Page 47 of Doctor's Demands
Petra stops shaking and smiles at Dena. “I am an adult. I’ve taken care of myself for many years now. I have my life in order. As do you. The difference between us is that I love this man and you merely want to have him. You’d destroy him before allowing him to love anyone other than yourself.”
With a loud burst of laughter, Dena says, “You don’t even know the man.”
“That is enough,” I say, as I’ve had it. “Dena, leave. You’ve done what you’ve done, and nothing can change that. I probably won’t have the show anymore, and you’ll still be on it, I’m sure. Go back to L.A. and leave me alone to figure out what the fuck I’m going to do with my life now that you’ve destroyed it.”
“Do you think it’s going to be that easy for you, Owen?” Dena asks me with a smirk on her thin lips. “I’m not about to let you go. You see, I have a plan. It’ll be rehab for you. Sex addiction is what you’ll go in for, and alcoholism. You do have that nasty habit of getting plastered most Saturdays and ending up at my place. Did he tell you that I gave him a key to my house about three years ago and since then he’s snuck in most Saturday nights, fucked me senseless, then left me without so much as a word?”
Petra nods, and I clear my throat. “I’ve told her everything, Dena. You’re not going to shock her with anything you have to say.”
“Listen to me, bitch,” Petra says quietly. “This man is not a sex addict. He is not an alcoholic, either. He’s on the cusp of becoming the man he’s supposed to be. You’re trying to drag him down, and I won’t allow it.”
Dena’s laughter peels through the air and makes my skin crawl, as it sounds witch-like. Then she narrows her eyes at Petra. “You listen to me, you little whore. This man has problems. You’re too young to understand these types of things. But he can get help, and I’ll be the woman by his side who makes that happen. Not you.”
“Dena, I’ve asked you to leave, and you’ve ignored me. Don’t make me call security,” I tell her, and watch her bitchy expression turn to one of sorrow.
“Owen, send this girl on her way. Let me help you. If you and I leave this hotel together, then the news media will see that, and you’ll have a fighting chance. Hollywood loves a good comeback story. If you leave here with your love slave, then the media will eat you both alive.” Dena extends her long, thin, bony hand. “Do what’s best for you, sweetheart. And it’ll be best for your little fool too.”
Petra laughs then says, “Love slave? What the hell are you talking about? Owen and I met online when I asked him a question about getting my tits done. He and I started talking, and he told me how he always spends the summers in Portland. He asked me to come and join him here, in this hotel, for the summer. It was me who wanted to check out one of this town’s many clubs that cater to people who like certain things. He took me there to fulfill my curiosity and nothing more than that. You think you know shit, but you don’t. We’ve just heard the lies you told the media and were going to straighten shit out today, you dumb bitch.”
With Petra’s words, I feel like she might have the right idea. No one in the club will ever give out any information on me. Just like the way I handled things when Petra said my name, I’m fucking up with this too. But thank God, Petra is cool as a cucumber and on my side.
“I’m a dumb bitch?” Dena asks, as she throws her hand to her chest. “You’re the dumb bitch. He’s already confessed!”
“To being in the club, nothing more than that,” Petra shouts at her. “You see, he feels guilty over that. He shouldn’t, but he does.”
Dena looks at me. “Do you expect me and the rest of the world to believe that pile of shit?”
“It’s the truth,” I say. “And you can believe it or not. I’ll be talking to the producers and telling them the truth about things. And I’ll be asking them to take you off the show. It’s not like you have the fans that I do.”
“Well, your fans are disgusted with you, Owen. Let’s not forget that.”
“For what?” Petra asks. “For your lies? We’re going to fix that.”
I look at Petra and shake my head. “I’m going to fix that, baby. You’re staying out of this.”
Watching Dena’s red lips curl into a smile is more than Petra can take, and she fights me to get to Dena, a thing I stop as I hold her even more tightly. I’m pretty sure her arms will have bruises on them from my grip. When Dena openly laughs, I think about letting the hellcat I’m holding back loose. It would serve the bitch right.
Dena walks toward the door though. I think her instincts have finally kicked in and she’s beginning to realize the young lady I’m holding back will rip her heart out if she’s given a chance. “I’ll see you back in L.A., Owen. If you come back, that is. I can see you prefer to take the hard road, instead of the easy path I’m offering you. Good luck with things.” Then she’s out the door, and I can finally let Petra go.
Only to have to grab her up again as she rushes for the door. Picking her up by the waist, I haul her with me to lock the door, then take her to the bedroom as she wiggles and fights me to let her go. “Owen, just let me hit her one time!”
“As if once would be enough for you.” I toss her onto the bed. “We need to get ready to get the fuck out of here. I’m going to call the car rental company and have them pick up the Maserati and bring us something boring and plain. Then I’m calling the concierge to bring us up some sweats with hoodies. We’ll need to get the hell out of here, without being noticed.”
Petra stares at me, then says, “Stop it, Owen. Just fucking stop it. You’ve done nothing wrong. Our business is our business. Didn’t you follow what I told her? I used your own idea about what we’d do if anyone recognized you. And no one at the club will ever rat us out.”
“That little prick, Chance, would,” I remind her.
“Get on the phone and call the club. Tell them about Chance and what he threatened you with. Let them handle him. Leticia told me, the trainers told me, and Isabel told me, that if I ever felt threatened, then I needed to let the club know. They’ll protect their members at all times. So, make the call, Owen. They’ll protect you too.”
“I never thought about that,” I mumble.
“Well, start thinking and stop confessing to shit,” she says, then gets up on her knees on the bed and comes toward me with her arms open.
I hug her and pick her up, then kiss her. I’ve never had anyone in my corner the way she is. Neither of my parents ever protected me the way she has. No one has ever been so completely there for me the way Petra has.
I can’t take her down with me. She thinks lies can get me out of this mess. I know they can’t. I know there are reporters who’ll stoop low, that most wouldn’t, just to get dirt on a celebrity. I’ll get caught in my lies, and that’ll be even worse.
Petra is young and doesn’t understand the real world. This is a place where people judge every little thing you do. We’re judged on what we eat, how much we drink, and what we look like on the outside. I know that better than most.
