Kate O’Mara - Good Time Girl

‘Get it right, love!’ he jeered at the screen, as it became apparent that the scene was being shot yet again. ‘We all want to go home tonight!’ The rest of the room laughed uproariously, even kind Meg and Reg. Plainly, Patsy was the company joke. Someone turned the sound up and after another attempt, Patsy got it right and the whole make-up room cheered. Except Claire, who was genuinely appalled by the goings-on.

The camera that had been trained on Patsy swerved off her and came to rest on an out-of-focus picture of the set doorway as Larry Matthews listened to instructions on his headphones from the director.

‘Yes, yes, oh thank Christ,’ said Larry in a relieved tone to the empty doorway. ‘It’s a clear everyone.’

Another cheer went up from the make-up room. Suddenly the door burst open and Bella erupted into the room.

‘God give me strength!’ she exclaimed, making for the nearest chair. Simon hurriedly vacated it. Bella collapsed noisily into its leather cushions.

‘Where did they find her?’ she said dramatically. ‘They never told us about this at the Academy.’

‘Of course they did. Didn’t you ever do improvisation classes – where you had to make love to a lamppost?’ asked Simon. ‘I know we did.’

‘I must have been away that day,’ muttered Bella, picking up a brush and tapping furiously with it on the table. It was obvious that she was in a foul mood, the result of trying to act opposite Patsy. Simon decided to create a diversion.

‘What am I thinking of? Bella, my love, you haven’t met the latest addition to this remarkable series, Claire Jenner!’

Bella swivelled round in astonishment, seeing Claire for the first time. She wreathed her face in smiles.

‘My dear,’ she said graciously, ‘how lovely. We’ve been so looking forward to your arrival. Welcome!’ And she rose majestically from her seat to meet Claire who had moved towards her. Bella embraced her warmly, then held her at arm’s length to view her the better.

‘Well, this is an improvement. I’m glad to see that Hugh hasn’t completely taken leave of his senses. You’re much more what The McMasters is about – class! You are extremely welcome!’ And she gave Claire’s upper arm an encouraging grip, then released her, turned abruptly to the chair again and flung herself into it.

‘Now, Glynis dear, what the fuck are we going to do about my face? Trying to act opposite that ghastly little tramp has completely ruined my make-up!’

The door opened again and the object of her ire wandered in disconsolately. She was followed by an attractive brunette, who was looking anxious.

‘Sonia, my pet, you’re late for our new member – what will she think of us?’ said Simon teasingly to the late arrival.

‘Oh, I’m sooo sorry,’ said Sonia breathlessly to Claire.

‘Please, it’s all right, I think I was early,’ replied Claire hurriedly, anxious to establish good relations with the woman who held her future success in her hands.

‘It’s just – that we got held up,’ continued Sonia in a confidential undertone so that Patsy could not hear. ‘But I’m ready for you now,’ she added with a winning smile, guiding Claire to the chair where Jason was seated. He sprang at once to his feet.

‘Hi, I’m Jason. Nice to meet you – I hope we get to do scenes together,’ he said with a shy grin.

‘Hello,’ replied Claire, warmed by his friendly manner. ‘I hope so, too.’ Jason edged out of the way and Claire sat tentatively in his place and braced herself for the next encounter. Sonia stood behind her.

‘I expect you do your own, don’t you?’ she said quietly.

‘What?’ said Claire, startled.

‘Make-up,’ replied Sonia. ‘I can see you’re good at it – you look lovely.’

‘Oh – thank you,’ said Claire, unable to believe her ears. ‘Well, yes, as a matter of fact, I do.’

‘You’ll need a bit more base, Claire. Would you like me to do that?’ enquired Sonia, smiling gently. ‘Then you can do your eyes and things.’

‘Yes, of course.’ My luck’s in, thought Claire as she gave herself over to Sonia’s ministration.

‘Now, what are we going to do with your hair?’ running her fingers through Claire’s soft reddish brown curls. ‘It looks quite good tied back in the nape.’

Claire suddenly became aware that she was under scrutiny. She turned and met Patsy’s hostile gaze. Sonia followed her look.

‘Patsy,’ she said, ‘have you met Claire yet?’

‘No,’ said Patsy solemnly. ‘Hi,’ she added casually, before turning away without waiting for Claire’s response.

‘Take no notice of her,’ whispered Sonia in her ear. ‘She thinks she’s the star of the show.’ Claire was rattled by Patsy’s evident dislike of her and thought privately that if she had made an ally in Sonia then Patsy was decidedly an enemy.

It was ten o’clock on another blindingly hot day in Bel Air – a misnomer if ever there was one, the only air worth breathing being of the conditioned variety. Somewhere a telephone was ringing. Jim Dutton stirred from the mists of a drug-induced sleep. He moved his head and opened one eye blearily. He became aware that he was not alone. A very young girl with red hair of an impossible hue was sprawled on her stomach across the pillow next to him. Another girl, a blonde of the type known as ‘platinum’, lolled over his loins, her mouth half open near his flaccid cock. They were both sound asleep, the blonde obviously having abandoned her attempt to arouse his flagging ardour mid-operations. The redhead’s breath smelled appalling. The phone continued to ring. Where the fuck was Consuela? The number of phone calls and possible job offers he’d missed through that goddamn broad not answering the goddamn phone … then he remembered he’d had to dismiss Consuela the previous week. Hell! It had come to something when he couldn’t even afford a goddamn housekeeper. Something had to break soon. What the fuck did his goddamn agent think she was doing?

He crawled across the redhead, who moaned and rolled over onto her back, displaying a pair of enormous breasts. This had the effect of giving him an instant hard-on, which almost distracted him from his mission. The phone rang relentlessly; it obviously intended to go on ringing until someone answered it. He glanced hungrily at the huge nipples. ‘Later, later,’ he muttered, and staggered across the room. He always kept the bedroom phone on the table by the window. It was the only way he could be certain of making an early morning call at the studio. He had to be sure of actually getting out of bed.

‘Yeah,’ he said huskily into the mouthpiece of the onyx and gilt turn-of-the-century-type telephone.

‘Hi, sweetie,’ said a cheery voice on the other end. It was Meriel his goddamn agent! ‘I was beginning to think you’d died on me, honeybunch.’ She sounded in high good humour.

‘Likewise,’ growled Jim. ‘I haven’t heard from you in months!’

‘Jimbo, that is such a lie. If you’re alluding to the Universal project, we are pushing as hard as we dare at this point in time. Now, concerning the Golden Globe Awards –’

‘Holy shit!’ intoned Jim. ‘Have you any idea what time I hit the sack?’

But Meriel was questioning him closely on his activities at the awards ceremony. Had he interacted with the right people? Meriel started giving him a list of the casting directors who apparently had been impressed by his appearance. Jim caught sight of his reflection in the huge mirror that served as the bed head.

‘Jeez,’ he muttered to himself as he gazed longingly at the recumbent beauty on the bed, ‘I’m standing here completely nude with an erection like the Empire State Building and my asshole of an agent, who can’t get me an interview much less a screen test, is giving me the third degree on last night’s guest list.’ He started to work his foreskin up and down his penis automatically. If only Meriel would get off the goddamn phone he could get down to the biggest pair of tits he’d seen in a long time. He groaned involuntarily.