Christine Anthony is a cellist who wants nothing more than to play with a major symphony orchestra. Until then, she works in a clothing boutique and spends her weekends playing with a string quartet at a museum.
When a stylish, rich woman named Car Weldon asks Chris to deliver a purchase to her, Chris finds the world she knows thrown into a spin. Suddenly she’s doing things that would have scandalized her a few weeks previous. When Car takes her to St. Lucia on vacation, she meets new friends and a booking agent who offers her a job that changes her life.
And when she draws the attention of a well-known gossip columnist and a handsome TV actor, Chris suddenly has a fame she isn’t ready for. With the right choices, her cello could take her more places than she ever imagined ... but what must she leave behind?
Lisa walked up to me at the next cocktail party.
“Haven’t you been making a splash?” she began. She shook her head. “You certainly make me wish I was a cello.”
“Well ...” I mumbled.
Lisa laughed. “No one’s made an entrance like that in years! Gloria Swanson would have been jealous. I’m surprised there’s not a line waiting for you.”
“Please, Lisa, I’m not used to this. I’m just the woman who sits in the center of the string section.”
“I think the center of the string section is going to be bathed in spotlights.”
“That’s nice of you to say, but now I’ll never get a serious audition.”
“Milk it, sweetheart. With a body like yours, you could have anything you wanted.”
“I have everything I want.”
She stopped and thought for a moment. “Can I show you the rest of this ship?”
I was shocked. What do I say? “Thank you, that’s very nice of you,” I said, softly, “but I’m here with Car.”
Lisa stepped back, nodding her head. “She’s a lucky lady.”
I watched her as she walked away.
“This needs a refill,” someone said as he took my drink from my hand and replaced it with another.
“Hi.” He flashed a bright, white smile at me. “I’m Brick Reynolds and you’re Christine Anthony.”
I nodded. “Thank you,” I said as I held the glass up to him, then took a sip.
“Is it true?” he asked.
“Is what true?”
“Everything that they’re saying about you. Were you at Ladera the other day?”
“I was.”
“Damn! Why did I pick that day to go shopping? I understand you have a bathing suit.”
“Everyone has a bathing suit,” I answered.
“Like yours?”
I shook my head. “I don’t think so.”
He took a step back, weighing his options.
“Are you a cellist?”
“Yes.”
“And a model?”
“No.”
“You should be.”
“No.” I smiled at him. “I have other career aspirations.”
“Are you from New York?”
“I studied there.”
“Some are saying that you’re rich.”
I laughed. “No.”
“That you’re good in bed?”
I bristled. “Only one person here would know if that’s true.”
“Car Weldon?”
“Yes, Of course.”
“She’s a lucky woman but I have more money than she does.”
I seethed. “She has more class.”
I turned away.
“No, please,” he said, reaching for my arm, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that.”
I shrugged his hand off me.
“Let me make that up to you.”
“No, thank you,” I said and handed him back the drink.
As I turned away, I heard laughter. “Well, Brick,” a man who had been standing a few feet away said. “It looks like there’s someone who isn’t seduced by your charms.”
Brick grumbled, turned, and walked away.
Then the man turned to me and extended his hand. “Hi, I’m Walt Sheriden. You’ll have to forgive Brick, he doesn’t know what to do with a, ‘no, thank you.’ I don’t think he’s ever heard it before.”
I tried not to gasp. Walt Sheriden was a well-known director. He had won several Oscars.
“Thank you for intervening.”
“My pleasure.” Then he turned to the bartender. “This lady needs another drink,” he said. “From the top shelf.”
The bartender nodded, set down the bottle he had picked up and reached to the top. He poured my drink and handed it to Walt who laid a twenty on the bar. He handed it to me and I took a sip. “Thank you.”
“Don’t judge everyone here by Brick. He’s one of a kind.”
I chuckled. “Oh God, I hope so.”
He looked up. “Well, here comes your classy other half.”
I turned in time to see Car approaching and gave her a kiss.
“Hi, Walt,” she greeted him.
He smiled. “You’ve got quite a lady here. She put down two come-ons in less than ten minutes.”
Car looked at me. “Really?”
Walt smiled. “Yes, Lisa just backed away when Chris said she was with you, and Brick ... if I hadn’t heard it myself, I wouldn’t have believed it.” Walt chuckled. “When she said she was here with you, Brick said he has more money. And your sweet lady responded with you have more class."
Car looked up at me with surprise. “Really?”
“You should have seen his face.” Walt laughed. “I wish there were paparazzi here to catch that.”
“You said that?” Car asked.
I nodded, humbly.
“I think you’re going to get a reward for that.” She smiled. Then she winked at me.
