Chapter 53: Back To The Injoy Bar
1080 Words
Joanna could see that what she'd said had visibly upset Vivian, and she asked if she should continue. Vivian waved for her to continue, so she took a deep breath and said, "Most of this you already know, but it is worth repeating. I think so, at least, and I hope you'll agree..."
Vivian nodded, and Joanna continued: "Three years ago, Phoebe was a superstar, but Sarah's arrival in her life changed everything. Sarah did everything she could to slander her good name. She called her a slut, a w***e, and a gold-digger. That, combined with the gang-rape, are undoubtedly the reasons why she completed suicide."
Vivian clenched her fists as she recalled what had happened. Her nails dug into her palms, and though they drew blood, she felt no pain. Those days had been a nightmare for her and her sister.
"Sarah paid people to rape Phoebe," Joanna continued. "They filmed the act and posted the footage online. Once it went viral, Phoebe tried to explain what had happened, but no one would listen to her. After that, Sarah wasn't the only one calling her names."
Vivian wiped the tears from her eyes and said, "I've heard enough. What do you want me to do?"
Joanna: "I want you to reenter the Hollywood scene and fight Sarah."
"No problem," Vivian said without hesitation. "Easy peasy."
"Don't get too cocky," Joanna warned. You may think that you know what Sarah would do to you if you stood up to her, but she is crafty and more viscous than you could imagine."
"I've seen the pictures," Vivian said. "I know what I'm up against."
Joanna: "No regrets?"
Vivian: "No regrets."
Joanna nodded and said, "Get ready to go into action. I'll have someone contact you either tomorrow or the day after. He will arrange everything for you."
Vivian picked up one of the pictures off the table. She looked at it for a second. She thought about her sister - Phoebe, I will not let your death go unavenged! And then she said, "Okay."
***
On her way back to the Grace House, Joanna called Ben. When he picked up, she said, "Ben, this is Joanna. I just spoke with Vivian, and she's all in. I told her that you would be in touch with her."
"That's great," Ben replied. "Is there anything else I need to know?"
Joanna said that there wasn't, and then she ended the call. She had received a voice message while visiting Vivian, so she checked that next. The message was from Brian, and it said, "Have you missed me?"
Joanna's cheeks turned pink as his pleasant voice serenaded her. She hadn't seen Brian since her discharge from the hospital. This was because he was on a business trip. Since he wasn't home, she saw no reason to stay at his house, which was why she was returning to the Grace House.
Once she'd parked, she sent Brian a text message, and "I got your message" was all that she wrote.
Brian: "So… Did you miss me? Don't be shy. I won't judge you."
Joanna: "Not hardly. Lol. Forget about it."
Brian: "You're not angry, are you? Did I embarrass you? I bet your cheeks are as red as a beat. What a shame it is that I'm not there to pinch them! I've missed you and your soft lips. I can't wait to kiss them again."
Joanna: "You are so clingy… Leave me alone!"
During the three days that they had lived together, Brian had enjoyed having her in his home. He had been able to kiss her whenever he wanted, and he had made a game of sneaking up on her, hugging her from behind, and rubbing his genitals against her. Of course, he had never crossed any lines with her, but he had successfully pushed back her boundaries, and that counted for something in his book.
***
On the afternoon of the next day, Mike arranged for Joanna to meet with a client in the evening, and she accepted the task. The location was at the Injoy Bar, and when Joanna arrived, she looked towards the stage at the back of the bar, where a pretty girl was singing a popular song. The sight and sound of it reminded her of her own recent "concert," and she couldn't help but smile. The memory made her think of Brian. She missed him, and there was no point in denying it. She wanted to share her days with him, and she also wanted to know how his day was going.
Steve was with Joanna, and when he saw her smile, he said, "Penny for your thoughts?"
Joanna shrugged. "I was just watching the girl on stage," she said. "She's good, isn't she?"
"She is," Steve agreed, "but we'd better get moving."
Joanna nodded. She led him into the private room that had been reserved for the meeting, and when they walked through the door, she froze. She had known that she would be speaking to a rep from Green Division Unlimited, but she hadn't expected to be dealing directly with the president of the company - who just happened to be her husband. "Ken? She gasped. "I didn't expect to see you…"
Ken maintained a professional demeanor. He nodded to his assistant, Paul, who was sitting beside him. Then Paul stood up, offered to shake Joanna and Steve's hands, and said, "Hello, Ms. Devine."
Joanna shook his hand, indifferently. "Hello, Pete."
There was an awkward silence, during which everyone waited for Ken to stand up and greet Joanna and Steve. Then, when it became apparent that he wasn't going to, Joanna reached out to him and said, "Hello, Mr. Green."
Ken refused to shake hands with Joanna, but she was unfazed. She was used to this cold, immature behavior from him. After a second, she pulled her hand away and said, "I had hoped that this meeting would be professional, and that personal conflicts would not be brought into it. Apparently, I gave you more credit than you deserve."
Ken snorted. Then stood up, offered her his hand, and said, "Hello, Ms. Devine."
Joanna smiled, and she shook his hand. He is so easy to manipulate - she thought - but all men are, aren't they? And easily led around by their c***s and their ego.
When Ken held Joanna's hand, he couldn't help but notice how soft her skin was. The feeling troubled him, and he quickly pulled his hand away. And when he looked up, he found Joanna's expression of confidence to be more than a little unnerving.
- Writer
