Goddess of Vengeance - Jackie Collins [107]
Jesus Christ! Denver thought. Why do I have to stand here listening to some young girl telling me what a stud Bobby is and how lucky I am to have him. How about he’s lucky to have me?
‘I’ll see you back inside,’ Denver said, preparing for a quick exit.
‘Wait!’ Cassie implored. ‘I need your help.’
‘Help?’
‘Well . . . kinda. Y’see, it’s like this . . .’
And the story of her pregnancy came tumbling out – all about how there was no way she could have the baby, and M.J. was being stubborn, and what was she supposed to do?
‘Look, I’m not a marriage counsellor,’ Denver said patiently. ‘However, it seems to me you’ve got a choice here – have the baby and keep M.J., or go the career route.’
‘I know,’ Cassie agreed. ‘But all I want is for M.J. to get it. I can have a baby anytime – the career thing is right now. Why doesn’t he get it?’
‘You should speak to your mom,’ Denver suggested. ‘I’m sure she’ll advise you.’
‘Done that,’ Cassie replied with a careless shrug. ‘My mom doesn’t care.’
‘Come on. I’m sure she does.’
‘No,’ Cassie said, shaking her head. ‘She’d like me not to have a kid. She’s only thirty-five an’ doesn’t fancy being a grandma.’
‘Well,’ Denver said briskly, ‘I wish I could help you, but unfortunately I can’t. All I can say is follow your inner self and work out what you want most.’
‘Got it!’ Cassie said cheerfully. ‘Knew you could solve it for me.’
Denver frowned.
As far as she was concerned, she hadn’t solved anything.
* * *
‘I think we gotta hit a strip club,’ Kev announced as they exited Asian Fusion.
‘No way,’ Billy replied, standing still for a minute. ‘You think I wanna be all over TMZ with a bunch of strippers tellin’ everyone how much I tipped?’
‘Where’s TMZ?’ Kev said, playing dumb. ‘Don’t see ’em hidin’ under a palm tree waitin’ to pounce, do you?’
‘Trust me. They’re everywhere,’ Billy assured him, itching to try and reach Max again. The fact that she wasn’t picking up her phone was becoming an obsession. He’d flown to Vegas, for crissakes, screwed up his entire weekend, and now she wasn’t answering her damn cell. Could it be that she was purposely blowing him off?
‘What’s up with you?’ Kev questioned. ‘I’ll protect you from the paps. I’m an expert at runnin’ interference.’
‘Yeah?’ Billy said shortly. ‘Then where were you when I was gettin’ attacked in the casino earlier?’
‘Those were fans,’ Kev said, as if that explained everything. ‘Fuckin’ fans who worship at your cock.’
‘Knock it off, Kev.’
‘You could’ve had any one of ’em. You know it, so do I.’
‘Thanks,’ Billy said caustically. ‘I think my tastes run a little higher than that.’
‘Not the Billy I know,’ Kev said with a knowing leer. ‘Back in the day you would’ve fucked a log if it winked at you.’
Kev was starting to get on Billy’s nerves. Back in the day indeed. Didn’t Kev get it? Things had changed. He’d forgotten how jarring his old friend could be.
They lingered outside Asian Fusion too long, because before he could even think of escaping, Venus stalked out in full star glory, trailed by Jorge and her two bodyguards. Alex had lingered behind attempting to hook up with the waitress.
Billy realized there was no way they could avoid a face to face. ‘Hey,’ he managed, caught off-guard.
For a moment he thought Venus was about to blank him. But she didn’t, she rallied, hung onto Jorge’s arm and threw him an icy, ‘Hello.’
So much for remaining friends, which is what she’d said in a recent interview. ‘Billy and I are, and always will be, the closest of friends. I wish him nothing but the best.’
Knowing Venus as well as he did, what she actually meant to say was – ‘Fuck that sonofabitch. I hope his career implodes and I never have to see him again.’
‘You’re lookin’ good,’ Billy muttered. It was all he could think of to say. One thing about Venus, she was always in spectacular shape – too much for any one man to handle.
The dude she was clinging onto was young – young enough to not know what he was getting himself into. At