Late that morning Teddy was fitfully snoozing on a plane headed for Virginia, and by late that afternoon he was in Portsmouth, checking into a charming boutique hotel in the Olde Towne section. Finally he was able to relax after his hectic week. He lay back on the chenille-covered bed…

[AUTHOR’S NOTE: IT’S NOT OVER YET! THERE’S STILL THE OSCARS...] About an hour after the limousine had left Braverman’s home in Malibu it reached its destination at the Roosevelt Hotel on Hollywood Boulevard. Teddy and Nina emerged from the limo and went through the hotel’s side entrance into a busy…

Earlier that same Sunday afternoon Esperanza Nuñez was being dropped off at her house by a friend from church. It had been a good Mass. …

For was the second time that weekend Nina woke up in an unfamiliar setting. She sat up, stretching high her arms, and looked around. …

[AUTHOR’S NOTE: I KNOW THAT I’VE NAME DROPPED AT LOT IN THIS BOOK. C’MON, THIS IS HOLLYWOOD… HOWEVER! I ALSO WROTE SPEAKING PARTS FOR 2 REAL-LIFE PEOPLE: THE ROCKER IN THIS CHAPTER AND, FOR HISTORICAL ACCURACY, ELLEN DEGENERES IN CHAPTER 13.] Two hours later as the sun was slowly setting…

[AUTHOR’S NOTE: THIS CHAPTER, TOO, KEEPS CRACKING ME UP NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES I READ IT. BY THE WAY, THIS IS HOW THE PROS RECYCLE BAD GAGS.] It was a little after twelve-thirty when the cab pulled up to the Frink Building. The driver, who seemed to be unfamiliar…

[AUTHOR’S NOTE: THIS IS MY FAVORITE CHAPTER, THE ONE THAT MAKES ME LAUGH OUT LOUD. GIRLS, IF YOU EVER WANTED REAL REVENGE ON A REAL HOLLYWOOD WORM THROUGH YOUR FICTIONAL WORK, TAKE HEART.] Teddy’s adventure began a little less than three hours before his desperate call to Nina. He had…

What with the weekend traffic, Teddy didn’t get Nina back to Pasadena until quarter to seven. So, she had only just enough time for a quick shower and change, but by seven-thirty she was in her bedroom, seated at her dressing table conscientiously finishing her makeup. Tonight was going to…