The Rainbow Conspiracy

by Stuart Hopps

  While they were in the midst of their deliberations, Michael called, reminding Clive of the dinner party that he was giving that night and just confirming that his English friends would be there. He told them that Steve and Allen were also invited and he stressed how much his folks were looking forward to meeting everybody. Clive and Shirley graciously confirmed that they would most certainly be there and offered to bring wine and a dessert. Shirley realised that this get-together was going to provide her with an ideal opportunity to meet all Clive’s Columbus players in the flesh, and put faces to their names: with the exception of Dennis, of course. She would then be able to make up her own mind about Allen Levitt and decide whether any of the others were to be trusted or not.

  Steve also phoned and insisted on collecting them from their hotel and driving them over to Michael’s house. He maintained he was feeling so much better, and although he’d avoided Dr Levitt’s kind offer to visit him on Sunday, he assured Clive that he wasn’t at death’s door and really didn’t need to be examined by Allen.

  ‘I’m so glad to hear you’re feeling a lot better,’ said Clive. ‘Why don’t you call for us at about six. I want to introduce you to Shirley, and over a cocktail or two you can both get better acquainted before we go over to Michael’s. Shirley’s nodding. She obviously thinks it’s a good idea too.’

  Steve thought that would be swell, adding that now he was feeling on the mend, he really was up to meeting up for cocktails. He confirmed that thank goodness his glands had gone down and declared that he was definitely in the mood to party.

  Clive decided to take his camera with him that evening, since this time he wanted to have a photographic record of his stay in Columbus. He took the lift down to the lobby and waited for Steve by the hotel reception desk. His new friend arrived on time and greeted him most warmly. However, Clive couldn’t help thinking that Steve did in fact look somewhat under the weather, was rather subdued and wasn’t his normal jolly self. As they made their way through the hotel, Clive decided to skirt health issues and explained that Shirley was still powdering her nose and would meet them in the bar.

  ‘You know what women are like.’

  ‘I sure do … and I’m really looking forward to meeting this one. You’ve mentioned your PA quite a lot.’

  When Shirley finally arrived it was obvious that she had forgone her siesta in favour of a visit to the hotel hairdresser’s. She had decided to go for a chignon that evening and wore a gorgeous off-the-shoulder cocktail dress in midnight blue and a pair of sapphire and diamond pendant earrings, which had belonged to her Auntie Flo. As she made her stunning entrance and swept her way towards the bar on a pair of gorgeous black high heels, she caused many heads to turn and stare in admiration, and as she approached her escorts, both men immediately rose to their feet. Steve was the first to greet her; bowing, he took her hand, placed a polite kiss on her extended right wrist, and she responded by dropping him a very deep curtsey.

  ‘Shirley, it’s such a great honour to meet you and may I say you look absolutely stunning.’

  ‘Why thank you, kind sir! And I’m delighted to meet you too,’ she flirted.

  ‘Now guys, photo opportunity,’ declared Clive. ‘Smile … and look at the camera!’

  Clive was obviously so proud of his dear friend, who clearly had great style and possessed such a wonderful wardrobe and he wanted to put on record how stunning Shirley looked that night. He drew immense satisfaction from the attention she had already been paid, but of course it didn’t occur to him that she could have walked straight out of one of those Gainsborough films which, unbeknown to him, her Auntie Flo had so regularly appeared in. Added to which, there was no doubt that Shirley certainly sported the same good looks as her mother’s sister.

  ‘Shirley, you look amazing. What more can I say?’ Clive finally commented.

  ‘Well, for starters, I think you could ask me if I cared for a Manhattan?’

  This prompted Clive to go into his frequently used patter. ‘Oh. Please forgive me, Madame. I seem to have mislaid my manners. Waiter! Waiter! Please bring a Manhattan for the lady.’

  ‘Certainly, sir. Right away, sir,’ came the immediate response from the bell boy, who had also been stopped in his tracks by Shirley’s impressive entrance, and on his return, Clive asked the young man to snap all three of them and they compliantly raised their glasses and looked towards the camera.

  Miss Morris had come to the rescue once again and her arrival had alleviated any hint of awkwardness either men had been experiencing earlier on; and now both chaps were smiling and feeling a lot more relaxed. As was her wont, she took total command of her first meeting with Steve and as she sipped her martini and took in her new acquaintance’s smartly suited appearance, she was struck by Clive’s genuine ability to give such an accurate sketch of him, since he looked just as he’d described. Because of this flair, when Shirley was finally introduced to the two other major players in Clive’s Columbus set later that evening, she also felt she already knew all of them.

  After the second cocktail, Shirley rose to her feet: ‘Now gentlemen, if you’ll forgive me, I need to fix my face, and Mr Spoke, I just need to confirm our travel arrangements back to New York for tomorrow. Is that OK?’

  ‘Certainly, Miss Morris,’ Clive chuckled.

  With that, the two gentlemen stood to attention and Shirley sailed through the bar, yet again turning many heads as she steered a steady course back through the hotel lobby. Once she reached the door to her room, she paused, took a deep breath, swept through, kicked off her high heels, tossed herself down on her bed, cocktail dress and all, and bounced back.

  There was no doubt that Columbus was proving to be one of the most challenging episodes in her career to date. She realised that before leaving London, she’d had no idea of Clive’s love affair with Dennis and friendship with Michael, and although she was used to dealing with her boss’s somewhat eccentric behaviour and mood swings, she had been very surprised by what he had become mixed up in and was impressed by his courageous plan for the next day. However, it also had to be said that she remained somewhat apprehensive about what its outcome might be and was also only too aware that her adventure in Columbus was just beginning.

  While confirming their plane tickets, she reflected on how proud and fortunate she was to have Clive not only as a colleague, but also as a dear and close friend. Since losing her husband, her boss had been the only man she had ever allowed herself to get close to, and although she realised that their relationship could only ever be platonic, she was more than happy with that arrangement.

  Then, having dealt with the Spoke travel arrangements, she put her shoes back on, applied a little more lipstick, and, seated in front of her dressing-table mirror, she removed the combs from her hair, which she then let roll down onto her shoulders. After she had brushed her locks into a kind of ‘Veronica Lake’, Shirley went and removed her shawl from the top of her packed suitcase, added a dab of Mitsouko behind her ears and from that moment on, felt ready to face Clive’s remaining Columbus players.

  Steve’s car was parked in their hotel driveway and Shirley, now with a glamorous stole draped around her shoulders, was invited into the front seat, and she placed the shop-bought baked Alaska carefully on her lap. Clive, who sat behind carefully balancing the white Burgundy he’d selected, had insisted on that for dessert, since he told Shirley that it was Dennis’s favourite pudding.

  Shirley’s people skills were on top form as she made polite conversation as they drove over to the German Village. Clive for his part, was mindful not to embarrass Steve by directly asking him how he was feeling in front of Shirley, and waited for an appropriate moment once they had vacated the car and were out of Shirley’s earshot. He then tactfully enquired after Steve’s health and the latter replied that he was feeling just fine and dandy.

  Once they had reached their destination, they found Michael to be on very good form, and, wearing the Scottish sweater that Clive had given him,
he gave all three of them a very warm welcome and made them feel totally at home as they joined the other three dinner party guests, who had already arrived. He proudly introduced his parents to the new arrivals, and Mr and Mrs Poledri responded in a most kindly manner, clearly delighted to meet more of their son’s friends. Allen rose to his feet, greeted Clive enthusiastically and, with that cheesy smile of his, said how very pleased he was to make Shirley’s acquaintance.

  With the introductions completed, Michael began to serve his guests the martinis he had prepared. His father Douglas stepped in, and while his son served the drinks, he explained to all assembled that he still practised as an architect. It immediately struck Clive that Douglas’s son was a dead ringer for him and thought that both Michael’s mum and dad appeared to be a lot younger than he expected them to be. It was also clear where the dashing Italian good looks came from, as well as those blue-green eyes. By contrast, Gloria, Michael’s mother, was a very attractive tall blonde, elegantly dressed in a discreet floral frock and, because opposites attract, Clive thought it not at all surprising that Douglas had fallen for her.

  ‘I hope you don’t mind, but I want to have a record of this important gathering.’ And with that Clive whipped out his camera, and went round the room, photographing everyone and inviting them to raise their drinks in the air.

  Then it was Gloria’s turn to take the floor: she told Clive and Shirley that she had been a high-school teacher but had decided to take early retirement. It was apparent to the lively gathering that both parents obviously adored their son and accepted him. They also appeared to be completely relaxed about meeting more of his gay friends, but were careful to avoid any discussion about health issues, especially in front of Allen, who did appear to be a little frosty towards Steve, for reasons Clive would later discover. Shirley, astute as ever, was quick to notice how very charming Dr Allen Levitt appeared to be, but as the evening wore on, she began to understand why Clive had become so distrustful of him.

  Once all were seated round the dining table, Michael announced that the gentlemen could remove their jackets and that dinner would soon be served. The food arrived and the first course was unusual: in fact Michael told them that his mum had prepared the starter: a delicious homemade mackerel brandade. Steve, who was the real foodie in the group, extolled its virtues and with that course over, the said nourishment seemed to make him look a lot better. He proposed a toast to Gloria, which was seconded by all, and got the supper party off to a rousing start, helped along by the white Burgundy so carefully chosen by Clive. Although not his dinner party, Clive decided he would get the conversation going by asking everyone around the table where they had studied and what part of America they were from.

  ‘I hope you don’t think it too cheeky of me, but because this starter is so delicious, I’m going to begin with you Gloria. Where did you study?

  ‘I’m a local girl and went to Ohio State University, which is where I met Doug. I took English literature and he was in the School of Architecture. As a matter of fact, we got married shortly after we’d graduated and we decided to settle down here in Columbus.’ Then after a slight pause she jokingly added: ‘And I don’t think we’ve ever set foot outside Ohio,’ which was clearly not the case but caused much amusement round the table.

  ‘Well, I suppose that takes care of you too, Doug,’ Clive joked. ‘Unless there’s something you’d like to add?’

  ‘Only that Gloria is as beautiful now as she was the first day I met her.’

  ‘That’s my dad for you’, said Michael, and encouraged his guests to join him in a round of ‘For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow’.

  ‘Now Michael, we all know where you studied, but Shirley doesn’t.’

  Michael told Shirley that because he wanted to learn to paint and sculpt, he had studied fine art and had got into Dennison University in Columbus. He joked that although the town may once have been cowboy country, it was now highly academically respectable.

  ‘Shirley, your turn.’

  ‘I have to be honest and admit I’m not a university lass. And, you know what? I would have preferred the cowboys,’ – again causing much merriment amongst the dinner guests. ‘You see, although I was sent to a private girls’ school in Oxford, I didn’t get into that famous university there. However, I did make it into the local polytechnic, where I took a course in secretarial studies and that’s how I learnt to sit on my boss’s lap.’ Which last remark was certainly playing to the gallery.

  ‘Steve, what about you? Clive continued.

  ‘Me. Oh I was born in Wisconsin, in a little town called Spring Green.’

  ‘Isn’t that where Frank Lloyd Wright came from?’ commented Douglas, which was not at all surprising, since he was the only architect round the table.

  ‘You’re absolutely correct. But I wasn’t interested in architecture, and because I originally wanted to study linguistics, my parents sent me to Princeton, would you believe? But that was long before it went co-ed.’

  ‘So there were no females to distract you,’ laughed Michael.

  ‘No! I found the other boys were distracting enough, thank you very much!’

  ‘Now watch it! My folks may be broad-minded but…’

  ‘Michael darling, Steve’s only trying to add to the banter, don’t be such a prude. And only a father can say that.’

  Then Clive turned to Allen. ‘So last, but by no means least, tell us what college you went to.’

  Slowly straightening his tie, Allen responded in a very measured way and explained that although he was born in New York City, he had actually studied medicine at Arizona State University.

  That last remark sent alarm bells across the table to where Clive was sitting, leaving him to wonder how near that college was to Tucson. Then, trying hard to conceal his anxiety, he joked: ‘Oh! Doctors in the desert.’

  Michael laughed, got up, and excused himself from the table, but Shirley was quick to be on her feet and offered to clear the dishes, with Gloria insisting on helping her.

  During the pause between courses, there was a brief exchange between Allen and Clive about the check-up, which had been arranged for the following morning. Sensing the delicacy of the situation and in an attempt to steer the discussion away from health issues, Allen was very deft at changing the subject, and he now cleverly made Clive the central topic of conversation by claiming that he was certain everyone around the table would want to know how the Englishman had become an internationally famous theatrical agent. Once again the thought crossed Clive’s mind that Allen’s people skills were more than just natural. It was as if he had a master’s degree in mind control and manipulation, which maybe he had also acquired in Arizona.

  Douglas insisted that they wait for the ladies to rejoin them, since he was certain that Gloria would want to hear the Englishman’s life story, and Clive added that he would definitely need his PA to help him relate his histoire and jog his memory when needed. At this point their host arrived with a splendid platter of roast guinea fowl, while Gloria brought some pan-fried salmon, which she had specially prepared for Allen, and Shirley trailed behind carrying an abundant variety of boiled and roast vegetables. What a feast!

  Once all were served, Clive took it upon himself to propose one more toast: this time to Michael, and he encouraged yet another chorus of ‘For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow’, and this time everyone sang along. The main course was going down a treat, and when a gratifying silence had descended and many delicious mouthfuls had been enjoyed, Allen deemed his timing appropriate, and he brought the subject back to Clive’s glittering career. With the wine flowing freely and the atmosphere around the table being so merry, Clive had no intention of spoiling the party spirit, which was as abundant as was the delicious food so beautifully prepared by their host. So once again, using all the thespian skills he could muster, he took the floor.

  ‘Well, I suppose that’s why I asked you about where you all had gone to university. I feel that my adult life started at “uni
” and, you see, I went to King’s College, London University, which is slap bang in the centre of our capital city. Like so many students, I had vague dreams of becoming an actor, but I was too scared of failing, and really lacked confidence at the time. I remember one particular day when I was in my first year – you call it freshman year, I believe – I had taken a short cut to get to the Strand where my college was situated and I passed by a coffee bar, and, through the rather large old-fashioned shop windows, I saw a range of huge blow-up photographs of famous forties female Hollywood stars, like Bette Davis, Olivia de Havilland and Joan Crawford.’

  Clive told his now captivated audience that he had been tempted to go in for a quick cup of coffee and that because he was given such a warm and somewhat overpowering welcome by the owner, the Sunset Boulevard became a regular and favourite haunt of his. Although only eighteen, he explained that he had already come out to his parents and declared that the said coffee bar seemed to be just his cup of tea, if they knew what he meant? The Boolay, as he began to call it, had become a haven for like-minded young men, as well as for some rather attractive not-such-young men, if they caught his drift?

  The entire gathering, including Michael’s parents, greeted Clive’s camp remarks with much amusement and a very positive sign of their appreciation.

  ‘Do you know, everyone,’ enthused Shirley. ‘All this is such news to me. I’ve known Clive for a number of years now, but I’ve never heard him talk about his London University days nor about that period of his life before tonight.’

  Shirley’s remark made Clive realise that although she was perhaps his closest friend, there was a great deal that he didn’t know about her life story, but he decided that this was not the right moment to put her on the spot and find out some of her secrets.