EXCERPT: (condensed)
Chapter 15 - EXCERPT INCLUDED IN COMMENT
Friday, October 23, 2009
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The Excerpts (condensed from Chapter 15)
ReplyDeleteWithin two hours of returning from Avalon to the boat, Natalie was on her way back to the island, this time with Dennis. They cruised silently to shore, and Dennis tied Valiant at the dinghy dock. They walked a couple of blocks to the El Galleon Restaurant, Dennis carrying Natalie’s bag. Natalie was aggravated, and her evening wine intensified her mood. . . . . . . .
As they walked, Dennis noticed that Natalie was breathing deeply, her chin held higher than usual, as if inhaling the freedom of the moment along with the island air. The show business industry might be only as distant as the mainland, twenty-two miles away, but Natalie had never seemed further away from it in all of the years Dennis had known her. Tonight, she had escaped. Her boat skipper was by her side if she needed protection or companionship, but in this moment, she had no image to maintain—Dennis saw only Natalie Wood, the person. She looked especially beautiful in this freeze-frame.
Nonetheless, Dennis realized what a complicated situation this was for Natalie. She had left her costar behind with her angry husband on the boat, and she was obviously planning to abort the weekend outing, so there would soon be apologies, disappointment, a marital spat, and probably publicity to deal with.
It was after eleven when they stood at the reception desk in the Pavilion Lodge lobby. Natalie handed her American Express card to the night desk clerk, who barely took her eyes from the odd duo standing in front of her. Rooms 126 and 219 were booked and paid for in Natalie’s name. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
“I’ll call in the morning for a boat off the island, Dennis. Or I’ll see about catching a sea plane.”
Dennis smiled. Those were the best words he had heard so far on this miserable outing. He could return early to Splendour, cruise back to the marina with R.J. and Christopher, and this disaster of a weekend would be over and done with. His relief was obvious. . . . . . . . . . . . .
Dennis saw both sides. R.J. would not have liked it if Natalie had been rude to his guests, but he was jealous of Natalie’s guest. Natalie was so angry at R.J.’s jealousy that she behaved in defiance of his attitude. But it would all end by tomorrow, so Dennis was not too concerned with who was right or who was wrong. He just wanted it to end. This was a minor butting of heads, he believed, yet R.J. was beginning to scare him, too. “Natalie, tomorrow night we’ll all be where we should be.”
If only Dennis could have foreseen that by tomorrow night, Natalie Wood would be dead, he would have never allowed Natalie to continue making the choices.
“I’m still mad, though,” Natalie added. “You have no idea.”
“Yes, I do. I’ve never seen you or R.J. like this before. You’re here with me for the night, and R.J.’s on the boat with Christopher.”
“Well, he had no right to embarrass me that way in front of Christopher. I just wanted to show Christopher a good time the way R.J. always shows his guests a good time. I was really enjoying myself, and he ruined it.” . .. . . . . . . .
Excerpts continued:
ReplyDelete“We’ll order a big breakfast in the morning, Dennis, and then I’ll leave here. Let’s get some sleep.”
To Dennis, that seemed like a fantastic plan. He stood up to unbutton his shirt.
“Oh, no, no, no, Dennis,” Natalie said, smiling and wagging her finger back and forth like a windshield wiper. “The clothes stay on.”
“I’m only taking my shirt off, Natalie. I’ll leave the jeans on.”
“Leave all your clothes on.”
There was no arguing with her tone. “Okay. Toss me a pillow and the bedspread. I’ll sleep on the floor like a dog—an uncomfortable dog with clothes on.”
She giggled and pulled back the bedspread. “Here. Get in. I’ll sleep under the lower covers and you sleep under the bedspread.”
Dennis kicked off his shoes and socks and climbed into bed with Natalie.
They settled down in the dark. Natalie interrupted the stillness. “Dennis, thank you for being with me tonight. I’m glad you’re here. And thanks for letting me let off steam.”
“You’re welcome, Natalie. Good night.” Dennis clutched his pieces-of-eight, overwhelmed again by it.
“Good night.”
Dennis’s eyes closed heavily. He was nearly asleep when Natalie added, “Dennis, I can’t wait to fly my body out of here tomorrow.”
Her voice sounded so forlorn, so alone in the dark, that Dennis turned and put his arm over her blanket. He comforted the fearful child in Natalie, the child she kept hidden from the public, from almost everyone, the child who did not want to sleep alone. She was so strong, so professional, but a scared little girl lived inside her, too. The child in her did not object to having her boat captain’s arm protect her from the dark of night and soothe away the day’s events.
"Go to sleep,” he whispered.
Her words repeated themselves in his head. They brought him relief tonight—this terrible cruise was done—but they would haunt him forevermore: I can’t wait to fly my body out of here tomorrow.
Dennis fell asleep, unaware that he was about to spend the last sleep of Natalie Wood’s life with her, beside her, in her final bed.