A Different Kind of Forever(74)
Afterwards, Quinn took the whole cast to a corner bar and bought them round after round. Rachel’s cast-mates were all young and obviously impressed with Quinn Harris. This was Quinn in his element, telling stories of his own early days, dissecting scenes and speeches with people as passionate about theater as he was. Rachel and her crowd were enthralled. Diane was charmed.
The impromptu party broke up after one in the morning, and since Diane did not want to take the train home so late, she stayed with Rachel. Her daughter had a studio that once sat in the shadow of the Twin Towers. She had been there a little over a year, and loved living in Chinatown. The next morning, they had breakfast together, and Diane didn’t get home until Sunday afternoon. Megan had called to say she and Emily were staying at their father’s another night, and wouldn’t be back until Monday after school. Diane went outside and spent the warm afternoon raking leaves. Then she went inside and sat alone, waiting for Michael to come home.
Diane had the perfect dress for the Pierre Hotel. She had found it in a vintage clothing shop, black satin, strapless. She tried it on at a whim, with Sue Griffen egging her on, and it had fit perfectly, sewn-in bones lifting her breasts beneath the shimmering fabric. Sue insisted she buy it, saying that, someday, she would need a dress like that. It hung in the closet for two years, but she took it out Saturday night. Quinn sent a limo for her, against her protests. He was co-hosting the event, and had to stay at the hotel. So the car, black and tasteful, picked her up and dropped her at Central Park East, and as she swept into the elegant, private room, a murmur ran through the crowd. She looked stunning. She was a new face. People buzzed.
Quinn was delighted to see her, kissing her coolly on the cheek. He stayed at her side through the cocktail hour, introducing her, his hand on her back. She knew he hated these events. He disliked meeting strangers, and was not at ease in crowds. He was restless, nervous, drinking club soda and being polite. Diane was having fun. The people there she had seen on stage or read about in magazines.
Sir Derek Shore was larger than life, a handsome, towering man, openly homosexual, whose long and distinguished career ranged from Greek tragedy to musical comedy. An icon in England, he was rarely seen on an American stage, and he was milking this event for all it was worth.
When Quinn introduced him to Diane, he threw out a dazzling smile and put his arm around her shoulders and drew her close.
“Thank God, somebody I don’t know. These people bore, bore, bore me to death. You’d think the New World could come up with some new faces. And I do love a woman with glorious tits. I may be a sad old pouf, but I have excellent taste. Quinn, are you sleeping with her? You should, dear boy, after that dreary ex-wife of yours. May I steal her? I need to be protected. That bitch from the Mirror is here, and I if I’m with a woman, she won’t bother with a photograph.” He steered Diane in the direction of the bar, ordering scotch for himself. Diane was sipping champagne, and Derek looked her up and down closely.
“So tell me, Diane, who-no-one-has-heard-of, you know our Quinn? He does deserve someone rich and juicy. Did you ever meet the famous ex-wife?”
Diane shook her head. “No.”
“Such a slut - really. I say that about a lot of people, I know, but with her it’s the truth. She actually gave head to a male nurse while in hospital after giving birth to her daughter. She slept around for years. That’s why it was such a shock when she fought the divorce. So ugly. Fleet Street went onto mourning when the whole thing was finally over. She really raped him. Financially of course.”
“Is that so?” Diane asked faintly.
“Oh, it was such a bad show. And then the daughter turns against Quinn and sides with the mother. What a spoiled little cunt. After all Quinn has done for her. He worshipped her, and she hasn’t spoken to him in months. That’s the buzz, anyway. I feel terrible for him. He’s one of my favorite people, you know.”
Diane downed the rest of her champagne. “Why did he finally divorce her, do you think?”
“Well, everyone was looking for The Other Woman, but there was none to be found. There were lots of short term things, of course. I mean, he is a healthy, normal man, isn’t he? He had to be getting something from someone. But no young thing tucked away, making demands. I suppose he finally decided to live his life on his own terms.” He lifted his eyebrows. “He’s a fine person. So if you are after him, you’ve got no one standing in your way. He’d be easy to catch, really.”
“We’re just friends. But he is a kind and gentle soul, isn’t he?”