Barbara showed increasing annoyance. “I do not intend to spend the evening listening to the virtues of Murnau.”
“Sorry,” Eric apologized. He turned to his friend and said, “It’s a lovely night. What do you say we take a walk on the beach, Richard?”
“Fascinating idea,” his friend said to Nita and Barbara, he added, “Do excuse us. We’ll join you later.”
When the two men left the room Barbara made herself another drink and told Nita, “I’m sorry, but I can’t bear Richard or any of his crowd.”
“Oh?”
Barbara frowned. “He’s a bad influence on my husband.”
“They seem so friendly. And he’s in all Eric’s films,” Nita said.
“Eric sees to that,” the exotic black-haired beauty said with disgust. “I’m certain he does it to annoy me!”
“But you have such a happy marriage!”
Barbara lifted her eyebrows. “You think so?”
“The fan magazines are always extolling you as the ideal married couple.”
“You surely don’t read that rot!”
Nita blushed. “I used to when I was younger. I think most young girls read some of that sort of thing.”
Barbara sipped her drink. “There are some truths you must soon learn about Hollywood, my dear. You must be friendly with the people who can help you. I plan to have you in every film I make from now on. The rushes show you are excellent in ‘Desire’.”
“I’m so glad to hear you say so,” Nita said. “I’ve been really worried.”
“Don’t worry any more. As long as I have any say you’ll have work at Master Films.”
“You’re too kind.”
“If Eric can have his favorites in his films so can I,” Barbara said.
“I must find out more about the director they were discussing, F.W.Murnau,” said Nita.
Barbara grimaced. “I wouldn’t give him a second thought. I consider him an undesirable person.”
“Why?” Nita asked innocently.
Barbara turned away from her. “I’d rather not discuss it.”
They talked for a little longer. Then Barbara went over to the big windows overlooking the beach and pulled back one of the drapes which had been drawn closed when darkness came. The beach was floodlit to keep burlars from approaching the house by that way.
Staring out the window into the darkness broken only by the beams of the floodlights, Barbara said, “Jesse Lasky has the place next door.”
“He’s the producer, isn’t he?” Nita said.
“The best of the group here in Hollywood,” Barbara answered. Then all at once she froze and gasped as she went on staring outside.
Nita saw her stunned reaction to whatever was happening and went to her. “What is it?”
“Look!” Barbara said in a taut voice.
It took Nita a moment to see what had so disturbed her hostess. Just to one side of the floodlight’s glow two figures stood in the bushes. Two male figures, embracing and kissing.
“Why, it’s — ” she turned to Barbara in dismay and didn’t finish.
“It’s my husband and Richard making love,” Barbara said bitterly. “We won’t see them again tonight!”
Nita stared at her incredulously “What …?”
“They’ll go off to one of their private places. Perhaps to Richard’s apartment. He has one near here. Or maybe to the orgy at Murnau’s. He’s having another one of them tonight, so Richard said.”
The shocking truth was now dawning on Nita. She said, “Richard Wright is a homosexual — and your husband?”
“Is ‘double-gaited,’ if you want to be especially kind to him. The truth is, his homosexual nature takes over every time he has an opportunity.”
“How awful for you!” Nita gasped.
Barbara put out her cigarette in a nearby tray. “I’ve grown used to it. I go my way and he goes his.”
“He’ll spend the night with that man?”
“Yes.”
“And when he returns?”
“He’ll tell some preposterous story for your benefit, make it seem an innocent case of drinking too much and falling asleep on a friend’s couch. Eric is an old hand at explaining his pecadillos.”
“I’m so sorry,” Nita said.
Barbara smiled at her sadly and took Nita’s hands in hers. Her soulful eyes studied her closely and she said, “Now you know why I sought you out. I’m desperately lonely and in need of companionship.”
“It’s a hateful position for you,” Nita said. “Why don’t you divorce him?”
“It would ruin both our careers,” the lovely, pale woman said. “Neither of us can afford that just now. Later, when it is more convenient, we’ll surely separate.”
“In the meantime you’re living a sham existence! How unhappy you must be!”
Barbara bent close to her so that her perfume filled Nita’s nostrils and kissed her gently on the cheek. “It helps me having you here, dear Nita. I need feminine friendship.”
Nita said, “There are many fine men. You should pay Eric back by seeking out some good man to keep you company!”
Barbara sighed and moved away. She said, “I have suffered too much at the hands of men. Eric is only the latest sad example of the misery I’ve known.”
“Really?” Nita said. “I was married, you know.”
“And?” her hostess said.
Nita sighed. “He was killed in an accident. I was deeply in love with him at first. But he drank a lot. I almost left him but towards the end he seemed to be straightening out. I think he did truly love me.”
“There’s always some flaw,” Barbara said despondently. “Men are invariably inconsiderate of women in one way or another.”
“I think it’s just that they don’t understand,” Nita suggested.
Barbara touched a hand to her temple. “I think I’ll go to bed if you don’t mind. And you should also. You’re here for a rest. The camera seeks out every wrinkle. Rest is all important.”
Nita nodded. “I’ll be glad to get to bed early, unless you’d like me to remain up to talk with you.”
The dark beauty smiled languidly. “Not tonight. I’ll come by and say goodnight before I go to bed. Just to be sure you are comfortable.”
“I’m sure I will be,” Nita said.
Nita went to her room, still stunned. She now had evidence that there were other things beside drink which could destroy a marriage. Here in Hollywood there were drugs, the race for power, and homosexuality. As she recalled Eric Gray’s performances in his films she realized that he had a carefully masked feminine side to him. In Richard Wright this peculiarity was more noticeable. But according to Barbara they were two of a kind. Nita knew little about homosexuals and was not anxious to know more. The incident had sickened her and even though she had much sympathy for Barbara she made up her mind not to accept any invitations to their beach house in future. This must have been what Phillip Watters was alluding to but had not wanted to say straight out.
Nita undressed and filled the tub with perfumed bath salts. She lingered in it for a good half-hour. Then she rose and dried herself before the mirror in the large bathroom. She could not help being grateful for her youth and the shapely, long legs, and firm, not-too-large breasts with which she had been kindly endowed.
Still nude, she was crossing into the bedroom to get some body lotion when the door to her room suddenly opened and her hostess, wearing a long golden dressing robe, came in. Nita felt herself blushing at being caught naked in this manner and stood awkwardly for a moment between the bathroom door and her bed.
“Don’t be embarrassed!” Barbara said with a smile. “You have a beautiful body. You should be proud of it.”
Nita managed a small smile. “New England Puritanism, the Irish variety.” she said. “One is only nude in the bathtub on Saturday nights!”
Barbara’s laugh was a musical tinkle. She said, “How dear you are! You should have been with me in the South of France. I spent some time with a group of women who walked about naked most of the day and night! Such wonderful freedom!”
Nita moved towards her bed where her nightgown was lying. She said, “I doubt if I would make a good nudist.”
“Nonsense! You have the body for it!” Barbara said. And she came close and with an outstretched hand restrained Nita from slipping on the nightgown.
“Thank you,” Nita said, a tremor in her voice, aware that there was something disturbing in the manner of her hostess. “I’ll put on my nightgown now.”
“Wait!” Barbara said, and with a quick gesture she opened her golden robe and let it drop to the floor. The lovely body of the exotic star was perfectly revealed — the curve of her luscious breasts, the firm stomach, the perfectly proportioned limbs.
“Please!” Nita’s cheeks continued to burn and she tried to move away.
“You mustn’t be so shy,” the other woman said, keeping that steel grip on her arm. “Sit down beside me,” she said softly and Nita found herself doing as she was bid, hoping that at any moment she might escape.
“We must get to know each other better,” Barbara said softly, and horrified Nita by leaning forward and greedily kissing her breasts. Then the lovely woman’s hand began to carress Nita’s most intimate parts.
Nita was frozen with horror for a moment. Then she lifted her free hand and slapped Barbara across her beautiful face so hard that it left a patch of red. Barbara released her grip and fell back a little. Nita jumped to her feet and held her nightgown in front of her.
“Leave my room!” she demanded.
Barbara’s hand covered the spot which Nita had slapped. She stood before her, cringing and pleading. “Please!”
“I only want you to leave!” Nita cried.
Barbara’s manner changed abruptly and the cringing look became one of hatred. She nonchalantly reached down and picked up her golden robe and put it on.
As she tied the cord, she sneered. “You little fool!”
“Go!”
The lovely star’s face was distorted with anger. She moved to the door and turned to tell her, “I’ll see you finished at the studio! Remember that!” She slammed the door behind her as she stalked out.
Nita hurried across the room and turned the key in the lock. Then she leaned weakly against it. Her experiences since coming to the beach house had been as shattering as anything she had ever known. She was sick and frightened. Most of all she wanted to get back to her own place in Gardenia Court, back to her little cottage and away from these depraved people!
She hastily dressed, then packed her bag and quietly made her way out to her roadster in the parking area. She got into it and was backing it up when she saw Barbara come to the window. Nita paid no attention as she wheeled the car around and started out to the road. All she wanted was to get away from the horrible house and its occupants.
As she drove towards Hollywood she began to feel desolate and alone. It was natural that she should think of Billy Bowers. She momentarily considered trying to reach Phillip Watters but remembered he’d spoken of going to San Francisco for the weekend. With Thelma gone to New York she had no one to turn to but Billy.
Nita changed the direction of the car and drove to Billy’s house. She was glad to see some lights in the windows indicating someone might be home. Murphy opened the front door to her.
He looked surprised. “Mrs. Nolan! What are you doing here?”
“I want to speak with Billy,” she said urgently.
The big man gave her a knowing glance. “He’s in his room. He’s been there most of the evening.”
Desperately, she forced herself to ask, “Is he — very drunk?”
“He’s been drinking.”
“Can I just see him for a few minutes? I need to talk to him,” she begged.
Murphy gave a sigh. “I’ll see how he is and try and arrange it. Come inside.”
Nita waited in the shadowed reception hall while Murphy went to the rear of the house to check on Billy. She realized with dismay that she was trembling violently. After a brief time Murphy returned.
He said, “He’ll see you but you’ll have to go to him in his room.”
“All right,” she said.
“I’ll show you the way,” Murphy told her.
“Thank you,” Nita said, following him. Along the way, he asked her, “How’s the career shaping up?”
“I’ve been working hard. I’m not sure,” she faltered.
“No one in Hollywood ever is,” Murphy said dryly. He halted before an oaken door. “In there.”
She knocked on the door and a Billy’s weary voice invited her in. When Nita entered the room she was shocked by his appearance. He was slouched in a big leather chair, wearing a bathrobe and pajamas. He had a two-day stubble of beard, and there were dark circles under his eyes.
He managed a smile for her. “Don’t be afraid. Come in and sit down.”
The smell of bottleg whiskey filled the room. He poured her a drink from a bottle on the table beside him and held out the half-filled glass. Looking at her closely, he said, “You look as if you need this!”
“Thanks,” she said, and, taking the glass, sipped from it and gingerly perched on the chair facing him.
“To what do I owe this late and unexpected visit?” he asked.
“I’m so sorry to bother you,” she said.
In spite of his appearance Billy seemed relatively sober. “No apologies needed. Unless they be mine. I’m not quite — presentable, as you can see.”
“I need a friend tonight, Billy.”
“You look as if you’d witnessed a murder,” he said.
“I’ve seen enough,” she replied grimly. She swallowed some more of the burning liquid in the glass and as it trickled down her throat, it gradually warmed her. She said, “I decided to spend the weekend at Barbara and Eric’s beach house.”
Billy shook his head in disbelief. “Didn’t anyone warn you?”
“Several people gave me guarded warnings,” she admitted. “But no one came right out and said what was wrong.”
“I thought I told you about them,” Billy said. “They’re one of the ‘twilight tandem’ couples. Several of Hollywood’s most vaunted marriages are in the same category.”
“Everyone knows this?”
“And no one talks about it, or at least not in public,” the comedian said. “Barbara was a well-known lesbian before she married Eric, and he is know to have been involved with both women and men, with a preference for men.”
“He went off with one of his friends for the night and left me alone with her. Then she came to my room and tried to seduce me!”
Billy smiled grimly. “I assume you fought her off!”
“I made her get out of the room and then I packed and left as swiftly as I could!”