Marco grabbed my arm. "Be still my heart! It's Genie Frank from Heartthrob Hospital."
I followed Marco's gaze to a blonde woman wearing a rose patterned silk dress, chatting gaily with a man holding a microphone. "Dana and I used to rush home from school to watch her while we were in high school." I suddenly felt old.
Marco said, "Oh my stars!" He grabbed my arm in a vise grip. "There are Bunny Chavez and Gloria Chandler. Oh, they're gorgeous. I just love them on As the Heart Turns," Marco gushed.
"Any sign of Angela?" I asked, trying to spot the leggy brunette. "Or, more accurately, Tina Bender?"
"Unh-uh." He stood on tip-toe, which was no small feat in platforms. (No pun intended.) "There are a bunch of people gathered on the back patio, though. Maybe they're out there?"
I nodded, following his lead as he pushed through the buzzing room. I tried not to feel out of place in my jeans and casual knit top. Had I known I'd end up at a fashion show that day, I would have dressed it up a bit more. Added a necklace or something.
Luckily, as we stepped outside onto the shaded patio framed in lush, green ivy, I spotted someone who appeared even more out of place than my casual jeans. She had short hair streaked with purple, a black T-shirt with a picture of Daisy Duck on it, black leggings, and chunky black motorcycle boots.
Tina Bender.
"There!" I said, simultaneously pointing and dragging Marco toward our prey.
Unfortunately, she spotted us when we were halfway across the room (it was hard to miss Marco), recognition immediately lit her eyes, and she tried to bolt. Fortunately, in a packed room, bolting was hard to do.
"Oh no you don't." Marco quickly stepped between her and the exit, narrowing his brown eyes at her. "We've got a bone to pick with you, Bender."
Her eyes darted to the left then right, but seeing as it was wall-to-wall couture-clad bodies, she quickly gave up the idea of escape. Instead, she took a defensive stance, crossing her arms over Daisy Duck and narrowing her eyes right back at Marco. "Okay, fine. Pick away."
"Actually," I said, trying at a calmer tone to defuse the stand-off, "we just wanted to talk to you about a story you're working on."
"What story?" she asked, an appropriately wary note in her voice. She glanced past me, and I could see her eyeing the door to the ladies' room.
"Doggy Z's death," I said.
That got her attention. Her eyes darted back to meet mine. "What do you know about his death?"
"Not a lot," I admitted. "And neither does Fernando."
"So lay off him, reporter girl!" Marco added.
"Look, I'm busy, okay?" Her eyes went to the restroom door again. "Can we talk about this later?"
"Whatever Dog overdosed on, however he took it, it has nothing to do with my stepfather," I said. "Fernando barely knew the man."
"But he was with Dog just before he died," Tina pointed out. "And they were rivals."
"Rivals?" I repeated. I watched her eyes cut to the restroom door again. I got the impression that her interest in the room wasn't due to a full bladder. I craned my head around, trying to figure out who or what she was looking at, but all I saw was a door.
"Yes, rivals. On Jeopardy!," Tina pointed out. "And from what I understand, Fernando was pretty competitive."
I frowned. "It was for charity."
"Look, can we discuss this later?" asked Tina, her attention waning again.
"How about we don't discuss it at all?" Marco said, still scowling. "How about you just leave Fernando alone, huh? Before he sues you for harassment?"
"Harassment?" Tina shot him a get real look and shook her head. "How did you two even know I was here, anyway?"
"Felix told us," I said.
"Figures." She rolled her eyes. "He would tell you." She gave me a pointed look.
"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked, feeling suddenly uncomfortable with the direction this conversation was taking.
Tina sighed. "Nothing. Look, I'm working here, okay. You're going to blow my cover." Again her eyes flitted to the restroom.
"What cover?" Marco asked.
But Tina didn't answer, her body tensing for a beat before it sprang into action as she sidestepped us and made a beeline for the restroom.
I spun around and realized just what Tina had been waiting for as Angela Gold emerged from the ladies' room, her long, wavy hair flowing over her shoulders, tanned legs bare beneath a pale peach silk sheath dress and ending in a pair of spiky stilettos that looked every bit as sharp as her character's snide remarks on All My Husbands.
Tina rushed forward to accost the star.
"Excuse me, Ms. Gold?" Tina asked.
Angela turned a bored look her way. "Yes?"
"Hi, I'm Cindy Brady, with the Wishes for Kids foundation."
I stifled a snort at the fake name Tina had chosen.
"Wishes for Kids?" Angela asked, scrunching up her perfect little nose that I'd bet money she hadn't been born with.
"Uh-huh," Tina said, nodding. "We grant wishes to sick children. And little Tabitha Stephens is one of our kids whose wish is to meet you in person."
"Me?" Angela asked. Her eyes darted around the room, a note of panic in them. "Is she here?"
"Uh, no," Tina told her.
Angela's shoulders relaxed with the reassurance that grimy little hands were not in the vicinity of her silk dress. "Oh. Well, you'll have to go through my publicist. She sets up all those sorts of things." She turned to go.
"Wait! I, uh, actually was hoping to ask you a few questions first."
She frowned. "What for?"
"It's a prescreening process. It'll just take a minute." Tina sent her a big smile. "And think of all the positive press you'll get from a photo of you with little sick Tabitha."
"What does she have?" Angela asked. "It's not like contagious or anything, is it?"
"Cancer."
"Oh." She looked relieved. "And who are you two?" Angela looked past Tina to Marco and me.
Tina spun, obviously surprised we were still there. At least, that's how I read the glare she sent us.
"We're from the Wishes for Kids foundation too," Marco said, taking a step to stand beside Tina. "Greg and Jan Brady." He sent Tina a sugary sweet look. "They're my stepsisters."
It was all I could do to contain my laughter.
But apparently Angela wasn't up on her seventies TV, as she didn't even smirk. "Fine, but make it quick. I have a luncheon to get to after this."
"Absolutely," Tina promised. "So, you've been on All My Husbands for…how many years?" she asked as she led the way to a small table off to the side of the courtyard and gestured for Angela to sit.
She did, and Marco and I followed suit, joining the pair. Tina shot me an annoyed look, but since we were all one big happy family now, there was little she could say.
"Five years," Angela answered. "Kaley Kingston has been a fan favorite."
"I can see why. You're a joy to watch," Tina said, stroking the star's ego again. "And, I might add, you had an impressive run on Jeopardy! last night as well."