"Yeah?"
"I'm supposed to pick him up around ten," Bobby says, moving closer, glancing at his watch. "But I'm totally beat."
"Man, you look great but"-l c**k my head while searching his face for flaws-"maybe a little tired."
"If I called a car for you, could you go to Pylos-"
"Pylos? Hey, cool."
"-and pick him up for me?" Bobby's standing so close I can feel his breath. "I hate asking you but they're all fairly wasted." He gestures with his head at Tammy and Bruce and Bentley and Jamie, rolling around halfway behind the steel columns in front of the giantfv set, arguing over which video to watch. "I noticed you didn't really drink tonight," Bobby says. "So I'm assuming that maybe you wouldn't mind going."
"Well, I'm a little shaky from last night but-"
"Yeah, last night," Bobby murmurs, momentarily far away.
"So where's this club?" I ask quickly, redirecting him.
"The driver knows where it is," Bobby says. "He'll wait outside Pylos with the car. just let the doorman know that you're my guest and Sam will be in the VIP room."
"Why don't you just put me on the guest list?"
"Victor, this place is so fashionable you can't get in even if you're on the guest list."
"How will I know who Sam is?" I ask hesitantly.
"He's Asian and small and his name is Sam Ho. Believe me, you'll know him when you see him," Bobby explains. "He's a little, uh, theatrical."
"Okay, guy." I shrug, genuinely confused. "Who is he?" And then, "Are you guys planning to party later?"
"No, no-he doesn't deal drugs," Bobby says. "Haven't you heard of Sam Ho?" Bobby asks. "He's a superfamous Asian model."
"Uh-huh, cool." I'm nodding.
"Hey, don't worry," he says. "It's not an improbable meeting. It's in the script."
"Oh, I know, I know," I say, trying to assure him.
"Here." Bobby hands me an envelope that I didn't notice he was holding. "Give this to Sam. He'll know what it means. And then I'll see you guys back here."
"Cool, Cool."
"I hate like hell to do this, man, but I'm just wiped out."
"Hey Bobby," I say, "stop beating yourself up. I'll go. I've been wanting to go to Pylos since it opened-what? Four weeks ago, right?"
"It's sort of on again, off again."
Bobby walks me outside into the misty night, where a black limousine waits at the curb and Felix has already set up the next shot.
Bobby looks into my eyes. "I really appreciate this, Victor."
"No, man, I'm honored."
"Can we do that again?" the director asks. "Victor-put an emphasis on I'm. Okay, go ahead-we're still rolling."
Bobby looks into my eyes. "I really appreciate this, Victor," he says with even more feeling.
"No, man, I'm honored."
"You rule, man."
"No, man, you rule."
"Uh-uh. You rule, Victor."
"I can't believe that Bobby Hughes is telling me I rule," I gasp, pausing to take in a breath. "No, you rule."
Bobby hugs me and when he's about to step away I keep hugging, unable to stop.
The driver moves in to open the passenger door and I recognize him as the guy who picked me up in Southampton (a scene that will be cut). He has red hair and seems cool.
"Hey Victor," Bobby calls before I get into the limo.
"Yeah, man?" I ask, turning around.
"Do you speak French?" he asks, just a shadow standing in the darkness outside the house.
It takes me thirty seconds to form the words "Un... petit peu."
"Good," he says, disappearing. "Neither do any of us, really."
And then the evening leads to its logical conclusion.
4
In the limo heading toward Charing Cross Road Everything But the Girl's "Wrong" plays while I'm studying the small white envelope Bobby gave me to hand over to Sam Ho and there's the raised outline of a key folded inside a note but because I respect Bobby I don't even consider opening it and then it's 11 p.m. and the limo turns into a rainy alley where a sign reads DANCETERIA followed by a wobbly arrow that directs us to the back door of Pylos. Figures under umbrellas flock around a rope and behind that rope the proverbial "big guy"-this one wearing a Casely Hayford Chinese shirt, a Marie Antoinette wig and a black jacket with the words HELL BENT stitched over the heart in red-yells into a megaphone "Nobody else is coming in!" but then he spots me as I'm jumping out of the limo and as I approach an empty space that opens up for me the bouncer leans in and I say "I'm a guest of Bobby Hughes."