Jared tried to look absorbed in his phone.
“What are you talking about?”
“We were getting together every night. I let you touch every bit of my body. I had all these reservations about you and yet I’ve been dropping my guard, trying to let you in. Now you’ve had a taste of success and you don’t want me.”
Jared had the nerve to laugh at her and Victoria raised her hand to strike him, but put it down instead, knowing it would not help the situation.
“Victoria, that’s not it at all.”
“Then tell me.”
Jared looked up at his driver before he pressed the button for the privacy panel that separated the front from the back seat.
“I have been wrestling with this for a while. I didn’t know what to tell you.”
“Just try,” Victoria demanded and then softened her tone, “Please.”
“The movie producer, Alec Gallagher, he’s very interested in making our show a movie.” Jared heaved an irritated sigh, “But it’s as you predicted. It’s all for a price.”
Victoria felt her stomach tremble. “What do you mean?”
Jared reached out and grabbed her hand. “Remember how you asked me if you were going to have to perform sex acts to get a job?”
When Victoria looked at him mortified he reluctantly continued, “He thinks you’re hot. He’s very adventurous.”
Victoria laughed bitterly as she looked out the window. “What is that supposed to mean?”
Jared cleared his throat. “He’d like to have you. But if you don’t want to hook up with just him, I can be there, too.”
“A threesome?” Victoria couldn’t believe that they were having this conversation. Maybe she should have stayed with The Little Bird after all.
“Sorry, I wish Alec was a woman, that would be fun for both of us, but…” He was trying to make light of the situation but it wasn’t working.
Victoria suddenly wished that she hadn’t got in the car, she should have gone out for drinks with her friends. “Do you realize that what this is going to make me look like? I’m not just some slut who will bang whoever she can to get to the top!”
She felt tears trying to blind her vision. “Don’t you dare tell me that it’s the nature of the business! I’ll do it! But I’m telling you right now, that once that movie is over, once this Broadway run is finished I’m GONE!”
The silence that followed stung his ears. Victoria couldn’t believe that she’d be willing to walk away from all of this, but it was always something else with Jared Miller and she could take the stress anymore. She thought she was falling in love with him, but he was so goddamned selfish, she wanted to scream.
Jared looked despondent as he undoubtedly texted Alec to let him know that the deal was on. Victoria wondered if this had been their plan all along, to make her vulnerable and trap her on the way to his apartment. It wasn’t the fact that she was about to have sex with two men at the same time, that was something she had always wanted to do. It was the fact that the movie would not move forward without her pleasuring the movie producer. The whole cast was relying on her. She couldn’t let them down.
*****
Alec Gallagher was handsome enough. He had sandy blonde hair and gray-blue eyes that had crinkled in the corners when he smiled. Victoria probably would have liked him if they weren’t meeting like this. The fact that he was already waiting in Jared’s apartment before they even walked in the door made her angry. Like she had told the billionaire in the car. The minute she could be free from all of this she was gone.
“Wow, I thought she was beautiful from a distance. She’s drop dead gorgeous up close.”
He offered his hand to her. “Alec Gallagher.”
“I know who you are and you know who I am,” Victoria spat, not wanting to prolong this any longer than she had too. She began to peel off her clothing as she stalked towards the bedroom.
“Seeing as how you all had this planned out before I was informed of this, you must already have some sort of order. Who am I blowing first? Is it the big movie producer?”
Victoria climbed onto the bed and felt a sob catching in her throat. She willed herself not to cry. She could do this.
Sure enough, Alec was in the bedroom within seconds, already pumping his erection in his hand.
“Don’t be angry,” he said, “This will be good for all of us. People tell me that I’m a great lover.”
Cocky and good looking. No wonder he and Jared are friends. Victoria thought as made room for him on the bed. She wanted to tell him where he could shove his erection, but instead she took over stroking it, making sure that she was firm, but not too rough with him. Alec immediately closed his eyes and made small moans as she used both hands, alternating pumping and twisting motions.
“Why don’t you put your mouth on it?” he suggested.
Victoria was so grateful that he didn’t use any pet names. That would have pushed her too far. She would have bit his penis is protest. Instead, she obeyed, using her tongue to swirl around his shaft before she took him completely into her mouth and began to bob her head up and down.
Usually, Victoria lost herself in the moment. But as she went down on Alec, she felt like her brain was full of static. Did she make him cum? Did she make him close before she inevitably let him fuck her? She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she jumped out of skin when she felt another set of hands on her, caressing her shoulders and her breasts before one hand went to rest of one of her hips. The other guided a member to her entrance.
Jared. Victoria was so angry with him that she almost wanted to have sex with Alec out of spite. But she knew that the only way that she was going to possibly get through this was if he was with her. So she mentally braced herself for what was to come as he entered her, making sure to be extra gentle. This was already in stark contrast with Alec, who was already grabbing onto her head so that she could take as much of him into her mouth as possible.
Normally she enjoyed doggy style as it felt good in all the right places, but it was hard to focus when Alec was so aggressive. He was enjoying the moment thought, bucking his hips up as she wrapped her lips around him. Behind her, she could hear Jared’s breathing getting heavier and his thrusts slapping against her. She almost felt disappointed that she felt nothing at all.
“Fuck, this is good,” the movie producer groaned, “Let’s change. I want you to sit on my face. I’m going to make you cum.”
They adjusted so that Victoria was kneeling above his shoulders. Alec began to lap at her folds and once more he was more aggressive than Jared had ever been. This time, however, it was in her favor. She found herself squirming and gasping as he used his arms to how her down on his mouth. Victoria knew she wouldn’t last long.
Jared stood so that his cock was level with her head. He tried to cup her face in his hand so he could look at her, but Victoria wrenched her eyes shut. She began to give his member a turn with her mouth. She wasn’t able to get far before Alec’s pussy eating tipped her over the edge and she was screaming and convulsing on top of him. She found herself falling face first onto the bed because her muscles felt like jelly. She hated the fact that someone so selfish could make her feel that way.
“Jeez Jared, I had no idea what you had here,” Alec said as he rubbed his hands along Victoria’s back. “I want to ravage her. If you want, we could try double penetration.”
“NO!” Victoria cried out. She’d never done anything like that before and she wasn’t going to try for the first time during a threesome. Not to mention she couldn’t stand the sight of Jared right now.
“Alec, fuck me until you cum, then I’m out of here.”
It was obvious that Jared was hurt as he left the room, but she didn’t have time to dwell on it because Alec was laying her down on the bed and straddling her. He proceeded to take her hard and in spite of her feelings on having sex with the movie producer, she came two more times before the man finished all over her face and chest. Screaming and thrusting her so
hard that she knew that she would be raw in a few hours.
“Wow,” he panted as he lay on Jared’s bed, “you’re unbelievable. God, I hope you let me do that again.”
He opened his arms so that Victoria would lay with him but she was already up, heading towards the bathroom to wipe up her face.
Alec called after her as she attempted to tame her wild hair. She collected her pieces of clothing and shoes from various parts of the house. She tried to ignore the fact that Jared was sitting on his couch with a bottle of whiskey but she was in no mood to talk after what he'd just put her through.
“I hope you’re happy,” she spat in his direction, “I hope I just earned you millions.”
“Victoria, please,” Jared despaired, sounding broken.
“Fuck you,” she replied and slammed the door behind her.
*****
The show continued to run, and the budget was released for the future film. No one was surprised by this because Jared Miller had funded it himself. Most of the cast was thrilled and in front of everyone, Victoria put on a happy face, but behind closed door she could not wait until she could be as far away from this as possible. She didn’t know where the future would take her, but she knew she was never going to step on this stage again.
At first, Jared had tried to reach out to her, but Victoria all but ignored him. She didn’t want to make a scene, she didn’t want to scream or cry when there was so much on the line, but she just pretended that he was any other man. She didn’t answer his calls. She always made sure that she left the theater with a group of people. It hurt, it really did. But she told herself that he was dumb for thinking that it wasn’t going to turn out like this.
The Broadway run ended six months after everything started. It wasn’t the end of the show. It was just a hiatus really so that they could film for the movie and if people decided that they were going to leave, they could find replacements. Everyone was surprised to see that Gemma was going to need a new actress and when everyone asked her why she explained that she was ready for a break. She’d been doing nothing but acting for so long that she forgot what it was like to be a normal human being. She hoped it sounded more believable than she felt.
The movie was even more extravagant than the show. Victoria and other members of the company had to go into a recording studio to record all their songs for both the movie and the soundtrack that would be released in stores. She had to do multiple takes to make sure that it was perfect. But soon it was over. Soon she was standing on the red carpet at the premiere and she was counting the moments until she would never have to see Alec, the paparazzi, no one ever again.
The critics and the public loved Muse. It was so different than anything that had been released lately. That was one thing that Victoria would not take for granted. She had earned enough money through the show and the movie to not worry about much. She could take her time finding a new job. She could move anywhere if she wanted to.
The theater began to empty, people buzzing about how wonderful the film had been and how it would a pop culture favorite for years to come. As much as Victoria wanted to be in the first cab out of there, she lingered in the beautiful theater, no knowing when she would be on the stage next, if she would even come back.
“We did it.”
Jared walked over to her, looking happy but exhausted at the same time. He was tentative, giving her plenty of space.
“I suppose we did,” Victoria replied looking down at her silver stilettos. They matched her gown perfectly.
“Don’t go.”
Victoria looked up at him. Jared’s face was pained. He looked like he would cry if that was what it took to get her to stay.
“I need a break. The show, the film. I’m exhausted,” she said.
“I’m not talking about Muse!” he hissed, “I’m talking about us. Don’t leave me. I don’t care if you are in my show. I need you.”
“How is that possible? You let another man fuck me so that your brainchild could be made into a movie,” Victoria demanded. “How do you possibly come back from that?”
Jared’s face contorted with grief, he finally closed the space between them so that no would be able to see his tortured expression but Victoria.
“I was an idiot. Not having you by my side is killing me. Victoria I love you!”
Victoria shook her head feeling the tears wanting to spill over her eyelashes.
“No, you don’t. This started out as infatuation that turned into an obsession. That’s all it ever was. I thought I loved you…I don’t what to think anymore.”
“Victoria, please!”
Victoria couldn’t do it anymore. She walked out of the theater, not caring to see if he was behind her or not. She got in a cab, hoping to feel freer than she felt. She couldn’t stop thinking about Jared’s distraught face as he begged her to stay. It didn’t matter. He’d already made his choice. His fame and fortune had been more important than her happiness.
By the end of the week, all trace of Victoria ever being in New York was gone. She sublet her apartment, she changed her phone number and moved out of the city. She was young enough that she felt that she could roam around with her savings from Muse until she found a new home. That propelled her more than anything. She could no longer be the source of an obsession if she could not be found. She’d miss the city that gave her a chance a fame, but she was ready to move on with the next chapter of her life.
*****
About a year later, Victoria was taking off her costume for Anna for the show The King and I. She’d recently come back to theater after doing a bit of travelling. She like travelling so much that she auditioned for the travelling playgroup about four months ago. The King and I was the company’s first production but they already had their season planned out and Victoria was a lock. She had been in the smash hit Muse after all.
They went to a new city every week, and because of this the other members of the company had become her second family. So she was surprised when someone came down to where she was keeping her belongings and told her that someone was asking for her. They were in Baltimore, she knew absolutely no one in the city.
“Do you know who it is?” she asked confused. Someone from the wardrobe department was helping her get out a large hoop skirt and she placed her hand on their shoulder to ready herself.
“It’s a man. Older than you. Maybe in his forties at most.”
Victoria’s heart began to race. It could be anyone, but she had a feeling that there was no one else that would be looking for her specifically.
As if her cast mate could sense her nervousness, they asked if she wanted someone to go up with her or even tell the man to go away. Victoria smiled wistfully, she had a night just like this what seems like ages ago.
“It’s okay. I’ll go up. Just come looking for me if I’m not back down here in fifteen minutes.
She quickly put on a hoody and a pair shorts before she made her way backstage. This particular theatre was small even compared to the huge stage she’d performed as Gemma or even The Little Bird. She felt a strange sense of déjà vu as she saw a man sitting in the front row wearing a grey suit. Her stomach dropped. It was Jared Miller. Who else would it be?
“Victoria!” he called out when he saw her finally approach.
Victoria didn’t know if she should hug him so instead she sat on the edge of stage and smiled at him warily.
“Hello, Jared.”
He began to tell her how well she had performed and once more Victoria remembered that she had been in this same exact situation before. After the cordialities ended and an awkward space began to fill between them. She knew that her fifteen-minute window would be coming to an end and that soon her cast mates would come looking for her.
“Jared, why are you here?”
It had taken her a while to heal from everything that had happened between them. She didn’t know if she could ever forget what Jared had put her through to make them both famous and successful.
<
br /> He stared at her with sad eyes.
“I’ve searched everywhere for you Victoria. You changed your phone number. You moved. I finally heard that you were the lead in this show and I went to every performance until I got the nerve to ask someone if I could talk to you.”
Victoria almost wanted to laugh out loud. Did he hear himself?
“Jared, this is nuts. Do you hear yourself? You searched everywhere for me. You went to every performance. You are obsessed with me.”
“Of course, I am!” Jared admitted. “It started out because of a beautiful performance. But then I got to know the woman beyond the characters. I fell in love with her.”
“Well, we all know how that turned out,” Victoria retorted. “I don’t think I need to remind you how you messed that up.”
She saw a few of her cast mates walking onto the stage and she rose up, getting ready to leave Jared behind.
“If you are asking me to be in another one of your shows, hell no. I refuse.”
“I’m not here to get you to come be in a show. I’m here to get you to come home. I love you Victoria. You are absolutely right. I went about this all wrong. I cared about the fame and the fortune and I didn’t think about your feelings. I’m a huge idiot. I don’t deserve for you to speak to me ever again. But I’m going to try one last time. Give me a chance Victoria. I’ll cook you dinner every night and we can watch any show you want when we have free time. I’ll donate my money to any charity you deem worthy. I don’t care what I have to do as long as I get one more chance.”
Victoria stared at him dumbfounded. Was he serious? I mean it sounded good. She loved the parts of their strange relationship that had nothing to do with the show. She wasn’t going to go back to New York with him. Not yet. She’d jumped ship once before and gotten herself into this mess. She wasn’t going to do that again.
“I’m not leaving the playgroup. You can visit me. I’ll stay with you when I am in New York, but I am not giving my life up for you. Not again. Not until you can prove to me that this is love and not an obsession. Do you understand?”
Ways in the Guardian: A Menage Romance Book Collection Page 63
