Once Upon a Star - Celebrity kiss and tell stories

by Peggy Trentini

  “Hello?” I said.

  “Hi, love.”

  My heart stopped beating for a second before I could answer, “Why, hello there.”

  “I was calling in hopes of you accepting an invitation to my club tomorrow night.” He said. John owned the Viper Room at the time.

  “You can bring a girlfriend if you like; I’ll put you on the list. There should be a great turnout with some incredible musicians jamming on stage.”

  “Sounds wonderful,” I said.

  “I’ll see you there around ten. Ciao!” I stood there, breathless, listening to the dial tone, holding the receiver in one hand, and watching the water run through the sink over dirty dishes.

  I had tried on four outfits and seven pairs of shoes before Katy finally got home and helped me decide on the very first one I had chosen. Funny how that always ends up happening: a million things to wear and it’s always the first outfit you go back to. It’s kind of like men, in a way, but that’s a whole other story. I wore tall, black peep-toe stilettos from a small boutique on Fairfax I’d used to frequent after moving to L.A., and a black mini cocktail dress that fit me so well, you’d think they had sewn it around my body. It rested off my shoulders and had mid-length sleeves, so I piled silver bangles up my wrists to meet the dress. I felt like a fine mint coin.

  There were hoards of people on Sunset that night with a massive congregation of beautiful women outside the Viper Room all vying to get in. They were dying to get a seat next to a certain someone. We parted the crowd and entered though a roped entrance with our names on the guest list, and I could feel the looks of, “well, who are they?” Those were the best kinds of looks to get in L.A., because women either wanted to be you, or they wanted to be with you, and nothing was better than to be wanted. Well, I could think of a few things, but, again, that’s another story entirely.

  I didn’t see John, but the club was full and the night was young, so we headed to the bar before anything else. Katy always drank vodka soda, and I was into drinking vodka on the rocks with three limes. I liked the way it looked in my hand, and I liked the way the first few sips hit the bottom of my stomach hard, and the back of my head fast.

  The first drink of the night always went something like this with the two of us: I would hold up my glass, and then Katy would hold up hers, and say,

  “May we both land in heaven before the devil knows we’re dead.” Then we’d say cheers and, while I took a sip, Katy would add on, “that fuckin' bastard,” and then take a long drink of her own. It always made me smile, and it always ushered in the most interesting of evenings.

  There was a bevy of celebrities filling the club, and it made me wonder who we were expecting on stage. I got that feeling again of being perfectly in place in the universe. It was standing room only at this point, so we meandered and mingled our way to a prime viewing area. On the way, I passed Al Pacino, Madonna, and Sean Penn, who I had always found to be so adorable and magnetic.

  Katy was making eyes with an eligible extra, no doubt; she liked sleeping with the help just as much as she liked spending time in the pent house. I dragged her by her feeble wrists closer to the stage, when I heard them announce the first act

  .

  “Please welcome Beverly d’ Angelo to the stage.” Everyone clapped and hooted, because she was absolutely talented and adorable. I had only known her to be an actress and a very good one at that, so I was beside myself with excitement to hear her sing.

  “I love how old Hollywood her look is,” Katy said to me.

  I was just in awe of her and how she seemed to glow on that stage. The crowd lit up and responded so well to her. We were standing next to Tom Cruise’s table, and, being the gentleman I had always heard he was, he stood up and offered his seat to Katy and I. We thanked him and huddled close together in the one seat. Tom was such a good-looking man that I had a hard time not just watching him watch the stage. He was so supportive of Beverley, clapping and cheering like a proud older brother of some sort. His table full of close friends welcomed us in right away, and we spent a good portion of the night enjoying their company. I don’t remember seeing Tom with a date, but he never tried to flirt with me or Katy, and I remember leaving that night thinking he was such a stand up guy.

  As the evening trickled by, and my drink refilled itself several times, I began to wonder where in the world a girl would find Johnny in his very own club. I wandered around for a bit, but couldn’t seem to find anyone who knew anything about where he may be, and, if they did, they certainly were not telling me. When I came back to the table, I could tell Katy was getting restless, because she was twirling her hair and chewing the ice in her cocktail.

  “Let's go,” she said.

  “Just a bit longer. I know the second I leave, he’ll appear like some mirage.”

  “Yeah, but I heard Enrique Iglesias is at a club down the street, and the last time he saw me, he nearly took all my clothes off with his eyes. I could really use some of that right now,” she said.

  “Fine. Fine, we’ll go.”

  So we got up to leave and thanked everyone we were sitting with for such a lovely time. We shook hands, blew kisses, said “I'll see you soon,” to several people I knew I would never see again. I grabbed my bag and followed Katy to the very same door we had come through just hours before. I felt defeated. Why had he invited me if he wasn’t going to see me? I ran through a million questions in my mind as to what may have happened or where he may be, and, right as I was about to step outside, the doorman grabbed my arm.

  “I’m sorry ladies, but the boss said to have you come with me.”

  The bouncer was a massive display of human form. His forearms were the size of my neck, and his neck was the size of my thigh. Yet, he seemed to be just a gentle giant as he held onto me and guided me back through the club to a door I had previously looked over twice. Behind the door was a VIP room with its own bar with one-way glass that allowed everyone inside to see out, but no one to see in. I saw him right away, sitting at the bar with a drink in his hand. I assumed he’d been hiding out in here the whole time. The room was full of his closer friends, and they sat causally around, sipping drinks and shooting pool.

  “My lady,” he said, leaving the bar stool to greet me. He gave me a quick kiss and left his arm around my waist while I introduced him to Katy.

  “Beautiful women keep beautiful company. What would you like, love?” he said, kissing Katy on both cheeks.

  “Vodka soda, please,” she said, and sent me an approving smile. John was such a gentleman to both Katy and I, making us both laugh and blush. He took us to a booth and introduced us to a few of his friends, including Al Pacino. Katy made herself comfortable at the table, and John slid his hand around my waist.

  “There’s something I want to talk to you about,” he whispered in my ear.

  He took me into his office, a larger, and fairly empty, room. A big desk was covered in paper and surrounded by two over-sized leather chairs, where I imagined him sitting with clients like the Godfather, but who were far less menacing and had no accent. Well, maybe an accent; I guess it would depend on what kind of day he was having, and what kind of role he had been playing. But, before I could really get my bearings on the room, or pick up sense of motif, the door shut behind me, and I could feel his hot hands on my hips and his breath on my neck. I leaned back into him, letting my ass rub against him, and I felt him grow hard through his jeans. He spun me around and we kissed like two people that had been kept apart for entirely too long.

  I grabbed his jeans and unbuttoned them, dropping them to the floor. I was on my knees in front of the desk, taking him into my mouth for only a moment before he lifted me up. He feverishly pulled the top of my dress down and licked my breasts, sucking them in his mouth, while pulling the bottom of my dress up to my waist and my panties down to the floor. He threw me onto the desk, and papers went flying everywhere. He stood in front of me while I lay down on the desk and he pumped fast and hard while I scr
eamed and held on to the edge of the desk.

  The music from the club pulsed through the walls as he pulled me to him by the waist over and over again. He was holding my ankles in his hands, both legs up in the air, and when he came, he slapped my ass so hard, I had a mark for days. It was incredible - I mean really incredible. It was so different from the first time we were together. This was fast and hard in a flurry of movement. I couldn’t like one more than the other, for they both showed me such different sexual sides of him, and all wanted was more.

  Someone started pounding on the door, but we didn’t stop. The pounding, the music, the papers falling, and then we both came together, and I arched my back, throwing my head toward the sky. My world was spinning, my limbs were shaking, and someone was still pounding at the door. John waited until I had gathered myself before addressing the person at the door.

  “Is the place on fire?” he asked Katy, who was standing on the other side with her small body cocked to the left in an annoyed stance. She blushed, feeling silly, because John had this natural ability to diffuse any sort of situation with his calm, charming smile. Katy brushed past him and gave me a look that said, “We’re going.” I was saying goodbye before my heart had slowed to a normal beat, and my cheeks were still flushed. In the swirling moment of that departure, John grabbed me to kiss me goodbye. I felt as if the entire world had stopped around us, and, in that moment, there was nothing else in existence. He finished the kiss with a long and deep stare into my eyes. It was a certain look I had never seen or felt before. The look was loving, yet heavy, and I felt that, in that instance, he knew something I didn’t. There was no way we could have known then, but maybe he sensed that it would be the last time he kissed me. I went flying out into the evening on an incredible high, ready to take life by a storm.

  A few days later, I heard the news that River Phoenix had died of an overdose at the Viper Room. I never heard from Johnny after that. Some of his friends said he moved to Europe. I didn't have his number to reach him and say how sorry I was to hear the terrible news. I moved soon after, and changed my phone number, as I did quite frequently. I always wondered if he ever called again.

  Chapter 8

  Jack Wagner

  Blindsided

  My friend, Victoria, was coming over to spend a quiet evening with me. We decided to go to our favorite Sushi restaurant, Sushi Ko. It was located in a small shopping center in Beverly Glen, a secret hot spot for celebs that are looking for a low-key vibe. We were greeted with the usual “Moshi, Moshi,” by the traditional sushi staff. We had just settled in when Victoria spotted Jack Wagner and another soap star dining a couple tables away. I was pretty dressed down, and, frankly, was not in the mood to partake. It was my night off, after all, but, sure enough, up he stood with his scorching good looks and star swagger and came toward us.

  “My buddy and I were just commenting on how beautiful you two are. We’d like to buy you a drink, or maybe an appetizer.”

  As gorgeous as he was, I seriously was in no mood to be hit on. “Thanks so much, but we are in the middle of a serious meeting, and kind of want to be left alone.” Did I just say that out loud? He looked at me like he had never been shut down before. I truly wished I had worded it differently. He offered an apology and walked back to his table with his tail between his legs.

  “What a bitch! I can’t believe you just said that,” Victoria mumbled.

  As we finished our meal, Victoria carefully monitored Jack, who was watching us. To my surprise, he smiled and said goodnight as we walked out. Waiting for the valet to bring our car around, I felt someone knock my knees out from behind me. I looked around, and there was Jack smiling away at me.

  “That’s a little third grade, isn’t it?” I laughed.

  “My humor is an acquired taste,” he mused. I couldn’t help but like him, with his devilish good looks and obvious wit and charm. “Come on, give me your number so I can harass you again sometime.”

  “Tempting, but no thanks,” I replied. Victoria found this all very amusing and giggled the whole time. I got into the car and attempted to drive away, when Jack jumped in front of the car and refused to move till I gave him my number. I gave in and yelled out a fake phone number that he wrote down on his hand. He said thanks and allowed me to finally pass, much to the appreciation of the waiting cars behind me.

  Victoria and I were hysterically laughing when, all of a sudden, a car’s headlights were flashing wildly in my rear view mirror. My fight or flight reflex kicked in as I sped up to get away. The car sped up, too, and tried to pull alongside me, but I quickly turned into a residential area. Just as I thought I had lost him, he side swiped me from the other road. Not being able to move, we feared the worst. Emerging from the dark shadows was Jack, smiling away.

  “What the hell? You scared me to death!” I exclaimed.

  “Well, you scared me to death when I found out that you gave me a wrong number, and that I might never have gotten to see you again.” The perseverance of his pursuit had both flattered and frightened me. I couldn’t believe it. I just broke out in a resounding roar of laughter. Maybe he thrived on rejection, or merely wasn’t used to someone saying no. I ended up caving in and giving him my real phone number.

  Upon returning to my apartment, I spotted my answering machine blinking away.

  “Hi, Peggy, it’s Jack. It’s been a while since we’ve chatted. Call me back.”

  “Oh my god! I think this guy may be deranged,” I shouted at Victoria. Going to bed that night, I just giggled myself to sleep and wondered what I had gotten myself into.

  What Happens in Vegas

  Jack and I had become great partners in crime. Jack was all about having a good time. He was very impulsive. We were two kindred spirits, as I was usually up for anything, myself. He invited me to Vegas for a wild weekend of partying. I called my girlfriend, Pam, one of my younger model friends, to go with me. Jack always took care of everything - food, shopping, airfare, you name it. We arrived at The Hard Rock Cafe for our much anticipated adventure. While unpacking in our suite, I got a call from Jack that he had another day of shooting and would be delayed till tomorrow. He told us to charge anything I wanted to the room.

  Luckily for Pam and me, I had back up plans of my own. An old boyfriend, Steve Bing, had called earlier and left a message to come join him and Charlie Sheen at The Las Vegas Hilton. Steve Bing was a billionaire playboy that I went back and forth with. I could never figure him out. He always lived in vacant houses with no furniture. He knew everybody - and I mean everybody - in Hollywood. It wasn’t until after we broke up that I found out about his billionaire status. All that time, I just figured he was a drug dealer, or in the mafia.

  Pam and I knocked at the door of The Elvis suite, which had been one of the actual homes of Elvis. It took up the entire top floor of the Hilton with its own pool, tennis courts, movie theatre, and helicopter. I had never seen anything like it. I was introduced to Charlie, who seemed very interested in me. Steve tried steering the attention toward Pam. Steve was like a hound dog: he just chased after me continuously. We all gathered our things and went down to see the Wayne Newton show. Of course, Steve knew him, too. We had the best seats in the house at front and center, and Steve made sure to seat me away from Charlie. After the show, we went backstage and invited Wayne up to the suite for dinner. Charlie slowed us up by getting bombarded by fans wanting pictures and autographs.

  Once we were back in the suite, we found that the staff had been busy cooking up quite a feast. As I sat down to the table, Charlie made sure to sit right next to me. He was very charming, telling funny brainteaser stories in which you have to guess the outcome. He kept feeding me off his plate and I licked my lips seductively after each bite. He put his hand on my thigh as if to mark me as his for the night. This sent Steve through the roof with jealousy. Pam was hoping Charlie would favor her, but I guess I was more his type. After dinner, Wayne started hitting on me, as well.

  This was becoming unc
omfortable. I heard Charlie and Steve yelling each other while I was thwarting off Wayne’s advances. They were almost at blows. I grabbed Pam and ran out the door through the halls, laughing and speeding toward our getaway. Back at the hotel, we giggled as we recounted the evening’s events to some friends on the phone. We fell asleep in anticipation of our next day’s adventure.

  Jack, ever the practical joker, called up to the room and pretended to be a fire marshal. He had Pam totally frightened, and convinced her to gather her things and meet down in the Lobby. Of course, when I picked up the phone to investigate, I knew right away that it was him. He came up to the room and greeted us both. We went to the tables to have some fun. Jack handed each of us a stack of hundreds to gamble with. After a few hours, Jack took me back to the room for a quickie before dinner. I had left poor Pam by herself. We were back pretty quickly, and then off for our dinner at Nob, a wonderful sushi restaurant at the hotel.

  As we were eating dinner, we noticed Tiger Woods at the next table with a bevy of beautiful women. Jack was quite a great golf player; better than a lot of pros. He seemed star struck by Tiger, like a little kid seeing his baseball idol in person. After dinner, we walked across the street to the strip club where Jack’s golfing buddies were awaiting us. Drinks were flowing, and dollar bills were flying everywhere as we all had a grand old time. Jack liked watching me get lap dances, so I got quite a few that night. We made friends with some of the dancers and invited them back to the suite. I had never been in an orgy before, but it just sort of happened. There were strippers making out with some of Jack’s soap star friends. Pam was on the bed next to me, so bombed that she was making out with strippers, herself. As I was making love to Jack, two other girls joined in, taking rotating turns with Jack. Drinking and drugging went on through the night till every last partier passed out from exhaustion. I continued my relationship with Jack right up to the point of leaving LA for good. He served as my confidant, lover and best friend through a lot of stormy times. I will always consider him a bright light in my rolodex of life's greatest memories.