Crystal by Walter Dean Myers Read Free Book Online

the fall.”
    “This date is going to be in public?”
    “Yes.” Carol turned and looked at her husband. “They’ll be taken to a nightclub in a limousine, stay for two hours, and then Crystal will be brought back to the house in the limousine.”
    “Yeah, so why you so worried about me acting ‘colored’?” Daniel asked.
    “Sean Farrell’s White,” Crystal said.
    “You are the funniest people in the world,” Daniel Brown said, shaking his head. “You keep thinking I got something against White folks and I don’t. I mean as long as this whole thing is in public, it’s okay. You just take a hatpin or something along in case he gets frisky in the back of the car.”
    “I heard he wasn’t the frisky type,” Crystal said, smiling.
    “You can’t tell about them show-business types,” Daniel answered. He brought the coffee to his lips and tasted it. Then he made a face. “This is the worse coffee I have ever tasted in my whole life, woman. Didn’t your mama teach you nothing?”
    “Not enough,” Carol Brown said.
    “Now what’s that supposed to mean?” Daniel asked. “Crystal, what is your mother talking about?”
    Crystal shrugged and stretched her face in the mirror, this time sticking out her tongue. Her father did the same thing and they both laughed.

4
     
    Loretta said that she would be working all day for Crystal, and that Crystal, in turn, would be working for two hours for her.
    “Jerry called this morning—he has this shoot to do with the Waterman agency, something about Swiss watches. He was going to let it go by, but then he thought about shooting you and Alyce Winslow together.”
    “Who’s Alyce Winslow?” Crystal was in the back of the limo with Loretta, facing her on one of the small seats.
    “She was with Mannequin, but now she’s with Corolla. She’s very hot. I understand she’s not very nice, though.”
    Crystal shrugged.
    “When Jerry asked if you were free this morning, he was really beside himself. He apologized all over the place, but I think we have to bend for somebody like Jerry once in a while—don’t you think so?”
    “I don’t mind,” Crystal said. “It beats Geometry.”
    “I even picked up the wardrobe for him,” she said, indicating the boxes on the seat next to Crystal. “We still have to do the thing with Sean Farrell tonight, too. Do you know Rosemarie’s column in the Journal ?”
    “I’ve seen it,” Crystal said. “It has all the inside information on stars and everything.”
    “You’re going to be in it tomorrow,” Loretta said. “Rosemarie owes us. You’ll change at the office.”
    “Okay,” Crystal said. “Do I go back there after I leave the club?”
    “No, I don’t think so.” Loretta leaned across and looked closely at Crystal. “Do you have a base on?”
    “No.”
    “You’re marvelous,” she said. “I’d kill to have skin like yours.”
    “Black?” Crystal asked.
    “Maybe not Black—no, wait—if I got the youth to go with it, I’d take the Black, too,” Loretta said.
    “You’re so sweet,” Crystal said.
    “Only because you’re so lovely,” Loretta said. “And speaking of lovely, have you ever seen Sean Farrell? He’s beautiful! And he’s going to try to outshine you tonight. But we have a little something special planned. It was Rosemarie’s idea. We might even get the top of her column.”
    “Will I see you later?” Crystal asked as they pulled up outside of Jerry Goodwin’s studio.
    “No, I have to go and talk to the movie people about you. I want to talk to them today, and then tomorrow they’ll see the column, et cetera. It builds.”
    “I feel like a project,” Crystal said.
    “You are, baby,” Loretta said as they stood in front of Jerry’s brownstone. “You’re getting seven-fifty for theshoot this morning. I sent your mother a check last week, did she get it?”
    “Yes,” Crystal answered.
    “How are you doing for money?”
    “Fine,” Crystal said. “I’ve never had so