2 WEEKS AFTER
Marilyn was sitting at a secluded table at her favorite spot a classy little bar and grill called Jazzlands, with its unmistakable aroma of char grilled steak and beer on tap - which was just as inviting as the ambient chatter in the background.
With her back turned to the restaurant facing the wall, she was oblivious to all of the bustle around her. From time to time she would glance up as a snooty looking waiter scurried past her with a little white cloth folded over his arm, precariously balancing silver trays piled high with juicy sizzling steaks, sides of salad and chips. She hadn't come to eat today, she was far too nervous for that.
Jazzlands had been her favorite little place to dine for a long time now, as much as she liked to be in the limelight, this was the place she knew she could go to get away from it all, snuggled in a quiet little nook away from prying eyes and idle gossip.
Although being socialite royalty had its advantages, it also had its privacy issues. Marilyn had learnt that she had to mind her step at all times when she was out in public and she had to be very careful of the company she kept.
With diamond compact mirror in hand, Marilyn fluffed at her short curled platinum blonde locks, then shifting the mirror to reveal a pair of shiny, perfectly painted plump lips. Happy with what she saw, she puckered up and blew her reflection a smoldering kiss.
Catching sight of her friend Angie Jones approaching from behind her in the tiny mirrors reflection she snapped it shut quickly, discarding it in her silver overnight bag on the seat next to her. As she did her hand brushed fleetingly across a folded newspaper clipping sitting at the top of the bag.
The newspaper article that had changed everything. Letting her hand touch it gently confirmed to her once again what she was about to do was the right thing.
Sensing Angie was near she whirled around just in time to greet her friend with her flash of brilliant white teeth, contrasting against her perfectly red shimmering lips.
"Baby Doll, hasn't it just been forever," Marilyn purred sweetly into her ear, as the two embraced. Her friend, who looked very much like her, could easily have passed as her sister, if it weren't for the overly conservative way she was dressed.
"Oh Marilyn it's been too long, now step back a little, let me get a good look at you, honey. You haven't changed a bit, your still flawless, not a single hair out of place, how do you do it."
"Don't be silly, I'm full of wrinkles, and surely you can see all those gray hairs setting in, that's what happens when your get rail-roaded by the dreaded forties. But honestly, it takes a lot of work to look this good, you know, even when you are a Marilyn Monroe double." Marilyn began to giggle and gently bounce her hand off of her hair as she sat down in her chair.
"Oh Maz, you are so funny, god I've missed the hell out of you, didn't we have some rip roaring times in the old days, when we were doing the Marilyn shows together... what have you been up to the last 5 years, besides looking like a super star."
"A little of this and a little of that, baby doll, nothing nearly as good as the old days though."
"Married?" Angie asked eying the massive rock on her finger.
"Ha, I'm not the type of girl you take home to momma, I'm the type of girl boys like to pin up on their bedroom walls," she whispered behind her hand and gave Angie a cheeky little wink. "It's not for lack of offers, I'm just not that type of girl anymore, I need my freedom, a husband would only weigh me down, suffocate me, you know..."
"Honey its real sweet and all, you know, us two getting together after so long, but I need to know, why are you calling me now, after all this time?"
"Shoot am I really that see through - no, baby doll don't answer that, you always heard the things I didn't say, and I always knew no matter what I could count on you. You're right Angie, I did call you here for a reason."
"So tell me, what is it my most precious friend needs," asked Angie sitting back in her chair and folding her arms.
"Well, see I got to get out of town for a bit, personal stuff, you know, but I need to get some cash to go, that's where you come in... I need you to distract someone for me."
"Who?"
"His name is Gino."
"Good lord, please don't tell me you mean slimy car yard entrepreneur Galliato, who you did the TV ads for?"
"One and the same baby doll, I wish I had a camera to take a picture of the look on your face, it's priceless, I swear those eyes are just about to pop right outta your precious head."
Moving closer to Angie Marilyn explained, "See Gino and I go back a bit, I met Gino after they hired me for the television advert and he has got accustomed to having me on his arm around the place, parties, gatherings, you know."
Shaking her head Angie warned, "Gino is loaded, it could make him a dangerous man to cross Maz, I'm warning you - don't mess with him."
"It's ok, he won't even know I borrowed a few bucks from him, it's simple all I need you to do is to pretend you are me."
Bursting out into laughter, waving her hand Angie snorted, "Are you kidding Maz, there is no way on god's green earth I could ever be you."
"When I'm done with you, from behind at least...., smiled Marilyn making a square frame with her fingers around Angie's face like a photographer.
"Oh shut up!" they both giggled together as Angie elbowed Marilyn playfully.
"But seriously, he will be here in about an hour to meet me for lunch, when he gets here you can just introduce yourself to him and tell him I couldn't make it, keep him there as long as you can, there's 20,000 smackaroonies in it for you?"
"I don't know...."
"$30?"
"It's not the money, what if you get caught, what if he comes after you, what if he kills us both!"
"Shhh, settle down baby doll, he won't even know it had anything to do with us, by the time he discovers his stash has been raided he will think it was someone else. As far as he knows, I wouldn't have even been in Adelaide at the time ...see, its perfect."
"What if he goes to the cops, what if they can prove somehow it was you?"
"Oh baby doll, your priceless - no cops, its money skimmed from his business, he won't say a word!"
"Jesus Christ, are you crazy? What the hell are you getting me into?"
"Nothing, it will be a cinch, all you have to do is tell him you are my most dearest friend you haven't seen for years, and I invited you out to meet him too. Tell him you were waiting for me to arrive and just got a call from me."
Angie shook her head.
"Explain I had to go out of town for an emergency early this morning, bat your eyes at him and smile a little and suggest that he might as well stay and enjoy a meal, you know, make the best out of a bad situation."
Angie kept shaking her head and sat back in her chair. "Do you think he will fall for it?"
"Oh baby doll, of course he will, he is about as sharp as a box full hammers, now come with me to the little girlies room, when I'm done with you he won't be able to leave, even if he wanted, men like him are all the same."
As the pair trotted off to the bathroom hand in hand giggling, just like old times Marilyn couldn't help but smile to herself, god she loved it when a good plan come together, but at the same time it was a little bitter sweet, she had almost enjoyed this lifestyle and even being on the capable arm of Gino.
Hell she had to admit she was even getting used to the idea of being engaged to him, but everything was different now. Since she saw that newspaper article she had known it was over, this was the end of the line, her final curtain call, Gino no longer mattered.
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