Chapter Thirty-Four.

Allegra, the tall, skinny model with the strong Australian accent, was quite happy to see Linc again. 'Are you getting a divorce?' was her first question.

'No,' he responded sharply.

'The Enquirer says you are.'

'Believe the Enquirer,' he said shortly. 'Don't believe me.'

Why had he said he would come out with her and Freddy again? He couldn't take the accent, although Freddy had assured him she was a wild-cat in bed.

Allegra preened like an exotic bird. 'I'll be on the cover of the next Sports Illustrated,' she boasted. 'Do you know what an honour that is? Of course,' she added, in case they didn't know, 'I've been on the cover twice before.'

'Sure, honey,' Freddy said, groping her almost nonexistent ass.

Lola was due back on the set tomorrow. Linc had been racking his brains trying to remember more about the night he'd apparently spent with her in Freddy's bed.

Before Shelby, there had been so many one-night stands - at least three women a week. Fortunately or unfortunately, they were all a blur and no way could he single out Lola.

Freddy was in rare form. First they went to a Russian restaurant, where they feasted on borscht and blinis with caviar, washed down with several shots of Russian vodka. Then they dropped into Elaine's for drinks, where Freddy proceeded to regale Elaine with outrageous stories about his last movie - an action adventure shot in Cambodia and, according to Freddy, starring the asshole of action-adventure heroes. 'This jerk was such a hero,' Freddy revealed, 'that he used to stiff all the hookers after he'd fucked 'em.'

Elaine gave Linc a look as much as to say, 'Can you shut him up, or should I?'

After dinner Allegra wanted to make the rounds of her favourite clubs.

'Didn't we do that last week?' Linc asked.

'So we'll do it again,' Freddy said.

Yeah, Linc thought. Why am I hanging back? I've got a wife who's screwing some fucking stuntman in L.A. and I'm in New York like a schmuck, not even getting laid.

He took another look at Allegra, although the thought of a threesome with Freddy was pretty gruesome. Then he downed a couple of straight Scotches and suggested they visit a strip club.

'Yes!' Freddy said.

'I have been known to get it on with girls,' Allegra promised, sloe-eyes gleaming. 'Does that send shivers up and down your spine, boys?'

In bed with Matt, Lola felt comfortable and safe. He was not exciting, but at least he didn't go around beating people up and getting her sister shot in return.

'I missed you so much,' Matt said, his hands all over her. 'I was shattered when your lawyer told me I had to leave the house. You broke my heart, Lola. But we're here together now, so I won't dwell on it.'

They'd recently finished making love. Apart from the size of his dick, Lola considered Matt incredibly dull in bed. He got on, pumped away and got off - in more ways than one. He wasn't even capable of giving good head.

She didn't care. If this was her punishment, so be it. Her only concern was for her sister's recovery.

'Can I come to the set tomorrow?' Matt asked. 'You might need my moral support, it being your first day back since the shooting.'

'You can come everywhere with me,' she said, resigned to her new situation. 'I feel safe with you around.'

'That's the way it should be.' A long pause. 'I have to ask you something.'

'What?'

'Was anything going on between you and Tony Alvarez?'

'Nothing,' she answered, without blinking. Damn! Now she'd lied. She had to stop lying. 'Actually, that's not true,' she said, hastily correcting herself. 'Tony and I did get together a couple of times, only I soon realized it wasn't the same as being with you.'

There, she'd corrected that lie. Sorry, God. I'll try to do better. But, believe me, itJs not easy.

Pete's dogs raced out to greet Shelby. There were three of them - a golden retriever, a black Labrador and a police dog incongruously named Pudding.

She bent down to fuss them. They licked her face, barked and jumped up at her.

'The guys remember you,' Pete said, emerging from the house wearing jeans and a workshirt with rolled-up sleeves. 'I made it here ten minutes before you, just in time to make you a glass of your favourite Sangria and get the barbecue fired up.'

'The dogs seem to be in great shape,' she said, straightening up.

'Looks like they missed you. Remember when we used to take them to the dog park?'

'Oh, yes. I loved going there,' she said enthusiastically.

'How come you don't have dogs?'

'Linc's allergic'

'That's a new one.'

'He is.'

'Come inside. I've got something to show you.'

She followed him through the cluttered house into the warm and cosy kitchen. He took her hand and led her over to a basket containing a tiny golden puppy. The other three dogs trotted eagerly behind them.

'Oh, my!' she exclaimed. 'This is the sweetest little thing I've ever seen.'

'Found it wandering around the canyon. I brought it in before it got eaten by coyotes.'

'What's its name?'

'Haven't named it yet. Thought you could do the honours.'

Gently she picked up the golden ball of fluff. 'Hi, little guy,' she said, scratching it under the chin. The puppy gazed up at her. 'I think I'm in love!'

she exclaimed. 'She's so adorable!'

'It's a he,' Pete said, handing her a glass of Sangria. 'There's supposed to be a beautiful sunset,' he added. 'Let's go see if we can catch it.'

They went out to the backyard. There was no swimming-pool, just an old hammock and a jumble of wild rosebushes. It was so unlike all the polished Beverly Hills and Bel Air mansions she'd got used to.

'I love this house,' she said warmly. 'I especially love the view of the city at night.'

'Yeah, there's something magical about it. It gets me every time,' he said, going over to the barbecue. 'I hope you're still a meat eater.'

'I'm English, I eat meat.'

'That's good, 'cause I'm making Omaha steaks, baked potatoes and hot dogs.'

'Sounds like a man-sized meal.'

'You got it,' he said, smiling. 'And to go with everything,' he added, activating an outdoor speaker, 'your favourite James Taylor song.'

'You remember everything,' she said, smiling as 'You've Got A Friend' filled the night air.

'Yes, Shelby,' he said, looking into her eyes. 'I remember absolutely everything.'

The onslaught of flashbulbs was startling. Cat was not used to this kind of relentless attention.

Nick flung his arm round her shoulders in an all-encompassing way so that she couldn't escape.

Fans were lined up on each side of Grauman's Chinese Theater, screaming his name. The TV cameras were stationed in a long line down one side of the red carpet, the photographers along the other.

A harassed publicity woman approached them. 'Mr Logan, this way.'

'You're coming with me,' he whispered to Cat.

'I'm not,' she protested. 'I'll wait inside.'

'I said you're coming with me,' he hissed, not loosening his grip.

So much for anonymity, she thought, as he dragged her down the press line, chatting amiably to all the TV crews, introducing her to every one of them.

'I wish you hadn't done that,' she said, when they finally made it inside the theatre.

'You could've run,' he said, groping in his pocket for a chewed toothpick.

'How could I run with your hand on the scruff of my neck?'

'You're gonna get plenty of attention anyway,' he said. 'Don't think you can avoid it.'

He was repeating what Shelby had said. Was celebrity inevitable simply because she was young and not bad-looking?

In the lobby he introduced her to a few of the cast members from his movie and the director.

She felt humiliated because she was sure they were all looking at her as if she was another one of his conquests. I must have been crazy to come to this, she thought. Stark raving crazy.

After the movie - a salute to violence - there was a big party.

Nick said, 'We only have to stay five minutes, then we can leave.'

'But I'm hungry,' she protested.

'We'll join the gang at Ago.'

Not only had she been exposed to the world as another of Nick Logan's girlfriends, now he wanted to show his friends that she'd gone out with him.

'You know what?' she said. 'I'd sooner go someplace else - maybe Chow's.'

'Why?' he said. 'Everyone's at Ago.'

'How come they didn't turn up to your premiere?'

'You think they'd come to a shitty movie like that?' he said, abandoning his toothpick and reaching for a cigarette.

Oh, great! She'd had to endure his movie, and they didn't have to.

'Anyway,' he added, lighting up, 'we'll toss a coin.'

He tossed. She lost. She was sure that he cheated.

By the time they arrived at Ago, his table was packed.

'Do you really pick up the check for all these people every night?' she whispered.

'I can afford it.'

'It must be costing you a fortune.'

'It's them or the taxman. I'm a generous soul.'

'So I've noticed.'

Amy, the pretty stand-up comedian with the oversized glasses, was there. Nick greeted her with a great show of affection.

She must be an old girlfriend, Cat thought.

'Didja meet Amy?' Nick asked.

'Yes,' Cat replied. 'I was planning on catching your act at the Improv, right?'

'She remembers,' Amy said. 'This one's a keeper.'

Nick gave Amy another kiss and a hug. Cat frowned. What did he think? That they were going to get involved in some kind of bizarre threesome?

'I think I'll take off,' she said. 'I've got to be up early, and it's getting late.'