THE MOVIE STAR'S GIRLFRIEND

EXCERPT

“There are some things, after they are done, you can’t come back from, and this is one of them!” a tall dark haired man said as he walked angrily through glass doors that led to a balcony partially obscured by leafy tree branches.
He paused, thought better of his destination and turned towards the wooden double doors that led to the hallway.
“I made a mistake!” A beautiful, raven-haired woman said tearfully, holding a soggy tissue in her small, pale hands.
He turned quickly and she took an involuntary step back in surprise at the look on his face.
“A mistake it too much pepper in my eggs, or not enough water in my scotch, or forgetting to tell me when my mother calls. I don’t consider screwing someone else to be a simple mistake!” He snarled.
“But Travis, I had been drinking and I…” she stopped as his face clouded with anger and hurt.“Natasha, I’ve seen you put away a bottle of champagne and still walk a straight line. I’ve seen you smoke a joint and hit a line of coke, and not pause a minute in conversation. How the hell can a couple of glasses of wine make you so drunk, that you screw another man behind my back?” he shouted. “Please Travis, it was a mistake! If you forgive me this time, I swear it won’t happen again.” She sobbed. He opened the door and left the office, feeling as if the small, wood-paneled space was choking him. Natasha and he had been together for three years, and were engaged. He knew, in Hollywood, most marriages had shelf lives of 5-7 years and any lasting longer were considered old timers. But he’d thought they had what it took to make it work. He stood in the doorway of his office and ground the heels of his hands into his eyes to make the aching stop. He wanted to shake her, to make her hurt, like he hurt. He heard her sobbing and tuned his ears against her tears. Travis could forgive a lot of things, but sleeping with another man was not one of them. He felt her walk up behind him.
“Travis?” she said softly, putting her hands on his tense shoulders. “Natasha, I….”“Travis, please don’t make a decision we will both regret. We can get past this, I know we can.” She said softly.  
He wanted to tell her she was right, to hold her and tell her it was all going to be alright, they’d worked through her drug and alcohol problems they’d work through this, but as he turned and looked at her, he knew in his soul it was over. He’d endured the whispers, the gossip about her infidelity when he was away on location, and chalked them all up to gossipmongers who were jealous that they had a stable relationship, not protected by a prenuptial agreement. Mike, his best friend had told him to be careful, he’d heard some things about her cheating while he was away on location. Travis had been angry, and told Mike that they were jealous of his and Natasha’s growing careers and stable personal lives. He closed his eyes in relief, that he had not ruined his relationship with Mike over her, someone who would not, could not, recognize the truth if it bit her. He held out his arms and she walked into them gratefully, sobbing, making promises that she would never cheat again. Travis held her and comforted her, and when she was done he lifted her face and looked into her tear-swollen eyes.
“Natasha,” he said softly, his voice husky with tears, “I want you to pack your things and be gone from my house by the time I get back from London. It’s over, and nothing you can say will change that.” “But Travis…” she protested. 
“Shhh,” he said gently, “I can forgive a lot of things Natasha, but infidelity is not one of them. And what makes it worse is that I had to find out from my agent that my live-in girlfriend and future wife has been fucking a director who hates my guts, behind my back.” “No Travis, you don’t understand..,” she protested. “Natasha, don’t bother to lie,” he said softly. “Please it only happened once,” she pleaded. “I saw the tape…” he said softly, tears welling in his eyes, “the tape of you and him, together. The tape of you and him, Natasha,” his voice hardened at the remembered image of her and the man who hated him, together, in bed, beside the pool, on a desk. He felt angry and sick to his stomach, most of all, he just felt sad, sad that she had no idea that once she was no longer with Travis, the Director would no longer be interested in her. “Travis, you’re hurting me,” she said, and he let her go, leaving pale hand prints on her cheeks. “Natasha, I don’t want to fight with you anymore, I just want you to go,” he said tiredly. “Fine!” she spat, “I’ll go, but not before I tell you why I did those things.” He was turning away from her. He paused, as though steeling himself, and turned and faced her fully. He folded his arms and looked at her. “Go on.”   
“I was sick and tired of being here in this great big house all alone!” she waved her hands around and looked at him. “It’s a prison for one, because you are never here! You don’t even have a fucking pet!” “That’s bullshit Natasha you have your career!” He interrupted angrily. “Yes, but I want to go to parties, to spend time with my friends, to have fun.” Her eyes hardened, “you are never home, and when you are, you are with your friends, or working, or doing something for your damn career, anything but spending time with me!” “And that is reason enough for you to sleep with another man, while living in my house, wearing my ring?” “I liked it, I like him!” she snarled angrily. “Good, now you two can be together,” he said coldly. He turned and walked up the stairs. “We were already together, in your house, in your bed!” He looked at her without saying a word. She paled and swallowed at the look on his face.
He smiled, a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “The trip starts tomorrow. I’ll be out of town for three weeks, I want you gone before I get back.” He said quietly. “I hate you!” He paused on the stairs but didn’t turn around, “you slept with another man, in my house, in my bed,” he said sadly, “I know you hate me.” 

Publication date: July, 2005. Pre-orders being accepted, limited editions signed by the author.   July 2005 is a tentative date, so it is subject to change.