“If I Were Your Woman and You Were My Man? Yeah I remember when she wrote that song. I play that shit all the time.”
The director in Kelly took over. “There’s a lot wrong with what you just said,” he couldn’t help himself from saying. “The actual title isn’t that long, number one, and it was penned by McMurray, Jones, and Sawyer, number two. But be that as it may! You remember where Gladys sings (and he began singing in a less than on-key voice):
“She tears you down, darling.
Says you’re nothing at all.
But I’ll pick you up, darling.
When she lets you fall.
You’re like a diamond.
But she treats you like glass.
Yet you beg her to love you.
But me you don’t ask.”
“Remember those lyrics? Well that’s how I feel, Roz. You beg Mick to love you. Beg the man. But me? A brother that’s ready, willing and able, in every way I might add, to give you the world, you don’t even ask me to give you a thing.” Then he smiled. “You do a brother wrong, Roz,” he said, and she laughed. “It’s a crying shame how you do a brother.”
That was Kelly. Always good for a laugh.
But it didn’t take long before neither one of them were smiling anymore. They were just staring at one another, assessing one another, sizing up one another.
Roz understood what he was saying. She understood it perfectly. He was everything he said and more. He was smart and witty and talented and gorgeous as gorgeous could be. Anda good man on top of all of that. He checked all the boxes. Every single one. If only she’d met him before she met Mick. Her life would have been so different.
But that was wishful thinking.
And Roz, a realist to her soul, was never going to allow herself to live in the land of wish.
“I need to review my lines for the upcoming scene,” she said, got up, and took herself back to rehearsal.
CHAPTER SEVEN
It was one in the afternoon when beautiful fashion designer Bella Caine drove onto the airfield, slung her Lexus LC 500 into Park, and let down her convertible top as one of Mick’s men opened the driver side door for her. “Looking good, Mrs. C. Looking good!”
“When do I not look good, Albert?” she asked jokingly as she got out of the car.
He laughed. “Is this a new one?” Albert asked as he checked out the sporty automobile. “I haven’t seen this one before.”
“It’s newish,” said Bella.
The capo shook his head. “Nice. Real nice. Mr. Sinatra keeps you in the best of the best, doesn’t he, Mrs. C?”
“Of course he does!” Bella bragged. “Now put my luggage on the plane, please.”
“Will do, ma’am,” the capo said as Bella made her way to the plane.
Although she was smiling, she was nervous as she could be. She had wanted to drop everything as soon as she heard the news and fly out to Rome herself, but she knew she couldn’t go to what she feared was a war zone without Mick’s help. But he still wasn’t taking her calls. Which just pissed her off. But because he fueled her entire lifestyle, and because she didn’t know what she would do if he cut her off completely, she put up with his bullshit. She even put up with Roz’s too.
But things had changed, she thought as she began climbing those airstairs. They were about to embark on a newadventure together. But it wasn’t a happy one for Bella. She was terrified for Dory.
“Is he here?” Bella asked the flight attendant as she boarded the plane.
“Yes ma’am, Mr. Sinatra is here.”
“Where is he?”
