Secrets and Charms(13)

Rich knelt by the tent and tugged the zipper down. “Rise and shine, Sunshine, the cavalry is here with coffee and food.”

There was grumbling, the tent shook and moved like a cocoon, and a few seconds later, Sandy’s head emerged. Her hair was a mess, her eyes puffy, with darkish circles around them. She thrust a hand toward the cups. “Give.” She took a very long drink before looking up at Olly. “Hun, I love you. You’re a lifesaver, the only man in my life I can count on. I will dedicate my first Oscar to you.”

Olly laughed and plopped down on the grass next to them. “I’ll hold you to it.” He put the stack of mail to one side and took the Styrofoam trays out of the shopping bag. “I hope you like breakfast burritos.”

“I love ’em.” She grabbed greedily for the closest one.

Rich snapped up another burrito, but Olly stuck to his coffee. He’d had a bowl of cereal before leaving home. “I didn’t realize you were roughing it,” he said.

“Was fine,” she said around a mouthful. She swallowed and gulped some coffee. “Just like camping when we were kids. Except for chugging bourbon, not Yoo-hoos. How was your night?”

“Interesting.”

“Oh really? I wanna know. Spill.”

So Olly told her about Ombre and Dylan getting drugged. “Dylan slept it off and is fine now, but it could’ve gotten ugly. Just goes to show you can never be too careful. I don’t get people like that. The whole point of hooking up with someone is the mutual attraction.” Olly’s thoughts drifted to an old memory. He rubbed his lips. “Knowing and feeling the other guy wants you so much it hurts. And you feel the same.” Olly caught Rich staring at him from under ginger lashes, but as soon as they made eye contact, Rich blinked away. Olly pretended not to notice and went on. “Anyway, drugging the other person is plain reprehensible. Only a lowlife loser would do such a thing.”

“Amen. Your friend’s lucky you looked after him.” Sandy winked. “So, did you have a magic moment with anyone?”

Olly pursed his lips and thought about it. “Well, there was this guy, Hunter, and at first I thought we did, but now I’m not sure. I need to see him again.”

She nodded sympathetically. “Take your time. I used to date a guy…what was his name…oh yeah, Rob. So we went out a couple of times, had a great time, and I thought he’d be a keeper, and then we fizzled. He was a lousy kisser—you know, the kind whose lips cover half your face and his tongue’s all over.” She shuddered. “And in bed—”

Rich dropped his burrito and slapped his hands over his ears. “I don’t want to hear about my little sister’s sex life!”

She rolled her eyes. “Fine. I’ll just say he wasn’t very good, okay?”

After breakfast, Sandy looked through her mail but didn’t even bother opening any, except for one manila envelope. She pulled the sheet of paper only halfway out and took a brief look before shoving it back and tossing the whole thing on top of the others. “I vote we take today off. No working whatsoever. The house is not going anywhere.”

“Fine with me,” Rich agreed.

“My arms feel like they might drop off at any moment,” Olly admitted.

“Good, it’s settled, then,” she said and stretched out on the grass.

“How did running into the casting agent go yesterday?” Olly asked.

She pushed herself up on her elbows. “Pretty good, I thought, but you never know how these things will pan out. I want this role so bad it makes my teeth hurt. Into the Woods Darkly is the title. The script is fucking brilliant—a mix of family drama and murder mystery, with a gothic flair. Dark and funny at the same time, and the dialogue is so good it makes me come in my panties.” She laughed at the face Rich made. “If I get this role, it could be the turning point. I could show people I’m more than just a pair of perky tits.”

Rich groaned.

“I know you are,” Olly assured her.

“It makes two of us,” she replied. “Unfortunately, I’m up against Kat Fontaine for the role, and she has connections—she’s from one of those old Hollywood families that was in the business back in the day when movies were black-and-white and had no sound. You know, she was at the party where you and I met,” she added.

Olly remembered Kat Fontaine, but the only thing he recalled seeing her in was the slasher flick from the other night. “She’s a talentless hack,” he said out of solidarity with Sandy.

She shook her head. “No. I don’t care for her, but the bitch can act. Have you seen her famous interview? It was mesmerizing—intellectually, I knew she had to be lying through her teeth, but right then I believed every word. She should’ve gotten an Emmy for it.”