An Unforeseen Turn of Events

Chapter Nine

Private investigator to the stars Vincent "Buddy" Catalano relished his job, finding out all the stars' dirty secrets, who trusted him completely with his discretion. Indeed, he would never tell a soul about what he uncovered, but he allowed each client to decide what they chose to divulge to the press, no matter who ended up getting embarrassed and embroiled in lawsuits. Whenever dirty laundry did reach the media, Buddy couldn't help reading with glee that he was the one who uncovered the truth. Being known as a bit of a character also enhanced his reputation: people did not know what actions he would take, but they almost always proved correct. Whenever he attended a celebrity event, which was almost always for purposes of gathering information for a client, he fought to contain his enthusiasm as he observed people stare at him with a mixture of awe and fear.

He was an important guy and he knew it.

His notoriety allowed him to own a mansion in Bel-Air and a condo in Tribeca, New York. It also afforded him the opportunity to have a few subtle plastic surgeries: one to gently smooth out the wrinkles in his skin and the other to erase the deepening sagging lines beneath his eyes. Buddy had his stomach stapled and he worked out with a personal trainer twice a week. He had even considered more plastic surgery but his wife cautioned she would not stay married to another Michael Jackson. That put an end to speculation about more surgery.

But lately his calendar was encountering a dry patch. The celebrities, sports superstars, and the elite executives seemed to be behaving themselves lately. The phones had not rung from frantic notables requiring Buddy's skills to maintain or salvage their reputations.

So when A-lister Ryan Monti called for an appointment this morning, Buddy sat up in his chair with raised eyebrows and a wide smile. Ryan Monti! He couldn't believe his good fortune. Buddy was starting to get nervous about paying the mortgage on his Tribeca condo. Now he could breathe a sigh of relief. His wife had been listening to him ranting that they may have to sell it if things stayed slow. He even had wild musings about concocting a scandal himself. But no worries: Ryan sounded absolutely heart-stricken on the phone. He needed to see Buddy right away. Even though he was a lapsed Catholic, it was moments like these Buddy wanted to go down on his knees and thank the good Lord for rescuing him.

Buddy stepped into his private rest room, and after washing his hands and brushing his teeth, gargled with mouthwash for a full two minutes. He then styled his hair with the gel that his wife said boosted his professional demeanor. Upon putting the finishing touches on his personal grooming and practicing his power posture in the bathroom mirror, Buddy heard his phone ring.

"Mr. Catalano, your client's here," his secretary said breathlessly.

Buddy could imagine her awe that Ryan Monti was in the office.

"Send him in, Shana," Buddy instructed his twenty-seven-year-old secretary.

"Oh, OK," she answered softly. He detected a tone of reluctance that the handsome actor was leaving her presence.

"Thanks, Shana!" he made his voice sound strong and commanding. He didn't want Ryan to wait while Shana was ogling over him.

"Yes sir," Shana responded reluctantly.

As soon as he entered the office, Buddy walked over to greet him. Despite his tired eyes and tight expression, Ryan still made his presence felt with his extraordinary baby blue eyes and dirty blond hair. Buddy was unquestionably heterosexual but standing before him was the most strikingly handsome man he had ever seen. He had no trouble understanding his popularity with his beautiful face and exceptional acting ability.

"Good to see you!" Buddy said, shaking his hand. "I believe the last time we met was during that Screen Actors Guild party in Miami.

Ryan merely nodded; Buddy knew he didn't remember.