Dynamic Hollywood Newcomer

Rick, thinking Sandra would be out of her depth, was amazed when she whispered the state or countries almost ever star being introduced was from and who their partners were and gave him details of more than half the directors and producers. Within minutes he'd been almost blown away by Sandra's knowledge.

The principal sponsors including Nick were introduced and then Angelieque then said, 'Finally, our special guest tonight from Noo Zealand, the new Miss Wonder Woman."

Sandra joined the clapping until Nick said, "It's you, stand!"

Sandra broke protocol of course by speaking. "By Gawd this is a glittering event," she screamed. "Thanks for the welcome Angie and everyone here spend big tonight or Angie and I will come around and take scalps."

The crowed loved here and screamed and clapped in delight.

"Angie -- that's a new name for me and certainly beats the name many colleagues call me and that's SuperBitch."

When the clapping died Angelieque said, "We weren't going to show this because we didn't think our heroine would make it tonight with that smasher of an eye of hers. Dim the lights please and we would point out those who you who are sensitive to four-letter words must place your hands over your hears because this version of the TV clip has not been bleeped."

The huge packed venue exploded in applause as the lights turned on.

"Thank you ladies and gentlemen but before dinner is served let's have the one quick auction. "Nigel Patton will now auction one of our heroine's earrings I collected from Sandra as she arrived here tonight. You're on Nigel."

The lively auctioneer drew a final bid of $2700 and halted bidding.

The spotlight fell on to Sandra and she was handed a microphone.

"My gawd, a Kiwi charity auction in a small town would have auctioned a hundred items to raise two thousand seven hundred bucks, but I'll tell you what. I was wearing these earrings this morning when those thugs ran into me. Here add this one to Lot One," Sandra said taking off the earring. "I'm not sure they are particularly valuable; I bought them at a JC Penney sale. Just up the ante a little more huh -- it's for charity."

The bidding topped $3300 and at that point the second bidder dropped out and Nick stepped in and called, "Five thousand dollars and I'll donate the earrings to the Police Museum." There was a cheer and the ear-rings were knocked down to him and Sandra hugged and kissed him, oblivious to the media cameras.

Kissing Sandra outside the Princess room Nick said. "Tonight was magic, partly because of the way Angelieque responded to you. At our last auction we raised a record amount and tonight we eclipsed that by just over 40%. We are also very proud of you. Tomorrow at 11.00 I want you at the jeweler's shop where the jeweler wants you to pick out a pair of earrings to the value of $5000 trade price plus taxes.

"Very well, I'll go providing Belinda accompanies me."

"Yes of course, but why?"

"If Belinda hadn't been with me I may not have been able to take the action I did. A lady doesn't just drop her handbag irresponsibly. One must keep up standards."

Nick looked at Sandra thoughtfully and turned and began walking about, only to return to catch her about to close the door.

"Oh, you want one more kiss?"

He grinned and kissed the puckered lips.

"I'm a little too tired to show you my breasts. I assume you are not unknown to women so I'd like to ensure they smooth, firm and creamed before they come under scrutiny."

He leered.

Sandra waited, knowing his reason for returning was to say something.

Nick said he would like her to come on to his corporate offices after being to the jewelers. There was someone he wished her to meet.

As a forming request opened Sandra's mouth he smiled: "Yes, Belinda may accompany you. Mrs Roberts will feel like wringing my neck with me allowing Belinda to be taken away from her duties so much. But then again Mrs Roberts told me tonight she was so proud of you."

Sandra lowered her eyes in modesty and when raising them saw he was striding off ten feet away, waving a hand behind him like a penguin's flipper.

* * *

Belinda gawked at the building while Sandra watch what passing female office workers were wearing.

"Ohmigod, it's a skyscraper Sandra."

"Crap, about fifteen levels I reckon. I love the black granite finish. It announces the company exists for the long-term."

"What?"

Sandra laughed and said Belinda must learn not to take everyone she heard for gospel. "I read that description in a magazine once of an architect describing why he'd chosen black granite to sheath the exterior of his building that had won a prestigious design award. That building was a bank, so the quote was believable. This outfit makes sex aids or something similar, doesn't it?"

Her friend looked horrified. "In its five plants it manufacturers electronic immobilizers for motor vehicles, control devices for domestic elevators and restaurant and hotel dumb waiters, other things I don't know about and its main production is traffic and airport runway traffic control systems, ie traffic lights."

"Do you also work in the corporation's PR department?"

Belinda gave Sandra a sly smile. She said when applying for her position as a housemaid the second question Mrs Roberts asked her was what did Belinda's prospective employers' company produce. She was the only applicant selected for final interviews able to answer that question.

"Well, that's a relief to me," Sandra laughed. "Now that I am aware a brain lurks I may very well succeed in helping ignite your writing career."

"Bitch," Belinda hissed and they looked at each other and grinned. The friendship was really taking hold.

Sandra and Belinda arrived ninety seconds before their appointed time and the snooty PA made them wait that ninety seconds before picking up her phone and advising her superior Misses Clemow and her companion had arrived.

"That cold-ass woman has to go," Sandra said, not talking her eyes off the woman.

Belinda said probably the woman was hired to be a tigress as a shield for the boss.

"Ah yes, good one Belinda. By the way, have you thought of shortening your name to Lindy?"

Belinda tensed and she faced Sandra. "My dear parents gave me my name."

"Relax babe. Belinda will still appear on your driver's license and in official documents. What we are doing here is demonstrating the flexibility of the lovely name your parents gave you. In effect we are changing nothing."

"We?"

"You are becoming Lindy aren't you?"

"I shall torture myself thinking about it."

"Fine, take as long as you like. There's no hurry."

Cold Ass led Sandra and Belinda into an enormous office. Nick was leaning on the front of his desk, talking on his cell phone. He blew a kiss at Sandra and the two women seated in front of him reacted, the older woman looking shocked and the younger woman smiling slyly as they turned to see the object of the chief's attention. Both immediately recognized the woman in an incredibly tight black suit and a black eye as the heroine from TV. They stood and moved over to Sandra.

"Hi, I'm Sandra Clemow and this is my adviser Lindy Rice."

"Good morning, I'm Mrs Bliss, director of corporate administration and this is Wendy Rogers from PR."

"Pleased to meet you guys, do we kiss, shake hands or stand awkwardly?" Sandra said disarmingly. "I'm not up with corporate America and anyway I'd guess being on the West Coast you guys out here do your own thing."

"A neutral smile and slight smile would be in order," said Jennifer.

"Oh come one, shake my hand Mrs Bliss."

"Thank you. And a light kiss for you Wendy. God, you look to have the horsepower to handle ten men and are beautiful to boot."

Wendy looked delighted, offered Sandra a cheek and shook hands with Sandra's companion who was still getting used to the idea of being called Lindy.

Jennifer said, "Come through to the boardroom where we're serving a light lunch and I'll begin the briefing."

As the women sipped wine Jennifer explained Mr Love wanted the corporation's 'Induction Handbook for New Personnel' updated and modernized.

"The head of PR Mrs Wright is furious this project is not being put through her department so I've seconded Wendy here to serve as your liaison person. Wendy is Mrs Wright's daughter without title but I thought she would be more appropriate for this liaison than the department's assistant manager. That's all you need to know. Wendy will be available to you from 9:00 tomorrow morning and will spend all day with you, beginning by showing you our corporate DVD we show visiting VIPs and send to individuals inquiring about purchasing stock in the corporation."

"May we also see DVDs the plants have outlining their operations and we'd like to visit one of the plants, preferably the one that produces traffic lights."

"Well yes, if you think that's necessary."

"Before Lindy and I begin to write we need to possess the 'feel' of the corporation."

"The feel?" Jennifer said, somewhat mystified while Wendy flashed the two visitors a dazzling smile.

"Wendy will know what I mean Mrs Bliss. I would think you are finance-oriented, right?"

"Yes but I don't see what that has to do with this point?"

Sandra smiled beautifully at Jennifer and said, "Quite" to confuse the narrow-focused executive even further.

Nick entered the room apologizing, bounded up to Sandra and kissed her rather deeply, tickled Lindy aka Belinda under the chin and pouring a wine asked, "Are you okay with this project Jennifer?"

"Y-yes, I am," she said, holding out the glass for Nick to refill and struggling to smile.

"Well, negotiations completed are they?" Nick asked.

"Virtually -- just the matter of remuneration."

Nick didn't back offer. "The offer is no expenses payable, you take up to three months and when your final draft is accepted by the PR Department you as team leader receive 65% of the $30,000 and Belinda..."

"She has just become Lindy."

"...and Lindy gets the remainder."

"Thirty K?" Sandra wheezed.

"If you justify your claim we're prepared to top off at forty K," said Jennifer, "but I suggest don't push young lady."

"I'm thinking thirty K is heaps too much."

"Well in that case..."

Nick grinned and said the contract was fixed at thirty K. "Now, let's move over to lunch -- I requested it be kept light, focusing on turkey, chicken and seafood because you slender young things will not wish to bloat out..."

Riding home in a cab Lindy said, "What will Mrs Roberts say when I reveal I'll be moonlighting."

"Learn to ride with the flow Lindy but my bet the boss has already ask Mrs Roberts to shift you to the room two from me and to temporarily change the room between us into our collaborative office."

"How can you possibly think that?"

"The boss thinks smart and I try to think a bit smarter."

"Well, I'll deal with Mrs Roberts," Lindy smiled. "I must say the boss is head-over with you."

"You're fantasizing Lindy. Apart from the occasional quite perky kiss he won't touch me."

"Exactly!" He will pluck you slowly."

Sandra grinned and said didn't Lindy mean the F-word?

"Be quite and listen. He will slowly advance like a creeping paralysis and then, when he's all but unzipped, we'll have a grand dinner party at which he will propose publicly to you and you'll accept. He'll smash away the dishes and have you on the table before his drunken and cheering guests."

Looking rather white around the gills, Sandra said Lindy shouldn't joke like that. "However, it's a great scene for a script. I'm pleased you are thinking along those lines.

"The boss will creep over you like a red fog and he'll take you in spectacular fashion. Mark my words."

"Well, he better hurry. His lack of commitment is beginning to bore me. I need a man."

Lindy looked devastated. "Does that also mean you are thinking about returning to Noo Zealand."

"It's New Zealand Lindy and yes, the thought has risen within me again. He's not coming home for dinner tonight. Oh lucky me, I'll have time to do my nails, spending an hour on each one."

Mrs Roberts greeted them at the door and offered her congratulations to Belinda. "You are moving upstairs and I invite you to help me select your successor. Also ladies could you tour through the mansion with me and pick out furniture you'd like for your office between your rooms."

"Our collaborative office?" Lindy asked, staring at Sandra who looked not at all interested.

"What's a collaborative office dear?"

"You should put that question to Sandra Mrs Roberts. Sandra knows everything."

As Sandra sat in the Afternoon Lounge listening to music and staring out the windows looking the perfect character of a bored young woman, Lindy went out and made a call and the woman who answered listened and said as good as done. At 6:30 Linda was called to main foyer. "A gentleman to see you Miss."

CHAPTER 3

A guy in a plain white T-shirt, wide chest and waist just beginning to thicken and wearing shorts, sandals and a big smile said "Hi Miss Clemow. I'm here to take you roller skating on the LA beachfront and then to hang out with some folk I know over seafood while we watch the surfers and the beach bums and beach sluts."

"Oh yes, and who are you?"

"My apologies, Lane Wright, Wendy's brother. Wendy works in PR -- you met her yesterday."

"Yes, indeed. Wendy's married brother?"

Lane said yes and showed all his teeth. "It's okay, my wife Felicity said to enjoy myself and added an adventure like this could happen to her when she traveled."

"She also said not to catch anything?"

Coloring slightly Lane stared and muttered, "How the hell did you know that?"

"Felicity seems like my kind of girl. Yes, I'll accompany you but don't expect me to roll over for you on a whim."

"Ah, er, I think I know what you are saying."

"I'll get changed, won't be a minute. Study the ceiling."

Lang grinned and said she was okay. He looked at Sandra's favorite baggy shorts. "Laid-back elegance is cool. Many babes with your shape wear a bikini. Sunglasses and bring a wrap for later."

Sandra returned in a yellow bikini because yellow or green looked great on her olive tan.

Lane's eyes popped and he said, "Jesus."

"Mary perhaps but not Him."

"What?"

"Come along Lane, open that mind of yours. What pays the rent?"

"Head of security at one of the studios."

"Know any guys or gals working in script?"

"Yeah, our favorites. They drink a lot and think most of the stars are crap. I'll arrange introductions."

"How did you know I wanted and introduction or two?"

"Almost every does. Why should you be any different?"

"Fuck I must be so boring?"

Lane said patiently, "Sandra, I almost split my pants when Wendy said who you were. She sometimes asks me to escort a female company client or two to The Beach but usually they are far from being...well, you know what I mean."

"Big and baggy?"

He grinned. "Some of us saw you on TV or your pictures in the newspapers."

"A five-second wonder."

"You wear that black eye like a patch. You'll get respect on The Beach, especially from the babes."

"The women, I don't believe it?"

"Well listen to this. Most of the babes know the good-looking men often like other good-looking men while half of the others are either on dirt, look like dirt or are on muscle-building steroids want the babes to just look at them than ...er..."

"Suck?"

"Yeah," Lane said, shooting Sandra a grateful glance.

They went to The Beach on something that looked vaguely like an iron bedstead on wheels with a windscreen and mandatory safety gear.

"I do skate but would prefer not to dressed like this; I bruise easy."

"Cool, we'll walk."

Several people either called to Lane by name or saluted to him and nodded to Sandra. Then four twenties-something with huge boobs and tiny butts and bikinis the size of which made Sandra feel rather overdressed, went by and glanced at them and one called out, "Holy shit, it's her." They came back and wheeled on their rollers right in front of Lane and Sandra.

"You're that Slugger Dame on TV the night before last," said the very tall and beautiful Afro-American."

"Yes, this is Sandra Clemow from Noo Zealand," Lane said gleefully. "You wouldn't think she packs a killer punch, would you?"

"Lane, please."

A stone white blonde with a nose ring said, "Killer boobs too."

"Have a nice day Kiwi," called the third girl in an Australian accent.

The skaters returned in the direction they'd come from, moving well ahead of Lane and Sandra.

Soon heaps a people were calling out "Hi Sandra and Lane."

Lane explained to Sandra those bored skaters were spreading the word about Sandra.

"Bush telegraph?"

"Huh?"

"It doesn't matter."

"Sandra, be a pal and if anyone suggests I'm tailing you please don't deny it; just remain...um..."

"Mysteriously uncommunicative?"

"Yeah, perfect."

"You're been such good company Lane and I'm rather sexed up. You are welcome to attend to me with your mouth later. I won't be embarrassed if you decline."

"Hell no, the answer is yes and I'd like to..."

"Sorry buddy, I'm saving that for someone else right now. However I'll treat you first if I can get my mouth around it."

Lane's face suggested Christmas was coming for him months early this year.

* * *

Sandra found Nick working on company papers in his study when she arrived home at 10:30.

"Hi sweetie," he said jumping up and kissing her with a little sign of passion.

"Ooooh," that was lovely.

"Like another?"

"Yes please," Sandra said, confident about her breath because she'd fired Lane over the dashboard of his vehicle instead of swallowing and had been to a well-stocked bathroom to clean up when they called in to an up-market place for coffee.

Nick pulled away, eyes looking dark.

"Hmmmm. Mrs Roberts said a guy called and took you into LA to the beaches."

" Yes, and I wore my bikini - see!" Sandra opened her wrap fully and then closed her eyes in horror thinking what if her crotch was damp.

"Jesus," Nick said and Sandra's mind asked where had she had that retort before. "You are magnificent. Sit down and chat."

"Thank you Nick. Wendy from you PR department whom I'm working with called and asked if she could send someone over to show me The Beach and I said yes, thinking it would be one of her girlfriends," Sandra lied.

"No problem -- we enjoy an informal social scene here on the coast. I'm glad you went."

"Nick, if you are going to make yourself available, to show a real interest in me, I won't want to go anywhere with another guy. I know you had business commitments but I wish it had been you who introduced me to The Beach."

"Right, tomorrow evening we'll do it again on rollers."

"I won't be able to wear a bikini -- if I fall on rollers I'll bruise easily."

"You'll be working at HQ tomorrow so during your lunch break go out and buy gloves and elbow and knee pads. I'll be wearing mine. I'll take you to a colorful beachfront where I'm pretty well known."

"Oh Nick, I'd really love that," Sandra jumped up and hugged him. When the kiss finished he patted her ass and said kindly he had another couple of hours' work to get through.

* * *

As the parked Sandra realized they were back at the same beach.

"Oh Nick, could we go to another beach, this looks so crowded."

"No, this is a top spot and I want you to see Californian beach culture at its wildest and most varied. That is, if you can skate."

"Yes, yes, I'll bet by."

"I bet you can -- you have the look of a skater. Are you embarrassed being seen with me?"

"Nick, don't be such a foul tease. You have it all. You are my favorite leading man."

"Wow Sandra, that compliment earns you just about anything."