Imperial Bedrooms

"Like an assistant?"

Cade smiles and turns away and then looks back at me, trying not to seem too concerned by the question. "Yeah, I guess."

Blair calls to invite me to a dinner party she's hosting in Bel Air next week and I'm suspicious at first but when she says it's for Alana's birthday I understand why I'm being invited and the conversation is mellow and tinged with forgiveness and after talking about simple things it feels easy enough to ask, "Can I bring someone?" even though a brief pause on Blair's part forces me back to the past.

"Yeah, sure," she says casually. "Who?"

"Just a friend. Someone I'm working with."

"Who is it?" she asks. "Do I know them?"

"She's an actress," I say. "Her name's Rain Turner."

Blair is silent. Whatever we had recovered earlier in the phone call is now gone.

"She's an actress," I repeat. "Hello?"

Blair doesn't say anything.

"Blair?"

"Look, I thought maybe you'd come solo, but I don't want her here," she says quickly. "I would never have allowed her to come here."

"Why not?" I ask in a warning voice. "Do you know her?"

"Look, Clay - "

"Oh, f**k this," I say. "Why would you invite me anyway, Blair? What are you doing? Are you trying to f**k with me? Are you still pissed? It's been over two years, Blair."

After a pause, she says, "I think we should talk."

"About what?"

She pauses again. "Meet me somewhere."

"Why can't we talk now?"

"We can't talk over the phone."

"Why not, Blair?"

"Because none of these lines are secure."

Turning off Sunset onto Stone Canyon I drive into the darkness of the canyons and valet park the BMW at the Hotel Bel-Air. I walk across the bridge past the swans floating in the pond and make my way to the dining room but Blair's not there and when I ask the hostess I find out she didn't make a reservation and outside I look around the patio but she's not there either and I'm about to call her when I realize I don't have her number. As I walk to the front desk I'm suddenly aware of how much effort I made to look nice even though nothing was going to happen. The receptionist tells me what room Mrs. Burroughs is in.

I pace around the grounds debating something and then I give up and walk to the room and knock. When Blair opens the door I walk in past her.

"What are you doing?" I ask.

"What do you mean?"

"It's not going to happen."

"What's not going to happen?"

"This." I make a tired gesture with my arm across the suite.

"That's not why we're ... " She looks away.

Blair's wearing loose cotton pants and she has no makeup on and her hair's pulled back and whatever work she has had done you can't tell and she's sitting on the edge of the bed next to a Michael Kors bag and she's not wearing her wedding ring.

"It's just a suite that Trent keeps," she says.

"Yeah?" I say, pacing. "Where's Trent?"

"He's still upset about Kelly Montrose," Blair says. "They were close. Trent represented him for a while." She pauses. "Trent's helping plan the memorial."

"What did you think was going to happen?" I ask. "Why am I here?"

"I don't know why you keep - "

Chapter 6

"It's not going to happen, Blair."

"You can stop saying that, Clay," she says, an edge in her voice. "I know."

I open the minibar. I don't even look at what bottle I take out. Annoyed, shaky, I pour myself a drink.

"But why wouldn't it happen?" Blair asks. "Is it because of her? The girl you wanted to bring to my house?" She pauses. "The actress?" She pauses again. "You don't think I'd be upset about that?"

"What do you want to talk about?" I ask impatiently.

"I guess in a way it's about Julian."

"Yeah? What about him?" I down the drink. "You were having an affair with him? You guys hooked up? What?"

When Blair bites her lower lip she's eighteen again.

"Julian told you?" she asks. "Is that how you know?"

"I'm just guessing, Blair," I say. "You told me to stay away from him, remember?" And then: "What does it matter? It's been over for a year, right?"