Free Goddess of Vengeance by Jackie Collins Page A

him dearly – as a friend.
    ‘Am I ever pleased with anything?’ Alex said, picking up a tumbler of Jack Daniel’s. ‘You know me, Lucky, you probably know me better than anyone.’
    ‘Isn’t it a little early for the heavy stuff?’ Lucky inquired, indicating his drink.
    ‘Jesus!’ Alex said. ‘Since when did you become the A.A. rep? Whyn’t you leave it to my girlfriends to be concerned about my drinking, they’re the ones who get off on bitching.’
    ‘How sweet.’
    ‘Sweet is the last thing I’m looking for.’
    ‘Well then,’ Lucky said briskly, ‘you should stop picking actresses and try finding a girl – I mean a woman – you can have a decent relationship with. It’s about time you gave up the chasing.’
    ‘Believe me, honey, it’s them who does the chasing,’ he said dryly.
    ‘Don’t call me honey.’
    ‘Why not?’
    ‘Save it for your one-nighters.’
    ‘You were a one—’
    ‘Alex!’ She stopped him with a deadly look. He was venturing into forbidden territory, and she didn’t like it one little bit.
    ‘Yeah, yeah, I get it,’ he said, taking another gulp of Jack.
    Lucky ordered a bottle of Evian and leaned across the table. ‘Tell me about your movie.’
    ‘Don’t want to bore you.’
    ‘Why would I be bored, Alex?’
    ‘’Cause you know exactly what I’m going to say.’
    ‘And that would be?’
    ‘I’m gonna regale you with stories about what a bunch of fucking assholes my actors are.’
    ‘Then why do you hire them?’
    ‘Got no choice. Unfortunately I need ’em.’
    ‘How inconvenient for you.’
    ‘Yeah, robots are more my style,’ he said with a cynical laugh.
    ‘Imagine that!’
    Alex smiled. It didn’t matter what kind of a mood he was in, Lucky could always make him feel better.
    ‘Did you hear that Venus is in the process of divorcing Billy?’ she asked.
    ‘Should I be surprised? Working with Billy was like taking a slog up the Himalayas with no Sherpas. That little prick took asshole to new heights.’
    Lucky laughed. ‘Billy’s major box office. The public seems to love him.’
    ‘We all know that the public has no fucking taste.’
    ‘That’s what I like about you, Alex.’
    ‘I knew there was something,’ he said with a wry grin.
    ‘You tell it the way you see it.’
    ‘That’s me, Lucky. No bullshit.’
    ‘You’re unique.’
    ‘Takes one to know one,’ he said, signalling the waiter to bring him another drink. ‘How’s Lennie?’
    ‘Lennie’s fine.’
    ‘Shame,’ he said with a resigned shrug. ‘I was hoping he’d slipped off a cliff.’
    ‘Stop!’ she said sternly.
    ‘You know that’ll never happen,’ he countered. ‘And I do mean never.’
    They stared at each other, a long intent stare which Lucky finally broke.
    ‘Okay,’ she said, taking a deep breath. ‘I want you to come to Vegas.’
    ‘I fucking hate Vegas,’ Alex said vehemently. ‘Especially after what happened there with Ling.’
    Lucky flashed onto the memory of Alex’s live-in girlfriend who in the past had been sending her threatening notes and hatching a plan to shoot her. It was all so bizarre, but when Alex had caught Ling with his handgun in her purse during the opening festivities of The Keys, he’d gone berserk and thrown her out.
    ‘There are two reasons I need you to come to Vegas,’ Lucky said as persuasively as she could.
    ‘Go ahead,’ Alex said. ‘Try to convince me.’
    ‘Reason one. It’s Max’s eighteenth birthday next weekend, and I’m throwing her a party. You know she’d love you to be there. After all, you’ve known her since she was a baby.’
    Alex groaned. ‘Blackmail,’ he said flatly. ‘Psychological blackmail.’
    ‘No such thing,’ Lucky said crisply.
    ‘Reason two?’
    ‘A board meeting of all The Keys investors.’
    ‘Jesus! I’ll send my business manager. He handles that kinda shit.’
    ‘I’m sure Max would be thrilled to see him, but I’m expecting you .’
    ‘Will Lennie be there?’ Alex