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dough he could be as big as anybody in Hollywood。 He could be a king。 Johnny smiled。 Hell。 He could even be a Don。
It would be nice living with Ginny again for a few weeks； maybe longer。 He'd take the kids out every day； maybe have a few friends over。 He'd stop drinking and smoking； really take care of himself。 Maybe his voice would get strong again。 If that happened and with the Don's money； he'd be unbeatable。 He'd really be as close to an oldtime king or emperor as it was possible to be in America。 And it wouldn't depend on his voice holding up or how long the public cared about him as an actor。 It would be an empire rooted in money and the most special； the most coveted kind of power。
Ginny had the guest bedroom made up for him。 It was understood that he would not share her room； that they would not live as man and wife。 They could never have that relationship again。 And though the outside world of gossip columnists and movie fans gave the blame for the failure of their marriage solely to him； yet in a curious way； between the two of them； they both knew that she was even more to blame for their divorce。
When Johnny Fontane because the most popular singer and movie musical edy star in motion pictures； it had never occurred to him to desert his wife and children。 He was too Italian； still too old…style。 Naturally he had been unfaithful。 That had been impossible to avoid in his business and the temptations to which he was continually exposed。 And despite being a skinny； delicate…looking guy； he had the wiry horniness of many small…boned Latin types。 And women delighted him in their surprises。 He loved going out with a demure sweet…faced virginal…looking girl and then uncapping her breasts to find them so unexpectedly slopingly full and rich； lewdly heavy in contrast to the cameo face。 He loved to find sexual shyness and timidity in the sexy…looking girls who were all fake motion like a shifty basketball player； vamping as if they had slept with a hundred guys； and then when he got them alone having to battle for hours to get in and do the job and finding out they were virgins。
And all these Hollywood guys laughed at his fondness for virgins。 They called it an old guinea taste； square； and look how long it took to make a virgin give you a blow job with all the aggravation and then they usually turned out to be a lousy piece of ass。 But Johnny knew that it was how you handled a young girl。 You had to e on to her the right way and then what could be greater than a girl who was tasting her first dick and loving it？ Ah； it was so great breaking them in。 It was so great having them wrap their legs around you。 Their thighs were all different shapes； their asses were different； their skins were all different colors and shades of white and brown and tan and when he had slept with that young colored girl in Detroit； a good girl； not a hustler； the young daughter of a jazz singer on the same nightclub bill with him； she had been one of the sweetest things he had ever had。 Her lips had really tasted like warm honey with pepper mixed in it； her dark brown skin was rich； creamy； and she had been as sweet as God had ever made any woman and she had been a virgin。
And the other guys were always talking about blow jobs； this and other variations； and he really didn't enjoy that stuff so much。 He never liked a girl that much after they tried it that way； it just didn't satisfy him right。 He and his second wife had finally not got along； because she preferred the old sixty…nine too much to a point where she didn't want anything else and he had to fight to stick it in。 She began making fun of him and calling him a square and the word got around that he made love like a kid。 Maybe that was why that girl last night had turned him down。 Well； the hell with it； she wouldn't be too great in the sack anyway。 You could tell a girl who really liked to fuck and they were always the best。 Especially the ones who hadn't been at it too long。 What he really hated were the ones who had started screwing at twelve and were all fucked out by the time they were twenty and just going through the motions and some of them were the prettiest of all and could fake you out。
Ginny brought coffee and cake into his bedroom and put it on the long table in the sitting room part。 He told her simply that Hagen was helping him put together the money credit for a producing package and she was excited about that。 He would be important again。 But she had no idea of how powerful Don Corleone really was so she didn't understand the significance of Hagen ing from New York。 He told her Hagen was also helping with legal details。
When they had finished the coffee be told her he was going to work that night； and make phone calls and plans for the future。 〃Half of all this will be in the kids' names；〃 he told her。 She gave him a grateful smile and kissed him good night before she left his room。
There was a glass dish full of his favorite monogrammed cigarettes； a humidor with pencil…thin black Cuban cigars on his writing desk。 Johnny tilted back and started making calls。 His brain was really whirring along。 He called the author of the book； the best…selling novel； on which his new film was based。 The author was a guy his own age who had e up the hard way and was now a celebrity in the literary world。 He had e out to Hollywood expecting to be treated like a wheel and； like most authors； had been treated like shit。 Johnny had seen the humiliation of the author one night at the Brown Derby。 The writer had been fixed up with a well…known bosomy starlet for a date on the town and a sure shack…up later。 But while they were at dinner the starlet had deserted the famous author because a ratty…looking movie ic had waggled his finger at her。 That had given the writer the right slant on just who was who in the Hollywood pecking order。 It didn't matter that his book had made him world famous。 A starlet would prefer the crummiest； the rattiest； the phoniest movie wheel。
Now Johnny called the author at his New York home to thank him for the great part he had written in his book for him。 He flattered the shit out of the guy。 Then casually he asked him how he was doing on his next novel and what it was all about。 He lit a cigar while the author told him about a specially interesting chapter and then finally said； 〃Gee； I'd like to read it when you're finished。 How about sending me a copy？ Maybe I can get you a good deal for it； better than you got with Woltz。〃
The eagerness in the author's voice told him that he had guessed right。 Woltz had chiseled the guy； given him peanuts for the book。 Johnny mentioned that he might be in New York right after the holidays and would the author want to e and have dinner with some of his friends。 〃I know a few good…looking broads；〃 Johnny said jokingly。 The author laughed and said OK。
Next Johnny called up the director and cameraman on the film he had just finished to thank them for having helped him in the film。 He told them confidentially that he knew Woltz had been against him and he doubly appreciated their help and that if there was ever anything he could do for them they should just call。