Part 25 (1/2)
The absurdity of both the message and Kate's situation is not lost on her. She bangs the phone down. ”s.h.i.+t! s.h.i.+t! s.h.i.+t!”
F.M. is back to waiting patiently by the pickup. Kate gathers up her things and exits the booth, approaching him. She leans up against the pickup truck and takes out a cigarette. She barely has it out of the pack before he produces a Zippo and lights it.
”No one home?”
Kate stares out at the desert. ”No. No one.”
”I can take you back if you want.”
Kate studies him for a moment. ”To what?”
”To your friends, your boyfriend, your family, your life.”
Kate shakes her head.
”What?”
”All of it. The whole thing.” She turns, pulls the pa.s.senger's door open, and gets in the truck. F.M. climbs into the driver's seat. Staring straight ahead, Kate announces, ”Let's go.”
”Where to?”
”Graceland, right?”
On Hollywood's busy Cahuenga Boulevard tires screech as a car slams to a halt. Kate yells at the driver who has almost hit her, kicking his b.u.mper as he speeds away. She is with her friend Martine (from the answering machine), who's around Kate's age, also good-looking, hip, and very s.e.xy. The girls are in their clubbing clothes. Kate is wearing her stomper boots and carrying a small backpack.
Kate yells after the car, ”Pedestrians have the right of way, a.s.shole!”
Martine laughs. ”Tell that to the coroner.”
The girls approach the Burgundy Room, a small, popular bar on Cahuenga. Outside, a black man sits in a rattan armchair. In his forties, wearing thick gla.s.ses, a sport jacket, tie, and a watch cap. Charles is the doorman and a sage to many of the Hollywood kids who frequent the Burgundy. Even sitting down, it's obvious Charles is very tall.
Charles smiles as the girls approach.
”Hey, Charles!”
”Martine. Kate. h.e.l.lo there!”
”Has Jack shown up?” Kate asks.
”No. Not yet. How are you ladies tonight?”
”After having had a fight with my boyfriend and almost getting run over crossing the street, I'm just peachy. If I don't get a drink soon, I'm going to cry.”
”Well, go on in and have a good time.”
The Burgundy is dark and crowded. The loud music and din of the crowd is all-enveloping. Kate and Martine greet a few people as they work their way toward the bar. Yvette, the bartender, sees them and smiles as she serves another customer a drink, then comes over. Kate and Martine both lean over the bar and hug Yvette.
”Hey! I'm so glad you're here.”