Lovers and Gamblers by Collins Jackie

Author:Collins, Jackie
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-9898900-4-5
Publisher: Chances, Inc.
Published: 2014-11-25T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Forty-Eight

The rest did Al more good than Paul could have hoped for. They went to ground in an Arizona ranch house that did not even have television. There was just Al, himself, Luke, and a Mexican couple who looked after the house.

Al spent his days soaking up the sun by the swimming pool and occasionally going riding. There was tennis and squash, billiards and table tennis. The house was completely cut off, with only one telephone for emergencies. Paul had borrowed it from a millionaire who occasionally liked to get back to the simple life. It wasn’t that simple, but it was completely isolated.

Edna had flown back to England along with a reluctant Evan.

Melanie had been a problem, but Paul had solved that by allowing her a two-week vacation in New York by herself before flying home. ‘It will be too boring for you to stay here,’ he had explained. She hadn’t argued.

Bernie had flown on to Los Angeles to set everything up. Al would now do two concerts there – then a special charity event in Las Vegas – and then they would take the plane on to South America where Al was getting a million dollars for just two concerts. It had been an offer that Paul could not refuse. And it would more than compensate for the lost revenue of the cancelled shows.

So Al was drying out. No booze. No drugs. No women.

Sun. Exercise. Healthy food. Rest.

He had lost weight, gained a suntan, and looked and felt good.

Meanwhile ‘Bad Black Alice’ remained at number one with a bullet. And the album – AL IS KING – was fighting it out for the number one spot with Rod Stewart.

A new group had been hired to replace The Promises. Three black girls who called themselves Hot Fudge. Paul had flown to Los Angeles to see them, and signed them on the spot. They were sisters and their mother travelled with them so Paul foresaw no big problem there. They were also sensational on stage – dynamic, fresh and sexy.

Everyone had been upset by Nellie’s death. Al more than anyone. He had told Paul about that fateful afternoon. ‘I never knew she cared,’ he explained. ‘If I had known, I’d never have gone near her. I thought she just wanted some laughs.’

‘Sure,’ Paul agreed. But privately he thought how anyone with half an eye could see that Nellie was besotted. The fact was that Al never noticed anyone’s feelings except his own.

Paul had called Linda the very moment that Melanie was on a plane. But she never seemed to answer her phone. All he could get was the answering service, and after five calls where he left his name and number, it occurred to him that she had no intention of calling him back. At first he was angry – what right did she have to do this to him? But gradually he realized that she had every right. There were no ties between them. She was a free agent.

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