The Love Machine by Jacqueline Susann

Author:Jacqueline Susann
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Grove Press
Published: 1997-03-03T16:00:00+00:00

TWENTY-ONE

HE WENT INTO IMMEDIATE ACTION the moment he returned to New York. He notified the legal department to draw up a contract for Andy Parino. He mailed it to him with a short note stating his offer to join the network in New York. He also mailed the panther pin to Maggie with a note saying, “A belated Merry Christmas—Robin.” Three days later Andy phoned and eagerly accepted the offer.

“Sure you won’t miss anything down there?” Robin asked.

“Hell, no. It’s all washed up with Maggie and me anyhow.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No, it just wasn’t in the cards. She’s—well, she’s too complicated for me. Right now she’s rehearsing like crazy—some Hollywood agent is coming to catch her in a play. I want a girl who puts me ahead of Eugene O’Neill.”

“Fine. I’ll assign you to Network News—you’ll still work with Jim Bolt. And you can start sitting in on my In Depth taping sessions to get the feel of it. In a month or so, I’ll let you try one. By next season I hope to turn it over to you and go on to something new.”

“I’ve been running all your tapes and studying them. I don’t know whether it’s going to be that easy to step in your shoes.”

“Do your own thing—and they’ll buy it.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence. I’ll sure try my damnedest!”

By the end of the week, Robin had caught up with all his back work, and scheduled a taping for In Depth. He looked at his appointment pad—the afternoon was free. He unlocked his desk drawer and took out his manuscript. It seemed years since he had looked at it. Well—tonight he’d take it home and work on it, and lay off the vodka. He hadn’t been to the Lancer Bar since he returned.

His secretary came in with a package. He had to sign for it. He scribbled his signature and stared at the brown-paper wrapping. It was heavily stamped and insured. He opened it and found the Italian leather box with the black panther pin. There was a typewritten note: “I only accept gifts from friends.”

He tore up the note and put the box in a small wall safe where he kept his contracts and private papers.

He put the book back in his desk drawer and left the office. When he arrived at the Lancer Bar, Carmen the bartender was effusive in his greeting. “Mr. Stone, it’s been so long! The usual?”

“Make it a double to celebrate my return,” Robin said.

He finished the drink quickly and ordered another. This was going to be one of those nights. He was beginning to hate the nights. He knew he had dreams … several times he had awakened in a sweat. But he couldn’t remember them. He hadn’t remembered his dreams in Rome, yet Sergio said he had shouted two nights in a row. He finished the second drink and ordered another. Maggie sending back the pin bugged him. But why should it? She didn’t mean anything to him. Nothing seemed to add up lately.

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