by Red Phoenix
“So, Mary, what’s been up with you?” Brie ventured as she relaxed back onto the table.
“Another film in the works. You know, same-o, same-o,” she replied with disinterest. “So…about that documentary. Is it a go or not? I’m set to make the push as soon as you give me the word.”
Brie knew Mary was purposely avoiding her question, so she baited her. “If I give you the down-low on my next release, you have to give me more than ‘same-o, same-o’.”
Mary shrugged. “Fine.”
Satisfied with her answer, Brie told them, “Despite my misgivings about a certain producer who shall remain nameless, I have decided to release the second documentary and am working on the edits now.”
Lea squealed from her table. “Yay! I’m so happy!”
“Mary,” Brie asked, “are you okay with your scene with Faelan being used in the film?”
Mary tried to sound neutral, but Brie heard the catch in her voice when she asked, “What did Faelan say?”
“I wanted to ask you first.”
“I don’t care.”
Brie suspected she really did care, but she didn’t want to press her on it. “I’m not compromising on this film. This one is going to be exactly how I envision it. I’ll be open to suggestions and if I agree, I’ll make changes. But, no more cutting out scenes that I love. It isn’t fair to the audience when I know they will not only love all the scenes but may benefit from them, as well.”
Mary chuckled from her table. “Oh, Brie’s getting all badass now. One documentary under her belt and she thinks she can take on the world.”
Brie suddenly felt a fire light up inside her and answered. “You bet I fucking can!”
The three masseuses stopped to clap.
Brie felt giddy inside.
“I’m not sure how well that will go over in Hollywood, but I’m willing to go down in flames with you, Stinks.”
Brie was stunned by Mary’s statement. She knew how much it could cost her career.
Determined to find out more, Brie decided she would grill her once they had moved into the sauna where they could talk more privately.
One second a saint, the next Mary was harping on the masseuse. “Not so hard, damn it! What you are trying to do, torture me?”
Lea immediately piped up, “What did the sadist masseuse say to her client?”
“Just get it over with…” Mary complained, unwilling to guess.
“Nope, that’s not it,” Lea teased. “The sadist masseuse told her client, ‘Let me know if that’s too much pressure. I don’t want to torture you. That would be an added charge.’”
Everyone in the room burst out laughing—except Mary—which made Brie laugh.
The vibe in the room felt so good, having the three of them together again. Even though Mary was obviously hurting, Lea was still recovering from her breakup, and Brie was dealing with the agonizing uncertainty of Rytsar, they were definitely stronger together.
When they finally moved to the sauna, Brie didn’t waste any time. “So, Mary, I fulfilled my part. Now it’s your turn.”
“Yeah, spill the beans already,” Lea urged.
Mary rolled her eyes, took off her towel, and laid it down on the cedar bench.
“Move.”
Brie and Lea moved to the other bench and watched Mary lay down, taking up the entire bench for herself. She covered her eyes with one arm while letting the other lay limply off the bench. She looked as if she were planning to take a nap.
“Mary, you owe us an answer,” Lea complained.
“I know, Lea,” she said in a sarcastic tone. “I am just getting comfortable before I spill my fucking guts to you people.”
That got both their attentions, and they waited patiently for Mary to begin.
She let out a snarky laugh. “I think Greg is cheating on me. No, I mean he is cheating on me.”
Brie and Lea looked at each other, neither surprised to hear it.
“I’m sorry to hear that, Mary,” Brie said. “What happened?”
“I don’t even know who the cunt is.”
Mary let out a tortured sob, which was uncharacteristic of her. When Brie got up to comfort her, Mary growled. “Not another step, Brie. Sit down or I’m not saying another word.”
Sighing, Brie sat back down next to Lea. Mary was hard, but Brie understood that her childhood had been hell. How could she hold her attitude against her? At least Mary was talking…
“How did you find out?” Lea asked.
Mary said nothing at first, but Brie could see that she was trying hard to get the words out. “We’ve been struggling…you guys knew that. But I never told you what started it.”
“No, you’ve left us in the dark even though we’ve been concerned about you.”
“You know I don’t share shit, Brie.” She paused. “But…I haven’t been able to shake this. I don’t fucking know why. I’m just being stupid.”
“Let us be the judge of that,” Lea told her.
Mary snorted. She didn’t remove her arm from her eyes when she said, “Things were good between us. Hell, even better than I’d imagined. Greg was infatuated with me and couldn’t get enough of me. We were fucking like rabbits all the time and he couldn’t wait to introduce me to all his Hollywood friends. Fuck, it was everything I ever dreamed of.”
Her voice trailed off. “I really thought…”
She was silent for several minutes. Brie and Lea looked at each other, feeling helpless, but Mary had banned them from doing anything to comfort her.
“I should have seen it coming,” she said with disgust. “The fucking day it happened was magical, like I was flying on some natural high or something. Best fuckin’ day of my life. When Greg said he wanted to go out and celebrate, I was all over that shit.”
She paused, her breathing coming fast as she fought off her emotions. When Mary spoke again, her voice was cracked. “I went to take a shower and that’s when I saw it…” She bit her lip, trying to keep from sobbing.
Mary’s voice sounded hollow. “The words were written in the steam on the mirror, ‘Fuck me, Master.’”
She let out her breath. “It wasn’t my handwriting.”
Brie’s heart dropped. “I’m so sorry, Mary.”
“Fucking the bitch in our own bed, and he didn’t even tell me?”
Brie watched Mary’s chest rise and fall as she cried silently.
“That’s just wrong on so many levels,” Lea growled.
Her eyes still covered, Mary nodded, her lips trembling.
“If things hadn’t been going so well, I would have been prepared…” Her voice trailed off, and she shook her head. “I didn’t have a clue what was really going on…”
Brie sensed there was so much more that Mary wasn’t telling them.
“Do you want us to go punch that asshole?” Lea offered.
“No…” Mary groaned. “You two are fucking pussies.”
Even though she was seriously hurt, Mary hadn’t lost her sense of humor.
Wanting to dig deeper, Brie asked, “Did he tell you why he did such a disrespectful thing to you?”
She started shaking her head violently. “It’s too terrible to talk about.”
Brie was certain this had to be connected to her childhood. Although Holloway had sent Mary gifts as a child, Brie had often wondered what kind of relationship Holloway had with her parents, especially her mother.
“Does it have something to do with your mother?” she asked.
Mary went stock-still and it seemed as though the air was being sucked out of the room.
“Mary?” Brie prodded after getting no response.
“I can’t, Brie. Saying it out loud would destroy me.”
“We would never betray your trust,” Lea assured her.
Brie laid her hand on Lea’s shoulder and shook her head. “Mary, you don’t have to tell us, but we want to help you.”
Mary finally lifted her arm away from her eyes. They were red from all
the tears she’d shed. “I need you to release that film. I want at least one good thing to come from this horror show.”
“Why would you choose to stay with him after what he’s done? You don’t deserve to be treated like that,” Lea insisted.
“You don’t understand shit, Lea. There is an ugly underbelly to Hollywood and he’s a part of it. I don’t have any power, but he does.” She lifted her chin defiantly. “He thinks I’m his little puppet, but he doesn’t realize I’m equally adept at pulling strings.”
“I don’t think it’s wise to play games with the man,” Brie warned.
Mary narrowed her eyes. “This isn’t about playing games, Brie. This is about taking all that power he wields in his fucking fist and producing something of value with it. The only reason he gave your first documentary a chance was because of me.”
Even though Mary’s statement sounded egotistical, Brie had come to believe it was true based on Holloway’s actions, so she did not correct Mary.
“He can’t see the gems because of all the shit he produces, but I can. We’ll get this second film out there, and I’m going to make certain Greg pours everything he has into it. He’ll get all the accolades, but that doesn’t matter to me. I just want to see the three of us live on in this film no matter what happens to us in the future. And, if it inspires other girls out there, that’ll be fucking fantastic.”
Lea shook her head and looked at Mary in disbelief. “Forgive my skepticism, girl, but this doesn’t sound like the Mary I know.”
Mary stared at her with those bloodshot eyes and said in a voice that chilled Brie to the bones, “I’m not that person anymore.”
“Is there really nothing else I can do?” Brie begged her, needing to do something more.
Mary stood up, sweeping back her blonde curls, which were heavy with perspiration. Even sweaty, red-eyed, and naked, she looked stunning and powerful. “Yeah, you can get me out of this fucking sweat lodge and treat me to a mani and pedi.”
The door opened and a new group of women walked into the sauna, but stopped short and stared at Mary in awe.
She started forward, casually wrapping the towel around herself as they parted to let her pass. Lea and Brie followed behind, looking as if they were Mary’s entourage.
Brie would have found it funny if she didn’t know about the incredible pain Mary was going through.
Knowing how much Faelan had truly loved Mary, it broke Brie’s heart that Mary hadn’t loved herself enough to accept it. Now, Faelan had moved on and there was no turning back.
It was up to Mary to navigate this unforgiving world she had thrust herself into. Brie was committed to standing by her and trusted that Mary would find her own happy ending.
Her Warriors
After two excruciatingly long weeks, Rytsar returned to America. Instead of calling, he texted them both to meet him at his beach house.
The fact that he’d chosen to text them worried Brie.
Unfortunately, Sir was at a business meeting in downtown LA, but he immediately called her when he received the text. “I’m leaving here straightaway. I want you to find a babysitter for Hope.”
After getting off the phone, Brie took a moment to breathe and try to still her racing heart. They were about to find out what the future held in store for them, and Brie was terrified that what they learned could destroy what they had.
Keeping her voice light, Brie called the Reynolds, Sir’s uncle and aunt. Judy answered.
“Hey, I know this is last minute, but do you mind watching Hope for the evening?”
“Of course not, darling. It’ll be good for both children to spend time together. Jack and I want them to grow up having regular play dates.”
Brie admired Sir’s aunt and uncle for adopting Lilly’s son, Jonathan. Their love for the child, mixed with the joy they felt about finally becoming parents, was a beautiful combination. In that kind of environment, Brie had no doubt that Jonathan would thrive.
Brie gathered all the baby paraphernalia required for a long stay, then packed extra, just in case. To help ease her nervousness while she waited, Brie picked up Hope and bounced her as she paced around the house.
When Judy pulled up, Brie ran outside and gave her a spontaneous hug.
The older woman chuckled. “Well, thank you.”
“I just appreciate you so much, Judy.”
Judy blushed. “Aren’t you a sweetheart?”
As they were piling all the stuff into the van, Sir pulled in and parked his car. When he got out, he was the picture of calm.
Smiling tenderly at his aunt, Sir walked over to her and gave her a hug. “It’s good of you to do this.”
Judy smiled up at him. “As I was telling your sweet wife, it does our hearts good to have the little ones playing together. No trouble at all.”
Sir secured the car seat into the van and took Hope from Brie’s arms. “Now, you be a good girl for my auntie.”
Brie kissed Hope on the forehead before Sir buckled her in. She then handed Judy the insulated bag with her milk. “I gave you extra, just in case.”
“Thank you, dear—” Judy stopped, a broad smile spreading across her face.
Brie looked in the car and saw Jonathan reaching over with his little hand, trying to touch Hope. Hope stared at him in wonder, reached out a tentative finger, and giggled when their fingers touched.
“Isn’t that just beautiful?” Judy cried.
“It truly is,” Sir agreed.
Judy laughed. “I failed to understand how exhausting parenting could be, but seeing moments like this makes it so worth it.”
“Yes, it does,” Brie said, giving her another hug.
“I’ll keep in touch, but it’s entirely possible it might end up being an overnight stay,” Sir warned her.
“Actually, Jack and I would prefer that,” she told him. “With it being such a long drive, it’s easier to keep her overnight. Plus, it allows the kids to spend more time together.”
Brie waved and smiled as Judy pulled out, but as soon as the van was out of sight, Brie turned to Sir. “I’m nervous.”
He nodded. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t, as well.”
“I’m worried because Rytsar texted instead of calling.”
“I found that odd, but there’s no need to speculate. We can head over now. I’m not going to waste time changing out of my suit.”
Brie nodded, anxious to see Rytsar, but reluctant to face whatever news he had.
It was obvious that Sir could read it on her face because he took her hand as they walked over to Rytsar’s house.
“We are his support,” Sir reminded her as they walked up to the door.
This isn’t about us. This is about Rytsar, she repeated to herself.
Brie was aware that everything she said or did would have an effect on him, so she was determined not to do anything that might have the potential to hurt him now or in the future.
Sir gave her hand another squeeze before he rang the doorbell.
“Come in, moy droog!” Rytsar yelled from the other side of the door.
When they entered, Brie was relieved to see Rytsar smiling. He came over and gave each of them a hug. “Thank you for coming.”
“Of course,” Sir replied. “We arrived as soon as we could.”
“I have news.”
Ever the sadist, he drew the moment out.
“And your news is…?” Brie asked.
“The boy is the spitting image of me as a child.”
Brie actually smiled, finding the idea of a tiny Rytsar running around in the world thoroughly charming. “Did you take a picture together?”
“I did,” he said, pulling out his cell phone and swiping through the photos to show her.
Brie couldn’t help but smile when she saw a shot of a little chubby-cheeked boy with big blue eyes pressing his cheek against Rytsar’s manly jaw.
The resemblance between the two was striking.
Staring at the photo, Brie c
ould imagine Rytsar at that age. It was horrifying to think anyone could hurt such a sweet little child. She looked at Rytsar with fresh compassion, wishing she could have been there to stop the abuse he suffered as a boy.
“Did you fall in love with the little boy the moment you laid eyes on him?”
Rytsar’s smile faltered slightly. “The truth is…radost moya, I am still adjusting to my new role.”
Brie couldn’t imagine his emotional shock at finding out he was the father of a two-year-old. Rytsar had never wanted to be a parent, which only made this situation worse.
“How were things between you and the mother?” Sir asked.
Rytsar bobbed his head slightly when he answered. “Sasha is…anxious to become a family.”
That was the first time Brie heard the woman’s given name, having only known her by her pet name. For some reason, hearing it made things that much more real for Brie.
“How do you feel about that?” Sir asked him.
Rytsar turned his head to look out the window at the ocean. “I am determined to do right by this boy. He will know the love and support of his father.”
Having experienced unspeakable cruelty and abuse under the hands of his own father, it was only natural that Rytsar was determined to give this child what he had never known.
Although it broke her heart, Brie understood and respected him for it. “You will be the best kind of father.”
He nodded, grateful for her encouragement.
“What reason did Sasha give for keeping the child a secret for so long?” Sir asked him.
Rytsar frowned, looking grief-stricken. “She is well aware of my feelings about having children and did not think I would accept the boy.”
Brie’s eyes narrowed. She was angry at Sasha for blaming Rytsar for her silence. “How dare she put that on you! She should have told you the moment she knew. It wasn’t her decision to make.”
“I like your fire, radost moya, but whether I am partially to blame for her silence or not is irrelevant at this point.” Rytsar gave her a pained look. “The boy needs me.”
Brie closed her eyes. She knew Rytsar would move Heaven and Earth for this child. His passion and loyalty were the very things she loved about him.