Charles Paris. Heâs acting in
Cinderella
too. Charles â Lefty Rubenstein. Leftyâs my agent.â
ââAgentâ donât cover it,â said Lefty, sitting down at the table. His accent was Californian, but not the laid-back kind. He sounded busy, urgent. âFor âagentâ read âminderâ, âfixerâ, âgopherâ and ânursemaidâ.â
âDonât forget also, Lefty, that you source all the stuff I need.â
There was clearly more significance in that line than might appear. Lefty Rubenstein nodded vigorously and said, âYeah, yeah, I got what you asked me to get you.â
Kenny spread his hands wide. âHey, isnât this great? One of the few advantages to being a star. You get a Lefty Rubenstein to organize everything for you. All good news for everyone.â
âNot for everyone,â the agent grumbled. âCertainly not if you happen to
be
Lefty Rubenstein.â
His boss grinned. Clearly this kind of badinage was part of some long-established double act between them. âItâs true, though, Charles,â he said, âLefty runs my life â but donât start feeling sorry for him because he gets very well paid for doing so.â
âYou think any amount of money could begin to compensate for the aggravation you put me through?â
âCan it, Lefty. You love the job.â
âOh yeah? Only one hundred per cent wrong there, Kenny. I hate the job. You never understand this. Not love. Hate!â
âLefty, you are just so full of shit.â
âYouâre fuller of shit than I am any day.â
The two Americans were clearly enjoying insulting each other, so Charles Paris asked if he could get Lefty a drink.
âDiet Coke, please.â He looked across at Kenny Polizziâs mineral water. âYou got a gin or vodka in that?â
âNothing. Iâm officially off the booze â period.â
âHuh,â Lefty snorted. âI heard that one before.â
âThis time itâs for good.â
Another âHuh.â Then he called out to Charles, who had just got up on his way to the bar, âJust donât be around when he falls off the wagon.â
âIâm not going to fall off the wagon,â Charles heard Kenny protest. âIâve found out where and when the AA meets right here in Eastbourneâ
When he rejoined them with the Diet Coke, Charles was treated to a lot more about Lefty Rubenstein. He was one of those people who felt he had to give a complete résumé to everyone he met. Having told Charles he had just arrived from Los Angeles that day, he then went a long way back into his personal history. The âLeftyâ nickname came from when he had been a devious pitcher at college baseball ⦠though the idea of his roly-poly figure ever having played any sport was now totally incongruous.
Heâd trained as a lawyer and it was in that capacity that he first met Kenny Polizzi. But he had found he was spending so much of his time arguing the details of his clientâs professional contracts that he might as well ace out the existing agent and take on the role himself. From that time he had handled all of Kennyâs business and personal affairs. âAnd let me tell you, dealing with all those sharks in the television industry is a breeze along the boardwalk compared to the personal stuff. Jesus, all those ex-wives.â
âThey were perfectly nice women when I married them,â Kenny contributed, in a pose of bewildered innocence.
âYeah, well, something happened when you wanted to unmarry them. They all turned into monsters.â
âThatâs true, Lefty. Strange â whoâda thought living with me would have that effect?â
âAnyone whoâd spent five minutes in your company, Kenny.â
âOh hey, thatâs a bit harsh.â
âHarsh, but true.â The agent