died.»
Ivan's body locked upon hearing this. «Now,
John-O
— I thought you were over that stuff.»
«Over
what,
Ivan? I have no regrets, but what I did only took me so far. But Susan — she's
it.
She's gotta be the one.»
Ivan was both worried that John was relapsing back into his despondency of the months before, and slightly excited at the idea his friend might be making an emotional connection, something he'd never done before. «What do you know about her, John-O?»
«That's what I've been asking
you.
»
«I think her agent's Adam Norwitz. She was with Larry Mortimer until a few years ago. An ugly split. She stalked him. And I don't think she's worked since the grunge era. Say, 1994. A slasher flick? No, wait, it's some new one —
Dynamite Bay
? I'm glad for you, but I've gotta say up front, John-O, she's real C-list. She can't act her way out of a paper bag.»
«Ivan, you ought to know not to slag somebody's loved one to his face.»
«
Loved
one?»
«Word games.»
They heard steps behind them — Nylla, holding a silent baby. «Having our funzies out here on the front steps, are we, boys?»
«Hey, Nylla.»
«John, hello. Will you be eating with us in the big house tonight?»
«Nah. Thanks. I'm having Metrecal and celery with Ma down at the house.»
«Congratulations on the French numbers over the weekend. Ooh-lah-
lah
.»
«We did okay over there?»
«John-O, I tried to tell you back when I picked you up at Gretna Green. Hey Nylla, guess what — John-O's in love! Lovesy-dovesy. Susan Colgate.»
«Susan Colgate!» said Nylla. «Oh John, that's so weird. So exciting. I used to love her in that old show of hers,
Meet the Blooms.
»
John's face confirmed the truth.
«Well, I must say,» smiled Nylla, «nature works in mysterious ways to get us to propagate the species.»
«They met at Ivy today at lunch.» Ivan couldn't contain himself.
She's the woman I saw in my out of body experience when I was laid up in Cedars.»
The smile muscles on Nylla's face changed like a tide, ebbing from real into phony. «Well then.
Really
now,» she trailed off. Ivan, sitting behind John, shot her a worried glance. «Be true to your heart. You two want to come in for a drink?»
«I'm in. You, John-O?»
«Nah. I'm going to go phone Adam Norwitz.»
«Adam — » said Nylla. «Say hello for me. He represented me for about six minutes a few years ago.»
«Hey. I was talking to his agency today,» said Ivan. «His number's still in my cell's memory.» He pulled out his cell phone and punched some digits. Two seconds later he said, «Adam Norwitz, please. John Johnson calling.» He handed the phone to John. «Here.»
John gave Ivan the hairy eyebrow and took the phone. «Hello, Adam?»
Adam was on: «John
Johnson
. Good to meet you today. How can I help you? And congrats again on
Mega Force
.»
«Yeah, yeah, thanks. Hey, Adam, I need a home number from you. Susan's.»
Adam hemmed and hawed as though his morals were in serious conflict.
«Adam, don't give me that discretion routine. I need Susan's phone number.»
«I'm not sure if I can …»
«It's personal, not business. Call and ask her if it's okay if you want. And I'll owe you a big favor.»
«Of course I'll give you her number. But it's not» — he rustled some papers into the phone's receiver — «right here right now. Give me five minutes, okay?»
«Five minutes or no deal.»
They hung up. Adam immediately called Susan's line and got her machine, where he left a message: «Susan! Swimming with the big fish now, are we? None other than your strolling companion John Johnson just phoned asking me for your number. He says it's personal.
Hmmmmm.
Well, just so you know, I'm going to phone back right now and give it to him. A protocol breach, but that's what I'm here for. And phone
me,
why don't you, and let me in on the buzz. I'm on cell all night. Bye.»
Adam called back John and gave him Susan's number, which John wrote on the back of one of Ivan's
Ivan's body locked upon hearing this. «Now,
John-O
— I thought you were over that stuff.»
«Over
what,
Ivan? I have no regrets, but what I did only took me so far. But Susan — she's
it.
She's gotta be the one.»
Ivan was both worried that John was relapsing back into his despondency of the months before, and slightly excited at the idea his friend might be making an emotional connection, something he'd never done before. «What do you know about her, John-O?»
«That's what I've been asking
you.
»
«I think her agent's Adam Norwitz. She was with Larry Mortimer until a few years ago. An ugly split. She stalked him. And I don't think she's worked since the grunge era. Say, 1994. A slasher flick? No, wait, it's some new one —
Dynamite Bay
? I'm glad for you, but I've gotta say up front, John-O, she's real C-list. She can't act her way out of a paper bag.»
«Ivan, you ought to know not to slag somebody's loved one to his face.»
«
Loved
one?»
«Word games.»
They heard steps behind them — Nylla, holding a silent baby. «Having our funzies out here on the front steps, are we, boys?»
«Hey, Nylla.»
«John, hello. Will you be eating with us in the big house tonight?»
«Nah. Thanks. I'm having Metrecal and celery with Ma down at the house.»
«Congratulations on the French numbers over the weekend. Ooh-lah-
lah
.»
«We did okay over there?»
«John-O, I tried to tell you back when I picked you up at Gretna Green. Hey Nylla, guess what — John-O's in love! Lovesy-dovesy. Susan Colgate.»
«Susan Colgate!» said Nylla. «Oh John, that's so weird. So exciting. I used to love her in that old show of hers,
Meet the Blooms.
»
John's face confirmed the truth.
«Well, I must say,» smiled Nylla, «nature works in mysterious ways to get us to propagate the species.»
«They met at Ivy today at lunch.» Ivan couldn't contain himself.
She's the woman I saw in my out of body experience when I was laid up in Cedars.»
The smile muscles on Nylla's face changed like a tide, ebbing from real into phony. «Well then.
Really
now,» she trailed off. Ivan, sitting behind John, shot her a worried glance. «Be true to your heart. You two want to come in for a drink?»
«I'm in. You, John-O?»
«Nah. I'm going to go phone Adam Norwitz.»
«Adam — » said Nylla. «Say hello for me. He represented me for about six minutes a few years ago.»
«Hey. I was talking to his agency today,» said Ivan. «His number's still in my cell's memory.» He pulled out his cell phone and punched some digits. Two seconds later he said, «Adam Norwitz, please. John Johnson calling.» He handed the phone to John. «Here.»
John gave Ivan the hairy eyebrow and took the phone. «Hello, Adam?»
Adam was on: «John
Johnson
. Good to meet you today. How can I help you? And congrats again on
Mega Force
.»
«Yeah, yeah, thanks. Hey, Adam, I need a home number from you. Susan's.»
Adam hemmed and hawed as though his morals were in serious conflict.
«Adam, don't give me that discretion routine. I need Susan's phone number.»
«I'm not sure if I can …»
«It's personal, not business. Call and ask her if it's okay if you want. And I'll owe you a big favor.»
«Of course I'll give you her number. But it's not» — he rustled some papers into the phone's receiver — «right here right now. Give me five minutes, okay?»
«Five minutes or no deal.»
They hung up. Adam immediately called Susan's line and got her machine, where he left a message: «Susan! Swimming with the big fish now, are we? None other than your strolling companion John Johnson just phoned asking me for your number. He says it's personal.
Hmmmmm.
Well, just so you know, I'm going to phone back right now and give it to him. A protocol breach, but that's what I'm here for. And phone
me,
why don't you, and let me in on the buzz. I'm on cell all night. Bye.»
Adam called back John and gave him Susan's number, which John wrote on the back of one of Ivan's
Similar Books
