Gun Brooke: Course of Action

"We should mingle," he continued. "It'll pay to shake some people's hands before we sit down to dinner."

Annelie sighed. The mingling was the tough part. She would never get used to the kind of meaningless exchanges and air-kissing that went on at charity galas like this one. But she had spent six months planning the event for the Nebula Circle, a philanthropic trust she had established several years ago. A little mingling wouldn't kill her.

Pulling at the skirt of her ice blue Ungaro evening dress, she walked through the crowd, smiling faintly as she shook hands. She had met very few of these people personally, as she normally kept a low profile, but most of them seemed to know who she was—A. M.

Peterson, the owner of Key Line Publishing Inc., the woman whose empire was growing so fast Fortune magazine had labeled her the next Ted Turner. Annelie wondered if she would ever get used to people regarding her with awe—and if she did, what that would say about the person she had become.

Certainly the large mirrors lining the ballroom walls confirmed that she looked the part. The softly flowing dress fit her like a glove, and a chignon covered with a white gold web of diamonds held back her long blond hair. Annelie disliked rings and never wore any, but a breathtaking diamond necklace drew attention to her plunging neckline, and a matching bracelet encircled her right wrist. She was taller than most women and some of the men there but kept her head high, a posture she had perfected along with the rest of her carefully constructed public image.

Annelie continued to work her way through the glamorously dressed crowd. Being used to men staring at her curvaceous body, she ignored their stares yet greeted each man politely. The envious looks from some of the women disappeared when they discovered she was just as friendly toward them.

When she finally reached the other end of the hallway and scanned the crowd for Gregory, she noticed him talking to a couple and recognized the woman standing to his left. Carolyn Black wore an elegant black dress decorated with a cascade of rhinestones stretching from her left shoulder down around her waist and onto the form-fitting skirt. Her auburn hair was intricately piled on top of her head, with thin tresses caressing her neck. The actress had an obvious, quite overwhelming, charisma, which clearly held all around her captive and made Annelie catch her breath as she approached.

Gregory performed the introductions, and Annelie shook hands with Carolyn and the man she was with, Jared Garrison. As they exchanged pleasantries, she wondered if the rumors about Carolyn and Jared were true. They didn't look like lovers, but Annelie wasn't sure what gave her that impression.

"We're delighted your audio version of the Diana Maddox books has become so successful, Ms. Black," she said, thinking how young the actress seemed. Carolyn's flawless skin, lightly dusted with freckles, looked satiny smooth. Her steady blue-gray eyes, able to portray any emotion required on stage or screen, swept Annelie up and down.

"Well, thank you. And please, call me Carolyn," she said in the low, smoky voice that had convinced Annelie to hire her for the audiobooks. "Of course the role came very naturally to me. I think, in many ways, Diana and I are kindred spirits."

Annelie smiled inwardly. The actress might as well have announced her interest in the film role on a foghorn. "Your voice was perfect," she said. "I knew it would be after I saw you in The Greenhouse three years ago."

Carolyn's mouth stretched into a brilliant smile. "You handled the casting decision personally?"

"Of course. The Diana Maddox books are pivotal to my company."

"And you're planning to bring them to the screen now. How brave of you after the V. I. Warshawski fiasco."

A warning shot? Either Carolyn really cared about the character or she wanted it to seem that way. "Well, I haven't hired a moron to direct my film or hacks to write the screenplay," Annelie said coolly. Was it her imagination, or was this actress actually interviewing her— assessing her competence to extend the Diana Maddox franchise onto the screen?

Carolyn's expression was serenely self-possessed. "I'm sure, if you can attach the right cast, you'll have the distributors eating from your hand."

"Thanks." Annelie was aware her voice held an edge of sarcasm. She wasn't accustomed to having anyone imply she might lack the skills to pull off a project. Mildly irritated, she steered the conversation back to social pleasantries. "I'm so glad you could be here tonight. What are you doing in Florida, by the way? Are you filming here?"

"No, I've just closed a play in New York, and I need a break. So I'm reading a few scripts and spending some quality time with Jared."

Apparently Jared Garrison had missed the change of topic. "Do you have anyone in mind for Maddox yet?" he asked Annelie, oblivious to his date's unmistakable glare. "I hear there's a lot of interest. Even Meryl Streep and Sally Field."

Annelie had to hide a smile. She knew Jared professionally. The good-looking lawyer was a senior partner at a firm that did pro bono work for Nebula Circle clients . Her charity focused on children born with HIV and shelters for women, so they always needed volunteer legal help. She'd had no idea Jared was involved with Carolyn Black until she'd read some gossip recently. For a moment she pitied him. The actress had a reputation for chewing men up and spitting them out.

Annelie smirked faintly. "I don't see either Streep or Field as a potential Diana Maddox," she told him. "They're wonderful actresses but not the right age, to start with."

She could almost hear the wheels turning inside Carolyn's head, but the perfect face revealed nothing. Sweeping a quick assessing look around, she made an expansive gesture and projected her voice as only a Broadway star could, declaring, "Wonderful night, Annelie. I'm so glad I could come." She took Jared's arm. "Now I really mustn't keep you from your guests. Perhaps we'll chat later."

By some strange magic the crowd parted as she moved through it, people turning to gaze at her, a few even clapping. Annelie was astounded to see even the most sophisticated of her guests looking starstruck at a smile or nod from Carolyn Black. If the woman was trying to make a point, she'd succeeded. She was the consummate performer. A star.

But was she Diana Maddox? Annelie had her doubts.

***

"You look like the cat that ate the proverbial canary," Gregory remarked as he followed Annelie off the stage after the auction.

"I'm overwhelmed," Annelie said, checking her Palm Pilot. "Someone paid $12,000 for those signed first editions of the Diana Maddox books."

Gregory grinned. "Yup, and that was none other than Diana Maddox herself, or should I say, Carolyn Black. She must want the part in the worst way."

"Gregory! Behave."

"Don't look now, but she's on her way over here. Don't make any promises you can't keep."

Annelie turned around and saw Carolyn approaching, this time without her date.

"Annelie." The throaty voice seemed to caress her name, making Annelie shiver. "I wanted to thank you for this evening. It looks like all your hard work paid off."

"I'm thrilled," Annelie said. "And everything will go directly to the children we're supporting. The hotel even donated the ballroom."

"That's wonderful."

"Your bid was extremely generous. It was very kind of you."

"You're welcome."

Carolyn wasn't going to ask about the Diana Maddox role. Annelie admired the actress's steely nerve. It wasn't often she encountered a woman with as much strength of mind as she herself possessed. She could sense that strength in Carolyn and was drawn to it. "How long will you be in Florida?" she asked.