Miss Independent (14 page)

“I know you’re angry right now and you have every right to be pissed--”

“Shut up!” she snapped back. “You don’t get to tell me anything, you don’t get to try and make me feel better by agreeing with my pain.”

“I don’t get to try and make you feel better?”

“No.”

He quickly moved forward and took her face in his hands, kissing her deeply. She tried fighting it, she tried shoving him back again, but she couldn’t. It was as if her hands had turned into putty or sand. Shoving against him became impossible. His hands slid down to her ass, squeezing each cheek tight. She moaned between his lips and reached down for his pants, trying as fast as she could to unbuckle them.

And then she realized what was happening, and where she was. And she recognized what he was doing and pulled away from him. She spun around and pressed her fingers to her lips. She felt like crying again but kept the tears inside this time.

“I was never an emotional person until I met you,” she said.

“Nik--”

“I never cared much about anything except for acting, and my friends. Then you came along and changed all of that and I started to have dreams of what we could be. And yet, you treat me like a common whore. You don’t want to talk about this, or argue, so you try to use sex to shut me up because you know it works, it always works, but I can’t do that anymore. I’m either going to be yours completely, or nothing at all.”

It was the first time he not only heard what she was saying, but actually listened to her words, and how she felt. He stepped back a few feet and fell back on the ottoman that sat across the room. They stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity, saying nothing, only pondering what was next.

Back at her office, Vanessa sat at her desk, contemplating what Maurice had told her over lunch. Maybe it really was finally time for her to move on from it all. Not that wallowing in misery was some sort of picnic, but she had become so accustomed to it that she wasn’t sure if she would ever know how to function without it.

He had called three times since dropping her off. He thought he had made her feel uneasy with his suggestions and constant innuendos. He was used to flirting with her, but he wasn’t used to her semi-reciprocation to it. Or finally acknowledging what he always knew. He was sitting at his desk, the same as her, just on the other side of town. He had ads that he needed to finish, deadlines that needed to be approved by the end of the day, but all he could do was think about Vanessa. If he were Superman, she was definitely his kryptonite.

“Vanessa?” Samantha walked into her office holding a pen and notepad and placed them on the edge of her desk. “There’s someone here to see you. She said you two had an appointment for later this afternoon, but she thought she would stop by now to see if you were available, given that she was in the area?”

“Who is it?”

“Melanie, from CBS films.”

“Oh, right! Yeah, sure, bring her inside. And then call my mother to let her know she’s here as well.”

“Sure.”

“Thanks.”

Vanessa got up from her desk and moved to the center of the room.

Melanie breezed inside, appearing more professional than she had this morning at the coffee shop, now wearing a striped black pantsuit and matching heels, and flipped her hair over her shoulder as if she were on a California beach instead of an office building.

She extended her hand.

“It is so nice to finally meet you face to face!” she squealed.

“Likewise.” Vanessa took a step back to get a good look at her. When she noticed Melanie staring, she smiled. “Um, why don’t we have a seat?”

She went back around to the other side of her desk and did the same.

“I heard your mother just got back from Paris?” asked Melanie, placing her purse and jacket on the chair next to her.

“She did, this morning in fact. She’ll be down soon so that we can make this official. But I wanted you to know from me first thing before she arrived, that given your position within the company as president, we’d like to discuss putting you on the cover. We’ll have other women scattered throughout, doctors, attorneys, various women in media featured, but you’re going to be the main focus of the article, in part because I don’t think many people know that you’re a woman.”

Melanie tilted her head a little and laughed. “It’s a well-kept secret.”

“And why is that, if you don’t mind my asking? Frankly, I had no idea until your assistant called me with the details of your career. I thought I knew everyone, but I don’t know you.”

“Perhaps you should visit Los Angeles a little more often,” she said with a smile.

“Maybe I should. God knows I could use the vacation and time out of New York just might be right I need right now.” She grinned. “So, as my mother is taking her sweet time in making her way down to my office –“

“Which is amazing by the way.” She looked around in awe. “I love seeing how open it is. If I weren’t so private, I’d do the same thing.”

“Thank you. My mother hates it, which I have to admit motivated me a bit more in keeping it this way.” They both laughed. “So, why don’t you tell me more about yourself? All the bits and pieces your assistant never informed me of?”

Vanessa grabbed the pen and notepad from the other side of her desk to begin taking quick notes of the conversation.

“Okay. For starters, I grew up in the Midwest and was the oldest of five girls. I’ve always been business driven. I worked as my father’s assistant at his oil rig company, but I could also make a mean casserole with mashed potatoes and gravy whenever my mother was sick or too tired to cook from taking care of people all day. She was a nurse. Aside from those few things, my life was pretty boring growing up. I was practically invisible in high school, but grew out of my shell in college when I attended USC. But I never thought about marriage, or kids. I was just really determined to be successful. And then I
did
become successful. And I finally realized I wanted to share that success with someone else. I dated a few guys here and there that I had met online or through friends, but none of them really caught me in the way my current husband did. We had been around to all of the same parties, knew some of the same people. But he was a fashion model and so I thought he was pretentious, and stupid.”

Vanessa chuckled.

“But then we got to talking and knowing each other better the more we kept running into each other, and within a few years, we were dating and I was pregnant. Around that time, I got the job at CBS films and we married not long after. I had worked my way up from NBC, to ABC, and then CBS. Moonves had hired me as Chairman of the Board before I decided I wanted a change in my career. I knew that it wasn’t going to happen on this coast, so I wanted to move. But Oscar didn’t.”

Vanessa looked up from her notepad. “Oscar?” she said.

“Yes, that’s my husband’s name. He didn’t want to move because he loves the city so much, but I needed a change. I loved LA so much when I was attending school. So we decided that I would spilt my time between here and there once I landed the job. And then our girls would stay with me full time and come back to visit him when I did.”

Vanessa scratched her face, confused. “I’m sorry, you said Oscar, right? Would that be Oscar Malone?”

“Yes,” said Melanie in a curious but surprised tone. “You know him?”

“Sort of. My friend works at The Bean.”

“Small world! Who’s your friend?”

“I’m not sure you would know her, her name is Nicole Sanger.”

“Ohhh, Nikki?” Melanie suddenly got a sour feeling in her stomach, but kept a smile on her face. “She seems like such a doll. I met her this afternoon.”

“You did? I thought…” She grinned nervously and coughed. “I thought she had an audition or something to go to?”

“She went, from what she told us.”

“Us?”

“Yes. She stopped by hoping to check for her work schedule for next week with my husband.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Though she seemed kind of distant. I wasn’t sure if it was because I was there, or for some other reason entirely.” She leaned her head. “How long have you two been friends?”

“Most of our lives. I’ve known her since I was a kid.”

“She seems like a good person. Good people are hard to find and keep for so long in your life.”

“Yeah, she’s great,” she said. Though she was beginning to wonder. “How long have you and Oscar been married?”

“It will be five years in September. Our girls just turned six.”

“Twins?”

“Yes. Born with red hair and blue eyes that they
must
have gotten from my mother.”

Vanessa was skeptical, but didn’t say a word of it.

“BONJOUR!” Alexis’ voice boomed throughout the room as she peeked her head inside the office.

Vanessa placed a hand upon her chest, startled.

“Are you going to say that every time you walk into a room now, Mother?”

“I just might.” She pointed at her daughter and walked inside as if she were stepping out on the runway at New York Fashion week. “I apologize for my tardiness, but I was making dinner plans with Alexander and Donatella. She’s allowing me to take a peek at her new line next week and as a thank you, Alex is going to cook for us at home.” She glanced over at Melanie and slapped her hands together. “Now this must be our new cover girl!”

Melanie stood up from her chair and bowed her head.

“It is an honor to meet you, Ms. Brown. I’ve read your magazine for as long as I can remember and have always dreamed of gracing the pages.”

“Thank you! You are quite a beautiful young woman,” she said. “Too beautiful to not be on the cover of our next issue! Has Vanessa caught you up on everything?”

“I asked a few questions and took some notes,” she chimed in. “I wanted to get the basics down before we delved into a real interview – which may take place between today and Friday with myself or another editor before the photo shoot. I hope that’s okay?”

“It’s perfect! I can get Oscar to watch the kids while we have lunch someplace. A friend was telling me about a new Thai restaurant.”

“Um… yeah, sure. Maybe I’ll find a place for us to eat.”

“I have a wonderful idea,” said Alexis. “Why don’t we head downstairs to our studio and take some test shots? You can try on a few outfits so that we can see what fits on you, and what doesn’t, as well as what looks good and what might wash you out in certain light. Do you have the time?”

“Yes, of course!” she exclaimed.

“Fantastic. Come on, Vanessa.”

“Um, actually.” She leaned down and scratched the back of her leg. “I have to run a quick errand. I can meet you down there later, okay?”

“I don’t think so. Whatever it is can wait until we’re finished. Let’s go.”

Vanessa hesitated, then grabbed her phone from her purse and headed down to the studio with them.

Everything in the room was white, from the walls, to the floor to the camera equipment. As Alexis introduced Melanie to their resident photographer, wardrobe assistants and a few models who were currently being photographed, Vanessa pulled out her phone and went over to the side to make a quick phone call to The Bean.

“The Bean, this is Max. How can I help you?”

“Hey, Max, it’s Vanessa. Listen, is Oscar there?”

“No, he ran out. Said he’d be back soon. Why, do you need me to leave him a message?”

“No, thanks. I’ll just try again later.”

She quickly hung up and thought for a few seconds before dialing Nikki’s phone.

She and Oscar were still staring at one another from across the room. When she heard her phone ringing, she went over to the round table that sat near the fireplace and looked at the name. Once she saw that it was Vanessa, she thought of answering it, but then quickly sent it to voicemail.

Oscar took off his jacket, tossing it onto the arm of the couch. He came up behind and pressed himself against her. He dropped his face into the back of his hair and sniffed the scent left behind from her cinnamon shampoo. She started rubbing her legs together and shut her eyes.

“I’m sorry,” he finally said. “But I
am
getting my divorce. It takes time, it’s just going to take some time to make things final.”

Nikki didn’t believe it.

He is so full of shit
, she thought
.

But he also felt so good against her that she almost didn’t care. She wanted to move away from him, but she couldn’t will herself to do it. Instead she slipped her fingers behind his head and into his hair, and turned her face toward his. He rubbed their noses together before shoving his tongue between her lips. She lightly suckled on it as he rested his hands on her breasts and played with her nipples through her shirt, then slid one hand down her stomach and inside her shorts and panties. She moaned in pleasure as his fingers circled her and turned her whole body to his. He wrapped his hands around her thighs and picked her up, resting her on top of his shaft.

She gasped, feeling it harden. “
Ay, PAPI
.” She squeezed her legs around his waist as he walked up the stairs and carried her to her bedroom.