Remember My Name. Havana Adams

else?” she fired back at Casey, for her triumph last night hadn’t been at the Encounters party. It was the party afterwards that Tamara was most interested in.

      “Well this one says…” Casey trailed off nervously. Just the week before she had been at the receiving end of a flying copy of Vogue when Tamara had learned that her young co-star Angelina Starling had been featured in the magazine.

      “Carry on,” Tamara snapped and with a gulp Casey pushed on.

      “It says, ‘The Botox has landed’.” Casey breathed a sigh of relief as a peal of laughter rang out from Tamara.

      “Botox,” Tamara snorted, “if only they knew.” Tamara leaned forward brushing aside Casey’s hands to flick through the papers herself. And then she smiled as she finally found what she was looking for. On the cover of one of the tabloids – Daily World –was a photo of Angelina Starling, a rather tawdry photograph of the nation’s sweetheart, caught in flagrante. A shiver of delicious malice ran through Tamara as she stared at the photograph; careers had been destroyed by less. “Are there more like this?” She didn’t bother to conceal her glee.

      “All the tabloids have picked it up,” Casey responded. “Poor Angelina.” At Tamara’s raised eyebrow, Casey quickly schooled her expression into a more neutral one.

      “Well, that’s that for her then.” From the start Tamara had detested the young upstart, but the girl had gone too far. Bad enough that she’d been selected for a Vogue profile when Tamara herself had never been featured, but to refer to her as a ‘mother figure’. It was then that Angelina had sealed her fate. Nobody crossed Tamara. With a smile, she consigned her young co-star to the back of her mind and turned back to the papers. “Anything else of me?”

      “Just this one.” Casey pulled out another paper and breathed a sigh of relief at the smile that Tamara bestowed on her. It was a photograph of Tamara taken the night before, not in the Dior dress that she’d worn to the Encounters cast party but in her second outfit of the night – the vintage Tom Ford, as she’d arrived at the launch of Imperium, the latest hotel venture by Russian magnate Vassily Romanov.

      “Bingo,” Tamara said to herself, quickly flicking to page eight to read the columnist’s piece. Slowly, a wide smile spread across her face as she read the copy. ‘Actress Tamara Fearson arrives at the launch of Imperium. Moments later, she stole a march on all the socialites in attendance by convincing billionaire oligarch Vassily Romanov to leave his own party with her. Quelle scandale! We’ll be following this story with interest.’

      If she’d been alone Tamara might have danced across the room. “You can go now, Casey.” With a quick nod, Casey jumped up, scuttling to clear up the tray and the discarded papers. As the door shut behind her assistant, Tamara padded across the room, sliding into a silk La Perla dressing gown. She felt the kind of giddy excitement that she hadn’t felt in a long time as she thought about last night and her meeting with Vassily Romanov. It wasn’t the first time that Tamara had targeted a man but this time she was serious. She’d been furious to learn that the Encounters party fell on the same night as the launch of Imperium, but having worked so hard to wangle an invitation from some high society bitch, she had no intention of missing the launch of the new super-luxury hotel in Knightsbridge. After a hasty change, Tamara had arrived at Imperium, a woman with a plan.

      There was something about Tamara Fearson that made men want to beg. At first glance, she seemed an angelic blonde but they quickly realised that she was not one of those women who sought to hide her power. There was steel in her eyes. She was a woman who knew what she wanted, who took what she wanted without apology and what she wanted was Vassily Romanov. She had strolled into the room, uncaring that she knew nobody at the party, that this throng of Chelsea heiresses and Knightsbridge old money was far out of her social circle. She had positioned herself close to the private lift that she knew would bring Vassily down from the penthouse. She’d charmingly but firmly evaded the attentions of a red-faced Lord with wandering hands and as Vassily emerged from the lift, Tamara took her chance, knowing that once he got into the room, the Chelsea girls would get their husband-hunting claws into him and never let go.

      Tamara moved forward, a glass of red wine in her hand. She knew at once that Vassily had noticed her. Their eyes met and held and she saw the flare of attraction in his eyes and also grudging respect when she met and fearlessly held his gaze. She moved purposefully towards him, marvelling at the fact that he was actually better looking than his pictures. He was tall, easily over 6ft with a powerfully built physique. There had been rumours and whispers circulating about his connections to the FSB and the Russian Secret Service but however he’d got that toned physique, Tamara was impressed. They would make a perfect couple, she thought, both of them so blonde and tall. She moved towards him, noting that others too had started to notice him and were already turning to make their approach. She did not stop until they were almost toe to toe and then with a flick of her wrist, she tossed the entire contents of her wine glass over him – watching as the red liquid spread across his pale blue shirt.

      A shocked gasp echoed through the room. The live band came to an abrupt halt and then silence descended, only for a moment, before whispers began to spread through the guests. Tamara Fearson had just thrown a drink in Vassily Romanov’s face. Tamara watched as through the crowd two men in dark suits pushed forward, Vassily’s security, she imagined. With a smile of total confidence, she leaned in to him.

      “We’d better get you out of those wet clothes.” She said the words without any doubt in her voice and she watched the stunned expression on Vassily’s face, the stillness, and then with a small almost imperceptible nod he turned, taking her arm leading her towards his elevator. They’d been followed by shocked whispers and as the elevator doors had whizzed shut, Tamara had smiled, a small smile of triumph at the shocked faces of the Sloanies and heiresses. She might not have their money or titles or connections but she had something that money couldn’t buy. Balls. And she always got her man.

      “Now that you have me here, what is the plan?” Vassily’s drawled words intruded on Tamara’s feeling of triumph. She turned to look at him and then flicked a finger out to press the stop button, halting the lift.

      “I hadn’t really thought this far,” she replied, surprised by how much his unwavering gaze was affecting her. “God, you really are beautiful,” she muttered already stretching up to pull his head down to hers. The kiss was unlike anything she had ever experienced. Suddenly, she felt like a volcano about to erupt and his hands were around her pulling her into his hard body and then lifting her off her feet until her back was hard against the mirrored wall in the lift. She felt him grind hard into her and then abruptly, he was pulling away.

      “This is unexpected,” he said, his voice deeper and huskier than it had been moments before. Reaching back to the lift panel, Tamara pressed a button to restart the lift and then she smiled as slowly she began to unbutton his shirt.

      “You really should change out of this, and go back to your party.” She watched his eyebrow rise in surprise.

      “And you?”

      “You’ll find me I’m sure.” And as the lift doors opened, she stepped out, immediately making her way to the fire escape. “I’ll take the stairs.”

      Tamara started as she was jerked from her memories of the night before by another knock at her door. “What is it, Casey?” she snapped impatiently as the door opened to admit her assistant who was carrying a large exquisite bouquet of flowers.

      “These just came for you.” Tamara smiled immediately, confident that she knew who they were from. She reached for the card, eagerly opening it and then she sank down into her chaise longue.

      “You can go.” Tamara bestowed a bright smile on her assistant, waving her away, her focus on the flowers.

      “Oh. Thanks, Tamara.”

      As she watched Casey disappear from the room, Tamara looked down again at the card that accompanied the flowers. You owe me a shirt. Bring it to dinner. San Lorenzo, Beauchamp Place, 8pm. VR. With a whoop of delight, Tamara jumped up, ready