Jackie Collins - The Power Trip

Taye had no clue where Jeromy Milton-Gold had originally sprung from, but he was well aware that the man was not averse to dropping names and carrying on as if he was the King of the Castle. Or Queen. Yeah , Taye thought with a wicked grin. Shouldn’t that be Queen?

‘What are you smirking at?’ Ashley asked, catching him mid-smirk.

‘Just thinkin’ about a joke one of the lads came up with today,’ Taye said, quick as a flash.

‘Do share,’ Jeromy said, tapping the side of his wine glass with long elegant fingers.

‘You wouldn’t find it funny,’ Taye retorted, wishing they could get the hell out of the pretentious restaurant and head for home where he planned on showing his wife the coveted invitation before banging her brains out. Man, he was feeling so-o-o-o randy.

‘I can’t stand jokes,’ Ashley said with a slight sniff of distaste. ‘They’re always so sexist and never funny.’

‘I must say I’m forced to agree with you,’ Jeromy drawled. ‘Un-amusing, and yet some people feel as if they’re obliged to laugh.’

‘I think people only tell jokes when they run out of conversation,’ Ashley snapped, shooting Taye a mean look. ‘It’s as if they have nothing else to say.’

‘That’ll never happen to you, toots,’ Taye retorted. ‘You’re a world-class gossip.’ He nudged Jeromy. ‘Never off the phone, this one. Always got a girl chat-chat goin’ on.’

Jeromy curled his lip, a habit he’d developed when he wasn’t quite sure what to say.

Ashley glared at her husband.

‘Luca and I are going on a simply marvellous trip,’ Jeromy said at last, filling the sudden silence.

‘That’s nice,’ Ashley said, taking out her compact and applying more lipstick. ‘Where to?’

‘Somewhere hot and exotic, I suspect,’ Jeromy said with an airy wave of his hand. ‘We’ve been invited by Aleksandr Kasianenko on the maiden voyage of his new yacht.’

Ashley’s eyes widened. ‘How fabulous,’ she sighed. ‘Lucky you.’

Taye was speechless. Dammit, Jeromy was messing with his surprise. What was he supposed to do now? Blurt out that they were invited too, and risk a tongue-lashing from Ashley, who’d be livid that he hadn’t told her.

‘I can certainly use the break,’ Jeromy said with a patronizing smile. ‘I’m expecting that you’ll keep an eye on things in the London showroom, won’t you, dear?’

Ashley bobbed her head and turned to her husband. ‘ You know Aleksandr whatever his name is, don’t you?’

Taye nodded. ‘Yeah, we met a couple of times. He’s a big football fan. There’s a rumour goin’ around that he’s thinkin’ of buyin’ one of the clubs.’

‘Bianca is a dear friend of Luca’s,’ Jeromy allowed, once more sipping his wine. ‘They met years ago at a fashion show in Milan. Luca was singing for a paltry million euro, and Bianca was busy strutting her stuff. They have a history.’

‘Nice,’ Ashley said wistfully. ‘I bet it’ll be a fab trip.’

‘Yes,’ Jeromy agreed. ‘I am sure it will be.’

The couple left the restaurant and drove home in silence — an uncomfortable silence, finally broken by Taye who couldn’t stand it when Ashley slipped into one of her moods.

‘What’s up, toots?’ he said, one hand on the steering wheel, the other patting her on the knee. ‘You’ve gone all broody on me.’

‘Why do you always try to put me down in front of Jeromy?’ she complained, her cheeks flaming. ‘I’m in business with the man, and you do your best to make me look like a fool.’

‘What’re you talkin’ about?’

‘You know full well.’ And then, attempting to imitate him, she added in a mock-up of his voice — ‘“This one’s always on the phone gossiping”.’

‘I’m not makin’ it up,’ Taye said, withdrawing his hand from her knee. ‘You are always on the blower, carrying on to your mates about this an’ that.’

‘I am so not,’ she said in an uptight voice. ‘I do not gossip. And even if I did — that’s no reason for you to announce it to the world.’

‘C’mon, toots,’ he pleaded. ‘Let’s not make this into a fight.’

‘No. You come on, Taye,’ she said crossly. ‘I hate it when you disrespect me. It’s not right.’

‘I’m sorry, sunshine,’ Taye said, anxious to placate her. ‘Look — I’ve got a big surprise waitin’ for you when we get home.’

‘I’m not interested in surprises,’ she said, staring out of the window.

‘You will be in this one,’ Taye assured her.

‘You’re so annoying,’ she said irritably. ‘Why do you always have to try and change the subject?’

‘’Cause I love you, toots, you know that. An’ I can’t stand seein’ you upset.’

Ashley seized the opportunity to say something that was always lurking in the back of her mind. ‘I suppose you really loved me when you were having sex with that big-titted slag,’ she spat, her voice filled with venom.

‘Ashley,’ he said, groaning. ‘That was years ago. How many times do I have to say I’m sorry? That girl meant nothin’ to me. I’ve told you a million times.’

‘A million times isn’t enough,’ Ashley muttered, still holding onto a major grudge. ‘How would you like it if that had been me in bed with some bloke? How would that grab you?’

‘You wouldn’t do it. Anyway, I trust you.’

‘Yes,’ she snorted. ‘And I trusted you, and look where that got me.’

How had their conversation veered so off-track? Every so often, Ashley brought up the one time he’d been unfaithful, but why was she doing it tonight?

Best to stay silent and let her vent.

Which she did.

Non-stop.

All the way home to Hampstead.

Flynn Hudson had a few things to take care of, two or three hard-hitting pieces to write, several follow-up calls, and a decision to make.

Aleksandr Kasianenko — an old friend from back in the day — had invited him on what seemed like it might be a spectacular trip. He’d been invited with a guest, and therein lay the problem. Who to bring with him? And even more importantly — did he want to bring anyone at all?

Certainly not one of his casual girlfriends who were available for light relief and nothing else, which was one thing he always made clear up front before he slept with them. Flynn did not care to have any broken hearts on his conscience. He knew what a broken heart felt like only too well. He’d experienced the pain, abandonment and downright misery that came with heartbreak, albeit a long time ago, but the feeling of loss had never really left him.

Yes. True heartbreak existed. And Flynn knew all about it, so he was always careful to warn women that if they were after anything more than a casual fling, he was not the man for them.

As he thought about who to take, one name came to mind — Xuan — an exquisite Asian, who was quite beautiful, strong-minded and conveniently more into women than men.

Xuan would definitely get a kick out of such a trip, and he would enjoy her company — he always did.

Xuan was a fellow journalist who’d escaped from a Communist regime when her parents were accused of being spies, then taken away and brutally murdered for their supposed crimes.

Xuan had arranged to get herself smuggled out of Communist China eleven years previously, and like Flynn, her special talent was writing about the injustices in a world gone crazy. They’d bumped into each other over the years in many different countries, and formed a close non-sexual friendship, a friendship which suited both of them.