood . She was supposed to go clubbing with her friends and Abe forbade it. With all the paparazzi crawling all over us, he was afraid it would be misconstrued as being insensitive to her stepbrother’s passing.”
“The ice bucket?” Nikki asked, already headed for the kitchen.
Ginny shrugged. “Ashley took it.”
Back in the center hall, Nikki quietly pulled the doors closed behind her and went through the arches to a cross-hall. She passed the stunning
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