Professional Lover Part 8

Starr didn't reply, but her heart sank and she knew a sense of despair. So it was about to start all over again! This woman's affair with Rex Brandon. And Stephen, what would happen to him? She remembered the words he had said when they were walking home last night. "... Rita * well, I'm pretty sure she's happy with me now. And I've got you to thank for giving her back to me. That's meant everything to me, Starr. Everything to my work, too...." Would he go to pieces again when he found he had been living in a fool's paradise? Would all his eagerness, his newfound enthusiasm for his work go? "Oh, I couldn't bear that," she thought desperately.

Wasn't there anything she could do to help Stephen?

"You're very friendly, Miss Thayle," Rita laughed maliciously. "Quite communicative. I am enjoying this little chat!"

Starr looked up from her typewriter and said quietly, "I don't think you should have come down here, Mrs. Desmond. It isn't fair to your husband to worry him about anything when he's as busy as he is."

'Then you admit Stephen might be worried, Miss Thayle?" Rita's pretty lips curled slightly.

"Any decent man's worried when his wife plays about with other men," Starr said curtly.

"With another man, you mean," Rita corrected, smiling. "So much more dangerous in the singular, you know!"Starr was sufficiently nettled to reply, "I think you'd be wise to go home as soon as possible, Mrs. Desmond. There isn't much possibility of your restarting your flirtation with Mr. Brandon down here."

"Really?" Her tone was mocking, though her amber eyes had narrowed dangerously. "And what is to prevent my re*starting my flirtation, as you are kind enough to put it, with Mr.

Brandon, pray?"

Starr thought a moment while she pretended to turn over some sheets in her notebook. Her hand was trembling. An idea had occurred to her. At first it had seemed absurd, yet it mightn't be so absurd after all. Why not pit herself against this woman? Her fresh charm against Rita's more sophisticated one? Fight her in the open for the great Rex Brandon! That she didn't really want him herself would probably weigh heavily in her favor. And she was woman enough to know that Rex was attracted to her.

"There's Mr. Brandon himself," she remarked quietly. "I hardly think you'll find him as interested as he used to be, Mrs. Desmond."

Rita's lazy eyes flashed suddenly. She leaned forward slightly. "And why not, Miss Thayle?"

Starr didn't reply immediately. Instead, she picked up the neat desk telephone and asked to be connected with the improvised studio where scenes from Gentleman Pirate were being shot.

Once through, she asked to speak to Mr. Brandon if he was not on the set. Apparently he wasn't. A few minutes later his deep laughing voice came to her over the wires.

"Is that you, Starr? What's happened? Is my fan mail so heavy that it's broken the poor mailman's back? Or has every company in Hollywood telegraphed offering me new contracts at a staggering salary? Don't keep me in suspense. Break it gently, my dear!"

"You remember asking me this morning to have dinner with you tonight, Mr. * I mean, Rex?"

"Splendid, my child. An attractive name, Rex. And how could I have forgotten? Go on, my dear, my hopes are rising like a thermometer with the sun full upon it."

"I'd very much like to accept your invitation, if I may."

"No? You surprise me! So Troy has fallen! Accept my sincere congratulations for your suddenly acquired wisdom, my child. You've put new heart and soul into me. I'll be irresistible today. Good*bye, and bless you."

Rita was standing over her, her small, pretty face flushed with anger as Starr replaced the receiver. "Just what was the meaning of that, Miss Thayle?" she rapped out sharply.

Starr smiled slowly. But in her smile was a challenge, and Rita accepted it as such. "Just that, Mrs. Desmond, I think * in fact I'm fairly certain * that recently Mr. Brandon has transferred his interests elsewhere. It would be a shame, wouldn't it, if the lady wasn't anxious to let him go in a hurry?"

Rita appeared about to say something, but she didn't say it. Instead, she crushed out her cigarette, picked up her white patent*leather pocketbook, and walked towards the door. But once there, she turned back and said over her shoulder with a slightly mocking drawl.

"It would be an equal shame if the first lady recaptured him, wouldn't it? And the first lady is slightly more experienced with men * remember that, Miss Thayle!"

12

"Were you surprised when I phoned you this morning?" Starr asked tentatively. She was sitting facing Rex across a little table in the dining room of the smartest hotel. Varicolored lights played about them from a huge searchlight in the balcony, like the great gleaming eye of an ogre. A band was dispensing crooning jazz music on a little raised dais; a number of smartly dressed men and women were dancing.

"Is one surprised when the heavens open and a shower of manna drops to earth?"'he smiled back at her. "Yes, I'll admit I was surprised. Perhaps," * he c.o.c.ked one eyebrow slightly * "I'm not as conceited as you think I am, child."

She didn't say anything to that. She said instead, "All these people looking at you. The women, particularly, blatantly staring at you. Doesn't it make you feel self*conscious, Mr.

Brandon?"

"You called me Rex this morning," he reminded her softly.

"Did I?" Her eyes twinkled, and she added, "Perhaps because the circ.u.mstances were somewhat unusual!" But she wouldn't tell him what those circ.u.mstances were! She added quickly, "You haven't answered my question!"

Rex considered it, his lean, attractive face pensive as he crumbled some bread. "In the beginning I'll admit it used to embarra.s.s me horribly. I wanted to sink into the earth, wrap a napkin round my head, hide like an ostrich, or run for dear life! But you get used to it.

Surprising how many unpleasant things you do get used to, even miss if you don't have them."

He grinned crookedly and added, "I'm rather missing your saying rude things to me, Starr. And though the sudden metamorphosis in your character is delightful, I'm at a loss to account for it.

Perhaps you will enlighten me?"

A tiny flush stole to Starr's cheeks. She stammered, "I suppose I thought it stupid to go on quarreling with you, especially since you're my employer, Mr. Brandon."

"Rex," he corrected again. He added in mockingly business*like manner, "That's your task for tomorrow, Miss Thayle. You're to write 'Rex, Rex, Rex' five thousand times if it takes you all morning!"

Starr's flush deepened. "I'll do nothing of the sort," she said indignantly. "I've left school a few years at least, Mr. Brandon!"

He threw back his head and chuckled happily. "There! And I thought you said it was stupid to go on quarreling! My dear child, you couldn't help quarreling. Look at your hair. Too defiantly red! Never mind. I rather enjoy it. What shall we quarrel about now?" And his gray*

blue eyes twinkled down at her."I never quarreled once with Stephen when I worked for him,' she flung out angrily.

He c.o.c.ked the other eyebrow. "Oh, so it's 'Stephen' now? I suppose that's one of the weighty problemis you settled last night as well as minor ones concerning the pictures! He's not so slow as I thought he was!"'

"I refuse to discuss Mr. Desmond with you," Starr said in a small, tight voice.

Rex didn't reply. Instead he said, "I hear the fair Rita has arrived upon the scene."

Starr started slightly. "Yes. She called in at the office today."

"And you didn't tell me?"

"No." She hesitated. "Are you annoyed?"

He laughed outright. "Annoyed? I'm delighted! The most encouraging thing you've said all night."

She opened her eyes wide in surprise. "I don't understand."

He grinned impudently. "It means you want to keep us apart. That, well, chucking modesty to the winds, you're slightly jealous of the lovely Rita and me!"

"Jealous of you and her!" Starr spat it out before she had time to remember that to pretend to be jealous might be in keeping with her new role.

Rex was regarding her with obvious amus.e.m.e.nt. "You're a hot*tempered child * rather a dear one, though," he amended. "Now come and dance and give the poor bored*looking devils at the tables around us a little excitement.'

After that the evening went better. Starr discovered that Rex could be charming and entertaining as a companion when he chose. And she couldn't help admitting that it was a thrill to feel the envious eyes of other women upon her. She heard them whispering, "That's Rex Brandon. I wonder who the girl is tonight. Never seen her here before." And the men, "Jove, she's a stunning kid, all right. The great Rex Brandon is some picker, believe me!"

Before he took her home he drove her high up into the hills. The car was a large, open, low*

slung sports car, painted yellow, with a bonnet like the gigantic nose of some prehistoric monster. In the moonlight it looked like the bewitched golden chariot of some evil giant. Rex drove it himself. He was a splendid driver. Starr realized that immediately. He handled the great brute with ease and a.s.surance. "Cars," remarked Rex, "are like women and horses. Each has a distinct personality. People who ma.s.s them together are mad. This one needs to be handled firmly, yet given a fairly free rein." He turned slightly towards her and added, smiling, "Rather like you, Starr!"

"You think you know a lot about women," she retorted.

He grinned. "To my sorrow, I do!"

"You could easily rectify that!" she pointed out sharply.

"Not so easily, my dear. My magnetic personality has much to answer for!'

"You're not in the least conceited, are you?"

"Not more than most men. We're a conceited race, darling. But the awful convention of the modest he*man has somehow been foisted upon us. Most poor devils think they have to live up to it. I've lived too long to think I have to live up to anything I don't want to live up to!""Only the illusion of the great Rex Brandon!" she flung back at him.

"Ah," he chuckled slightly, "perhaps I want to live up to that!"

She didn't reply. She merely turned her head and looked at him. His profile, in the slanting silver*gold moonlight, was clear*cut, handsome. Far handsomer than Starr was ready to admit.

He was still smiling, that attractive, lopsided, slightly derisive smile so much a part of his personality. Surprisingly she found herself thinking, "If he wasn't such an obvious rotter he could be, well, rather adorable."

The admission amazed her. Also for some reason it made her furious. So furious she didn't say anything for the next ten minutes.

When they reached the top of the mountain he stopped the car. A glorious panorama of silver bays, deep purple*black sea, and splotches of gray which were houses lay at their feet.

Starr stared at it, drinking in the beauty. A queer ache stirred in her heart, an ache of loneliness, perhaps.

Rex said softly, "Look up at the stars, your namesakes, child. Look at that very bright one.

That's you. You dropped into my life as though that very star dropped to earth, dear. Just as surprisingly, startlingly, gloriously, dear."

Starr looked. A queerly compelling note in his voice. It carried her away despite herself.

And, as she leaned back in the car, her eyes turned to the sky, she felt his kiss on her lips, on her cheeks, on her throat.... It happened so suddenly it was some seconds before she could protest.

Then she turned on him fiercely, "How dare you do that!"

The smile * and it had been a peculiarly tender smile * faded from his face. In its place came the old derisive grin.

"Well, weren't you rather asking for it, my dear? When a man suggests that a pretty girl look up at the stars and she obeys him, she ought to know what will happen!"

"You're insufferable, aren't you?"

His smile twisted. "I believe you've told me that before."

"You make fun of everything!"

"Would you rather I were serious, Starr?"

"No, oh... yes... I don't know."

'Don't fight, Starr," he whispered.

"Fight?"

"Yes, against me. You've been fighting against me ever since we met. I don't know why.

But you decided to hate me from the very beginning. Now it's a matter of pride to go on hating me. Don't you think it's foolish to let your pride rule you like that?"

She bit her lower lip nervously. If she were to keep him from Rita Desmond, wasn't this the time to play up?

"Perhaps," she murmured.

His arm stole around her. "That's better, child. I think we're going to have great times together. Maybe you'll learn to understand me a little. It won't be so difficult if you try, Starr."

She glanced up at him. His face was white and blurred in the moonlight."What about Rita?" she questioned.

He smiled slightly, as one smiles at a child who asks stupid questions. "If yoti're nice to me I don't think she'll count."

Starr drew a tight breath. She'd won, hadn't she? The first round, anyhow, of the fight between Rita and herself. And yet, curiously, she felt no sense of triumph. Only an odd desire to cry.

13

Some days later, returning to the hotel towards evening, Starr found Stephen Desmond waiting for her on the hotel veranda.

"You're quite a stranger, Starr," he smiled down at her. "Have you been purposely avoiding me? I thought you were going to come round and work over scenes with me in the evenings occasionally."

She glanced up at him in surprise. "But that was before your wife came down here."

He smiled slightly. "Is a man considered in purdah just because he's married?"

"No, of course not." She forced a light laugh. "Only..." She hesitated, at a loss how to go on.

"Only you've been rather occupied yourself, haven't you?" A faint note of bitterness in his voice surprised her. "You and Rex are getting along rather well together these days, I hear.

And don't tell me it's merely because he's your employer * I've heard that from you rather often lately." He pretended to smile, as though he were teasing her, but there was an angry note in his voice that annoyed her.

"Why, Stephen... You don't care if I go about with Rex, do you?"