A New Day (86 page)

    
"Hello, Rick.  Come in.  Have a seat."  she offered in a strained voice.

    
"Hello, darling!  I can't tell you how I've missed you.  I've wanted so much to see you!   I have wanted so much to apologize to you for springing everything on you so suddenly.  I know that it was really, incredibly thoughtless of me."

    
Tasha shrugged, and backed away from his reach.

    
"Where's Tim?  I watched him come into the house." he asked slyly. 

    
"He's gone.  He just left with Dana, and some man he had business with." she said innocently.

    
"Uh, huh.  I saw that, too.  Where did he go, doll?"

    
Tasha stammered, but recovered almost immediately.  "He has an appointment in a few minutes.  I don't know where." 

    
"That's fine, baby.  I don't want him to interrupt us, this time.  Pretty ring you're wearing.  Is it Tim's?"              The smooth, low tone in his voice held a threat that made the hair on the back of Tasha's neck stand up. 

    
Yes."  She answered tersely.

    
"Smart of him to bring Dana here to meet you, wasn't it?  Has she scratched your eyes out yet?"

    
"Hardly."  Tasha snorted.  "Rick, I agreed to let you come here so that I can tell you face to face, and make you understand.  I'm not interested in you!  I want you to stop calling me every day, and following me!"

    
"Thank you for letting me come.  Tasha, I'm so sorry.  I should have known you'd want me to take it slow and easy.  I just kind of lost control.  I don't know what to say."

    
"Saying you're sorry is a start."  Tasha advised tartly.  "You can follow it up by explaining why you've called me every day, why you're spying on me, and following me places.  Rick, you're stalking me!  Why, what did I ever do to you?"

    
Rick laughed uncomfortably.  "Tasha, I'm not
stalking
you!  I just -- well, I'm in love with you!  I call you every day because I can't stand not being near you.  And I follow you places because I want to be with you.  I call you because I love you!  I need you!  I want you more than I can ever say."

    
"Rick, I don't love you.  I love Tim!   I have never done anything to make you think that I wanted this attention from you."

    
"Of course you did!  You smiled at me.  You told me all about your life that night, when I was your bodyguard.  I know everything about you.  Tasha, I love you!  I want to protect you!  I
need
you, so much."

    
"The feeling is not mutual.  I want you to leave me alone!"  she snapped with vehemence.  "I don't know you and I don't want you near me!  I don't love you, Rick, and I don't owe you anything!"

    
"Sure you do, baby.  You owe me your life." he sneered, with a hint of a threat in his voice.  "What would you have done that night Pattie Danniels came after you, if I hadn't been there to protect you?  She would have chewed you up and spit you out!"

     “
That does not give you the right to demand my affection."  she insisted staunchly.  "Do you realize that you have called me every day since then?"

    
"Of course!  I
love
to call you.  I
always
know how to reach you, baby.  I almost always know
exactly
where you are."

    
"Rick, you have no right!  How can I make you understand?  I don't ever want you to call me again!  I don't want you to follow me, or spy on me.  I don't ever want to see you again, or hear from you again!  Is that perfectly clear?"

    
"Don't try to sound like my mother, baby.  You are not my stinkin' mother."

    
"I have never done anything to make you think I was interested in you." she told him staunchly.

    
"Sure you did.  You talked to me that night.  Real nice, honest and open.  It was special.  You know it was."

    
Tasha objected with a sigh.  "I was upset.  I thought I should tell you what it was all about.  You asked me to tell you about it, and you were supposed to be my PR man, and my body guard.  I was very frightened!  I didn't know what Pattie was going to try next.  And most of all, I thought you were Tim's friend.  He trusted you, I thought I could.  The next thing I know, you're following me to Los Angeles and mauling me at the television station!"

    
"You know you want me." he said with great confidence.

    
"That is simply not true.  I have never told you I was interested in you.  Have I?  Rick, be honest with yourself!  I saw you as a friend, a guard.  I never encouraged you to think anything else!"

    
"No.  I suppose you didn't.  But your eyes tell me you want me."

    
"Rick,  they don't!  That could not be, because I don't!  If I was interested in you, wouldn't I have done something to encourage you before now?  You've called me every day!"

    
"I can
make
you want me.  I can make you love me!"  he said with great conviction.

    
"No, Rick, you can't.  I've already given my heart away, to someone else.  I love Tim!  And what about Dana?" she asked, side-stepping him. 

    
"Never mind about Dana!"  he answered shortly. 

    
"Dana
does
matter." she insisted.  "You asked
her
to marry you!  Rick, you just can't treat people this way!  How would I ever trust you, even if I were inclined, after what you've done to Dana?"

    
"Ah, so that's it!  If I explain to you about Dana, will you come away with me?"

    
"Absolutely not!  I told you, I am in love with Tim.  I am going to marry him.  You need to understand that!  I belong to Tim, and no one else."

    
"Then it doesn't make any difference about Dana.  But I'll explain it.  I thought I loved her – Until I met you.  You changed
everything
for me."

    
"How dare you let Dana think she couldn't hold you once I came along!  It had nothing to do with me at all, did it?  You just like to chase girls.  There have been other women you've done this to, I'll bet."

    
There was a deadly silence.  "Well, you've done your homework."  he congratulated quietly.  "I have to tell you, I've had to work a lot harder on you than I have on any other girl.  And if you think I'm going to give up without getting what I came here for,  you'd better think again!  I have waited and worked for this moment for a long time!  I don't really give a damn how you feel about it, sweet baby, you're going to give me exactly what I want, today.  Just like Dana did."             

    
Tasha gasped.  "Rick, take your hands off me!  Stop it!"  she gasped.

    
"Now, just who do you think is going to stop me this time?" he challenged eagerly.  "Your big, strong fiance is gone, Dana is gone, your father is gone.  And I saw the housekeeper leave with the two little brats.  So there’s no one to interfere!”

    
His laugh froze Tasha's blood.  "You know, I told Tim that I’d had you in bed.  I gave him
all
the steamy details.  It made me fantasize even more, to tell him about it!  It made me all the more certain I
have
to have you, and make all my dreams come true.  And today’s the day!”

    
He advanced on her, a maniacal look in his eyes.  "We’re going to leave here together, nice and quiet like, and go to a motel.  And we are going to stay there until I am totally satisfied.  Until I have had you, to my heart’s content.  It’s going to give me great pleasure to sample your charms before Tim does!  Call it spite, it doesn’t matter.  I may not be able to hold you – But I can sure get to you first, and enjoy every minute of it.  Too bad there’s no one to save you!" he gloated.

    
"Are you actually telling me that you would force me to have sex with you?" she gasped angrily.

    
Rick just laughed.  "I think you'll like it.  You just don't know it, yet." he said.  "It'll be just me and you, sweet girl – for as long as it takes!"   He lunged at Tasha.  She screamed brilliantly, and tried to flee.

    
"Sorry to disappoint you, but I wouldn't have missed it for the world."  Tim cut in, coldly. 

    
Rick whirled, and grew very red as he faced Tim, Dana and two police officers.  He whirled on Tasha again.  "You set me up!"  he blustered incredulously.

    
"Well, Rick, I've asked you not to call me a hundred times.  It had to end.  I've taken this from you for far too long as it is." she snapped, trying to pull her wrist from his clutches.

    
"You can say that again." Tim agreed dryly.

    
"Sir, you are under arrest." the police officer said calmly.  "You have the right to remain silent.  Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law..."
     Rick sneered and cursed as they read him his rights.  He gave Dana one unreadable look as they snapped cuffs on him and took him away, while they continued reading him his rights.

    
Tasha immediately turned to Dana, and took her in her arms.  "Dana.  Honey, are you all right?" she asked worriedly.

    
"I'm fine.  What about you?" Dana asked pointedly.  "Did he hurt you?"

    
"Well, I may have a couple of bruises on my waist where he grabbed me, but I'm fine." she assured.  "Dana, he's sick!  He looked so crazed.  My  heavens, I can't believe it."

    
"Weren't you terrified?"

    
"Yes, but I wanted him to admit it all.  He needs help, and I don't
ever
want him to do this to another girl. "

    
Tim sighed heavily.  "I don't get it.  I'm just glad you two were smart enough to put your heads together, and call for reinforcements.  It's a miracle neither one of you got hurt before this."  There was a tinge of reproof in his voice.

    
Tasha lowered her head.  "Tim, I'm so sorry.  I wasn't sure just what to do.  I am pretty safe in my father's secure houses.  I didn't think he could get to me.  I had no idea he was watching so closely, though.  I was just afraid of him, and afraid of what would happen if Dana found out he was calling me.  I didn't want him to ruin any chance I had of getting her to like me!"

    
Dana's heart melted in her breast, as tears streamed down Tasha's cheeks.  Tim had a similar reaction, as he pulled her into his arms. 

    
"I thought you trusted me, Tasha.  Didn't you know I could take care of him?  Honey, you didn't have to go through all this!"

    
She shook her head.  "I was too frightened to think.  I didn't want him near you, Tim!  I've suspected he was unbalanced.  I was more afraid that he'd hurt you, than I was that he'd hurt me.  You're more vulnerable."

    
Tim laughed.  "He can't hurt me.  You crazy little nut."   he marveled, holding her tightly.

    
Dana watched in amazement.  "You went through this for weeks in order to protect Tim and I?" she asked incredulously.

    
Tasha looked at her uncertainly, through eyes luminous with tears.  "Well, I felt that you'd both been through enough."

    
Dana rolled her eyes, and walked to the windows.  Tasha's heart just about broke.  She didn't know what Dana might be thinking.  

    
The policeman intervened.  "Miss, may I have the tape recorder and microphone?" he asked politely.  "We'll get these into the file as evidence.  You'll be contacted if we need further testimony.  With this and the video we took, we should have plenty of evidence.  Where did he grab you?"

    
"Around the waist, and by my left wrist.  Thank you so much."  

    
Officer Duncan grinned.  "You sure did a great job, miss.  We appreciate it.  And I'm sure your information will come in handy for the investigation, Mr. Rain."

    
"Good.  Thanks for everything."  Tim said, as he closed the door behind the exiting police.