avoid it
any longer.
When the nurse connected the call and the doctor was on the line, Harriet lit a
cigarette and said, “I’m going to need the name of a good doctor who can help me in
Hollywood.” She took a long drag from the cigarette and exhaled a stream of smoke
through her nostrils. Her voice was low, as if she were tired, but steady.
The doctor asked her how Joey was and she said, “He’s fine right now. But we
both know I can’t take any chances. I’m going to need someone I can depend upon on the
West Coast. I should have called sooner, but I was putting it off until the last minute.
Joey always seems so normal. It’s hard to face.”
She waited silently for a moment, taking long drags from her cigarette, twirling a
long chunk of hair next to her face. When the doctor returned to the phone, she wrote
down the name of a West Coast doctor and said, “Thank you. I’ll be in touch.” Then she
hung up the phone and stamped out her cigarette. She pressed her lips together and stared
at the ashtray, hoping Joey would have more time than his father had had. She just
wanted to see Joey’s new TV show become a success. She wanted to see Joey become a
huge star. He’d worked so hard to get this far. All she wanted for Joey was the very best. A half hour later, when Harriet arrived at Bart Hasslet’s office, Cody and Roy
were there. They were sitting on a sofa next to Bart’s desk. Though Harriet didn’t know
Cody well—she didn’t socialize with Joey or his annoying friends—he seemed more
animated than the other brief times she’d met him with Joey. Cody was sitting on the
edge of the sofa, staring at Bart, jerking his right leg up and down. Roy kept rubbing
Cody’s shoulder and saying, “Calm down. You’ll get to rehearsal on time. We have to
sign these papers. It won’t take long.”
Cody pointed to Harriet and said, “Why do I have to be here? Joey didn’t have to
be here. You could have signed the papers for me. She is signing his contracts for him.”
Harriet smiled at Cody. But it wasn’t a warm smile; Harriet hated being referred
to as “she.” Cody had talent, but he wasn’t always very practical. She said in an even
voice, “Joey couldn’t be here, dear. They wanted him in Hollywood yesterday. He didn’t
have a choice. And as his manager, I have power of attorney.” Then she crossed the room
to another sofa under a window, as far from Cody as she could get, and sat down to wait
for Bart to arrive. Harriet thought Cody and Roy were both too high strung and she’d
often wished her brother had had better taste in friends.
When Bart Hasslet walked into the office, Lance Sharp and Rush Goodwin
followed him. Bart sat down behind his huge desk and Lance remained standing. Rush sat
down on a small chair in front of Bart’s desk so he could take notes. Harriet said hello to
Bart and Lance, then smiled and nodded at Rush. Whenever she saw Rush, she wanted to
throw her arms around him and hug him as tightly as she could. She thought everything
about Rush Goodwin was perfect, and there had been many times she’d wished Rush had
been her brother’s boyfriend instead of that brainless Anderson. Rush was smart, handsome, and reserved. He was the perfect gay man. There was nothing trashy or sleazy
about him. Unlike Anderson, Rush was someone she would have welcomed into Joey’s
life with open arms. Harriet thought Anderson was trashy: he always looked as if he’d
just stepped out of a male stripper club.
While Lance handed out the contracts, Cody asked for a glass of water. He pulled
a small container of pills from his coat pocket and said, “I have to take three of these
every day for a month.” It sounded as if he was bragging.
Rush Goodwin lowered his notepad to his lap and looked at the pill bottle. Then
he
any longer.
When the nurse connected the call and the doctor was on the line, Harriet lit a
cigarette and said, “I’m going to need the name of a good doctor who can help me in
Hollywood.” She took a long drag from the cigarette and exhaled a stream of smoke
through her nostrils. Her voice was low, as if she were tired, but steady.
The doctor asked her how Joey was and she said, “He’s fine right now. But we
both know I can’t take any chances. I’m going to need someone I can depend upon on the
West Coast. I should have called sooner, but I was putting it off until the last minute.
Joey always seems so normal. It’s hard to face.”
She waited silently for a moment, taking long drags from her cigarette, twirling a
long chunk of hair next to her face. When the doctor returned to the phone, she wrote
down the name of a West Coast doctor and said, “Thank you. I’ll be in touch.” Then she
hung up the phone and stamped out her cigarette. She pressed her lips together and stared
at the ashtray, hoping Joey would have more time than his father had had. She just
wanted to see Joey’s new TV show become a success. She wanted to see Joey become a
huge star. He’d worked so hard to get this far. All she wanted for Joey was the very best. A half hour later, when Harriet arrived at Bart Hasslet’s office, Cody and Roy
were there. They were sitting on a sofa next to Bart’s desk. Though Harriet didn’t know
Cody well—she didn’t socialize with Joey or his annoying friends—he seemed more
animated than the other brief times she’d met him with Joey. Cody was sitting on the
edge of the sofa, staring at Bart, jerking his right leg up and down. Roy kept rubbing
Cody’s shoulder and saying, “Calm down. You’ll get to rehearsal on time. We have to
sign these papers. It won’t take long.”
Cody pointed to Harriet and said, “Why do I have to be here? Joey didn’t have to
be here. You could have signed the papers for me. She is signing his contracts for him.”
Harriet smiled at Cody. But it wasn’t a warm smile; Harriet hated being referred
to as “she.” Cody had talent, but he wasn’t always very practical. She said in an even
voice, “Joey couldn’t be here, dear. They wanted him in Hollywood yesterday. He didn’t
have a choice. And as his manager, I have power of attorney.” Then she crossed the room
to another sofa under a window, as far from Cody as she could get, and sat down to wait
for Bart to arrive. Harriet thought Cody and Roy were both too high strung and she’d
often wished her brother had had better taste in friends.
When Bart Hasslet walked into the office, Lance Sharp and Rush Goodwin
followed him. Bart sat down behind his huge desk and Lance remained standing. Rush sat
down on a small chair in front of Bart’s desk so he could take notes. Harriet said hello to
Bart and Lance, then smiled and nodded at Rush. Whenever she saw Rush, she wanted to
throw her arms around him and hug him as tightly as she could. She thought everything
about Rush Goodwin was perfect, and there had been many times she’d wished Rush had
been her brother’s boyfriend instead of that brainless Anderson. Rush was smart, handsome, and reserved. He was the perfect gay man. There was nothing trashy or sleazy
about him. Unlike Anderson, Rush was someone she would have welcomed into Joey’s
life with open arms. Harriet thought Anderson was trashy: he always looked as if he’d
just stepped out of a male stripper club.
While Lance handed out the contracts, Cody asked for a glass of water. He pulled
a small container of pills from his coat pocket and said, “I have to take three of these
every day for a month.” It sounded as if he was bragging.
Rush Goodwin lowered his notepad to his lap and looked at the pill bottle. Then
he
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