He felt relieved and happy that she had no reason to stop him seeing what was on her phone, especially as one message had been from Gerry. He still wasn’t quite sure how he hadn’t read and deleted it.
“I just thought you may want to know Marc is in a foul mood today courtesy of Angie phoning him at two thirty this morning and insisted they discuss future opportunities, other clients, the weather and what she was having for breakfast. Anything and everything I believe.” They both laughed as Jim added, “And he reckons if he ever meets you, he is going to kick your ass because she’s your agent, but rest assured as your ass is actually my ass I shall protect it.”
“Thank you. That reassures me no end.”
“Don’t take it personally, he threatened to sack Marcia this morning and she’s his wife.” Jim laughed at the memory of Marcia’s glare.
Tasha giggled at a highly strung and tired Marc.
“She told him he shouldgo for itif he wanted to spend the rest of their marriage sleeping on the sofa. It really has been a great morning so far.” He laughed again, then with other voices infiltrating their conversation, he continued to speak, “Baby, I need to go, but if you need anything, just call. Sext you later.”
Tasha sat up and considered what to do to occupy her day before Jim returned. She thought she might just stay at the house and explore the grounds beyond the pool.
She looked around for her robe, but there was no sign of it. In fact, there was no sign of anything to wear. As her search for clothing led her to the walk-in wardrobe she attempted to slide it open, but it wouldn’t budge. It was locked. She tried the other door and found it was locked too.
If this was Jim’s idea of normal behaviour he really was crazy. This was the something else he was going to think of. She was now stranded here, in this room, naked until he came home. If she could find any consolation in this it was at least he would be coming home. She knew he hadn’t locked her up and abandoned her indefinitely. Despite her own inner reassurances, she was furious. He had absolutely no right to do this. She was not an errant child, although her hot and sore ass suggested she might have allowed herself to be cast in the role. She winced as she looked at it in the mirror and then chastised herself for smiling at the memory. Her anger increased as she thought about his call that morning and his,if you need anything. She needed something alright, clothes. She was way out of her depth with a fucking crazy, domineering, Hollywood hotshot who thought this was acceptable on any level.
She dropped onto the sofa with her phone and immediately regretted it as she realised how firm the sofa was against her behind. She selectedJ cellfrom her contacts and waited.
“Hi, honey,” came his answer.
“Don’t youhi honeyme, you fucking crazy son of a bitch, control freak, bastard,” she spat. His reasonable tone only irked her further.
“Wait while I take you off speaker.” His tone was flat enough that she was unsure whether her call really had been received on speaker. With his next words she instantly regretted her quick temper and foul mouthed tirade as she realised, yes, she had been on speaker. “Marc, give me ten minutes, please,” There was a pause, presumably while Marc left and then Jim, with an agitated tone spoke to her again. “Do you want to tell me what the hell that was all about?”
“You. It was about you leaving me as a prisoner in your bedroom, naked,” she shouted, unsure who she was most mad at, him for leaving her there or herself for being there in the first place.
“Stop shouting,” he said firmly. “It was you who said I couldn’t lock you in because it was illegal, so I improvised.”
“Why? What the fuck have I done now?” She was still shouting, incapable of speaking with anything resembling an even tone and unable to control her emotions that were moving from anger to something else, something old and familiar. Fear.
“Stop shouting. And can we lose the language, please?” She really didn’t feel it was a question. “After yesterday I didn’t want you let loose in Hollywood in case Doogie fucking Howser put in another appearance.”
“Christ, Jim, this is mad. You can’t keep me a prisoner all day.” Although that was clearly what he was doing. She meant it. It was mad to try and control her movements this way. “I can’t even go downstairs.” Her fear rose further and tearfulness entered her voice. Fear that any ideas of a life after Friday were beyond flawed and fear that any life they might have would involve being locked away and controlled in the extreme. Sadly, she already knew when others controlled you and you didn’t comply or it went wrong there were consequences, not fun, sexy consequences but bad ones. The first of her tears slid silently down her cheek. “My plan for today, in case you cared, was to stay here, maybe in my new bikini I now wish I’d bought myself, to look around. No more.” Her tone calmed and her tears ebbed as she resolved to compose herself, not wanting to reveal the darkness of her mind or past to Jim.
“I was making a point. You are mine and you have to accept responsibility for your actions because I don’t think you do.” He sounded almost reasonable in his defence of his actions.
“My arse and I would disagree.” She gave him a firm shake of her head and a pout he was unaware of, thinking he didn’t understand. He didn’t get this, how he’d made her feel.
“Tasha, I get you’re pissed at me, but after I tied you to the bed in New York and you were amused by it I thought you’d be okay, but what’s done is done. Watch the TV, pretend you’re on a spa day,” he said seriously enough that Tasha thought he might actually think his actionswereacceptable which was the scariest thing in this whole situation. He deemed this appropriate behaviour.
“You are joking! A spa day, really? New York was different, for one thing you were nearby. Where does Sandra think I am?”
“In bed, unwell. I didn’t want you disturbing when you were naked, not by Sandra anyway.” He laughed a single short laugh, but when there was no laughter returned he stopped.
“You think this is funny and you can get all cute and sexy about it? What if there’s a fire?” She wondered why the hell she was considering a fire escape when all she should be focused on was an escape full stop. “Maybe I won’t let you do this to me. What would you say then, Mr Control Freak?”
“Tasha, I thought it might be amusing, if not funny, like New York,” he conceded but immediately continued to speak and irritated her again as he tried to turn into playful James. “I really would like to get cute and sexy. I’ve missed our sexting today.”
Tasha said nothing. She had no clue what to say. What was there to say that she hadn’t already said? He now seized upon her reference to him being a control freak but made no attempt at an apology.
“I am a control freak, Tasha. I don’t deny it, you know I am, and you seem to like that about me.” He sounded slightly defeated now.
She slumped back on the sofa and wanted to deny she liked his controlling ways, but she couldn’t. He was strong, protective. He made her feel safe because he was in control and the complete opposite of him was her dad and she didn’t like him. He’d never ever made her feel safe. He was never in control, not as he should have been, no matter what he thought. He was weak and had never protected her, quite the opposite. She thought of Dan and Pippa and felt guilty for leaving them with him. What a mess her life had been before she’d left for New York and now it was snowballing into a full-scale disaster zone.
“I get you’re not happy with the situation, but I don’t think you can actually stop me doing it now I’ve done it.”
She heard Jim’s words and they made her want to scream. They sounded distanced slightly as she fought the ideas and thoughts her mind was awash with along with memories of a past that seemed intent on keeping her imprisoned, much like Jim.
