Carrie And Me: A Mother-Daughter Love Story Part 25

The absurdity of both the message and Kate's situation is not lost on her. She bangs the phone down. "s.h.i.+t! s.h.i.+t! s.h.i.+t!"

F.M. is back to waiting patiently by the pickup. Kate gathers up her things and exits the booth, approaching him. She leans up against the pickup truck and takes out a cigarette. She barely has it out of the pack before he produces a Zippo and lights it.

"No one home?"

Kate stares out at the desert. "No. No one."

"I can take you back if you want."

Kate studies him for a moment. "To what?"

"To your friends, your boyfriend, your family, your life."

Kate shakes her head.

"What?"

"All of it. The whole thing." She turns, pulls the pa.s.senger's door open, and gets in the truck. F.M. climbs into the driver's seat. Staring straight ahead, Kate announces, "Let's go."

"Where to?"

"Graceland, right?"

On Hollywood's busy Cahuenga Boulevard tires screech as a car slams to a halt. Kate yells at the driver who has almost hit her, kicking his b.u.mper as he speeds away. She is with her friend Martine (from the answering machine), who's around Kate's age, also good-looking, hip, and very s.e.xy. The girls are in their clubbing clothes. Kate is wearing her stomper boots and carrying a small backpack.

Kate yells after the car, "Pedestrians have the right of way, a.s.shole!"

Martine laughs. "Tell that to the coroner."

The girls approach the Burgundy Room, a small, popular bar on Cahuenga. Outside, a black man sits in a rattan armchair. In his forties, wearing thick gla.s.ses, a sport jacket, tie, and a watch cap. Charles is the doorman and a sage to many of the Hollywood kids who frequent the Burgundy. Even sitting down, it's obvious Charles is very tall.

Charles smiles as the girls approach.

"Hey, Charles!"

"Martine. Kate. h.e.l.lo there!"

"Has Jack shown up?" Kate asks.

"No. Not yet. How are you ladies tonight?"

"After having had a fight with my boyfriend and almost getting run over crossing the street, I'm just peachy. If I don't get a drink soon, I'm going to cry."

"Well, go on in and have a good time."

The Burgundy is dark and crowded. The loud music and din of the crowd is all-enveloping. Kate and Martine greet a few people as they work their way toward the bar. Yvette, the bartender, sees them and smiles as she serves another customer a drink, then comes over. Kate and Martine both lean over the bar and hug Yvette.

"Hey! I'm so glad you're here."

"Me, too," Kate says.

"Me, three," Martine adds distractedly, looking across the bar. "Who's that?" She has spotted a guy sitting alone who would be almost pretty if it weren't for the multiple piercings, tattoos, and what looks to be a very bad att.i.tude.

"Not sure. He's new."

Kate follows her gaze. "Oh, puh-leeze... ."

Martine doesn't look back. "What? He's gorgeous."

"Yeah. If you like guys who eat gla.s.s for breakfast."

But Martine is already heading toward him. Over her shoulder she shouts, "That's perfect. Yvette, send me a Jack and c.o.ke over there, and whatever he's drinking."

Kate shouts back, "How about the blood of freshly killed nuns?"

Martine flips her off and sidles up to the guy as Yvette says, "Haven't seen you for a while, Kate."

"Yeah, I've been working nights. I f.u.c.king hate it."

"Tell me about it. At least your customers aren't drunk guys with wandering hands."

"No. Much worse. They're OLD. 'Miss? These eggs ... they're too runny, they're not runny enough, my nose is runny, could you blow it for me?' On a good day they smell like stale socks. G.o.d help me, I hope I never get that old. Would you pour me a margarita?"

"Double?"

Kate nods. "I just might get s.h.i.+t-faced tonight."

As Yvette goes to pour the drink Kate is grabbed from behind, lifted up, and kissed ferociously on the neck. It's Kenny, one of the regulars at the bar and a nighttime pal of Kate's. In his twenties, he's chubby, and wears gla.s.ses and a baseball cap that says FOG on it.

"Christ, Kenny! Put me down! I just ate!"

"Me, too!" He sets her down and Kate turns around and hugs him.

"I love your chubby tummy."

"Hey, I'm on a diet."

"You are?"

"Yep. I'm working my way down to obesity!"

Kate laughs.

The DJ puts on "Hot For Teacher" by Van Halen, which sends the bar into a tizzy. This is a Burgundy favorite. Everyone cheers and sings along. Yvette hands Kate her drink, which she gulps down before singing along with the crowd. The bar top gets doused with lighter fluid and set on fire. Everyone goes nuts... .