film crew, Josh knew, but he also knew she wasn’t a push over. Roger thought he’d won, but Josh knew Madison.
Silence descended on the room as the men dove into the main course. Josh had ordered the pan roasted John Dory and the fish literally melted in his mouth. Surrounded by gnocchi, peas and some other vegetable Josh couldn’t identify, it probably was the finest meal he’d had in a couple of years, since his appearance money had dried up. He glanced at Madison’s plate and noticed she was pushing grilled vegetables around, lifting a bite of cauliflower to her lips. Her head was down, her eyes locked on her plate, chewing creating the only expression. Across the table, Roger devoured the lamb loin, and Marty’s sautéed duck breast was disappearing. At each end of the table, gourmet food was disappearing as if the men hadn’t eaten for days.
Josh was at a loss for words and decided the best course of action was to eat in silence, too. So he did. And as he did, from the corner of his eye, he saw a woman, wearing a skin-tight red dress with a plunging neckline clearly selected to show off her enormous breasts. Sally, his LA roommate, had arrived, clearly intent on being noticed, playing up those breasts that had been paid for by her doting father. As was the rest of her lifestyle, as Josh knew. He froze, hoping she was here for another reason, hoping this was all a huge coincidence while his brain slowly realized she was here for him as she crossed the intimate foyer of the restaurant and descended on their table. This, when he had thought the evening couldn’t get worse. He of course hadn’t mentioned Sally to Madison. Sally wasn’t important, not really. Marty and Roger thought she was good for his image, and had encouraged him to let her move in with him. He wondered if they had approved of her appearance in Laguna Beach.
He tried to stand up, to stop her, but she was behind his chair before he could move, wrapping her arms possessively around Josh’s neck before bending at the waist and kissing him on the cheek, purposely ignoring Madison.
“Josh, honey, I decided to pop down for the weekend,” Sally said, as the men at the table watched, mouths agape, as her breasts threatened to pop out of her low-cut dress. Josh was frozen, but watched as Marty stood and said hello, motioning for the waiter to bring another chair.
“Sally, I thought you were staying in Hollywood, like we discussed,” Marty said and Josh knew him well enough to detect Marty’s temper flaring just below the surface. A waiter appeared with a chair and helped maneuver it into place to Josh’s right. Josh felt Madison’s stare but couldn’t meet her eyes. On his other side, he felt Sally settling into her chair. He knew she was enjoying the attention from the men at the table. And he knew she must wonder who the beautiful blonde was seated to his left. He hoped she’d behave, be classy, but Josh knew from experience she never did.
“Well, Marty, you know I like to be with my fiancé whenever possible and this is his big week for us, am I right?” Sally said.
“Bring the lady a wine glass,” Roger commanded and Josh could see he was appreciating her display, as she’d intended.
Josh wished the Big One would hit right now and swallow them all up, drop them into the ocean. At least a 9.0 on the Richter scale would do it. That was the only way he envisioned getting away from this table and out of this mess.
“Don’t I recognize you from somewhere?” Roger asked, a smile cemented on his lips. “Were you in the cast of Laguna Nights, too? Fabulous.”
“No, I’m Sally Stein, Alan Stein’s daughter,” Sally said, proud as always to name drop her famous dad, a man old enough to be her grandfather. He had married her mother, who was 40-years younger, for long enough to conceive and produce a child support payment in the form of a baby girl named Sally. Alan Stein’s string of hit movies in the 1970s still made him an
Silence descended on the room as the men dove into the main course. Josh had ordered the pan roasted John Dory and the fish literally melted in his mouth. Surrounded by gnocchi, peas and some other vegetable Josh couldn’t identify, it probably was the finest meal he’d had in a couple of years, since his appearance money had dried up. He glanced at Madison’s plate and noticed she was pushing grilled vegetables around, lifting a bite of cauliflower to her lips. Her head was down, her eyes locked on her plate, chewing creating the only expression. Across the table, Roger devoured the lamb loin, and Marty’s sautéed duck breast was disappearing. At each end of the table, gourmet food was disappearing as if the men hadn’t eaten for days.
Josh was at a loss for words and decided the best course of action was to eat in silence, too. So he did. And as he did, from the corner of his eye, he saw a woman, wearing a skin-tight red dress with a plunging neckline clearly selected to show off her enormous breasts. Sally, his LA roommate, had arrived, clearly intent on being noticed, playing up those breasts that had been paid for by her doting father. As was the rest of her lifestyle, as Josh knew. He froze, hoping she was here for another reason, hoping this was all a huge coincidence while his brain slowly realized she was here for him as she crossed the intimate foyer of the restaurant and descended on their table. This, when he had thought the evening couldn’t get worse. He of course hadn’t mentioned Sally to Madison. Sally wasn’t important, not really. Marty and Roger thought she was good for his image, and had encouraged him to let her move in with him. He wondered if they had approved of her appearance in Laguna Beach.
He tried to stand up, to stop her, but she was behind his chair before he could move, wrapping her arms possessively around Josh’s neck before bending at the waist and kissing him on the cheek, purposely ignoring Madison.
“Josh, honey, I decided to pop down for the weekend,” Sally said, as the men at the table watched, mouths agape, as her breasts threatened to pop out of her low-cut dress. Josh was frozen, but watched as Marty stood and said hello, motioning for the waiter to bring another chair.
“Sally, I thought you were staying in Hollywood, like we discussed,” Marty said and Josh knew him well enough to detect Marty’s temper flaring just below the surface. A waiter appeared with a chair and helped maneuver it into place to Josh’s right. Josh felt Madison’s stare but couldn’t meet her eyes. On his other side, he felt Sally settling into her chair. He knew she was enjoying the attention from the men at the table. And he knew she must wonder who the beautiful blonde was seated to his left. He hoped she’d behave, be classy, but Josh knew from experience she never did.
“Well, Marty, you know I like to be with my fiancé whenever possible and this is his big week for us, am I right?” Sally said.
“Bring the lady a wine glass,” Roger commanded and Josh could see he was appreciating her display, as she’d intended.
Josh wished the Big One would hit right now and swallow them all up, drop them into the ocean. At least a 9.0 on the Richter scale would do it. That was the only way he envisioned getting away from this table and out of this mess.
“Don’t I recognize you from somewhere?” Roger asked, a smile cemented on his lips. “Were you in the cast of Laguna Nights, too? Fabulous.”
“No, I’m Sally Stein, Alan Stein’s daughter,” Sally said, proud as always to name drop her famous dad, a man old enough to be her grandfather. He had married her mother, who was 40-years younger, for long enough to conceive and produce a child support payment in the form of a baby girl named Sally. Alan Stein’s string of hit movies in the 1970s still made him an
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