'All drug addicts say that.'

'What're you? An expert?'

'Mama says-'

'Shut up, Selma. I don't have to explain anything to anyone.'

'What about poor Matt?'

'What about him?'

'Mama had him over for dinner the other night.'

'Why?'

'She felt sorry for him.'

'I do not want Mama entertaining my soon-to-be ex-husband,' Lola said furiously.

'She likes Matt.'

'She might like him, but she'd better understand that he's not part of our family any more.'

'The way you're speaking, it seems you're not either.'

'Oh, God, now you're beginning to sound like the rest of them.'

'No, I'm not.'

'Yes, you are.'

'Please call Mama.'

'I guess none of you realize that I'm on the set working, and that making phone calls is most inconvenient.'

'Lucia-'

'Okay, okay, I'll do it now.'

'It's your mother' Selma chided.

'I'm doing it,' she said, clicking off the phone and handing it to Jenny. 'Get me my mom.'

Claudine sounded cold. 'What are you doing with your life, girl?' she demanded.

'Didn't I teach you anything? You go back with this man who's bad news. Your father knows it, I know it, we all know it. Everyone except you.'

'Mama, chill. I know what I'm doing.'

'No, daughter, you chill,' Claudine responded. 'You have no idea what you're doing.'

'I knew what I was doing when I bought you the house, didn't I?' Lola snapped.

'Lucia,' Claudine said sternly, 'if you throw this house in my face one more time, we'll move out and you can come live in it. Do you understand?'

Lola sighed. Movie star or not, there was no arguing with Claudine. 'Yes, Mama.'

Linc took the People magazine and studied it. It really was Shelby with Pete.

Yes, Pete, his old enemy. Well, not exactly enemy, but rival for her affections.

Not even rival, because when he'd come into her life and stolen her away from Pete, it was not a problem. Now here she was, cool as can be, walking out of a deli with the prick. Jesus Christ! Women were not to be trusted.

He marched to his trailer. Norm, his publicist, materialized, falling into step beside him.

'Get lost, Norm,' he grunted.

'I need to talk to you about the Newsweek story,' Norm ventured.

'Not now,' he said, slamming his way into the trailer, locking the door and opening the closet.

Stashed in the inside pocket of his jacket were a couple of glassine packets of cocaine. He opened one, tipping the seductive white powder on to the counter.

Then he arranged it into several neat lines, and snorted them one by one.

His anger level was so elevated that the drug did not have the desired effect.

What he needed was a drink.

Shelby was due to arrive in New York the following afternoon. Should he call her now and have it out with her on the phone? Or should he wait until he could do it face to face?

Yes, he'd wait. Women lied over the phone. Women could be such devious bitches.

His throat was parched. The coke was definitely not giving him his usual high.

Fuck! How could Shelby do this to him?

He left his trailer and searched out Norm. 'Why is there no booze in my trailer?' he demanded.

'Mrs Blackwood said that-'

'I don't give a flying flick what Mrs Blackwood said. Go buy a couple of bottles of Scotch and vodka.'

'If that's what you want.'

'Yeah, that's what I want,' he said belligerently. 'And in future listen to me, not my wife.'

'I'll do that,' Norm said, gritting his teeth.

'By the way, how come Lola Sanchez gets to show me fucking People magazine?'

Linc griped. 'What were you doing? Sleeping on the job?'

Norm visibly blanched. He hated it when Mr Macho Movie Star was in one of his foul moods. 'Have they written something you don't like about yourself in People?' he asked nervously.

'It isn't about me, it's about Shelby.'

'I'm not her PR.'

'Isn't it your job to stop shit appearing?'

'How can I stop something I don't know about?'

'Buy the fucking magazine, then come see me,' Linc said, heading back to the set.

Lola was waiting to shoot the next scene. She was clad in a peach-coloured peignoir with dramatic cleavage. 'I'm so sorry,' she said, placing a sympadietic hand on his arm. 'I didn't mean to upset you.'

'What makes you think I'm upset?' he answered evenly. After all, he was an actor - he could play the game when he had to. 'Hey,' he added, 'how about us going over the script this evening?'

'Fine with me,' she purred. 'Tony doesn't get back until tomorrow.'

'Then tonight's the night, huh?' he said, giving her the full-on macho sexy look.

Lola met his gaze. 'Yes, Linc,' she murmured, noticing a slight residue of white powder under his nose. 'Tonight is the night.' She reached up and gently brushed the powder away.

'What're you doing?' he said, taking a step back.

'You had a little... makeup there.'

'Thanks.'

'No problem.'

'By the way, forget about the publicists, it'll be you and me. Nobody else.'

'What about the paparazzi?'

'Fuck 'em.'

Shelby was busy. Not only was she working on Caught, she was also continuing to do press for Rapture and dealing with the accelerated interest in her career.

Her agent was on the phone constantly.

'It's all happening, Shelby,' Ed said. 'When you get back from New York I'll come to the set. We'll have lunch and discuss everything.'

'I'm back Monday,' she said, 'in time for work on Tuesday.'

'Your schedule's about to get even busier.'

'That's impossible!' she joked.

'Are the press reps at the studio sending you all the reviews?'

'I'm scared to read them.'

'Don't be,' Ed assured her. 'They're sensational. When's the premiere again?'

'Wednesday.'

'Do you need an escort, or is Linc flying in?'

'He can't, he's on call every day.'

'Can I take you?'

'That would be perfect, Ed.'

She'd worked all day and now she was packing, ready for an early-morning flight on Merrill's plane. She was longing to see Linc. Separations were not good for any marriage, especially now, when Linc had given up drinking and probably needed her support, although he did still seem to be enjoying making his movie, which was a relief.

Shelby knew that all the attention she was getting would be hard for him to take. It was only to be expected, especially since Linc might view her enormous success as a threat to his masculinity. Brenda had warned her to tread cautiously around him. 'As you know, Linc suffers from low self-esteem,' Brenda had said. 'Your job is to build him up, make sure he knows how much you love and admire him. Always keep in mind that he's a man first, a movie star second.'

'I always put Linc first,' she'd replied.

Shelby had a strong hunch that ever since Brenda had counselled Linc a couple of times, the therapist had developed a secret crush on him.

'Then double your efforts,' Brenda had said. 'You have to remember that he's in an extremely fragile state at the moment. He's stopped drinking, he's making a new career move. He needs you to be supportive and there for him.'

Shelby understood what Brenda was saying, but she also thought, What about me ?

When am I the one who gets support and love? Linc never gave much thought to her needs.

That was the difference between Linc and Pete: Pete always seemed to put her first.

She'd still not mentioned to Linc that she'd seen her old boyfriend. She'd decided that the best way to handle it was to tell him in a casual way. 'Guess who's working on my movie?' she'd say. And perhaps she wouldn't add that they'd gone out to lunch or shared a late-night hamburger. After all, what could she possibly gain by doing so? Only Linc's jealous wrath - and when he was angry, watch out. He could be incredibly vitriolic and possessive. She dreaded his outbursts.

Later that evening her private line rang. She did not pick up, deciding she would only do so if it was Linc. It wasn't. It was Pete again.

'I'm calling to wish you a safe trip to New York,' he said, as she listened in on her answering-machine. 'While you're gone, I'll be working out your car stunt. You'll be great, no need to be anxious.' A beat, then, 'I'll miss you, Shelby. So... if you feel like calling, you've got my cell number. I'll see you next week.'

She sighed, realizing that much as she liked being with Pete, it would be like waving a red flag in Linc's face if she continued hanging out with him.

No more Pete. She was starting to enjoy his company far too much.

Chapter Twenty-Four.