by Robin Leaf
***
Vanessa dragged her feet to the car. Other than a few text messages exchanged, she and Emily hadn’t really talked since she returned from Vegas. Then, it was only a quick call to tell her she was home and exhausted. Vanessa knew Em would have a lot to catch up on at work since her boss saved all her paralegal-ing until she returned, so she worked late this past week. She knew Em would give her a hard time about not reporting everything, and since she couldn’t keep secrets from her when they were together, she would have to tread lightly. She barely sat down in the car before Em started in on her.
“Okay, Vanessa,” Emily snipped as she started the car. “What’s your issue?”
Vanessa tried for innocence. “Whatever do you…”
“Don’t give me that. You know exactly what I mean. That guy is crazy about you.”
“No, he can’t be…”
“Oh, come on! Are you that stupid? He is so ready for some Vanessa love.”
Vanessa reddened. “About that…”
“You already did it? And you didn’t tell me? Holy shit!” Emily softened her tone. “Honey, you already did it, and he is that in to you? I don’t get the problem. Are you falling for him?”
Vanessa’s eyes welled up. “You DON’T get it. That IS the problem. I’m not falling for him, I am one-hundred percent gone, already fallen, totally head over heels for him.” She took a deep breath. “And that scares the crap out of me.”
“Good God, Ness! Why?”
Vanessa tried to get her emotions in check before speaking. Once she felt no danger of completely breaking down, she explained. “I’ve only known him twelve days, Em. That’s completely crazy, isn’t it? I mean, there is no way to fall for someone and know them well enough to talk about love in that short amount of time. I’ve never been in love, Em.” She sniffed. “I mean it feels right, but then I get to thinking about it, and it seems completely insane. He says all the right things, but he can’t mean them. I’m waiting for him to turn to me and say, ‘Just kidding,’ and kick me to the curb. It’s going to all be an illusion and disappear. He’s too perfect. Well, except that he can’t dance. It’s crazy. It can’t be happening. TWELVE DAYS! No way. This really is your romance novel shit, Em. Things like this just don’t happen in real life.” She grabbed her head with both hands. “Hell, I don’t even have his phone number. Usually before I have sex with someone, I at least have his number. It’s crazy. Something is bound to go wrong. I’ll find a way to screw it up, just like I have every other serious relationship I’ve ever been in. It’s going to all go wrong. And soon.”
Emily threw up her hands. “Goodness, girl, I am this close,” she held up her thumb and finger close together, “to giving up on you. First of all, what I just witnessed back in that house was very real. Riley Tate has feelings for you, Vanessa Lynn Taylor. It wasn’t an illusion or all in your head because I witnessed it. Now, pull your head out of your ass so you can see it for yourself.
“Secondly, you haven’t ever had a serious relationship, just guys you had sex with. Steven was a controlling, commitment-phobic asshole who ran at the first sign of real feelings. And what you had with Jason can only be considered a relationship because it lasted more than six months. And you didn’t screw that up; he was hooking up with the TA for macrobiotics. He was the jerk, Honey, nothing was wrong with you.”
“Yes there is something wrong with me,” Vanessa mumbled.
Emily pulled over and stopped the car. “Listen to me. I love you. You are a wonderful friend and person. I don’t waste time on people, you know that. That man back there sees in you what I see. You have chosen the wrong guys in the past. I think Riley is the right guy. Tell me this, do you think Riley is worth it?”
“Yes, but…”
“No, there is no but. You are going to give this a chance. You are going to throw caution to the wind and see what happens.” Emily softened her tone. “If you don’t, you will regret it, and honestly, I don’t want to have to listen to it the rest of our lives.”
“The rational part of my brain says you are right, Em. But I’m still scared.”
“Fine. Be scared. Anything new is scary. But don’t be a coward.” Emily smiled. “At least he hasn’t witnessed one of your panicky fits yet.”
“Uh, yeah,” Vanessa sighed. “Two of them.”
“And he still looks at you like that? Damn girl, he is Mr. Right.” She paused. “Now, tell me one thing. Sex with Riley Tate. As good as I think?”
Vanessa laid back against the headrest, a slow smile crept around her mouth. “Holy shit, no. It’s so much better.”
Emily put the car in drive. “Yeah, that’s my girl.”
TWENTY TWO
Vanessa and Emily had lunch outside at their favorite little café. Emily talked about Tater’s offer for the reality show. Turns out he would not be followed around like the owners of the shop, but he would be brought in for the sole purpose of causing animosity among the other artists. The deal itself didn’t fit with Tater’s vibe, so he turned it down. Hell, I didn’t know Tater had a vibe.
They laughed about the early years in college when they took a Pilates class together. Usually they would get dressed in their appropriate clothes but would end up skipping the class and rendezvous at the local Dairy Queen for Blizzards. They figured that the sheer effort it took to squeeze into the lycra/spandex outfits earned them enough workout points to justify some of the calories in the ice cream. And since each shared their own treat with the other, it totally canceled out the remaining caloric intake. Emily is right, we do complement each other well.
By the end of the meal, Vanessa felt much more relaxed about her relationship with Riley. The distraction of the conversation with Emily had made her realize that she had nothing to lose by continuing things with him. She so badly wanted to believe all the things Riley said, and honestly, she could think of no reason why she could not trust in him. In fact, it was quite the opposite; everything Riley had said and done proved him to be completely trustworthy.
On the way back home, yeah, it’s my home, she resigned herself to trust her feelings for this seemingly perfect man. She was ready and somewhat prepared to take on this new challenge. I can do this. I can do this. I can do him, again. Ha. This time, I mean it. It’s funny how that first time, Dad called and ruined things. Oh shit, Daddy.
“Ugh. You were fine, so now what?” Emily asked, seeing the worried look on Vanessa’s face.
“Daddy.” Vanessa closed her eyes and leaned back against the headrest. “He’s going to flip.”
“Honey bun, your dad is four states away, probably pulling over some Bubba on a country road for not yielding to a tractor or something. You don’t need to deal with him until you are ready.”
“But I can’t lie to him.”
“So don’t lie. Only tell him what he needs to know. You don’t need to freak out about it now.” Emily banged the steering wheel. “It never ceases to amaze me how you still live your life for your father instead of for you.”
“That right? So what’s your daddy going to say about your tattoo?”
Emily shifted uncomfortably. “Nothing.”
“Yeah, because you aren’t going to tell him.” Vanessa laughed hysterically. “Aha, my dear,” she said between gasps. “Leverage over Emily Francis Sullivan at last!”
“You wouldn’t. And you promised you would never use my middle name.”
Vanessa giggled again. “Don’t piss me off, then.”
They pulled up to Riley’s house. “Home,” Vanessa muttered as she made a move to get out. “Are you coming in?”
“No. I need to do laundry before tomorrow,” Emily sighed. She grabbed Vanessa and hugged her. “I may have been a little harsh earlier. It’s only because I want to see you happy. For some reason, you won’t get out of your own way when it comes to your happiness.”
“I know.” She pulled away from the hug. “I’m gonna work on that.”
“I’ll believe it when I see it.�
� Emily smiled. “And first thing? Get his phone number.”
Vanessa waved as Emily drove away.
Now what do I do? Do I just walk in? Do I knock? Ring the bell? Crap, what if no one is here and the door is locked? I really don’t want to call Em to come get me. She’ll talk me into doing her laundry. The years of living together doing her laundry is enough. I know she did it wrong on purpose just so I would do it for her. Lazy little sneak.
Vanessa smiled as she walked into the unlocked door. “Hello?” she called.
“Hello, Dr. Taylor.” The voice from the couch startled her. Charles rose to face her, dressed in a loud Hawaiian print shirt and designer jeans that screamed one size too small. Vanessa stood open mouthed, clearly startled at his presence. He slowly moved toward her. The look on his face made her want to run back out the door. “Funny thing,” he began as he ran his fingers over his thinning hair, “Riley paid me a visit earlier. He looked very happy. I guess I have to thank you for that.”
She paused, not sure how to respond. His words were pleasant, but all the hair rose on her neck. Something was wrong. “You’re welcome, Mr. Pickney. But I don’t think…”
“Apparently, Doctor, that is true,” he interrupted, his voice smooth as silk. “You don’t think.” He glared at her with such intensity, she shifted nervously. “I didn’t hire you to bed my client. If I wanted that, I would have hired… someone in another profession. Although you ended up doing only what one in that profession would have done. So, I ask myself… what does that make you? Besides completely unprofessional.”
Vanessa had to steel herself from what felt like a blow to the gut. She narrowed her eyes and waited until she knew her voice wouldn’t fail her. “Someone who doesn’t get involved with her clients. And since Riley never agreed to therapy, he isn’t my client, so our contract is null and void.”
“Ah, yes. Our contract. A verbal agreement, if I remember correctly.” He moved a step closer. “One sealed with a shake of the hand.”
Vanessa never took her eyes off his. Ok, where is he going with this? And why do I feel so creeped out right now? He doesn’t seem physically threatening, but this time, his attempt at intimidation is working. Too well. Just keep it together, girl. I hope Javier or Graciela isn’t too far away. I have a feeling this is not going to be good. That’s it, maintain that eye contact and don’t show fear.
“Yes, the contract that means nothing since Riley didn’t agree. And what about your role in nullifying our contract? You agreed to give me a place to stay. You kicked me out 48 hours after I moved in. The contract? You were the first one to violate it, so it’s a moot point, Mr. Pickney.” She smiled. “Now, I’d really like to go upstairs and…”
“Take a shower?” he asked, his voice dripping with fake innocence. Then he dropped his chin, never taking his eyes off hers, and lowered his voice. “I understand you like showers, Dr. Taylor. And patios. And weight benches…”
This time she couldn’t hide the surprise on her face or stop her skin from crawling. What the fuck? The only way he would have known that is if Riley told him. What the hell is this? She tried to recover, but she knew from his satisfied expression that he knew he hit a sore spot.
“Exactly why are you here, Charles?”
“To let you know that your services are no longer needed. Since my client, as you reminded me twice, never agreed for you to treat him, you may leave.” He softened his expression. “Riley asked me to tell you that although he appreciated your attempts, he really no longer needs your services.”
She stood there bewildered. “My services?” She placed her hands on the back of the couch to steady herself. “There is no way… Riley would never…”
“How can you be sure, Vanessa?” Charles crooned. “You’ve only known him what? A little over a week? How can you be so sure exactly what he would do?”
She stood up straight. “Because I know…”
“Know what… him? You can’t know him that well, Vanessa. I, however, have known him a long time. I have handled countless, um, well, let’s just call them similar uncomfortable situations for him in the past.”
“But I trust him more than I trust you. I’ll just wait and talk to him.”
Charles looked at her with pity. “You fell under his spell, didn’t you, Vanessa?” He clicked his tongue. “Please tell me you didn’t fall for it.”
Stop listening, Nessa. He’s lying. You had a feeling when he hired you that he was not quite ethical. He kicked you out of your apartment. Riley spoke of his affairs with women, women to whom he promised careers. Darby said he was a ‘waste of foreskin.’ He’s lying now. Riley is a great guy. Don’t buy this line of shit, Vanessa Lynn Taylor.
“What Riley and I do and how I feel is frankly none of your concern, Charles. Please leave.”
“Oh, you poor thing.” He moved to place a hand on her shoulder, but she backed away from his reach. “Vanessa, he is an actor. He lies for a living.” He flashed a look of concern her direction. “It’s what he does. I thought you were too smart to fall for it.” He looked down with what Vanessa was sure was supposed to be a guiltily expression. “This is my fault. I feel horrible.” He turned away. “I might have mentioned an audition for a role as a psychologist for his next movie. I bet he was researching you for that role.”
Oh, shit. That first day, on the porch over the first waffle he made me, he mentioned something about researching a role. Could he have been telling the truth then? She could feel the tears stinging her eyes and turned away from Charles. Don’t you dare cry, Vanessa. Not in front of this sack of shit. No. None of this can be true. Darby would have to be in on it, too. She wouldn’t lie for him about this, would she? She did say she would do anything for him. C’mon, Nessa. Something about this doesn’t jive well. He has to be lying. But why? Find out what he is up to before getting upset.
“I get that you may be upset because I didn’t follow through with our original deal, Charles,” Vanessa began, trying to sound strong. “What I don’t get is why you are now trying to convince me that Riley is anything less than the great guy you told me he was at the beginning. You really drove that fact with the hard sell in your office. Now you are trying to convince me that he is a jerk, out to use me for my occupation for a role, among other things? It just doesn’t add up.”
“If I had told you how he really was, would you have taken the job?”
“I don’t really like to think in terms of what ifs, Charles. I don’t know.”
Charles smiled knowingly. “I bet the answer would have been no.” He clasped his hands in front of him. “Let me tell you how I see it, Dr. Taylor. Here you are, a green psychologist fresh out of graduate school, eager to whet her appetite on a big celebrity, hoping to cure him of his woes. I thought you could handle it. But what I didn’t understand at the time is that you have your own issues that you obviously haven’t worked out yet.” He pierced his lips together. “I’m betting you let these issues show in front of Riley, and he exploited them.” He shook his head and looked down. “That is why I feel responsible. I put you in this situation.” He looked back up at her. “I really thought you were more of a professional. More of an intelligent girl who would never believe a big time, Hollywood actor would fall for a girl such as yourself.”
She whipped around. “A girl… such as myself?”
“Yes. A small-town girl with delusions that she is good enough for someone like Riley Tate.” He paused, studying her horrified expression. “I’m sorry, Vanessa, but it’s true.”
She closed her eyes, her worst fears realized. “I think it’s time for you to leave, Charles.” Vanessa said, her voice thick with emotion.
“If you need me to get you a place to stay until you can get a flight back home, I would be happy to. It’s the least I could do since you are in this situation because of me.”
She narrowed her eyes at him and spoke through clenched teeth. “No, Charles. I’m actually done taking favors from you. Please, just get out. N
ow.”
He stared at her for a moment. “My advice is for you to focus on your career, Dr. Taylor. I’m sure you will make a fine psychologist.” He turned toward the door and opened it. He paused and looked back at her. “It’s better you learn the truth about this now than after you had fallen in love with him. At least now the damage is minimal.” He closed the door.
Minimal. Right. Heart ripped out is minimal.
Oh my God, what do I do with this information? Do I stay and wait for Riley to explain? Yeah, for him to come home and wonder why I’m still here? For him to tell me it’s the truth? No. No way. Gotta go. Gotta get out of here. Now.
She ran upstairs, grabbed all she could, threw it in a bag, and headed to her car. She ran past Javier at the bottom of the stairs.
“Vanessa, where are you going?”
“I have no idea.” She opened the door. “Tell Riley… just tell him he puts his faith in the wrong people.”
And she left.
TWENTY THREE
RILEY
Riley hurried home after his production meeting. He figured the six hours away from Vanessa was too long, and he was itching to tell her his news. He entered his house through the garage.
“Vanessa,” he called. No answer.
He went to change his clothes, secretly hoping to find Vanessa in his room waiting for him. She wasn’t there. He put on his favorite basketball shorts and decided to go shirtless. When he left his room, he looked out to the patio before climbing the stairs. As he entered her room, something felt off. The cluttered, harried atmosphere of the room seemed not like neat-freak Vanessa.
“Vanessa?” he tried again, hoping beyond all hope that she was in the bathroom. When he searched it, he noticed important articles – toothbrush, toiletries, lotion – all missing. He returned to her room and saw a few of the boxes she had so neatly arranged were now in disarray, opened and ransacked. He thought he had convinced her to stay. He thought Emily would help the situation. “What did she do?” he said out loud.
