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Romy fired her pistol, moving deftly and with confidence. The other associate fired his gun once again before both men turned to escape in the other direction. Luckily neither Romy nor Emerald was injured, but the shots unnerved Romy. If she hadn't been with Emerald, Romy would have chased the men. But her priority was Emerald, and Romy wanted to leave the scene immediately to get Emerald back to her estate.
“Holy shit! Are you okay?” Romy asked breathlessly as Emerald keeled over and burst into tears. Romy, who was also shaking, wanted to appear strong. She wrapped her arms around the actress, allowing her to cry. Romy felt helpless as she patted Emerald's back, whispering, “It's okay, you're safe. I'm taking you home right now.”
Emerald continued to sob as Romy navigated the vehicle away from Rodeo Drive and onto the road that would take them back to Emerald's mansion.
9
Emerald awoke feeling groggy and depressed. Blinking her eyes, she looked at the clock on her nightstand. It read 4:45 am. A day following the shooting, Emerald spoke to her agent about taking a week off filming to deal with “personal matters.” Luckily, Emerald being who she was, her requests were rarely denied.
Considering the events from the past few days, Emerald couldn’t concentrate on her script, and until this issue with Thomas was solved, she was concerned that her work would suffer. Emerald was hoping to get more rest, but unfortunately, her body clock was primed to wake up early, even if she didn’t have to be anywhere this morning.
As she rolled over, snuggling her pillow, remnants of a forgotten nightmare began to reappear in her consciousness. Emerald closed her eyes, trying to recall the details. She remembered a crowd surrounding her; it was a mixture of cold, angry faces combined with expressions of adoration. Emerald didn’t recognize anyone in the group, but when a finger tapped her on the shoulder, she turned around to see Romy.
She was so excited to see the bodyguard, but when Emerald went to embrace Romy, the Romy’s face turned mean, transforming Romy into Thomas. Then, Emerald felt a sense of intense fear. A gun went off amidst the crowd, and Emerald screamed. She sat up in bed as her subconscious mind subsided, leaving her alone and frightened in the dark.
“Fuck, maybe I’ll take a bubble bath to relax me. It’s too early to bother Marilyn with anything. Hopefully, this will help me fall asleep,” Emerald said to herself, the sound of her voice filling the lonely, dark room. She rose from her bed, fully nude, and padded over to her ensuite bathroom. Pouring a bit of rose-scented soap into her large soaker tub, Emerald watched as the water flowed from the tap in a daze.God, I’m still half asleep—I hope I don’t drown!
Once the tub was filled, Emerald lowered herself into the warm, soothing water. “Ahhh, yes, that’s perfect.” A delicate fragrance wafted from the porcelain bath, calming her nerves. But as Emerald sank deeper into the water, allowing her body to be fully immersed, she couldn’t ignore the nagging feeling of anxiety that lay deep in the pit of her gut. She couldn’t vocalize her feelings out loud, not even to Marilyn. But the truth was that Emerald was utterly shaken by the incidents of the days prior, and at this point, her insides felt alive with fear.
Whenever Emerald felt out of sorts, sex was her go-to remedy to calm and center herself. Knowing that she could seduce almost anyone was a delicious way to assuage her ego. Emerald knew that she could pay Romy a visit to have Romy pleasure her, but something was blocking her desire. So instead, Emerald decided to masturbate, which normally alleviated such undesirable emotions.
Parting her legs, Emerald reached her hand below the water to touch herself. Emerald tried to evoke pleasurable sensations with her fingers, but she was having difficulty feeling anything.
Licking her lips and closing her eyes, Emerald thought about Romy fucking her in the car on the side of the road. She remembered straddling the strong, butch bodyguard and how wet and aroused it made her. Usually, such fantasies would be enough to turn Emerald on; her mind wasn’t connecting with her body. She knew how attracted she was to Romy, so the fact that, physically, she couldn’t feel any favorable sensations alarmed her.What is wrong with me? Why isn’t this working?
The more she tried to pleasure herself using different hand techniques, the more frustrated Emerald became. Finally, she gave up and slumped into the tub, feeling the water starting to cool. Another emotion bubbled from her core, one of intense loneliness and despair. As soon as it hit Emerald, she began to cry, lifting her knees to her chest; it was not the release Emerald desired. But once the tears started falling, this dam of emotion burst open.
Emerald had to admit defeat; there was no escaping or pretending at this moment.Well, at least I’m alone. I wouldn’t want anyone to see me looking so pathetic.
Emerald allowed herself to grieve the darker parts of her life that were left out of her public persona. While Emerald didn’t often dwell on her hidden sexual orientation, the fact that her existence felt fraudulent hurt her soul. Deep down, Emerald was aware that she had been acting throughout her entire life and not just on set. And those concealed desires were the primary source of her loneliness.
Suppressing a significant part of herself had also caused Emerald to behave in opportunistic and egotistical ways, often preventing others from becoming close to her. Fans were not the same as friends, but Emerald did her best to maintain connections that were dependent on her for their livelihood. Splashing some water on her face, she murmured to herself, “Hmmm, maybe that’s why I’m so drawn to Romy. She doesn’t seem to need anyone, which scares me a little. I don’t want her to go.”
After rising from the bath, Emerald decided to go back to her room to get more sleep. But, as she snuggled under her down duvet, a thought came to her.I should ask Romy if she wants to spend some real, quality time with me tonight outside the context of her job. I’d really like to get to know her better. And I don’t want her to think I’m some vain, superficial monster.
Emerald couldn’t place the time, but at some point, there was a knock as a voice behind the door called out, “Emerald? It’s Romy. Are you still asleep?” Emerald rolled over and looked at the clock on her nightstand.Oh my god, it’s 3:45 pm!With a start, she sat up. “Romy? I’m awake. Come in.”
She shook her head, feeling disorientated. Romy slowly opened the door, peeking her head inside. “I’m sorry to disturb you. We were worried about you, and I wanted to see if you were okay.”
Emerald grinned, and her heart burst with gratitude. Waving Romy into the room, Emerald rubbed her face, patting down her hair. “I don’t know how I managed to sleep so late! I got up in the early morning for a bit and took a bath. I only meant to sleep for a few more hours.” Emerald sat up, feeling alert. “I guess I needed the rest.”
Romy sat on the edge of Emerald’s bed, her eyes empathetic. “I’m sure you did. Yesterday was intense.” She gently put a comforting hand on Emerald’s shoulder. “Are you okay?”
The question struck a nerve within Emerald. It was rare for anyone to sincerely ask if she was okay. Emerald found herself softening inside, and she had this incredible urge to crawl into Romy’s arms and cry. But Emerald was still proud and conceited, and she wasn’t ready to allow anyone to see her vulnerabilities, especially not her hot, butch bodyguard.
“I’ll be fine, thank you. But I thought I’d like to enjoy a cozy night in, and I wondered if you wanted to spend some time with me?” Emerald batted her lashes, turning on the charm. “I could use the company.”
Romy nodded. “Sure, that sounds nice. I could use a break from the drama myself after yesterday. What did you have in mind?”
Emerald thought, her hazel eyes turning to the ceiling. “Oh, I know! I’ll ask Marilyn to make a steak dinner, and we can enjoy our dinner on the patio in the garden. It’s so lovely out there, especially with the tea lights.”
“That sounds great! This afternoon, I was going to stop by the gun range for some practice, and then I want to take more time to investigate this case. I’ve sorted the gate and estate security- we should be safe at home now at least.” Romy stood from the bed. “Unless you need anything else from me, I’ll be back around 6:00 pm.”
“That’s perfect. I’ll get my driver to hit Whole Foods, and then Marilyn will prepare our dinner. I’ll see you then.” Emerald locked eyes with Romy, feeling her stomach flutter. It had been a long time since she had made plans with someone without being related to a job or an opportunity.
With a rise in her spirits, Emerald got up and prepared herself for the evening ahead. Emerald always wanted to look her best, but she wanted to wear more relaxed attire tonight. After donning a long, flowy sundress that showed off her curves, Emerald sought out her hired help to inform them of tonight’s plans.
Later in the evening found Emerald and Romy outside on the expansive property. The night air was thick with humidity, and the hum of crickets surrounded the women. After they had enjoyed a hearty steak dinner with plenty of red wine, Marilyn presented the women with Emerald’s favorite cognac. The actress turned to clink her glass against Romy’s, her face glowing by candlelight. “Ilovea delicious digestif after dinner, don’t you?”
