Chapter 12

           JohnnyFontanewavedacasualdismissaltothemanservantandsaid,"Seeyouinthemorning,Billy."Thecoloredbutlerbowedhiswayoutofthehugediningroom-livingroomwithitsviewofthePacificOcean.Itwasafriendly-goodbyesortofbow,notaservant’sbow,andgivenonlybecauseJohnnyFontanehadcompanyfordinner.

           Johnny’scompanywasagirlnamedSharonMoore,aNewYorkCityGreenwichVillagegirlinHollywoodtotryforasmallpartinamoviebeingproducedbyanoldflamewhohadmadethebigtime.ShehadvisitedthesetwhileJohnnywasactingintheWoltzmovie.Johnnyhadfoundheryoungandfreshandcharmingandwitty,andhadaskedhertocometohisplacefordinnerthatevening.Hisinvitationstodinnerwerealwaysfamousandhadtheforceofroyaltyandofcourseshesaidyes.

           SharonMooreobviously,expectedhimtocomeonverystrongbecauseofhisreputation,butJohnnyhatedtheHollywood"pieceofmeat"approach.Heneversleptwithanygirlunlesstherewassomethingaboutherhereallyliked.Except,ofcourse,sometimeswhenhewasverydrunkandfoundhimselfinbedwithagirlhedidn’tevenremembermeetingorseeingbefore.Andnowthathewasthirty-fiveyearsold,divorcedonce,estrangedfromhissecondwife,withmaybeathousandpubicscalpsdanglingfromhisbelt,hesimplywasn’tthateager.ButtherewassomethingaboutSharonMoorethatarousedaffectioninhimandsohehadinvitedhertodinner.