her arm. “Come on Honey, it’s time to go home.” Gregory looked confused as The Landlord tried to pull Kristen away from him. She looked back and forth at the two of them and was ready to say something, when her landlord whispered into her ear. “That guy is one of the most loathsome “Lotharios” on the island. I don’t care for the company he keeps. You do not want to ever meet his friends from the country club. I have heard that they are probably a bunch of devil worshippers. They do some kinky stuff in there. You need to go with me now.”
Kristen gave Gregory a worried look and didn’t say a word. The Landlord did it for her. He firmly said “We are going now. Enjoy your evening Sir.” He turned Kristen around and steered her toward the door. Gregory sputtered “Who is that guy? Your father?” Kristen glanced back at him and smiled as she was walked off. The Landlord shot Gregory an angry look.
The Landlord was full of information about Gregory and gave Kristen an earful as they were driven back to her house. She was not that appreciative of his one-sided cautionary words and did not reply. She thought Gregory was hot and was tempted to drive back to the club on her own and find him. The Rolls pulled up in her driveway and she quickly got out.
The Landlord did not try to prolong their date because Kristen had made it quite clear throughout the night that she had no interest in him. He didn’t mind since he had enough young girlfriends to keep him occupied, and they never presented a challenge. She thanked him for dinner and walked inside.
Kristen woke up early and decided to walk to the beach instead of staying by her pool. She always managed to get a much better tan at the ocean. She enjoyed that there was barely anyone else there. Even with thoughts of Gregory keeping her warm, there were no men anywhere in sight, and after a short time Kristen was starting to get bored. Two girls crossed the sand and laid their towels down by her. The trio started talking and she learned that their names were Linda and Melanie. They were very interesting and it seemed that Kristen had the good fortune to meet up with kindred spirits that were her age.
The girls were from Southern California and were staying in Palm Beach at a Penthouse condo owned by Melanie’s boss. She told her that he let them stay there whenever they wanted. Kristen figured that Melanie probably had a thing going with her employer. What a deal! As long as they weren’t married, Kristen somewhat wished she had that type of arrangement with men so she could stay at different places around the world.
They all had a great time until the sun became unbearable and mutually decided to go get a late lunch. They walked back into town and went over to Green’s Pharmacy. Green’s was very popular for its small and low-key vintage luncheonette which was straight out of the 1960’s. It seemed oddly out of place in such a stuffy atmosphere as Palm Beach. The menu was simple and the prices were cheap. The diners wore everything from designer cocktail dresses to tennis outfits to sandy bathing suits.
It was a lively place to be, complete with some tough talking waitresses and the aroma of hamburgers sizzling on the greasy grill in full view just a few feet away. In Green’s you could see the richest men in the world elbow to elbow at the same long lunch counter with uniformed landscape crews. Everyone was on equal turf here and very friendly to all.
Kristen and the girls managed to procure a small table. They sat down on the thinly padded chairs and ordered the specials. The dining area was very cramped and you couldn’t help listening in on the conversations from all sides. It was a great place to people-watch.
The women were busy eating their salads when an unexpected guest approached them. Kristen observed as Linda stood up and gave the middle-aged gray haired visitor a quick hug. The man then sat down with them. Melanie began devouring her meal which had now been served and didn’t pay much attention to him. “Well, how are you bathing beauties doing today?” Linda laughed “You look like you could use a tan Bernie.” He chuckled “I will get around to it later. I flew in for a bash at one of the country clubs. I am one of their top members.” He made small talk for another five minutes and stood up to leave. “You girls should really get in on some new ventures that I have going.” He pointed at Kristen. She replied “Don’t look at me. I love money too much to invest it in anything that isn’t a guaranteed return.”
Bernie shook his head with a frown. “You need to take a small risk or two if you are going to make any money. You really need to talk to an investment counselor.” He gave Linda a kiss on the cheek and handed Kristen his business card. He then went over to a table filled with men in golfing outfits.
Melanie laughed “When Bernie Madoff speaks, you should listen! He is one of the major players on Wall Street. Many of the people and foundations on the island are hooked up with him and making a lot of money. My boss introduced me to him.”
Kristen looked disinterested and did not comment. When they finished eating, they stood up and tightened their towels around their trim waists. Kristen didn’t have any pockets and left Bernie’s glossy card on her plate. As appreciative eyes followed them, the new friends filed out of the diner and returned to the beach. It was a lazy day!
The girls flew in almost every week-end from L.A. and they spent the next two months partying together and hitting up every club on the Gold Coast. Her friends were much wilder than Kristen and she learned a few things from them.
Another sunny day arrived and the girls spent a long afternoon on a boat that they rented from a marina in Boca Raton. They enjoyed the attention they received from all the men on the other boats and found it to be a very useful dating tool. The sun was brutal and soon they had enough of it.
Kristen went home to change and then later in the evening she went over to the penthouse to meet her friends. After some refreshments, they walked the three blocks to the Le Bar. They kept on the grass and carried their heels. A few sports cars drove by and whistled as they now made their way down Cocoanut Row. They were getting close and about to cross over the large parking lot, so they stopped to put back on their shoes. A Rolls-Royce pulled in front of their path. An older Italian man with obviously dyed black hair jumped out of the back seat.
“Girls, girls, get in! Let me take you on the town.” Kristen was still trying to get her shoe on and keep her balance. She looked up to see that he was headed straight for her. He took her arm to steady her. “Thanks.” Kristen smiled.
He said in a sexy Italian accent “And whom may I have the pleasure of escorting?” “I’m Kristen,” she said. The other girls were watching them. “We’re going ahead” Melanie whined. “Not enough attention here for us.” They walked over to the Le Bar entrance.
The man said to Kristen. “Come in my Rolls for some champagne.” Kristen slowly thought about it and said, “Alright, that would be nice. What is your name?” “I am Rosario. Rosario of Palm Beach” he gave a sweeping bow. Kristen inquired, “Is that your first name or last?” He shrugged and said “Does it matter? I am like Cher! Everyone knows me. I just need one name. “OK then,” Kristen laughed, as the driver let her in the vehicle.
She looked around the car saying “It seems all the men on the island have at least one Rolls.” Rosario explained “This is just my car when I am planning to drink. I have four other cars that I had shipped over from my house in Milan. I do all the driving with those babies!” He started naming them off “Testarossa, Lamborghini…” Kristen cut him off “OK, I know all of those. That’s great. I love Ferraris!”
Rosario whispered in her ear “Stick with me for a month and I will buy you one.” Kristen looked at him. He looked serious. She replied “Well, let’s see if we can make it through this bottle of champagne first.” Rosario said “This bubbly is one of the finest. It is for sipping and enjoying. If you want to get drunk, we’ll go inside.” He seemed a little bossy. It was probably because Kristen was acting somewhat childish. She needed to adjust herself for these older and cultured conquests. She was still in her advanced Palm Beach adult learning phase and it was hard to rest
rain herself. She had to act less excited.
Kristen said “Yes, let’s go inside. I want to be with my girlfriends.” Rosario had the driver pull out of the spot and take them all the way to the front door which was only twenty feet away.
The Manager made a special trip outside to greet Rosario. He said “Rosario! I have your favorite table ready by the dance floor. It’s good to see you again.” He smiled at Kristen “Any friend of Rosario’s is now my friend. I am here to provide you with anything you need. Tell me your name and I will keep you on our list.” She cheerfully handed him her card and thanked him.
Kristen knew that this was a major asset needed to survive in Palm Beach. Being a VIP always had its perks. Lately, Le Bar was trying to keep gawkers and non-essentials out by charging a steep cover and making them wait in long lines. During Season, those unfortunates simply did not get in. It was just too crowded, every day of the week.
The couple was taken to Rosario’s table and handed menus. Kristen wasn’t hungry, but decided to order an appetizer. Rosario waved to her girlfriends and they came over and sat down. He had them order a full dinner for themselves and then bothered Kristen
The Devil's Intended-Love & Evil In Palm Beach Page 4