Christina Ch. 04

"Back to business," Katy said, sitting up on the top of her desk and popping another grape into her mouth.

"Back to business."

She gave me a look that was distinctly sad. " Remember," she said, " I told you I didn't know much."

"I remember," I replied. " Please, I'm not expecting anything of you. Just tell me what you do know."

Our eyes met as she gave me a level stare. " Paul's been bought," she said.

"I know that...." I began.

"Wait a minute," she said, holding up her hand to stop me. " I don't think you quite understand what I mean."

"Please, Katy," I came back. " Spare me the mysteries. Just tell me what's going on."

"When I say ' bought ', I don't mean just paid for his work in one picture."

"A multi-picture contract?" I said, scarcely believing it. Multi-picture contracts, I knew, had gone the way of Irving Thalberg and Cecil b. de mille. No one offered multi-picture contracts these days, and no one would take him or her even if they were offered.

"No," Katy said. " Something even more outlandish."

"What could be more outlandish than a multi-picture contract?"

"I'm not sure," she said.

"Will you stop talking riddles?" I cried out, suddenly exasperated. " You're his agent, aren't you? You conduct his business, don't you?"

"Not this time, I didn't," she said. " This was something Paul did entirely on his own. I wasn't even consulted."

"But what is it?" I was nearly screaming.

"Look, darling, I'm trying to help you. I'm telling you everything I know. Paul's been bought, and he's been bought body and soul. It's not just his acting that's been bought, it's him. It's Paul himself."

"What is this?" I said. " Some sort of medieval fantasy? People don't just sell themselves!"

"Paul did."

I started to protest, but I couldn't find the words. The whole thing was beginning to get nasty, almost monstrous sound to it, and Katy's answers were doing nothing but raising new questions. I struggled for a moment with a mounting panic, a feeling that somehow Paul was lost forever, that I might not ever see him again except on a movie screen. But I controlled myself and managed to order my thoughts sufficiently to ask the next question.

"Who bought him?"

"I don't know, " Katy said, shrugging her shoulders. " it's very obscure."

"So it seems."

The thought crossed my mind that Katy might be lying to me, that she might know more than she was telling, or even that she might have a hand in what was being done to Paul. But when I looked at her and saw the genuine concern in her eyes, saw the way her shoulders were slumping in defeat, I knew that she was telling the truth as she knew it. I got up and began to put my clothes back on, keeping my back to her so that she would not see how distraught I really was. Then I felt the softness of her hand on my shoulder, and when I turned around to face her I could see tears beginning to well up in her eyes.

"Look," she said. " That really is all I know. But you're a very fine lady, and I want to help you if I can. Why don't you go home and let me see what I can find out?"

I looked at her for a moment, and then nodded silently. I had my own resources, of course, and I would certainly use them. But I had to admit that Katy was at this point much closer to Paul than I was, and probably had more direct access to knowledge about his mysterious sellout. I had the feeling that I had found in her not only a marvelous and creative sex partner, but also an ally I could trust.

I reached over to her desk, plucked one of the golden chardonnay grapes from the bunch, and held it up in front of her.

"Here," I said. " I think you're going to need some more strength."

I gently inserted the grape in her mouth. I nodded as she smiled at me in understanding, then gave her a brief, chaste kiss, turned, and walked out the door.