Nice guy. Great principles. I like that in a man. Good moral fiber. He was joking with her, but he was seething inside at what she'd been through. How humiliating, and how cruel. But in an awful way, he was glad it had happened, and so quickly. It was kismet.
The trouble is, she commented, I like all those nice things too, principles, ethics, fidelity, all that boring stuff that's out of fashion these days. And I seem to like to delude myself about people I convince myself have them. Unfortunately, I'm wrong usually. I seem to miss the call most of the time. In fact, so far, when it comes to picking losers, I've been batting a thousand.
Maybe things have finally changed for you, he said, pulling her close to him again, as he stood behind her, and felt her willowy warmth against him. Maybe your eyesight has gotten better.
Has it? She asked him cautiously, wanting answers from him, and reassurance.
What do you think?
I'm asking you. I don't think I could go through that again. This is the third one for me. Three strikes, I'm out.
No, Allegra, he said, turning her around to face him so he could look at her. You're just beginning. You're only a baby. That was all practice stuff. Now we go for the brass ring. And you're gonna get it this time ' you deserve it' . Her eyes filled with tears as she looked at him, and this time when he kissed her, she kissed him back, with all her heart, and the faith that she had given so foolishly before. But he was right. This one was the biggie. He was the genuine article, and he wasn't going to fool her. To her very core, she knew it.
They sat together for a while, and she showed him around. She had the odd feeling that he would be spending a lot of time there, and she was showing him his new home. It was a funny feeling.
I love it, he said, admiring what she'd done, and the easy warmth of the place. She loved it too, and she was happy he did.
And a little while later, they left for Malibu. It took them forty-five minutes to get to Alan's. She told Jeff about him all the way there, and the pranks they'd committed together over the years, but even knowing all of that, Jeff was still startled into silence when he met them. Carmen was so incredibly beautiful, even in a T-shirt and blue jeans. She had the same breathy, sensual quality Monroe had had, but she was so much more beautiful, so much more breathtaking, that Jeff hadn't been adequately prepared to meet her. And meeting Alan was just like looking straight at a movie screen, except that he was alive and looking at you, and laughing with those perfect teeth, and incredible blue eyes, and finely chiseled features. He reminded Jeff a lot of Gable. They were quite a combination. He could just imagine it once the press got a hold of them, never mind the tabloids.
Their hosts ushered them inside, and Alan had made tamales and guacamole for them, and he served Jeff a tequila. But as hospitable as he was, there was a puzzled expression as he looked at Allegra's date for the evening, and then finally when he got her alone, he challenged her and she laughed mischievously at him.
What the hell is going on, you little holdout? Who is he? Where's the creep? Alan never spoke of Brandon in pleasant or even civil terms, because he'd never liked him. But this time Allegra didn't say anything in his defense. She was just grinning at Alan. I like this one. What did you do with the other one? Kill him?
Just about. He's been cheating on me for two years or thereabouts, she summed it up for him in a nutshell. I walked in on him with one of his sweeties, at the Fairmont last weekend. Actually, they were out of the room, but her bra and panties weren't, or her see-through nightgown.
Why didn't you tell me, you turkey? He looked hurt that she hadn't called him.
I needed time to get used to it. I don't know. She looked serious for a minute. I called you once, and you weren't home. And I felt like such a horse's ass, I didn't feel like telling anyone about Brandon. I've been licking my wounds all week.
Count your blessings, Alan said seriously, pouring her a soda. She didn't want tequila. That guy would have made you miserable for the rest of your life. Trust me. I know it.
She knew he was right now, and as they talked about it, Carmen and Jeff came in to join them.
What are you two up to? Jeff asked, putting an arm around her as she smiled coyly. What's the drill here? Do I trust you with this man? Tell me the truth now so I know what I'm up against. I'm afraid I can't compete with him. Is he a threat?
Alan laughed and was quick to reassure him. Not for the last fifteen years, I'm afraid. She was cute as hell at fourteen, but all I ever got out of her were a bunch of sloppy kisses. I hope you've at least gotten better at that, Alan told her rudely, and she shoved him.
Thanks for nothing. You used to give me beard burn, and get me in trouble with my mother all the time, you creep.
You know, he still does that. Carmen looked at her sympathetically, and Allegra laughed. It was fun being together, the four of them, and Allegra had never seen either of them as happy.
Alan made tacos and tostadas for dinner, and Carmen made Spanish rice and a huge salad. And there was ice cream and hot fudge sauce for dessert, and they toasted marshmallows in the fireplace, like kids. Then they went for a walk on the beach, and laughed and talked, and played tag as they ran in and out of the ocean as the waves lapped gently against the sand in the bright moonlight. It was a lovely evening.
When they went back inside finally, Carmen grinned at Allegra, and then at Alan. She looked up at him with her huge blue eyes, and whispered something. She was asking if she could tell them, and he hesitated, looking at his old friend, and at Jeff, wondering if the one would disapprove and the other could be trusted. But he decided he could handle either of them, and Carmen could barely keep herself from exploding with excitement.
We're getting married in Vegas on Valentine's Day, she announced, and Allegra pretended to faint and fall backward.
Cupid's dream, and a lawyer's nightmare. Her eyes met Alan's immediately, wondering if this was really what he wanted. But it seemed to be; he looked sure of her and of himself, and she had never seen him as happy. He was thirty years old and he ought to know by then what suited him and what didn't. The papers are going to kill you. I hope to hell you use another name, and you go incognito. Wear wigs, paint your faces, do anything. This is going to be the news of the century. Princess Di and Prince Charles were nothing to this, kids. Please God, be careful.
We will be, Alan assured her, and then he had an idea. Will you be our maid of honor, our witness, whatever? And then he looked at Jeff expansively. You can come too, if you can put up with her by then. We'd love to have you, Alan said generously and Jeff was touched when he said it. They were warm, genuine people, and he had had a great evening. It wasn't pretentious, or intellectual, or like any of the supposed salons in New York, but it was much more down to earth, and he enjoyed it. It was why he had come to California originally, but these people were special. He liked them both, and he hadn't been able to take his eyes off Allegra all evening. He still couldn't believe his good fortune that she'd broken up with Brandon so quickly.
And since the wedding was only two weeks away, they all talked about it for the next hour. Alan wanted to take Carmen fishing in New Zealand for their honeymoon. He had made a picture there and he really liked it. And she wanted to go to Paris, because she'd never been there.
I'll take you to New Zealand, Jeff, Alan said expansively, lighting a cigar. The girls can stay home and go shopping.
But even as they joked about it, Allegra urged them to be careful. The press were going to make their lives miserable once they figured it out. It was vital that no one suspect anything for as long as possible. How are you going to get to Vegas?
I thought we'd just drive, Alan said practically.
Why don't I rent you a bus? Bram uses a great one. I'll see if I can get it, as a gift from me. It would cost her about five thousand dollars to send them to Vegas in it, but it was fabulous, and well worth it. It was like driving in a yacht, or a private airplane. And if she rented it in her name, no one would be the wiser.
That sounds like fun, Carmen admitted, and Alan indulged her, and thanked Allegra.
Jeff and Allegra helped them clean up, and they put the dishes in the dishwasher for the maid to deal with in the morning, and Jeff and Allegra left at eleven. The moon was still bright, and he asked her if she'd like to see his house on the way home. It was only a few blocks away. She was hesitant at first, and then she nodded. It was all so new to her still, and in some ways she felt shyer with him now than she had in New York. Everything had been so rushed there. They had to take what they could, while they had it. It was a little bit like a shipboard romance, and now suddenly this was real life, and she knew they both meant it. It was more than a little scary. And she still couldn't believe Carmen and Alan were getting married.
I introduced them to each other two weeks ago, she said to Jeff incredulously, as they stopped near a small, well-tended beach house.
That's Hollywood, he laughed and yet, the funny thing was, they seemed perfectly suited to each other. Getting married a month after they met was a risky thing to do, and yet he had a feeling that it was going to work, and so did Allegra.
They're both great people. I just wish they'd move a little more slowly. It didn't surprise her of Carmen, but it did of Alan. He was usually so cautious. But maybe he sensed too that this was right for him, and he knew it. Will you really come to the wedding? she asked Jeff, as she followed him to the door of his house. He unlocked it, and turned to look at her, wondering if he should carry her over the threshold. He wanted to, but he was afraid to scare her by the seriousness of the gesture, especially with the other two getting married after a four-week courtship.
I will if you'd like me to. I've never been to Las Vegas.
Wait till you see it! she laughed. It makes L.A. look like Boston.
I can't wait, he said with a laugh, thinking about it. There were a lot of things he couldn't wait for, a lot of things he wanted to do with her, and show her. This was just the beginning.
He showed her around his house. It was small and neat, and surprisingly orderly for a writer. There were sisal rugs on the floor, and comfortable couches covered in denim. He had only rented it, but like him, it looked very Eastern. It reminded Allegra of Cape Cod, or summer houses in New England. It was perfect for him, it looked like a good place to write, and a cozy place to tuck oneself in with a book on a gray day. There was a fireplace, and several large leather easy chairs. And in the bedroom beyond, there was a large four-poster bed made of logs, and it looked very Western.
There was a huge bathroom with a marble tub and a Jacuzzi, and a big country kitchen with a table for twelve. And other than that, he had an office, and a small guest room. It was really perfect.
How did you ever find it? She was impressed. Finding a house in Malibu was like finding gold in your breakfast cereal, and just about as likely.
It actually belongs to a friend, who went back East last summer. He was happy to rent it to me, and I was happy to get it. He moved back to Boston, and I think he'll want to sell it eventually. I thought I might buy it. Right now, I just rent it. She looked around with a smile; she liked it, and it suited him. And interestingly, it was very different from Alan's, which was much more L.A., and somewhat Southwestern.
They went for a walk on the beach, but eventually the breeze drove them back in, and then they sat on the couch for a little while, cuddling and talking. It was one o'clock when she thought of going back to the city. She hated to make him drive all the way in, but they had gone to Alan's in his car, and she had no other way to get back to Beverly Hills.
That was stupid of me, she apologized. I should have met you here. I feel awful making you drive back.
I don't mind it. That's what California is all about. Driving. He was easy and good-natured, unlike Brandon, who had always been angry about something. It was so pleasant being with Jeff. It was as though they had been together for years. Like Carmen and Alan, they felt completely at ease with each other.
They kissed again. But this time, it seemed to be with more fervor. And she responded to it. It was so nice being alone with him, having time, and not having to go anywhere, or even think about anyone but each other. It was a real luxury just to be together.
I'll never go if I don't get up soon, Allegra said softly, as he kissed her again.
That's what I'm hoping, he whispered.
So am I. She laughed. But I think I should go, she said softly.
Why? Jeff asked her, as he lay down next to her on the couch, and she had no objections. They lay there together for a while, watching the fire in the fireplace that he had lit when they'd come in. It was a cozy place to be, with the ocean lapping at the sand outside, and the moon high overhead. But all Allegra could think about was Jeff as he held her. Would you think I was crazy if I told you that I loved you? he asked, as he looked at her next to him, but it all seemed so natural between them, as though this had been meant to be. It was what she had felt about him from the moment she met him at the Weissmans'.
No, I wouldn't. Does that seem odd to you? I feel as though I've always known you, like Alan.
I wish I had known you then. I'll bet you were cute at fourteen, he said, looking at her, imagining her with freckles and pigtails and braces.
Yeah, me and my sloppy kisses. We had fun then, everything was so simple.
It's simple now, Jeff said easily. It's only complicated when it's wrong, and this isn't. This is completely right, and you know it.
Is it? she asked, looking up at him, and with that he rolled closer to her and kissed her even harder. I get so scared sometimes, she confessed in the dimly lit room with the fire going near them.
Of what?
Of doing the wrong things, or being with the wrong person. I don't want to screw my life up, like ' like people who marry the wrong man and regret it for the rest of their lives or almost kill themselves trying to change it. I never want to have to do that.
Then you won't, he said matter-of-factly. You haven't yet, why should you start now?
I've been too scared to do the wrong thing, or the right one. And as he listened to her, he knew what was right for them, and what they both needed. It was time, there was no point torturing themselves any further. And very gently he picked her up, in her white jeans and her red sweater, and carried her into his bedroom. He laid her down gently on the big four-poster bed made of logs, and hung with denim. It was a comfortable place to be, she knew she was safe with him, and she made no move to leave or move away from him. She just lay there and looked at him, with her big green eyes, and then she responded instantly when he kissed her. And bit by bit, he stripped her clothes away, and looked at every inch of her and held her and kissed her. His tongue and his hands and his eyes feasted on her, and she on him, and they lay together and made love for hours, and she slept like a baby in his arms when the sun came up in the morning.
He got up and cooked breakfast for her, and brought it back to bed on a tray, and then he woke her gently with kisses all up and down her back, as she stirred and looked at him with a long, slow smile of pleasure. It had been a night she would never forget. He had been right. It was their time now.
She had breakfast with him, and they talked for a long time. And then they got up, and shared a long, lazy bath in the Jacuzzi, and then she walked on the beach with him. And in the distance, they could see Carmen and Alan. But before they were seen, Jeff and Allegra went back to his house and made love again. They spent a lazy Sunday afternoon in each other's arms.
And in Alan's house, Carmen was insistent.
I know I saw Allegra this morning, walking with Jeff.
They went back last night, Alan corrected her, already sounding like a husband. Allie wouldn't do that. Not yet. She takes her time about things. And I think she's still scared after Brandon.
I'm telling you, I saw them. She was sure of it, and when Jeff drove Allegra past their house late that afternoon, on their way back to town, Alan and Carmen were outside in the
garden, and Alan looked surprised when he saw them.
See! Carmen said, as the pair in the car waved to them and sped past on the way back to the city.
Well, I'll be damned, Alan said, watching them. He wished them well. Jeff seemed like a good man. And Allegra deserved the best life had to offer, as far as Alan was concerned. He loved her like a sister.
Maybe we'll make it a double ceremony in Vegas, Carmen said, and she laughed as they went back inside again. But that, Alan wisely doubted.
Chapter 10
Allegra's workload was enormous at the beginning of February. She had Bram's concert tour to set up, Carmen's new movie deal, several other movie offers to negotiate for a variety of clients, and an assortment of smaller, more mundane projects to take care of for the firm. But she seemed to be smiling all the time, and Alice thought she had never seen her as happy.
Jeff dropped in to see her sometimes when he took a break, or had an appointment nearby, and whenever possible, he'd take her out to lunch. Sometimes they even disappeared mysteriously to her house in Beverly Hills at lunch time. And when she'd return to the office afterward, she had to force herself to look serious and concentrate on working. All she could think about was Jeff. She had never been this happy. They seemed to be perfectly suited to each other, they liked the same things, the same books, shared many of the same ideas and interests. He was always kind and flexible, and he had a wonderful sense of humor.
And after their first week of bliss, most of which they spent in Malibu at his cozy house, Allegra suggested he come to dinner at her parents'. She still hadn't told them about breaking up with Brandon.
Are you sure? He looked somewhat cautious. Jeff was crazy about her, but he didn't want to push things. He knew how close she was to her family, and he was afraid that his appearance with her might be viewed as an intrusion.
Don't be silly, my mom loves us to bring friends. She always had, from the time they were kids, until they were adults. They liked having their children's friends around and always made them feel welcome.
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