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  “No, but you sure did get close and personal with his brother, who I must say is not bad either. I hear Sean is getting ready to do a movie too, I can’t remember what it was about though. Wow you are having one hell of a birthday,” Kyle said hanging his arm around my shoulders.

  “Yea, I guess I am. So what did you get from the store?”

  A huge smile sweeps across his face as he reaches into his bag and pulls out a box, “macaroni and cheese, the name brand too. My best friend wants a lavish Italian meal and I will do everything possible to get it for her,” he said as both our stomachs growl in anticipation.

  ~

  My meeting went better than expected and Jasper made good on his promise for a birthday dinner together. As usual, he is charming and sweet, even dancing with me at least long enough for him to convince me to come back to his place. His breath heats up with every item of clothing he removes from my body, his hands grasping me securely and confidently, while kissing me as if he owns me. The cold stiffness of it all is bringing up a harsh realization and my stomach immediately begins to churn with every grunting obnoxious pounding into my body and the feeling of his sweat dripping down between my breasts. He reaches his climax, finishing with no worries or regrets. I receive a simple kiss to the forehead for my assistance before he leaves me to clean up. I am allowed to sleep over, if I promise not to keep him awake because he has a hectic schedule to keep tomorrow. Instead, I decide to take his offer to pay for a cab ride home. I prefer to go into work with Kyle anyway.

  ~

  Kyle is gasping and huffing at me the whole ride to work this morning. “Ava you are one of the smartest people I know and somehow you have gone stupid over this guy,”

  “You don’t know, maybe it’s something.” Kyle interrupts me with a - I see through your bullshit smile.

  “Well at least you got laid. Was it good at least?” He said as I give him a quick look. “It wasn’t even good?” Cringing, I look away from my judge.

  “Good morning Ava!” A security guard from the building greets me standing and giving me his full attention.

  “Good morning …” What was his name? I think I saw him at last year’s Christmas party. What was it? “Spencer.”

  “You look beautiful today, Ava.” Spencer says awkwardly fidgeting with his pocket change.

  “Thank you,” I said feeling the nudge from Kyle as we rush away to the elevators.

  “What was that about?” Kyle asked.

  “He helped me get rid of some guy that followed me in from lunch the other day.”

  “What guy?”

  “Just a guy who wanted to take me out, he said he wouldn’t take no for an answer, so ummm … Spencer … stepped in and told him to leave. It was nothing but he was sweet to step in and help me out as he did. I told him that he’s my hero.”

  “Your hero, if he is your hero he will rid Jasper Andrews from your life.” With an angry huff, I take an obvious step away from Kyle. “Ava you know he is using you, he doesn’t care about you. He knows as well as everyone else that you are the most talented person in this place and that includes him. Not to mention, you look great on his arm.”

  “He said he loves me.” I said instantly regretting the stupidity.

  “Loves you? Please, that man is too full of himself to love anyone but himself. Kick him to the curb Ava, you know that’s what you should do. Stop trying to be respectful to a man who has not bothered to do the same for you,” Kyle said leaving me to drown in my doubts.

  I know Kyle is right about my relationship with Jasper, it is less of an equal partnership and more of Ava being the dutiful shadow. We argue all the time now, and Jasper is jealous of everyone I talk to but he feels righted flirting with anyone and everyone he meets with a skirt. I know he is cheating on me but the telling part is … I don’t care.

  ~

  Recently, Kyle has made some new contacts in Atlanta, a chance he says for us to go out on our own and today, I finally agree to go with him. I cannot wait to move. I had planned to tell Jasper tonight at dinner, although the rumors have obviously already reached his ears since he has asked to speak to me alone. Jasper manages to put me off until after everyone has left.

  Inhaling deep before I walk boldly into his office, “Jasper I have everything ready for you. You should have no problem impressing them on Monday.”

  Jasper eases back in his chair and admires me with an obvious smile. “Why don’t you come with me? We can leave tonight, spend the weekend together …”

  “No Jasper, I can’t.”

  “No?” He says getting up and taking my hand. “I was going to wait to do this but as usual you’re stubborn.” With his confidence shining through he kisses me, “Ava I want to marry you.”

  “What?”

  “I know, not something you expected at all from me but I love you and I know you love me. We can do it this weekend in Paris, go to the meeting on Monday, and be back and ready to work …”

  “Jasper, have you lost your mind? You don’t love me, you only want me to stay here.” I push his hands away and take a deep breath. “Jasper, I am so appreciative for what you have done for me here but it’s time for me to move on - Kyle and I are going to start our own firm. I was planning to tell you tonight.”

  Jasper with a harsh expression begins gathering his things, “you fucking bitch! With all that I have done for you, you are going to leave me!”

  “Done for me? I have been doing your work for the last year. The clients have liked my ideas because you have been too busy fucking everything that you came across to deal with work. Oh don’t look at me that way. Did you think I didn’t know? Everyone knows and you love that they do. It is over Jasper. Let me leave, so we can end this respectably.”

  “Good luck with your little woodsheds in Atlanta, Ava.” Jasper takes a wide curve to walk around me.

  “You’re leaving? You are going to leave me here.” Jasper shrugs with an obnoxious expression. “Jasper it’s raining and it’s late, you know I can’t afford a cab … drive me home at least.”

  “I would Ava but it is late and I don’t want to have to drive that far out of my way in the rain. But I don’t want you to think I’m bitter about anything, so here, you can take my umbrella.” Jasper hands me his designer umbrella and grips my face hard, “I will give you until Monday to change your mind.” Like a fool, I stand silently watching him leave.

  With Jasper’s umbrella, I fight the cold rain while making my way home. Taking notice of everything around me along the dark streets, I become aware of a car slowly traveling behind me. I quicken my pace and the car suddenly pulls up next to me. “Ava do you need a ride home?” A familiar voice calls out.

  Looking down in the car, I see the security guard from our building. “No, I’m fine Spencer, thank you though.”

  “You have to be cold. Get in. It’s no problem, really.”

  After considering for only a few seconds, my frigid, exhausted body replies eagerly. “Okay, thank you,” I said jumping into his car.

  “So are you going out tonight?” Spencer asked.

  “Jasper was supposed to take me out to dinner but …”

  “He doesn’t deserve you, Ava.”

  “Well thank you, but it doesn’t matter anymore I broke it off with him for good. Kyle and I are going to move out of New York and start our own firm.” Before I can speak another word, Spencer’s silence becomes noticeably awkward and cold. Suddenly he turns the car around. “Spencer, I live in the other direction.”

  “You need to see my house.”

  “No, I want to go home,” I said fisting my hands and pounding on the seat, demanding my way.

  “No! You need to see our house.” He demands.

  My body begins to shake violently as I try to calm, “Spencer, I would love to see your house sometime but tonight is not a good time but maybe tomorrow. I will call you and we can setup a time.”

  “You are going to love it. I even restored your old desk from college
and put it in the study. Don’t worry though, I removed that piece you were always hitting your knee on.” He smiles happily, as a familiar haunting presence takes over him.

  “Spencer! Let me out of this car now!” I yelled with every ounce of Irish fuel I have within me. Smiling a bone-chilling smile, he pulls over and I quickly grab the handle to the door ….

  ~

  My body feels heavy, as I force my eyes open to the darkness that surrounds me. Nothing seems familiar, not the smells, not the sounds, nothing at all. Panic forces me up, jerking my wrists back to the bars that they are tied to. I scream for help, until out of the darkness, a door lights up, and opens with a large shadow hovering within the threshold.

  “Go to sleep Ava, no one can hear you here,” Spencer said locking me back into the darkness ....

  Chapter 2: Sean

  My father, William Benjamin Grant died almost two years ago now, and yet I still believe he is going to walk through the door any moment with his usual debonair attitude. He could have done anything with his life but instead he chose my mother.

  They met when she was taking a break from doing Off Broadway shows and decided to take a chance in London. My father, who was never one for the arts, found himself tricked into seeing her play one night and as he said, “as soon as I saw her, I knew immediately she was my everything and I had to let her know.” It was a little too fairy-tale for me but they believed it and they were married within a few months after meeting. My mother soon dragged him to New York, to concentrate on her career that is until Ethan, my brother was born. Then my father took over by managing several important political figures finances. He was great at managing money and exceptionally smooth. I always assumed that it was because of the accent, no matter what it was, Ethan and I idolized him. He moved us briefly to London, hoping to increase his business but we returned to New York when Ethan took an interest in acting. Mother insisted we move back to where she had connections to help him, and so we did, and my father never complained once. I wasn’t sure that she ever appreciated what he did for her, until he died and then she barely spoke a word for almost a year. I left the military, Special Forces to take care of her while my brother was busy working on his next big Oscar winning role. Nevertheless, when my mother recovered, my successful older brother came to my rescue and helped me get my first acting job. It was nothing more than a couple of lines in a commercial, but it helped me get some minor roles in some movies, some were so minor that I was cut out of the films entirely. It has been a long and frustrating start, but recently I did a brief dramatic scene in which I somehow misplaced most of my clothes and now suddenly my agent can remember my name.

  I am hoping the recent interest in me will also help Rebecca’s career take off too. Rebecca Carol, an actress I met while filming a previous movie and who is now living with me in our comfortable one bedroom apartment. Rebecca is a gorgeous, tall, and brunette and laughs all the time, which I love. We are perfect together, except for one thing and I am not sure what that one thing is but I can’t get rid of the feeling.

  “Sean are you home?” Rebecca yells.

  “In the bedroom.”

  “Why are you in bed?” Rebecca jumps on top of me laughing and smiling at me seductively.

  “Waiting for you obviously,” I said pulling off her dress. She lacks underwear as usual so there isn’t much else to do but give her what she wants. Our typical ritual begins by me kissing her while grabbing a condom from my side table drawer. Her legs move up onto my shoulders teasing me until I find my way inside her, immediately she calls out to me. Her orgasms are abrupt and lately seem to be loud for the sake of being loud. I am not sure who she is trying to impress but I assume it has something to do with the newly, pretty, young tenant next door. The poor girl has been the victim of ridicule after Rebecca caught me helping her bring in her groceries. It was funny at first, even a little flattering but now she is constantly accusing me of cheating on her. All because she heard a rumor the girl is a hooker and takes in nightly visitors for fifty bucks. I cannot imagine it being true but Rebecca insists that it is and that I need to stay away from her. I agree to keep my distance for no other reason than to keep from arguing about it anymore.

  After we are done, I ease out of bed and shower to go meet a friend but I can already hear her huffing complaints. “Where are you going?” She said with her piercing eyes.

  “I’m going to meet Joel.”

  “Joel again?” She asked crossing her arms with a huff. I am so tired of this argument.

  “Rebecca, I’m not discussing this with you again.”

  “Sean, you’re my boyfriend! Why are you always hanging out with him?”

  “Rebecca!” I yell back at her with emphasis, waiting for only a second for her to uncross her arms before kissing her tense lips and walking out the door.

  While I wait for the elevator, our apartment door flies open and Rebecca comes storming out, “you know I can have any man I want, I don’t have to put up with you.”

  “Put up with me?” I laugh at her demanding stance. “Go back inside Rebecca before you say something you’ll regret.” I said as the elevator door opens and standing innocently in front of me is our pretty, young neighbor.

  “Hi Sean.” She said shyly and blushing when I wink at her.

  “Hi, Hannah. Nice to see you again.” I said passing her and smiling wide at Rebecca’s disgusted expression before she huffs at me and stomps back into our apartment. Her tantrum makes it easy for me to leave and find Joel waiting for me at the bar and already ordering a drink for each of us. Joel Castor, the son of one of the top execs, at one of the largest production companies going these days and he is my best friend. We are both struggling actors currently but Joel aspires to write screenplays and despite his father’s claims to the contrary, he is too talented not to be successful.

  As soon as Joel spots my frustrated expression, he immediately breaks out in laughter. “She gets mad every time you come out with me, is it something I said?”

  “It’s not you, it’s any time I spend away from her.”

  “She wants to get married,” I shoot him a wicked look of disgust. “Oh come on Sean, you know that’s what it is?”

  “Maybe, but we aren’t ready for that.” I said sighing and downing my drink quickly.

  “Why not? You’re living together what’s the difference?” Joel said knowing he is only egging me on to stay out even longer and piss Rebecca off even more.

  “I don’t know, we discussed it at one point and even went shopping for a ring but it doesn’t feel right, something’s missing.”

  “I don’t get it, she’s hot, and she has a promising career of her own. She does go down on you doesn’t she?” He smiles wide.

  I spit my drink out laughing at him. “You’re an idiot.”

  “Well damn, what more do you want?”

  “I wish I knew, although it would be nice if my mother didn’t hate her.” Joel looks at me with a questioning expression. “Seriously, I tried to take them both out for dinner the other night and it was horribly uncomfortable. Rebecca hates that my mother wants me to come over for dinner without her and my mother thinks Rebecca is … I think the words she used was … Evil Bitch.” I say as Joel laughs. “Don’t laugh it’s a mess.”

  “Well you know what they say, mother does know best.” Joel said eyeing another desperately dressed girl coming through the door.

  “Well I’m not ready to give up on her yet, I do love her … I think. Let’s change the subject I’m getting depressed,” I said downing another drink and laughing at Joel trying to stand in front of me so the girls notice him first.

  “He’s already taken girls, I’m the one that needs love.” Joel remarked with arms wide open.

  I am not sure what time I stumble my way back home but the locked bedroom door is a good sign that I stayed out too long. Too drunk to care and too drunk to argue with her, I crash happily into the jutting springs and torn fabric of our sofa. Within secon
ds, I am deep into my dream, a particular dream that has been seeking me out more vividly with each passing day. I don’t know who she is, all I can do is get a sense of her presence and want her even more. This time I am determined to break through the cloud that surrounds her.

  “HELP! Oh God please help me!” Hannah screams from next door.

  “What the fuck?” Jumping up I run quickly to the door only to be met by Rebecca coming in.

  “Sean don’t. I saw one of her clients go in, you shouldn’t get involved in that kind of mess.” She said gripping me hard.

  “Rebecca she’s screaming?”

  Rebecca tries to hold me in place. “No Sean, stay with me I’m scared.”

  “You’ll be fine, lock the door, and call the police.” I pull away from her and call for Hannah briefly outside her door before rushing in and pulling some guy off her. Hannah begins to curl around herself and cry. Her clothes are twisted and torn, and barely hanging onto her abused body. The man tries to fight me but I have no problem controlling him and putting him into the wall until the police come.

  “Are you okay?” I asked Hannah, helping her up and letting her cry against my chest.

  “I don’t know what happened. I was sound asleep and next thing I know I wake up and he is on top of me. I didn’t hear him come in or anything.” She continues to cry while I check the unscratched lock. She must have forgotten to lock her door, this country girl still has not gotten use to the city yet.

  Once Hannah is rushed off to the hospital and I make a quick call to her parents, I go back to check on Rebecca who is vibrating across our living room floor. “Are you okay sweetheart, everything is fine now, you don’t need to worry. Hannah is going to be fine.”

  “I don’t give a fuck about her!” She screams in my face. I carefully remove her from my face and give her a hard glare. “Sean you should have stayed here with me and not gotten involved. The police could have handled it.”