A PORTRAIT OF OLIVIA Read Online Free Page B

guests he had invited to Jeff ’s party.
    “Mom and Fred, Rod and ‘A’, Gloria and Johnny, Emily and Jerry, Justin and Anthony, Rob and Maggie, Dr. Ed and Kay, Nick and Eric—and you and David.”
    He looked at his friend Andrew Connor, who had come over early to help him set up. Andrew and his partner, David, had just returned from a vacation in Hawaii and Andrew, wearing a white tank top and shorts, was sporting a healthy tan.
    “Quite a crowd,” he said. “You’ll need at least five tables.”
    “I rented six just in case. They’re outside; let’s go arrange them and I can decide who sits with who.”
    “Why don’t you just let everyone choose who they want to sit with?”
    Andrew suggested. “We all know each other pretty well—but I want to sit with Rod and ‘A’. They’re always terrific company.”
    “And I’m not?” Peter sniffed.
    “You’re OK.” Andrew grinned at him. “But they know all the scandal.”
    “Huh, I’ve heard enough scandal recently,” Peter groused. “Olivia’s full of it.
    Always bad mouthing someone or other. What a bitch she is. Jeff can’t stand her.”
    “Who would have guessed? She comes over as such a great personality on the box.”
    “Oh, she’s that all right—a great public personality—but privately, she is one mean and bitter woman.”
    “All that money and success,” Andrew sighed. “You’d think that would make anyone happy.”
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    J.P. Bowie
    17
    Peter glanced at his friend as he unfolded the legs of one of the tables. “I think you have to be complete before you can be happy. All the money in the world can’t fill the void she obviously has in her life.”
    “She’s not married?”
    “Divorced. Pretty messy from what she’s told me.”
    “She talks to you about this?”
    “Are you kidding? She never shuts up about how he slapped her around, humiliated her in public, stole from her…”
    “Wow. When did all this happen?”
    “When she lived in Nebraska. She was a weather woman there then she got her own talk show. He was a newscaster at the same station. According to Olivia, he was pissed when it happened. Never could forgive her for beating him at his game. He wanted the show, but the producers wanted a woman—someone glamorous, and of course, Olivia fitted the bill.”
    “She is gorgeous. Who was she married to?”
    “Charles somebody…she always refers to him as ‘fuckin’ Charlie’, so if she ever mentioned his last name, I didn’t catch it.”
    “Winters, maybe?”
    “Oh yeah,” Peter laughed. “I never thought of that.”
    “Where is he now?”
    “I don’t think she knows. She dumped him when she moved to LA.”
    “Can’t say I blame her,” Andrew said. “Here, where d’you want this table?”
    “We’ll just group them casually, close together. You know everyone’s going to want to talk. I’ve got some fun umbrellas—very loud and festive.” They began pulling the tables together and placing folding chairs at each one. “Anyway, I’ll be very glad when this next show is over with and I don’t have to keep running up to LA to finish her portrait. It’s become a real chore.”
    “And here I thought show biz was all fun and games,” Andrew chuckled.
    “Not the kind of fun and games we enjoy,” Peter said, frowning. “One thing for sure though; it has made me appreciate everything I have here all the more.
    I wouldn’t trade my life for hers for an instant.”
    “Doesn’t she have a boyfriend, or someone in her life to keep her happy?”
    “Not that I know of. Sometimes she alludes to some great love she had in the past, but she never goes into any details about him.”
    “Maybe it still hurts.”
    “Maybe…but I just don’t see Olivia as the type to pine after anyone for too long. She’s got that hard edge, you know?”
    “Morning, boys!” Peter’s mother called from her patio.

    J.P. Bowie
    18
    “Hi, Eve…” Andrew ran over and gave her a big hug.
    “Hawaii obviously agreed