Plain Jane in the Spotlight

among his many talents efficiency and good order found no place.

With delight he dumped everything on Charlene. Now she had access to all his computer accounts, including passwords, enabling her to access his bank account every morning. This she did, several times raising queries, one of which averted a minor disaster.

Travis rewarded her with a glittering gold pendant, but what really pleased her was his look of joy and relief, and his exclamation, ‘However did I manage without you?’

‘Your own private bank clerk!’ She chuckled.

‘Bank clerk,’ he said softly. ‘Is that what you call it?’

Both his eyes and his voice told her that he called it something entirely different. But just what that something might be he wasn’t ready to say.

Charlene enjoyed life in Beachwood Canyon. Despite its glamorous location, it closely resembled a village, with a coffee shop, a market and a number of little boutiques where people could meet casually. She saw several faces that she recognised, famous actors and musicians. At first she was tempted to stare, then realised that she too was being stared at.

‘How are you coping?’ asked an elderly man who came to sit beside her in a coffee shop. After a moment she recognised him as a once famous star, known for his dynamic sexiness, but now in his eighties.

‘It is you, isn’t it?’ she asked.

‘Yes, it’s me. I’m flattered to be remembered.’

‘I saw you on television in…you know, the film that nearly won you the Best Actor award.’

‘The operative word being “nearly”. In those days they were practically the only awards. These days there’s a whole host of them, especially for TV shows. The TopGo Television Drama Awards are coming up soon and they say your guy’s going to scoop every prize going. There’s five categories he can be nominated for and the big money says he’ll win every one. You two will have a great time at the award ceremony.’

‘If I’m still here.’

‘Sure you’ll be here. Everyone says he’s crazy about you. Are you saying he isn’t?’

‘I’m saying it’s private.’ She chuckled.

‘Good for you. If I hadn’t given so many interviews about things that should have stayed private I’d still be married to my second wife, or perhaps my third.’

They settled into a happy discussion, after which Charlene finished the day with a visit to a boutique that was as fashionable as anything to be found in the city. By now she was a little short of time, but she had her eye on a pair of stretch jeans.

‘The size looks about right for me,’ she said. ‘You close in five minutes, don’t you? I’ll take them.’

Back in the apartment, she pulled on the jeans and considered herself thoughtfully.

They’re just a little tighter than I thought, she mused. Too tight? Yes? No? If my rear was bigger I could be accused of flaunting it, but I’m so skinny I can get away with it.

But ‘skinny’ wasn’t the right word, she knew. While not voluptuous, her behind was nicely shaped, elegantly curved.

She found a floaty chiffon blouse that hung loosely down over the revealing trousers, concealing her rear from general sight.

From the front door came the sound of a knock and a cry, ‘Is anyone there?’

‘Coming,’ she called.

Outside, she found a middle-aged woman with a tall, lithe figure.

‘Hello,’ she said. ‘I’m Rita Barton, your neighbour from the next floor down. I came to return something I borrowed from Travis.’

She had a bright, cheerful face and Charlene instinctively liked her.

‘Come in,’ she said.

She realised that this was the woman whose husband they had met in the elevator. She’d been a model and a dancer, and although she was no longer young her movements were still graceful.

As they shared coffee, she looked Charlene up and down and said frankly, ‘Thank heavens the rumours are true. They say he’s found a nice girl who’ll do him a lot of good and no harm. Good for you!’

‘Thank you,’ Charlene said.

‘Of course you know the story about the dancer who descended on him at that party. She did it on purpose. I never liked her.’

‘You know her?’

‘I used to give lessons to girls who were going to dance in front of the camera. At least it was called dancing, but mostly it was sexy wriggling. She was one of my pupils.’ She added hastily, ‘But don’t tell Travis.’

‘I promise.’ Charlene laughed. ‘But about those lessons, you mean you can teach that sort of thing?’

‘There are certain tricks, depending on how provocative you want to be.’ She noticed a definite look in Charlene’s eyes and asked teasingly, ‘Want to try?’

She was about to decline when the daring imp who seemed to pop up in her mind a lot these days said, Go on. Be a devil.

‘Yes,’ she said. ‘I’d like to give it a try.’

‘Like this,’ Rita said, and went into a wriggling dance that still contained much of her old ability.

She laughed as she danced, obviously enjoying the joke, and Charlene laughed too as she imitated her.

‘Put your hands up high over your head so that people can see your body moving,’ Rita advised.

‘Like that?’

‘Fine. Now imagine that the man you’re dancing for is sitting in that chair over there. Approach him slinkily- good, that’s right, but move your bottom more. You have to twist and squirm a bit-more, more-you’re getting the hang of it. Now try to twirl and writhe at the same time. Well done!’

Laughing, Charlene spun around, moving so fast that she lost track of the room whirling about her, and didn’t see the door open, admitting Travis. Next moment she lost her balance and felt herself falling.

‘Aaaah!’ she cried.

‘It’s all right, I’ve got you.’

It was Travis’s comforting voice, and Travis’s steady arms enclosing her. But she’d collided with him so hard that he too lost his balance and fell into the chair with her in his lap.

‘OK.’ He laughed. ‘The worst is over now.’

‘Well,’ Rita said, arms akimbo, ‘that’s one way of getting onto the guy’s lap. Not one I’ve seen before, but I guess it works.’

‘Hello, Rita,’ Travis said. ‘What are you two up to?’

‘Rita was teaching me lap dancing,’ Charlene said breathlessly.

‘Really? Planning to take up a new career?’

‘You never know,’ she retorted. ‘It’s good to try anything once.’

‘And she’s got a real gift for it,’ Rita added.

‘Yeah, the gift of knocking a guy flying,’ Travis said with a grin. ‘I’ve come across it before.’ He rubbed his back.

‘I’m sorry,’ Charlene said. ‘Let me do that for you.’

She reached for him but he veered away. ‘No need. I’ll manage. You’re a wicked woman. Rita, don’t teach her any more dangerous tricks. She’s beginning to scare me.’

‘Nonsense, I’ve always scared you,’ Charlene retorted, and the three of them shared a laugh.

‘You know what you should do,’ Rita said. ‘Go back to that nightclub where it happened-’

‘Not in a million years,’ Travis said at once.

‘No, wait. Take Charlene with you, and if those floozies start their nonsense again she’ll show that she can do it even better than they can.’

‘Hey, that’s an idea,’ Charlene said, fascinated.

‘No,’ Travis said quietly.

Rita beamed at Charlene. ‘I’ll need to teach you a bit more so that you’re really expert-’

‘I said no,’ Travis snapped.