Make a Memory ✔

Chapter 15 : "The Bone Collector." (1999)

"I'm choking on nothing, it's clear in my head.

And I'm screaming for something.

Knowing nothing is better than knowing at all."

-The Cure

I must have dozed off again, although it only felt like I blinked but there was light streaming in through the window. I sat up and yawned.
“Man you sure can sleep if you put your mind to it!” I turned to look at Johnny who was sitting at the kitchen table.
“What's the time?” I asked as I stood up and walked over to the coffee machine.
“It's about nine-thirty.” He said as he walked over to me and gave me a mug from the cupboard.
“Thanks.” I mumbled as I poured myself some coffee and went to sit down at the table.
“How was the club last night?” I asked just to make conversation. I could see that he was almost ready to ask how I felt and to be honest I couldn't answer that just yet.
“Oh you know. It was Monday night, but the crowd was pretty slow.” He sat down across from me and leaned forward slightly.
“You okay?” He asked but I didn't look up from my mug.
“I will be.” I told him.
At least now I felt rested and my fingers didn't like they were turning black and about to fall off. Everything inside me felt cold though. My heart felt like it had trouble beating. Like it didn't really know how to beat anymore and every breath I took felt like it didn't fill my lungs. Like I needed more air. I took a few deep breaths and every breath felt like it was lacking in oxygen.  I sipped my coffee and tried to ignore Johnny's almost-casual glances in my direction.
'Fine. What's bothering you?” I asked after I couldn't take the silence anymore.
“Nothing.” Johnny said too quickly, trying to look too innocent.
“Johnny, just spit it out!” Apparently I didn't have great patience anymore.
“Well, Nicky said I shouldn't and Rico said you'd find out anyways and I can't decide with which one of them I agree. Paul said we should tell you.”
My heart fluttered nervously and my breath came out in small gasps.
“I'm with Paul. Tell me.” I could barely managed the words. Blood was rushing in my ears sounding like a rolling wave, I had to concentrate on Johnny's words.
“What if I just showed you?” He suggested and I clicked immediately.
Paparazzi. Tabloids. Papers. Gossip. Rumours.
Johnny handed me only one tabloid. It was the much-hated DHS magazine.
“Is this all?” I asked.
“No, but this one has the longest article. The others are just using different words, but their basically the same. Same pics as well.” Johnny answered.
My hand was shaking slightly as I reached out to take the wicked thing from him.
Taylor and I was on the front page, it looked like a picture that could have been taken when we arrived at the airport. DHS, however, edited the photo, splitting it down the middle with an ugly, yellow, torn-ragged looking line. There was a smaller framed photo of me in the top corner of the picture. Leaving the airport, with the dark sunglasses, but you could faintly see the tears on my cheeks. There was only one word in a stamped font written over the photo.


                                                 ISOLATED!!!

JFK Airport, New York City. This was where the moving farewell scene took place between Hollywood's hottest new couple. Robert Marx and Lee Black.

It described how our relationship had grown in just a few days from casual fling to full blown public romance. It talked about the Premiere and how I was totally smashed - overstatement - how the reason for that might just be because Taylor was leaving without me. They pitied him that he got himself a girl who was so unstable. Humph!

We don't blame Lee for getting drunk. After all, if we had a man as devilishly handsome as Robert, with a reputation as wild as his when it came to women, we'd probably get drunk ourselves. But that's besides the point. Poor Lee had to get accustomed to life in the fast lane. Dealing with Paparazzi and rich and famous people all in only a week. That was something most Hollywood stars haven't accomplished in all their careers.

Lee was also the unfortunate victim of crazed Paparazzo when they returned to their hotel after the Premiere's after party. We have exclusive pics where you can see how one of the paparazzi's gets so close that he actually hits her on the head with his camera. Robert was furious and if he didn't have his hands full with Lee, we feel sure that he would have gotten physical with that Pappo's! They were also arriving at JFK, Lee showing off a livid purple bruise just above her left eye.     

And this is another Hollywood story that doesn't have a happy ending. After everything Lee had to go through, she still lost the man at the end. We here at DHS were sure that she'd be getting on the plane with Robert. Our photographers were shocked when she emerged at JFK after Robert's plane already took off. Yes, it's true. Lee Black is left isolated in New York. Robert goes on to London and Hong Kong to do some promoting. In his upcoming film, "Life Down Under" will be shot in Australia and he'll be leaving for the Outback at the end of the month.

Will his "Life Down Under" co-star, the super-model turned actress, Maria Elsuado, help him get over his latest crush? There were several rumours a while back that these two were hot for each other. Who knows what the Outback heat will cook up between this steaming on-screen couple.

I looked up at Johnny, dazed. I shook my head to get the swimming words out of my brain. I called Taylor's smiling face back into my memory. His voice rung velvet and seductive in my head.