Hi mate, we’ll be there just after eight. I’ll be driving the Ferrari, so you’ll be able to get a good shot of me getting outof the car. Here’s the script you can use later, after you get the shots.
Rex Marino was spotted tonight at the Oyster Lounge in Glasgow, attending the VIP dinner for close friends of Odette Devine, the elderly actress recently bumped fromThe Clydeside.
Marino was accompanied by Tress Walker, the set designer on the show. Sources say that Ms Walker’s husband was killed in a tragic car accident on this date last year, leaving her to bring up their baby son alone. Marino has put his personal life on hold to support her through this difficult time.
‘It’s typical of him,’ a friend close to the actor stated. ‘Despite his fame, he’s the most decent guy you could ever meet and he’s always the first one to drop everything to help anyone who needs him.’
Rumours have been circulating that Marino will be the next star to leaveThe Clydeside, but in his case, it’ll be for Hollywood. It has long been rumoured that he is being tipped to join the Seb Dunhill spy thriller franchise, following the reported retirement of Zander Leith.
When asked, Marino would not confirm or deny the rumours, saying, ‘I have several offers in the pipeline so it’s just a case of deciding what direction is the best fit for me. I’m excited about what the future holds.’
‘Bastard.’ Keli felt the first shock at the name of the other person in the story, then rage building with every line. The utter and complete bastard. No. Just no. Even if she wasn’t already about to rain hell on him, she’d be doing it now for messing with Tress and exploiting her grief and loss. ‘Tress is my friend. She works onThe Clydesidetoo – that’s how I met Ryan in the first place. Oh shit, she knows nothing about any of this and she’sbeen through enough crap.’ Suddenly, her mum’s suggestion about a baseball bat seemed too lenient.
Poor Tress. How the hell did she get wrapped up in this? The narcissistic prick was clearly using her for publicity, just as he used every single person he came into contact with. She could see that now. It was all about him. It had always been that way and everyone else was just a pawn in his plan.
Yvie was still sitting at the table, reading the words on the iPad again. ‘Hang on, hang on. I don’t get it. Can someone explain to me what Rex Marino has to do with any of this?’
‘Rex Marino’s real name is Ryan Manning. That’s who I was seeing. Laurie’s boyfriend too.’ Keli conceded with a sigh.
‘Well shag me sideways,’ Yvie exhaled, incredulous.
It felt strange saying that aloud, even though Keli had known from the moment she met him that he was Rex Marino, the actor. It was impossible not to, given that they were at a party forThe Clydeside’s40thAnniversary and there were posters of him everywhere. He’d told her his real name on their second or third date, and that’s how she’d known as soon as Laurie called this morning and used that name that she was genuine.
So much made sense now. She’d thought he’d insisted they kept their relationship a secret because he was all about his professional image, but obviously it was because he was dating Laurie. Now, however, he was exploiting a night out with Tress because it made him look good and he could brush that off to Laurie as a work thing. This was next-level manipulative, calculated bastard.
‘How long will it take us to get to the Oyster Lounge from here?’ Laurie asked, getting to her feet, grabbing a jacket and her bag.
Keli was right behind her, car keys in hand. ‘Ten minutes’ walk. But if we take the car, we’ll be there in five. Time to go let Mr Marino know he’s about to be the star of our show.’
10 P.M. – MIDNIGHT
29
ODETTE
Odette had heard the term ‘life flashing in front of her eyes’ many times. Now she understood it. Here it was – the truth, the whole truth and a few things that were absolutely nothing like the truth.
The preview of the documentary opened with the camera on her most recent ex-husband, Mitchum Royce, with the narrator, Elliot, on the voiceover, saying, ‘Here is just one of the men that Odette tried to silence. Before making this documentary, we were forced to sign an agreement stating that none of Devine’s ex-husbands would be interviewed in the making of this programme. However, respected businessman, Mitchum Royce, has agreed to speak up, after discovering that his marriage to Devine wasn’t in fact legal.’
The camera zoomed in on Mitchum, looking unshaven and dishevelled, a state that Odette knew for a fact was an act. The man was a former banker with wardrobes full of suits, and he’d spent thousands of pounds of her money in Savile Row when they were together. He’d also raided enough from her bank account to afford a fricking razor. ‘I gave up my career to support her and I tried my best, but she was a compulsive shopper,’Royce began. ‘Spending my savings like she was Elton bloody John. She rinsed me dry and as soon as it was all gone, she was off and on to the next sucker.’
A murmur went around the room, as jaws fell open and people began to nudge each other, to whisper and shoot sly glances in her direction.
‘That’s not true. He’s lying. He took everything fromme,’ she said to no one, anyone.
She searched the room for Calvin, but he’d nipped to the loo and he wasn’t back yet. The only person who seemed to be listening to her was Tress, who reached for her hand, and Odette heard her murmuring to Rex on the other side of her, ‘Rex, tell them to turn that off right now. This is a hatchet job. Make it stop.’
Odette didn’t look, but she knew there was a smirk on his face by the tone of his voice. ‘Fuck that, this is priceless. We’ll be all over the papers tomorrow.’
‘You don’t mean that. Don’t let this happen to her.’ Tress wasn’t letting it go and Odette was touched that she was desperately trying to come to her defence.
‘Not my problem,’ he retorted with his trademark arrogance.
‘You’re an asshole,’ she heard Tress hiss in response, ‘and you can get your hand off my fucking thigh.’
Odette barely even blinked. His response wasn’t a shock to her. He’d always been a smarmy little shit.
One of the canteen ladies fromThe Clydesidestudio spoke up, told Elliot to switch it off, but Elliot ignored her, letting it play on. Short of wrestling him to the ground, there was nothing much else she could do. She registered the irony that the studio execs, the cowardly bastards, just sat there, intrigued, while the only people who were sticking up for her so far were the ones with the good hearts, but without the power.
