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Chapters (88)
  1. Cover Page
  2. Front Flap
  3. Title Page
  4. Acknowledgments
  5. Dedication
  6. Contents
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. 39
  46. 40
  47. 41
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. 60
  67. 61
  68. 62
  69. 63
  70. 64
  71. 65
  72. 66
  73. 67
  74. 68
  75. 69
  76. 70
  77. 71
  78. 72
  79. 73
  80. 74
  81. 75
  82. 76
  83. 77
  84. 78
  85. 79
  86. 80
  87. Back Flap
  88. Back Cover

“Me?” Horace screamed. “You weren’t exactly polite to that woman.”

“I didn’t point my finger at her in a threatening way! Maybe I was coming across a little tough at first, but it was all part of the dance. I knew what I was doing! Ronald Flake has successfully negotiated many a contract, after all.”

They were about to pass a train station. Abruptly Horace turned the wheel to the left, sped into the parking lot, and screeched to a halt.

“What are you doing?” Ronnie cried.

“Get out!”

“Get out? Are you out of your mind?”

“No, I’m not. You can’t yell at me like that!” Horace shouted. “Get out of my car. The train is coming. If you hurry, you might get a good seat.”

Ronnie looked at him aghast.

“Get out!” The blood vessels in Horace’s forehead looked as if they might pop.

Quickly Ronnie obeyed, but then slammed the door with all his might. It was barely closed when Horace took off.

Such a temper, Ronnie thought. Wait till his mother hears this.

48

In the ladies’ room at Redman’s, April stared into the mirror. As soon as Cleo Paradise’s name had been mentioned, her blood had started to boil. And boil and boil and boil. It showed on her face, which was so red it almost matched the color of her hair. I’m only twenty-seven but I look so old, she thought. All this stress! If I don’t get a great role soon, I may as well be put out to pasture.

Cleo Paradise. Why couldn’t she have continued wandering the world with her vagabond parents? The cutesy little story that weirdo Yaya told in all the interviews about three-year-old Cleo doing a dead-on imitation of someone they met in the wilds made April want to throw up. She’s such a mimic. So talented. The way she disappears into a character is amazing. She can play any role at all!

April quickly touched up her makeup. Tomorrow she was heading back to Los Angeles. She’d been back and forth between New York and Florida a few times in the past month and had been so excited to finally nail down this lunch date. What a disaster! I’m so mortified, she thought. Mortified.

On the way out of the restaurant, she did her best to act like a star.

“I’ll be back soon, I promise,” April cooed, hugging the maître d’.

Out on the street, the marquee sign for The Tides Return made her wince. Before lunch it hadn’t really bothered her. Now it seemed like another slap in the face. I’m surprised they didn’t want Cleo for that part, she thought angrily.

She hailed a cab.

“Where to, lady?”

“The rental car place straight down by the river.”

49