Chapter four

From her greenhouse, Gail heard bare feet slap the sidewalk. She withdrew her hands from a bag of fertilizer when Tannen entered the greenhouse. Tannen wore white capri pants with a sleeveless, pink cotton blouse, and she carried her sandals. She was the everyday woman in everyday clothes, without makeup. Pretentious was not a word Gail would use to describe A-list actor Tannen Albright. You look wonderful.

Gail smiled. "If I didn't know who you were, I would never imagine you as a sexy screen goddess."

"People have misconceptions, but I suppose that's what they would expect. Not some over-the-hill broad in need of a pedicure." Tannen chuckled.

Gail looked to Tannen's feet and winced at her long toenails. "I happen to give great pedicure, but you're still an eye-opener without wardrobe and makeup."

"Thank you," she said. "It's good to see Napoleon hasn't hampered your day." Tannen looked around the productive greenhouse. "Very impressive, Ms. Prescott. You may do the flowers for my funeral." She walked to her side, wiped a smudge of dirt from Gail's left cheek, then kissed the opposite cheek. "It's good to see you again."

"Welcome to Connecticut and my home, but please try to die elsewhere. I really don't want that kind of publicity."

Tannen wrinkled her nose. "Is the air always so fetid in here?"

"Only when I work with fertilizer." She peeled off her Playtex gloves and washed her hands and arms in the sink. "I always mix it by hand."

"Does it make a difference?"

"No, but it keeps me humble."

"I can understand that it would. Will you show me your garden, darling?"

They strolled around the pool. Encompassing three sides of the walkway were late spring flowers and early summer sprouts; needled portulaca struggled for height, right after a border of alyssum. Following the portulaca was lamb's ear. The areas that remained were thick with wildflowers.

"Do you do all of this by yourself and write?" Tannen asked.

"After I plant, I have a gardener look after them. I weed a lot, though. It relaxes me and allows me to think about current or future novels."

"It's all lovely." Tannen scanned the flowers that reached to a stone fence. Wildflowers nestled among each other. "It reminds me of the gardens back in England. Is this what I have to deal with? Perfection in everything you do?"

Gail nudged Tannen. "No. I can't cook worth a damn and my housekeeping skills are reasonably shabby."

"I like to cook. This weekend we'll eat well, live in squalor, and smell the roses afterward."

"Good! I'll make you earn your keep."

Gail felt extraordinary, having Tannen as a guest. She felt greater excitement as Tannen's hand slipped between her arm and body to hold Gail's arm. Again with the touching. A part of her was starstruck, and she didn't think highly of that personal admission. Forty-year-old women don't feel that type of thing, do they? She didn't know. Gail was too busy writing, too busy trying to find her next liaison, and too busy protecting her heart. There was no time to think twice about an actor.

Gail stopped at the cabana, grabbed a cold bottle of sparkling water, and two glasses. At poolside, Tannen sat and faced the sun. Gail set the glasses on the table and poured the water.

"Your invitation is a nice escape from the city. The sun feels wonderful."

"Enjoy. The Farmer's Almanac calls for a hot summer. I hope Karen readies my pool before too long." She sat across from Tannen.

"Who's Karen?"

"You know: Bosom buddy, best friend, and lifelong pal."

"I'd like to meet her. I'd like to see how you interact."

"I interacted with Jordann." She smiled.

Tannen laughed softly. "I know. I saw every wink and smile you sent across the room to her." Tannen set her glass on the table and closed her eyes. "I would like to turn a book into film with you, Gail. Have you decided on working with me on Tenfold?"

"I don't want the book filmed," Gail said.

Tannen opened her eyes and squinted against the sun. Gail felt no discomfort as Tannen observed her. Gail reached into her pocket, expecting to find her cigarettes, but her hand came out empty. She made her own observations as well.

It was always a cigarette in Tannen's films. She threw them, she smoked them, and she burned a character with one. One cigarette she ate. Many times Gail watched Tannen's character sit in bed with a smoke, or lounge in a bath with one. Once during a car chase she lit up, and the list went on.

In her film In Disregard, in the middle of excruciatingly boring sex, her character stopped, sat up, and lit a cigarette. To her co-star character she said, "It's the only phallic symbol worth entertaining tonight, and believe me, yours is truly a symbol." In that darkened room, Tannen's breasts glowed orange when she took a drag of the cigarette. Tannen was ten years younger then. She was hot. How would she compare now?

"Undressing me?" Tannen asked.

Gail felt an immediate flush to her body and averted her eyes from Tannen's breasts. Gail looked directly into Tannen's eyes.

"In Disregard," Gail said. "I was thinking of the movie."

"You were thinking of the love scene," Tannen said and sipped her water. "You do fancy women. That's for certain."

"I didn't mean to-"

"Don't apologize. Had you been a man, I'd have slapped you."

"And because I'm a woman...?"

"Your curiosity is downright enjoyable. Are you trying to compare what you've seen on the screen with what I present here?"

Gail laughed. "You aren't actually presenting them per se. Yes, I like women, and you caught me in a moment of weakness." Gail challenged her. "Are you flirting with me, Tannen?"

"I recall you wanting to have a 'decent flirt' the night I called you. We were flirtatious in the city."

"I thought you were a prank caller, not Tannen Albright. The city was...fun," Gail said.

"Then you have no desire to flirt with me?"

"I haven't the desire to further embarrass myself."

"Really? You sell yourself short, Ms. Prescott. What makes you think I wouldn't be interested in your flirtations?"

"Well, hmm. Let me think." Gail put her fingers to her temples, a false attempt toward mind reading. "I know! Common sense tells me you're straight."

"You don't seem the type to be hampered by such detail."

"What are you telling me?" Gail asked.

"Nothing. I wanted your thoughts on why I wouldn't be attracted to you."

"You asked no such thing." Gail said. "Flirting and attraction aren't necessarily synonymous."

"Touché. The writer lady has corrected my mismanagement of words."

"Words are tricky," Gail said. She enjoyed their verbal volley, but no longer wanted to be sidetracked. "How do you feel about my decision?"

"I think it's a mistake, but your decision does nothing to weaken my desire to work with you."

"I'm taking the summer off. Maybe we can do something in the future."

"I'll be working on a script while here, if you don't mind. You have a marvelous working atmosphere."

"Stay the summer, if you like. I have plenty of space."

"Is that a real invitation? I would love to do it."

"Mi casa, su casa." Gail got up from her chair. "I need to do a quick cleanup in the greenhouse. Have a look around the grounds, and then I'll show you the house."

Karen arrived unexpectedly. Gail put her to work with test strips, tubes, and chemicals. Pool maintenance wasn't Gail's favorite chore, and Karen was more than happy to oblige. Today's maintenance meant no itchy crotch after swimming. When Gail finished her own chore, she joined Karen at poolside.

On hands and knees, Karen leaned over the water and dipped a test vial into the pool. She studied the reaction. "Your chlorine level is low enough. I'll super chlorinate the pool. When will your guest arrive?" She poured the contents onto the concrete, rinsed the vial in the water, and handed it to Gail.

Gail watched Tannen's shadow creep up on and surpass Karen.

"I believe I'm said guest," Tannen said, and stopped her approach.

Gail said nothing. Karen raised her head toward the rippling shadow in front of her. She looked behind her and squinted from the sunlight. Gail understood the nuance of Karen's backside in the air, at Tannen's expense.

Karen wiggled her butt and smiled. She motioned to Tannen and, without asking please, said, "Hand me that bottle beside you." Tannen dutifully handed it to her. "Thanks. I'll be with ya in a minute."

Tannen shot Gail an amused smile. Gail shook her head, not knowing what to expect from Karen. "Popinjay" came to mind, but Karen wasn't vain enough.

With an educated guess, Karen poured chlorine into the water and handed the bottle back to Tannen. She pushed herself up and turned to face Tannen.

"Wow. You've probably collected more gold statues than anyone, and you're useful. Now that's what I call diverse. I don't suppose you golf, do you?"

"I don't golf," Tannen said, and placed the bottle on the ground.

"Really? That's too bad." Karen shoved her hand into Tannen's. "I'm Karen Maines, and Gail was right. You are stunning."

"Karen..." Gail warned, but knew she would continue. Karen was a complete chatterbox no matter who was within earshot, and she certainly wasn't one to feel humble in the presence of celebrity.

"I'm Tannen Albright, and I thank both of you." Tannen glanced at Gail.

"So, Albright," Karen asked, "do you think Dench will bag a nomination for her last film?" She pulled three chairs away from the table and plopped down on an end chair.

"Absolutely," Tannen said. "Judi is rarely short of wonderful." Tannen sat at the table, obviously amused with Karen.

"I've seen everything she's done. I think the woman could pee in my driveway and I'd be right there, eating my popcorn and cheering her on."

Tannen burst into laughter. Gail groaned as she walked by.

"That is absolute devotion, Karen," Tannen said, and grasped Gail's arm. "Sit with us, Gail."

"Don't let me stop you. I'll be right back."

From the cabana bar, Gail turned on the stereo and piped an assortment of 70s and 80s music to the pool area. She waited a few minutes, listened to their laughter, pleased that Tannen was obviously not in distress with the maniac next to her. Yet Gail was also happy that the maniac had shown up to lighten Gail's evening. Tonight, she could relax and put Tenfold behind her once more. After adjusting the speaker volume, Gail returned to the table.

Karen asked, "You're a dame, aren't you, Tannen?"

"One whack of the queen's scepter, and all of a sudden I became something special, in the eyes of some."

Karen nodded and frowned "It takes the pleasure out of referring to someone as 'that dame.' Are you single?"

"Yes."

Gail's ears prickled at the question and positive response. Thank you, Karen. She angled the chair in the middle and joined them.

"Really? Stunning and single. Interesting." She looked at Gail and grinned. "Did you catch that? Tannen is single. Hard to believe, huh?"

"Hard to believe."

Tannen asked, "Do you have the perfect date for me, Karen?"

Karen looked at Gail.

Don't you dare. I swear I'll smack you from here to Hartford.

"No. You see, that would be me, and I'm married."

"Ah," Tannen said. "Who's the fellow lucky enough to have snagged you?"

"That's Jeff. He's a shrink."

"He would have to be," Gail said to Tannen. "It's the only way he could survive her."

Tannen snickered.

"Hey!" Karen shrugged. "Maybe she's right."

"I'd like to meet Jeff."

"You will," Karen said. "I suspect I haven't seen the last of you."

"What makes you so sure of that?" Tannen asked.

"Yes, tell us, Karen." Hartford first, and I won't stop until we get to Boston.

Karen got up, placed her hands on Gail's shoulders, and kissed her cheek. "Because Gail can be a very good friend and you'll not want to miss out on that."

"Thank you." You'll live to see another day.

"Don't let it go to your head." She kissed Gail again. "I have to get going. Jeff's taking me to see an indie film tonight. Maybe we'll see Tenfold on-screen one day." She smiled at Tannen. "I've enjoyed meeting you, Tannen. Good night, ladies."

Дата добавления: 2015-08-27