The Platinum Triangle

by T V Hartwell

  Later that afternoon, several of the guys took advantage of their package deal and went for massages down at the spa. Jake and Kirby had appointments at the same time, 4:00 p.m. They thought it would be a cool and relaxing way to kick off the evening, which included dinner at Artisan Fine Steaks, the restaurant owned by the same guy who was catering Jake and Amanda’s wedding, followed by the official bachelor party back at The Kingpin Suite later that night.

  Kirby headed to the steam room after his massage ended an hour later. When he walked in, the steam was at its maximum level of pressure and he could not clearly see how many other guys were in there. However, he managed his way through the fog to find a place to sit without tripping over anyone. When the steam pressure stopped and the fog began to dissipate, Kirby slowly became aware of the fact that there was only one other guy in the steam room, sitting diagonally beside him.

  “Oh, it’s you,” Kirby said, recognizing Jake. “You must’ve come in here right before me.”

  “I guess,” Jake said. He briefly opened his eyes to see Kirby before closing them again as his body was decompressing from the fading heat of the steam.

  “How was your massage?”

  “Awesome,” Jake said, but didn’t seem in the mood for conversation as he didn’t ask Kirby about his. Usually when Jake answered a question with a one-word response, he was either annoyed or distracted. In this instance, he probably felt both. Annoyed with Kirby and distracted by the relaxation of a hot steam room that was preceded by an hour-long Swedish massage.

  After a couple of minutes of silence, Kirby placed his foot on top of Jake’s and said, “Have you been thinking about what I said to you on Thursday night?”

  “Thursday night?” Jake said dismissively.

  “Yeah, what I said about me and you sticking together.”

  “What the fuck are you talking about?” Jake said as he pulled his foot away. “Thursday night you were on your knees crying to me about how much you love me and want to be with me, and last night you’re fucking the brains out of two chicks you don’t even fucking know. What’s there to talk about? It looks like you’ve already moved on, just like I have.”

  “I was just fooling around and having some fun. We’re in Vegas. What do you expect me to do?”

  “Whatever. I really don’t give a shit.”

  “Well obviously you do give a shit or else we wouldn’t be talking about this. If I could’ve had my way, I would’ve preferred that this whole damn weekend got canceled so that I could be alone with you.”

  “So what are you? I’m kind of confused right now. I mean…are you gay, straight, bi? I don’t get it.”

  “What are you? Are you gay, straight, or bi?”

  Jake didn’t answer. He just stared at Kirby as if he wanted to punch him right in the nose.

  “You see, Jake, I’m just like you and you’re just like me.”

  “No, I’m not like you, Kirby,” Jake said, jumping up to leave. “There have only been two people in my life. You and Amanda. YOU fuck anything that crosses your path with a hole between its legs.”

  “Jake, come on. I’m sorry. I didn’t know you would react like this,” Kirby said, grabbing Jake’s arm.

  “How did you expect me to react, dumbass?” Jake demanded, yanking his arm away and walking out of the steam room.

  Kirby started to follow after him but he stopped himself. He didn’t want to make the matter worse and cause Jake to turn completely against him. He was shocked by Jake’s anger, but at the same time flattered by his jealousy. Although the exchange was uncomfortable and unexpected, it gave him hope in a weird way.

  Chapter 29 The Unexpected Guest

  Amanda returned to LA late Saturday afternoon exhausted and collapsed right onto her bed when she got home. The whirlwind two-day trip to NY with Lucy had included a last-minute wedding dress fitting with family friend Vera Wang just that morning, plus endless meetings on Friday, hobnobbing, looking at samples, and interviewing design teams. Lucy had even managed to drag her out Friday night till the wee hours, catching up with old friends and even making some new ones. Amanda could not believe how awesome Zac Posen had turned out to be. She’d agreed to meet the hot, young fashion designer hoping to network for the accessory line she and Lucy were creating, but they had wound up toasting his designs and their own with champagne and laughing until their sides hurt.

  It had been wonderful but now Amanda was paying the price. She did not feel well and wanted nothing more than to stay in her bed until the next morning. But Cass Bettencourt’s little birthday bash was that night and she promised to attend—indeed she had been looking forward to it as she had not yet met Cass but was eager to do so since Lucy was so head over heels for him.

  Amanda tried to rekindle her enthusiasm for the party. They had an eight o’clock reservation at Koi. But other than Cass and Lucy, Amanda did not know who else would be there. More than likely some other actor friends of Cass’s, she thought. Amanda sighed, she really wasn’t in the mood to socialize and make nice with people she didn’t know. Plus Jake was in Vegas so she feared that it might be all couples and just her on her own. She came close to calling Lucy to say that she wasn’t feeling well and couldn’t make it. She even dialed Lucy’s number, but changed her mind and quickly hung up after the phone started to ring. She knew that Lucy would be disappointed and would twist her arm to the nth degree until she agreed to come. Amanda figured that she could at least go and make an appearance but not stay for too long.

  After lying in bed for all of thirty minutes, Amanda forced herself to shower and dress. She decided to wear a svelte pair of black leather pants that she complemented with a cute light pink sleeveless top from Diane Von Furstenberg along with a pair of tulle and black lace platform pumps from Valentino. She looked hot as hell, which helped to boost her confidence a little since she was going alone and felt horrible.

  Amanda arrived to the restaurant causally late, about ten minutes. A private room was reserved for their party and when Amanda walked in everyone else was already seated, but there were two empty chairs.

  The men in the room all stood instantly when Amanda walked in. They looked at her a bit starstruck. A gentleman in his late forties practically fell over himself to be the first to greet her. “Well, hello,” he said. “I’m Randy, Cass’s manager. Who might you be?”

  “Hi, I’m Amanda,” she said, smiling broadly and beaming with her typical grace and charm as she offered him her hand.

  “Amanda,” he said, taking her hand with his right and folding it with his left on top, “you are absolutely stunning. Welcome. Please come in and join us.”

  “Thank you. That’s very kind of you to say.”

  “Okay, back off buddy,” Lucy said, slapping the guy on the arm. “She’s taken already.” Lucy then took Amanda by the hand to lead her over to her seat. Everyone in the room chuckled at Lucy’s melodramatic protectiveness of her friend. She always knew how to steal the moment but in a cutesy way. “Everyone, this is my mostest, bestest, dearest friend in the world. Please say hello to Amanda.”

  “Helloooo,” Amanda said, as she slightly raised her hand to wiggle her fingers.

  “Amanda, it’s so nice to finally meet you,” Cass said as he stepped over to her.

  She reached out to hug him. “Hi, Cass,” she said, as they kissed from cheek to cheek. “I feel like I already know you. Lucy talks about you all the time.”

  “Which completely terrifies me. I can only imagine the wicked stories she must have told you about me and my sordid past.”

  “Indeed she has,” Amanda said, looking over at Lucy deviously.

  “What! Amanda!!” Lucy protested.

  “I’m just kidding. No, really, nothing bad. But she raves about you all the time. It’s hard to get her to stop talking about you.”

  “Uh, Amanda,” Lucy said sternly, stomping her feet and getting in Amanda’s face. “Would you stop?” Lucy said with tightened lips for dramatic effect.

&n
bsp; Amanda started to laugh at her, covering her mouth with her hands as Lucy grabbed her wrists and started to speak rapidly in a not-so-hushed tone on purpose. “I-don’t-want-him-to-think-that-all-I-do-is-talk-about-him-all-day-long-even-though-I-do-as-if-I-have-nothing-else-going-on-in-my-life. Be-quiet. Don’t-give-away-all-of-my-secrets.”

  At that point Amanda was laughing uncontrollably at Lucy’s hysterics. Lucy, a bit tipsy perhaps, released her friend’s wrists and giggled along, enjoying her own comedy show. Then she settled herself down and hugged Amanda tightly. “I love you. I’m so glad you’re here. Thank you for coming. Are you feeling any better? After we left the airport I didn’t think you’d come.”

  “I feel like shit,” Amanda whispered. “But I wouldn’t miss this. You know I’m always here for you, girl.”

  “Aww, Mandi, you didn’t have to come, sweetie,” Lucy said, hugging her again. “I’m so sorry you’re not feeling well.”

  “No, no. I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me,” Amanda said with a wave of her hand.

  “Well, you look fabulous,” Lucy said, looking her over. “Love those pumps. Those are so kick ass. Are they Jimmy Choo?”

  “No, Valentino.”

  “Love ’em,” Lucy said.

  “Okay,” Cass said, grabbing Lucy by the shoulders. “Stop hogging Amanda. Let the rest of us get to know her. We want to talk to her too,” he said in a plaintive, but playful tone, revealing his Australian accent. He then introduced Amanda to his other guests, including his sister who also came alone and was visiting from Sidney, where they’re from, Toby Tanner, another young actor on the rise who Cass did his second major film with and with whom he had remained good friends, and Toby’s girlfriend, Emily Lundquist, a lesser known actress, who worked steadily in supporting roles in various TV shows and films.

  “What would you like to drink, Amanda? A glass of wine perhaps?” Cass asked.

  “Um, just a gin and soda. I don’t think I can handle wine right now.”

  “Oh, what’s the matter?”

  “She’s not feeling that well,” Lucy chimed in.

  “I’m fine. Really. I’ll be okay.”

  “We just flew back from New York this afternoon, and she probably caught something on the plane—we flew commercial; first class, but it’s still commercial. Those flights are packed with people and full of germs, you know, with all that contaminated air being recycled through the ventilation.”

  After the waiter who had been hovering around to accommodate the party’s every beck and call went to fetch Amanda’s drink, Cass asked Lucy and Amanda to tell everyone what they had been doing in New York. He already knew, but he wanted them to explain their plans to launch their accessory line to his friends and sister. In addition to meeting Amanda that evening, they were meeting Lucy for the first time as well, and they didn’t know that much about her beyond the fact that she was the daughter of a famous British rock star from the 70s and 80s.

  They all seemed impressed as Amanda and Lucy talked about Novel and showed their command and knowledge of the fashion and apparel business. Not only could they discuss simple things like the kind of stores in which they were planning to place their product line, they could also talk about other issues—from market segmentation and price point, to the various grades and quality of leather, and what the competition was using. Cass’s sister, three years his senior and very protective of him, was initially cold and suspicious of Lucy, thinking she was a Kim Kardashian or Paris Hilton wannabe seeking attention and only using her brother for fame. But her opinion changed quickly as she listened to Lucy describe how she dropped out of NYU to work with her mother full time because she felt she would get a better education by simply immersing herself in the business and working her way up at the company. Now she had a fairly demanding job as co-head of marketing.

  “Look, if you’re dating my brother, I want some Novel freebies, Lucy! Your line sounds fabulous and I’m really impressed by how hands-on you guys are.”

  Lucy beamed, delighted that Cass’s sister had warmed up to her after their first chilly introduction. The two women were soon chatting amiably, as were all the guests.

  Amanda too had become more relaxed and comfortable as she spoke about her business venture and interacted with Cass and the others. She thought he was charming, very down to earth, and every bit as cute in person as he was on screen and in photos.

  Amanda tried to engage Cass’s manager, seated one seat over from her, in conversation by nodding at the last empty seat on her left. “Who’s missing?”

  “Adam Weinstock, he’s a real up and comer in Hollywood…” But the rest of what he was saying was lost on Amanda who hadn’t heard anything after Adam’s name. Lucy however was not so speechless.

  She overheard him say Adam’s name and then turned to look at Cass. “Adam Weinstock is coming?”

  “Yes, I told you he was coming, didn’t I?”

  “No, you didn’t.”

  Amanda sighed audibly. Lucy turned to look at her. “I can’t believe this,” Amanda said quietly to her, trying to hide her growing alarm and annoyance.

  Lucy turned back to her boyfriend. “That was a bad idea, Cass.”

  “Why?”

  “I told you they used to date.”

  “I know, but when I told Adam that Amanda was coming he told me that they were still good friends, so I didn’t think there would be a problem.”

  “You asked Adam? Why didn’t you ask me? She doesn’t want to be around him…”

  Amanda placed her hand on Lucy’s lap to stop her. She didn’t want to be the cause of a scene and she’d been planning on leaving early anyway. “It’s okay. It’ll be fine.”

  “Jeez, I’m sorry,” Cass said, looking at Amanda. “I thought you two were friends. At least, that’s what he told me.”

  “How do you know Adam, Amanda?” Cass’s manager asked.

  “They used to date,” Cass said before she could answer the question herself.

  “How interesting. So you two didn’t already know each other?”

  “Who? Me and Amanda?”

  “Yeah.”

  “No, this is the first time we’ve met. I think you dated Adam after I did Hell-Bent, right?” Cass said, looking at Amanda.

  “Right.”

  “I thought you looked familiar,” the actress, Emily Lundquist, said. “Were you with him at Sundance last year?”

  “You look like Adam’s type,” Cass’s manager said before Amanda could respond to Emily’s question.

  “Oh? And what’s his type?” she asked.

  “You know, young and pretty, just like you,” he said with a chuckle.

  “So were you with him at Sundance?” Emily repeated but was interrupted yet again.

  “There he is, speaking of the devil,” Cass said loudly as Adam appeared at the door.

  “Hey, what’s up, birthday boy,” Adam shouted as he strode across the room as if he owned it. He lightly touched Amanda on the shoulder as he passed by. It was as if he needed to acknowledge her first in some way before he touched anyone else in the room.

  Adam and Cass embraced. “Looking good, man,” Adam said.

  “You too. Look at these fancy threads you’re wearing. You put me to shame, dude. I swear. Are you a model or a film producer?”

  Adam went around the table and greeted everyone. He kissed Lucy on the cheek but she did not budge from her seat or reciprocate the affection. “Hi, Adam,” she said simply with a tepid smile.

  As he bent down to hug Amanda, she tried to ward him off. “You might not want to get too close. I’m coming down with a cold or something,” she said.

  “I’d gladly share a cold with you any day, sweetheart,” he said before he kissed her forehead and then sat in the remaining empty seat next to her.

  “Boy is she happy to see you,” Cass’s manager teased after Adam greeted Amanda.

  “Oh really?” Adam said in surprise. Amanda stared back at him with a sarcastic look on her face a
nd winked.

  When the waiter appeared to take their food order, Adam took over, giving pointers on the menu and helping Cass out with the selections. A regular at Koi, he knew the menu as if he had written it himself. His guidance and suggestions were appreciated by pretty much everyone as he could describe the various dishes with a level of detail that even amazed the waiter. As Adam helped with the menu selections, he made a point to seek Amanda’s opinion to ensure that what was being ordered would be something she liked and would want to eat. The others around the table found the exchange a bit odd, but they didn’t seem to mind much as it was very apparent that he still treated Amanda like she was his lady, which made him look rather charming and considerate. Even Amanda felt her anger melting away under his thoughtful attention.

  Adam’s charisma was so intoxicating he could fill a room with his presence and jovial personality. Amanda found it hard not to like Adam as he was always very polite and gentle toward her and his doting attention, although unsolicited, made her feel important and special. On top of that he was a gorgeous specimen of a man who could still make her a little wet between the legs when the right buttons were pushed. However, she was nevertheless annoyed to find herself sitting next to him after she promised Jake that she wouldn’t see him again just a few days before.

  After the food was ordered, Amanda excused herself to go to the restroom. “I’ll join you,” Lucy said as she got up to follow her.

  “Oh…my…God,” Amanda said as she and Lucy walked through the restroom door.

  “I can’t believe this. I had no idea he’d be here. I swear,” Lucy said, feeling guilty and somehow responsible.

  “Oh my God, Jake’s going to be so upset with me,” she said distressed, covering her face with her hands.