With His Consent (For His Pleasure, Book 13) (11 page)

They began discussing pros and cons. The other actress was slightly more well known, and Barbara felt that the more high profile each actor in the film was, the better Bridge and Tunnel’s chances at the box office.

After some more discussion, Hunter stepped in. “I’m really a big fan of what Jennifer Willis did today. I just thought she had charisma. She has something special.”

“We don’t want her showing up Eliza,” Bryson said.

“Nobody’s going to show up Eliza,” Hunter responded.

“Just the same, I feel more comfortable going with someone else.”

Things quieted down as the tension in the room suddenly increased. It felt, Scarlett thought, as though Bryson was directly challenging Hunter for some reason.

Scarlett looked at him and realized he was furious with Hunter. Absolutely furious.

And at that moment, Hunter asked Scarlett what she thought. “Scarlett?” he said.

“Maybe you can shed some light on this dilemma. Did you have a preference?”

Bryson sighed.

Scarlett stuttered a non-answer. “I mean, they were all so good—“

“She doesn’t have an opinion,” Bryson said. “So let’s get down to brass tacks.”

Scarlett glared at him. “Excuse me, I do have an opinion. I think Jennifer Willis is hands down the best choice. I honestly can’t believe we’re even having to discuss it.

She blew everyone else away.”

Bryson sat back and folded his arms. “Okay, well—Scarlett’s made her decision, so…fine.” He got up. “Hunter can call Jennifer and tell her she got the part.”

“Bryson,” Hunter said.

“I’m tired and I have rewrites, as you so kindly keep reminding me.” Bryson left the room without another word to anybody.

Hunter turned and looked at Kallie and Barbara. “Is it me? Did I do something wrong?”

Kallie just shook her head sadly.

“Someone needs to talk some sense to that guy,” Hunter muttered.

Scarlett got up. “I’m going to go talk to him.”

She got outside just in time to see him about to turn the corner and disappear from view. “Bryson, wait a second!” she shouted.

He stopped and turned around. “What do you want, Scarlett?”

“I want to talk to you.”

“I really don’t feel like talking right now. Especially not to you.”

“What does that mean?”

He looked at her and his eyes were full of…she couldn’t say exactly what.

Normally, when a man looked at her the way Bryson was staring at her, it meant he wanted her. But there was anger in his eyes, also.

“You never mentioned to me that you dated Hunter Reardon.”

“There’s a lot about me you don’t know, Bryson. And I’m sure there’s a lot I don’t know about you.”

He shook his head. “And you took his side over mine.”

“Took his side? Are you talking about how I said I liked Jennifer Willis?”

“That guy busted my balls all day long and the last thing I need is you piling on, Scarlett.”

“You’ve been rude to me all day, so I don’t see how you can blame me for any of this. I’m out here trying to talk to you. I’m trying. I’m trying and you’re just beating me down.”

“I didn’t ask you to come after me. Just—just leave me alone, okay? I can’t take care of your feelings right now. I have rewrites. I have pressure, Scarlett. Everyone on this film thinks I’m going to go down in flames. So just don’t put this added pressure on me of trying to figure out what you need. All right?”

“You know what?” she said. “Forget this.” She turned away from him, finally seeing that she was only repeating her same old patterns by crawling after him and trying to beg his forgiveness for something she hadn’t even done wrong. This was all about him and it had nothing to do with her. And she was glad for it.

“Scarlett, wait. I’m sorry,” he said.

But she was already walking away from him and it felt good. It felt really good.

***

The rest of that day, Scarlett did things for herself.

She got her hair styled at a nice salon and then she went and got a manicure and pedicure. It felt nice to pamper herself and even nicer that she wasn’t fretting about Bryson anymore.

Sure, she’d felt a little bit of a pang when he’s apologized and she’d just kept walking—but it had been the right thing to do. Of that much, she was sure.

Scarlett felt as though she’d truly grown these last few weeks. The old her would have ended up groveling at Bryson’s feet, trying to please him. But now she was able to recognize that there was no pleasing some men.

She went by herself to a sushi restaurant and ate, staring out the window at the people walking by outside. It was nighttime and there was something so romantic about New York in the evening.

Kallie dipped her tuna roll in soy sauce and popped it into her mouth, chewing and enjoying the taste as she continued to people watch out the window.

It suddenly occurred to her that once upon a time, Hunter had also been one of

“those men” who were impossible to please. Why was it, she wondered, that he’d suddenly been able to find peace of mind with Kallie?

Maybe it’s me, she thought. Maybe it really is me.

The thought unnerved her and she lost her appetite.

She asked for the check and readied herself to leave the restaurant. When she emerged into the night air, the street felt more deserted than it had seemed just fifteen or twenty minutes ago.

Now all of her good feeling that had built up during the day had drained out of her, like a bucket with a hole in the bottom. She walked down the street, pulling her coat tighter around her as the wind kicked up.

She glanced up and down the street, hoping to see some taxis coming, but there were none. Not only were there no taxis, but there were no cars in sight either.

And there were only a couple of other people on the street, one a block or so behind her.

The nearest subway station was probably close to a half mile away, and she no longer had the energy to walk it. Still, she picked up her pace, knowing that the faster she moved, the faster she’d get there.

When she looked back over her shoulder again, she noticed that the person behind her was now somewhat closer. For some reason, it bothered her.

This is New York City, one of the most populated places on the entire planet. Of
course there’s someone behind you.

But something about it set off her inner alarms, and now her nerves were tingling.

Because New York was also one of the more dangerous cities in the world, and people were raped and mugged and killed all the time.

She started to walk a little bit faster, calculating where the next busy street was where she could feel safe. Unfortunately, this was a fairly residential street and there weren’t any other public restaurants or stores that she could hop into.

Her legs seemed to be moving ever faster, almost of their own volition.

She turned around quickly and saw the figure had gained on her again. It was a man, wearing jeans and a sweatshirt with the hood up. He seemed to be intentionally trying to catch up to her.

Scarlett wanted to believe it was just her imagination, but she honestly didn’t think it was. And she didn’t think the man following her was just some random mugger.

Terrence’s son is still alive, and he’s dangerous.

Just thinking it was enough to cause her to begin to run. Once she’d admitted to herself how frightened she really was, Scarlett couldn’t help but sprint. Her chest was heaving and her lungs burned.

It wasn’t just a feeling—she knew it. She knew it with everything inside her.

Terrence’s son Trevor was going to try and kill her right now—and if she didn’t run as fast as she possibly could, he was going to succeed where his father had failed.

She looked back and saw that the man behind her was also running.

“Oh my God,” she gasped. Now it was real. She was being pursued and she likely wasn’t fast enough to stay ahead of him for long.

She could imagine the feel of a blade entering her back, the sudden icy coldness of it, and then the numbness as she fell to the ground. Trevor on top of her, stabbing her again and again.

She pushed herself to run faster.

At this point, she was barely able to gasp air in quickly enough. But she wanted to live.

She reached the end of the street and turned onto the next street, slipping and falling to her knees for just a second. She got to her feet and started running again. At the first building on her right, she caught sight of a woman walking through the door of her apartment complex.

Without even thinking, Scarlett darted up the stairs after the woman, catching the door just before it closed and locked. The woman continued up the inside stairwell.

Scarlett quickly pushed the door shut, hearing it click reassuringly as she did so.

Then she moved out of the doorway and pressed her back against the wall, hiding so that whoever it was (
Trevor, you know it’s Trevor
) couldn’t see her in there.

She was shuddering and shaking and tears rolled down her face. A minute passed and then two and then three. Slowly, she started to calm down. Another minute passed.

She was crying but her heart rate slowed.

Suddenly, the door started to open. Scarlett nearly shrieked. And then an older woman entered the hall, and started when she saw Scarlett in the corner. “My goodness, you scared the heck out of me!” the woman growled.

“I’m sorry,” Scarlett laughed.

“Do you live in this building?”

“I just—I was visiting a friend.”

“What’s your friend’s name?”

Scarlett didn’t know why she felt so guilty, maybe it was the woman’s accusing glare. “I’m just leaving now,” Scarlett told her, and left, once again walking out into the unwelcoming darkness.

Just then, she heard her phone buzzing in her purse. Quickly, she took it out, and saw that Bryson was calling her.

She had never been so glad to hear anyone’s voice, as she answered.

“Scarlett, I need to talk to you,” he said.

She started to cry, unable to contain her emotions.

“Hey,” he said. “Are you all right? What’s wrong?”

“I was just chased. Someone—“

“Where are you? Are you in danger right now?” he practically shouted.

“I’m not sure. I don’t think so. I hid and I think he went past me a few minutes ago.”

“Tell me your address. I’m coming to get you right now, Scarlett.”

She felt a wave of gratitude for him. “But I don’t want to mess up your rewrites.”

“Fuck my rewrites. Stay where you are.”

***

It seemed like forever, but it was only about fifteen minutes later that Bryson arrived via taxi. It pulled up next to the apartment building. Scarlett had been hiding in the shadows near the stoop. When the cab slowed down, she came out of the shadows.

Bryson jumped out of the taxi and grabbed her in his arms, pulling her close.

“Are you okay?” he said.

She nodded, so relieved that he was here and taking care of her that she could barely speak. “I’m all right.”

He ushered her into the warm, safe cab, and she slid inside. A moment later and Bryson was beside her, telling the driver to take them to Murray Hill.

Once the taxi pulled away from the apartment building and into the street, Scarlett knew she was truly and finally going to be okay. She looked at Bryson, who was watching her with concerned eyes. “Tell me exactly what happened.”

She started to tell him, haltingly at first, but eventually finding her voice and growing stronger.

I’m safe. Bryson’s going to make sure of it.

They arrived at his building and went up to his apartment. She didn’t ask if he wanted to send her home, because she could tell he wasn’t going to, and she certainly didn’t want to go back to her lonely, dark apartment.

Bryson’s place was warm and cozy. The lights were all on and the television was playing some basketball game softly in the other room.

“Your knees are cut,” he said looking down as she took off her coat.

“Oh. I forgot that I fell. It’s okay, they’re just skinned.”

His jaw tightened. “I want you to go take a nice long bath, Scarlett. You need heat and warmth and relaxation. You need to just close your eyes and let your muscles release that tension. Okay?”

“Okay.” She nodded. A bath sounded incredible. “I don’t have anything to change into.”

“Do you mind wearing a t-shirt of mine?”

“That sounds fine,” she smiled.

“Come on, I’ll start the bath for you,” he told her.

“Bryson, I think I know how to run a bath for myself.”

He ignored her, walking to the bathroom, as she followed behind him. He knelt down and started the water running. “You need this water piping hot,” he said.

The tub was absolutely huge, and it had those fancy jets coming out of the sides.

Scarlett watched him running his hand under the faucet, trying to get the temperature just right for her.

She felt a strong emotion wash over her—a caring feeling for Bryson—that almost brought her to tears. He didn’t have to do any of this for her. After all, they’d been fighting earlier, and although she was scared, nothing bad had actually happened.

No one had mugged or even threatened her.

I was chased, she reminded herself. Someone was running after me.

That brought a chill to her bones.

Bryson stood up and smiled at her. “I’m going to get back to writing while you soak. When you’re done, let me know and I’ll bring you a shirt to change into.”

“A shirt? Is that all?”

“I’m a lot bigger than you,” he said. “One of my t-shirts will be as good as a nightgown on you.”

“Thank you for taking care of me,” she said.

“I’ll always take care of you if you need me to,” he replied.

She looked into his eyes and thought that he meant it.

After Bryson left the bathroom, she got undressed. Her muscles were aching and she was fragile, cold and exhausted. Lowering herself into the tub was pure heaven. The water was hot and blissful, enveloping her.

She laid her head back against the edge and closed her eyes, smiling.

For a very long time, she rested. Her skin became soft and her muscles were smooth and loose. Eventually, the water cooled and she decided she’d had enough.