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their sophomore year in high school, and best friends ever since then. He answered, as he always did, unless he was occupied or out, on the second ring, and she smiled at the familiar voice, that to all ears but her own sounded intolerably sexy.
    Hi, Alan, it's only me. Don't get too excited. She always smiled when she talked to him, he was that kind of person.
    At this hour? He sounded horrified to hear from her, except that she knew he usually got up fairly early. He had just finished a film in Bangkok and he'd been home for three weeks. She also knew that he had just finished a romance with British film star Fiona Harvey. She had heard it from his agent. What did you do last night? Get arrested? Are you calling to get bailed out?
    Precisely. Pick me up at the Beverly Hills police station in twenty minutes.
    Not on your life. All lawyers belong in jail. As far as I'm concerned, you can stay there. He was thirty years old, with the face and body of a Greek god, but he also happened to be intelligent, and a genuinely decent person. He was one of Allegra's closest friends and the only man she could think of to take to the awards with her. Thinking of Alan Carr as her fallback date somehow made her laugh. Most of the women in America would have died just to meet him.
    What are you doing Saturday? she asked bluntly, swinging her foot like a kid, and trying not to think of Brandon, or let him upset her.
    None of your business, thank you very much, he said, pretending to sound outraged.
    Do you have a date?
    Why? Are you going to fix me up with another one of your scary partners? I think the last one was bad enough, you witch!
    Oh, come on, you shit. That wasn't a date and you know it. You needed an expert on Peruvian law, and that's what she does, so don't give me any garbage. In fact, I happen to know that she gave you about three thousand dollars' worth of legal advice for free that night, so stop bitching.
    Who's bitching? He sounded demure and pretended to be shocked by her language.
    You are, and you didn't answer my question.
    I have a date with a fourteen-year-old girl who will probably wind me up in jail. Why?
    I need a favor. She could tell him anything without artifice or embarrassment; she loved him like a brother.
    Yeah. So what else is new? You always need a favor. Who wants my autograph this time?
    No one. Absolutely not a soul. I need your body.
    Now, there's an intriguing offer. More than once in the past fourteen years, since their last attempt at romance, he had told himself that he should reach out to her again, but she was so like a sister to him that he could never quite bring himself to do it. Yet, she was beautiful, intelligent, and he knew and liked her better than any other woman on the planet. But maybe that was the problem. What exactly do you have in mind for this beaten up, scarred old body?
    Nothing pleasant, I swear. And then she laughed. Actually, it won't be too bad. It should be fun. I need a date for the Golden Globes. Mom and Dad are both nominees, and so is Carmen Connors, one of my clients. And I've got two other clients who're contenders. I have to go, and I really don't want to go alone. She was honest with him, she always was, and he loved that.
    What happened to what's his name? Alan knew perfectly well what his name was, and he had also told Allegra several times that he didn't like him. He thought Brandon was cold and pompous. And she hadn't talked to him for weeks after the first time he said it. Since then she had gotten used to it, because Alan never missed an opportunity to tell her what he thought, but this time he spared her.
    He has to go to San Francisco.
    How nice of him, Al. What great timing. Great guy. To see his wife?
    No, you asshole, to see his kids. He's starting a trial on Monday.
    I'm not sure I understand the connection, he said coolly.
    He won't be able to see the kids for a couple of weeks, so he wants to go up and see them.
    Have they canceled all the nights from