Rebecca entered the loud nightclub. Loud, bright, overcrowded, and she smelled something suspicious. Yuri took her through the gauntlet of friends and people who needed to see him with her. Finally, he ordered table service. The wait staff brought several bottles of champagne and glasses to the table. Rebecca did not catch all of Yuri’s friends’ names, but she had a knack with speaking to a person without ever using their name. Most people never caught on or assumed she felt close to them. “How was your job today, Yuri? Did they give you a lot of lines to remember?” Rebecca came to think of the three men who wouldn’t leave as bootlicker one, two, and three. They didn’t appear to do anything more than talk up Yuri like he was someone important they must know. “We weren’t shooting today. The cast rehearsed what we’re shooting tomorrow. But I’m sad because I’m nothing more than scene dressing with only a few simple lines to remember.” Yuri said. He smi
“Where’s the ambulance?! She’s injured. Someone, go get me something to slow the bleeding.” One of the serving staff handed him a clean bar towel. Everett knew Rebecca didn’t feel it right now. Her anger hid the pain from her, and she wasn’t one that did well with blood. He had to call the shots. Yuri only now wandered over and looked a little concerned. Everett glared at him. Some promise to take care of her. “Everett I’m fine. I’m just angry at how she went after me like that. It’s your fault, you know. She thinks I’m a slut because of this.” “Well, we know who is to blame for that, now, don’t we? Now, love, we need to move you, but if we do it the wrong way, you can get hurt even more. I think you fell on broken glass.” “She threw a full glass of something at me before she started hitting me. Whatever was in the glass got in my eyes and stung. I couldn’t see what was happening. It still hurts to open them.” “Okay, then don
Josalyn felt lightheaded. She felt thankful Jake was there. Josalyn didn’t know half of what happened. He made her go to the hospital. Give her bandages, let her wash her face, and restore everything to its proper order. Whatever the substance was, it looked like blood and burned a little. Once she flushed it from her eyes and face, she’d be fine. Josalyn heard Jake speak to a paramedic. He gave her medical history and their genuine relationship. Since when was she pregnant? Josalyn thought that was unforgiveable. She’d have a few words with him about that later. Right now, Josalyn wanted to sleep. The ambulance ride turned into a bumpy, but fast trip. Jake didn’t leave her. When they removed her from the ambulance, he was there, and he walked into the Emergency Department with her. He sat by the head of the bed as they helped her with her clothes and patched her up. Josalyn wanted to cry. She didn’t remember the last time he
Everett left the hospital. Rebecca had a room. She’d stay the night to ensure she didn’t need more blood or develop more complications. The doctors would watch the swelling and discoloration of her face during her stay. He was unsure how he felt to find out Rebecca wasn’t pregnant. Rebecca appeared to have mixed feelings as well. He didn’t want to leave, but she’d need her things. Rebecca gave him instructions on where he’d find a bag she kept prepared for this. Everett felt happy with the situation after he wore her down with the help of Dr. Walker. Until her strength returned, she would remain by his side. Dr. Walker visited during his evening rounds at the hospital. Everett’s mind was so tired he took a hired car service to the old house. He felt odd returning here. Like the car brought him home from a week away, filming on an exotic set. He noticed a light in the living room through a curtain crack. Did Rebecca always keep the light on to avoid
“Hey, Ben. You’re still here? Has everyone else given up and gone home?” Rebecca sat up with slow, deliberate movements and looked at her agent. “Hey, ho. Wait, a sec. Take it slow. You can lie down if you want. Rebecca, you need rest. As for going home, nope. We secured your door with a security guard hired by the Studio. Everett, I mean Jake, has gone to your place to get your bag. Nunzio is working with the Studio’s handler to keep things quiet. I’m here to keep you company and keep Nunzio in line with your interests.” “Wow, how long have I been asleep?” “A few hours. Jake should return soon. Nunzio and I have gone to bat for you and Jake. Avoid agreeing to similar things in the future. You shouldn’t have signed that contract without letting me look at it in full. I can’t believe you signed it before I’d finished making edits.” “Ben, you were listening in. If I didn’t agree, then they wouldn’t renew the show for another se
Everett returned to the hospital to find Ben and Josalyn speaking to each other. Without Nunzio there, he worried about how Ben would react to him. In the past few hours, his opinion of Ben had shifted. He’d the man had a backbone and advocated for Josalyn. It meant he was still maintaining his integrity. Uncertainty loomed with increasing tenure in this industry. He needed only to look at himself for proof. He recognized his failures and desired change. “Hey, I think I found everything. Are you certain that I found everything?” “Jake, you went over there, and you’re back already? You’re smiling. Did you send someone instead of going yourself? Why are you still smiling?” Josalyn looked confused and guilty. “Yes, I went myself. I hired a car since I’ve slept little in the last few days. I entered alone, and I had a look around. What I found we can discuss later once you’re out of the hospital and comfortable.” Jake set the b
The next morning creeped by. Jake never left her side. He even had someone bring him a phone charger so he could continue preparing everything for her to stay with him. “Oh, interesting note, love. You will need to stay with me while the repairs are happening. Some construction materials contain gluten. If you breathe in the dust, it could harm you.” Jake said as he raised his head from his phone. “Jake, what are you doing there? What are you talking about?” Josalyn didn’t know what he meant as she finished packing her things. She went to lift the bag off the bed. “Oh, hey, no you don’t. I’m here to lift that. We don’t want you damaging your stitches.” “Jake, they’re staples, and I’m fine. This isn’t heavy or the first time I’ve lifted this… Thank you. Just put it by the door.” It felt so odd to have Jake snatch the bag from her. Josalyn noticed his panicked expression and felt uneasy, as though she had inconvenienced him by
Everett found himself surprised by the Studio. He’d received a call from the Studio’s handler after he’d left the hospital with Rebecca. They made it home before he opened the voicemail message. They apologized for the accident. He couldn’t believe that spin. The fan attacked Rebecca out of anger, spite, jealousy, and a twisted form of protective possessiveness. He found Ben and Nunzio at their door soon after, with several documents for them both. All discussed marriage and its prospects. But what surprised them all, were the checks attached to them. The Studio decided they’d keep them on the show and paid them for their silence. “She’s resting right now. I’ll go get her once you’re ready.” Everett avoided disturbing Rebecca, as it required all her efforts to arrive. She wasn’t happy with this arrangement, but the doctor wouldn’t release her to go live alone. Rebecca still had staples on her side. However, visitors searching for her were disrupting others at t
“I lost our first baby. It’s my fault Everett didn’t know about it. I didn’t tell him because it would’ve killed him and I feared he’d think I was using it as an excuse to cling to him. If I told him he’d want to know why it happened and then blame me for it. I was too tired from losing the baby that I’ve agreed to almost anything. Mentioning pregnancy, I indeed recall feeling the same way before. Rebecca leaned against the door jamb and gave a heavy sigh. Hopefully, this time yields better results. Can’t do it again.” “Then I’ll go call them now and see if I can catch the receptionist before she leaves for lunch. I hope it’s a baby and nothing bad.” Jill left the dressing room and the other to speak between themselves. “A baby…” Rebecca sounded like she was stunned. “Oh, good grief. I hope the doctor was correct when he told you I could still have children.” “We’ll find out soon enough.”(SEVEN MONTHS LATER- MERCY GENERAL HOSPITAL, LABOR, AND DELIVE
“Are you alright love? Should I call your doctor for an appointment?” Everett asked Rebecca when she left the bathroom of the dressing room they now shared at work. He looked at her with concern in his eyes. “I don’t know. I’m nauseous but there’s no pain. “Perhaps I’m coming down with something,” Rebecca said, her pale face lacking its usual smile. “This will pass soon too.” “Perhaps we should secure the appointment now, rather than later. We’ll play it safe and catch whatever it is early. Why don’t you go sit down and relax? I know our lunch will arrive at the set soon. Then we can enjoy it and see how you’re feeling.” “The truth is I’m a little tired and nauseous. That’s it. No headaches, no pain, or weakness. There’re no mystery rashes, and my breathing is fine. I can’t find even a simple mystery bruise, and no strange bouts of acne. My hair isn’t falling out like it was, at least not yet.” “Can we sit and list your exper
Coming out of the interview with Everett, Josalyn sat down an hour later with the man she knew was her father. She’d spent hours researching stories and coming up with questions. The writers added questions to the lists well in advance. The questions went through the Studio’s legal department and her father’s legal team went through them as well. It became a lengthy-drawn-out process because of all the legal complications. Everett insisted on staying with her for support and sat in the dark shadows off to the side, away from the cameras, watching everything. He’d become protective and a little obsessive of Rebecca, but at this point she didn’t mind so much. Rebecca still basked in his attention and his attention hadn’t become intrusive yet in her eyes. Something had changed and Rebecca knew that. Her father sat there and shifted in his seat. He didn’t appear comfortable, and she’d not hesitate to say he appeared nervous. She attributed it to his pri
(SIX WEEKS AFTER THEIR WEDDING) Everett took a seat beside Rebecca on a sound stage. He took her hand in his and gave it a squeeze. Then his smile changed from the genuine one he gave her to the smile he’s known for when he looked at the interviewer. This was their explanation of events. Legal advice urged them to take a preemptive measure to defend against Gena’s potential slander. “Thank you for being here Mr. Stone and Ms. Jones.” Ken Douglas said to them as he settled into his own seat after greeting them. The cameras were rolling and picking up everything. “Thank you, Mr. Douglas. But it’s Mrs. Stone now.” Everett said to Ken. He corrected the interviewer before Rebecca could. “Oh, I’m sorry I didn’t realize you changed your name.” Ken Douglas looked at his notes, already off kilter with this interview. “It’s a recent development. My wife and I decided it would better reflect our leaving the past in the past.
“Morning, everyone. Thank you for settling down so quickly. Let’s start immediately. I’m afraid we have had several events in the past few weeks and several rather disturbing events last night.” Surprisingly, the Studio handler, who never attended a meeting like this before, assumed control. He let the comments and surprises fill the room. “It’s with a heavy heart that I must tell everyone that Yuri will not return to the set as he and his driver were found early yesterday morning dead in their cell. The cause of their deaths isn’t known, but suicide has not been ruled out yet.”Shock spread among everyone, including Josalyn. Though she knew the reputation of Gena’s family and two suicides this early didn’t sound right to her. Gena’s family had conflicting feelings about the women in their family. Hurting their own women was one thing, but an outsider doing so was another. Then there’s the baby. She wondered if they could have killed Yuri not for harming Gena, but for caus
They had two weeks for their honeymoon. Jake promised to arrange for something better later. He wouldn’t tell her where they’d go. It would be a surprise. He believes it’s important to be nearby for her health since her recent injuries stopped her from doing physical activities in a foreign country. If something happened, he didn’t trust the medical system of a foreign nation. Jake let her decide if she would show up at the studios without her wig. It’s odd to see the reaction she received when they arrived at the gate this morning. “Well, here we go.” Jake’s choice of driver eased their way through security and fans. They’d been lying in wait for them. Nunzio and Ben, both warned them that there’d been clashes between two groups of fans. One group supported their marriage, and a second group opposed it. “Yeah, I wonder what they’ll do when they learn we were married before this.” Josalyn asked Jake, “What they would make of that?” Their
Jake and Josalyn relaxed and enjoyed their usual activities at the cottage. Without the crowd of friends, of course. This time they weren’t window shopping for antiques. They could go through the shops and buy whatever they wanted. Though Jake found Josalyn hesitant to use his money. He couldn’t risk lowering his guard. He had to watch her to see what caught her eye and then ensure that he purchased it. These pieces weren’t for the cottage, but for their city house. Once they completed the renovations, they needed to refurnish the entire house. They needed everything from the floorboards to the ceiling. They won’t understand everything right away, but they can start. Afterwards, he would hire a professional to finish the space. “Jake, over here. Look at this. I love these cabinets; wouldn’t they make perfect nightstands for the master bedroom?” “Found a blanket box bench over there. Place it at the bed’s foot. It’s not just a box but has several dra
The next morning, they ate their breakfast on the back deck overlooking the lake and enjoyed the silence of nature as the sun rose. Josalyn forgot the joy of sitting without worrying about schedules, scripts, or getting through the day. Jake’s presence was soothing rather than grating on her nerves. She viewed him differently last night, absorbing new information about her long-held experiences. Her fears were unfounded sometimes and in others she found herself exposed to far too much. This time, when she tried to bring up the problems, Jake stood with her, and they formed a consensus. With that consensus came a plan. The plan’s activation is uncertain, but it would provide clarity to the public. They agreed not to involve the Studio’s PR handler. They’d handle it alone and let the chips fall where they may. She came clean about her finances and today they’d hand them to Jake’s family’s accounting firm and allow them to sort out her debts. Jake wasn
Josalyn lay on their bed at Jake’s teasing mercy. His hungry gazed followed his hands, and he toyed with her body. He’d just told her he wanted to see her orgasm before he satisfied himself. Then, without missing a beat, his fingers found her depths and thrust into her core, searching for that spot that would send her spiraling out of control. Her breath became heavy. “I want to share this pleasure with you. Let me touch you, Jake.” “Later. Now focus on what I’m doing and enjoy it. Breathe and focus. His other hands slid along her inner thighs with gentle caresses that left her thighs shaking and her mind forgetting to breathe. Along with her rich moans, the room filled with the slick sound of his fingers thrusting in and out of her. Josalyn knew he loved to hear what his actions did to her body. “Jake, oh god. Please I want to touch you.” “You know the rules love. I want to start tonight off right. Come on my hand. Show me h