Free The Cop and the Chorus Girl by Nancy Martin Page B

theater. I could see that he was attracted to me. Most men are.”
    Flynn ground his teeth.
    â€œNext thing I knew,” Dixie continued, “well, I was walking down the aisle again.”
    â€œAgain?” Flynn echoed.
    Dixie smiled uncertainly. “I told you before—in show business a woman has to look after herself. So I follow my mama’s rules. Rule Number One is, never make love with a man you’re not married to.”
    â€œNever—”
    â€œRight. Never go to bed with anyone but your husband.”
    â€œYou mean—”
    Dixie turned a lovely shade of pink. “Joey wanted to sleep with me, and I—I just couldn’t do it. Not without benefit of marriage. I don’t know why I’m such an old-fashioned prude, but I just can’t—well, get excited about a man unless—”
    â€œYou mean,” Flynn interrupted, astonished by what he was hearing from the sexiest woman alive. “You mean, you’re a virgin? ”
    â€œOf course not,” Dixie said blithely. “I’ve been married twice already. Joey was going to be my third husband.”
    â€œYour third— ”
    â€œI know, I’m hardly old enough, am I? But it’s true. I don’t sleep around. I marry.”
    â€œDo you skip the part about death do you part?”
    She picked up her plate again, but didn’t attack the food once more. Her gaze seemed faraway for a moment. “No, but I—my marriages didn’t work out. That’s very painful to me.”
    â€œI’m sorry.”
    â€œI decided not to make another mistake with Joey, no matter how good the cause—well, no matter what.”
    The telephone rang.
    Dixie regained her good humor. “Could you hand me the phone, please? Under all these bubbles, I’m not exactly—”
    â€œRight,” said Flynn, abandoning his plate and reaching for the telephone among the clutter on the bathroom counter. Numbly, he passed the receiver to Dixie in the tub.
    Dixie accepted the receiver. “Hello?”
    She went pale and choked, pressing one hand over her throat as if to steady her pulse. “Joey?”
    Flynn leaned toward her.
    Dixie swallowed hard and said, “Yes, of course I did the show tonight. Why wouldn’t I?”
    Flynn put his hand over Dixie’s on the edge of the tub and found that she was trembling.
    Into the phone, she said, “I had to do the show, Joey. Everyone was counting on me. We had a sold-out theater.”
    She listened to Torrano lecture for a few seconds and finally said, “Joey, wait. Listen. I’m sorry. Really, I am. I just couldn’t go through with it.... Yes, of course I know I embarrassed you, but I couldn’t help it. I’m sorry, ” she repeated.
    â€œHang up,” Flynn whispered.
    She looked at Flynn wide-eyed, but didn’t hang up the receiver. “No, Joey,” she said, suddenly pleading. “Please don’t back out of the show on my account. Everyone’s depending on you. And we really are selling tickets. The show will start turning a profit in a few months. It will be a great investment, I promise!”
    Joey Torrano apparently did not believe her. He began a tirade that caused Dixie’s jaw to tighten. Then she rolled her eyes impatiently.
    She said more firmly, “Joey, you have to do whatever you think is right. If you have to back out of the show—well, maybe another investor will turn up.”
    This time Torrano began to scream into the telephone. Dixie smiled up at Flynn and winked. She covered the receiver and whispered, “You know, I think he might actually fall for this!”
    â€œDon’t push your luck,” Flynn said, keeping his voice low. “Just hang up and let the press give him the message tomorrow. That’s the way the plan is supposed to go.”
    She nodded, uncovered the receiver, and said, “I’ve got to go, Joey. Yes, I had