Sweet Revenge

of applause as she glided toward the theater. Unobtrusively, Adrianne guided her inside to the lobby that was already sprinkled with men and women of the film world. There was plenty of sparkle, plenty of cleavage, and plenty of gossip.
    “Darling, how delightful to see you.” Althea Gray, a streamlined actress who had made her mark in series television, strolled over to kiss the air an inch from Phoebe’s cheek. She gave Adrianne a neutral smile and an annoying pat on the head. “Just as pretty as ever, aren’t you? Atuxedo—what a cute idea.” She wondered how quickly she could have one designed for herself.
    Phoebe blinked at the friendly greeting. The last time she had seen the actress, Althea had given her the most pointed of snubs. “You look wonderful, Althea.”
    “Why, thank you, dear.” She waited until one of the cameramen who’d been allowed inside focused, then gave Phoebe’s cheek a chummy pat. “I’m so glad to see a couple of friendly faces at this circus.” She flicked a lighter at the end of a long cigarette so that the emerald on her finger glinted in the overhead lights. “I was going to skip tonight, but my publicist had a fit. What are you doing these days, sweetheart? I haven’t seen you for ages.”
    “I’ve just finished a movie.” Grateful for the interest, Phoebe smiled and ignored the smoke burning her eyes. “A thriller,” she said, elevating the low-budget slash and gash. “It should be released this winter.”
    “Wonderful. I’m about to make a film, now that I’m free of the mire of television. It’s a Dan Bitterman screenplay. You might have heard about it.
Torment?”
She gave Phoebe a lazy, knowing look. “I just signed to play Melanie.” Pausing only long enough to be sure she’d hit home, Althea smiled again. “I must go back to my date before he gets restless. Wonderful seeing you, darling. Let’s have lunch soon.”
    “Mama, what’s wrong?” Adrianne asked.
    “Nothing.” Phoebe fixed a smile to her face as someone called her name.
Melanie.
Larry had promised the part was hers. It had been only a matter of tying up a few loose ends in the negotiations, he’d said, promising that the movie would finally bring her back to where she had been.
    “Do you want to go home?”
    “Home?” Phoebe turned up the voltage of her smile until it crackled. “Of course not, but I’d love a drink before we go in. Oh, there’s Michael.”
    She waved and caught the attention of the actor who’d been her first leading man, Michael Adams. There was a little gray at his temples that he didn’t bother to touch up, a few lines in his face he didn’t choose to have pulled taut or plumped up. He’d often thought his success had come as much from knowing who he was as from any acting skill. Hewas still playing leading men even as he cruised toward fifty with an expanded waistline.
    “Phoebe.” With affection, and a trace of pity, he bent down to kiss her. “And who is this beautiful young lady?” He smiled at Adrianne, apparently without recognition.
    “Hello, Michael.” Adrianne rose to her toes to kiss his cheek, a gesture she usually performed with reluctance. With Michael, it was done with pleasure. He was the only man she knew with whom she felt truly comfortable.
    “This can’t be our little Addy. You put all our fledgling starlets to shame.” Then he laughed and pinched her chin, making her smile again. “The best work you ever did is right here, Phoebe.”
    “I know.” She caught her lip between her teeth before it trembled, and managed another smile.
    Problems, he thought, sharp enough to interpret Phoebe’s overbright eyes. Then again, there were always problems with Phoebe. “Don’t tell me you two are unescorted.”
    “Larry’s out of town.”
    “Uh-huh.” It wasn’t the time to lecture Phoebe again about Larry Curtis. “I don’t suppose I could talk you into keeping a lonely man company through this.”
    “You’re never lonely,” Adrianne said. “I read just last week where you were romancing Ginger Frye in Aspen.”
    “Precocious child. Actually, it was a skiing weekend and I was lucky to get away without broken bones. Ginger was along in case I needed medical attention.”
    Adrianne grinned. “Did you?”
    “Here.” Michael pulled a bill from his money clip. “Go buy yourself a soda like a good girl.”
    Chuckling, she wandered off.
    Michael watched her, admiring the way she maneuvered through the crowd. In a year