Page 1 of See You There
PROLOGUE
Atlanta
March
Dahlia Everton had never wanted to punch someone in the face as much as she did in that moment. She took a deep breath through her nose and pressed her lips harder together to keep the angry words inside.
Her performance was off, but her agent, Victor, yelling at her wasn’t helping. Her costar, Chandler, was already exasperated, throwing up his hands with a dramatic groan every time the director yelled “Cut!”
“What’s wrong with you?” Victor shouted.
He had dragged her from the set to the privacy of her trailer, so that he could berate her in private. Experience told her that his grip on her arm would leave marks. “The shoot is almost done, and then the film will be in the can. This is the biggest thing to happen to us. Don’t blow it!”
Us?Dahlia kept the bitter thought to herself.
“I don’t want to go out with Matt Crawford tonight. He isn’t a big fan of the word no.” Her jaw clenched as she remembered the last time she’d been alone with the studio head.
Victor’s eyes hardened. “He’s the new owner, and if he wants to take the star of his first big movie out, he’s going to. What’s the big deal?”
“He expects me to sleep with him. Crawford doesn’t even attempt to hide it. He’s disgusting.”
“It’s not the first time a movie exec believed the talent belonged to them. They can pretty much do whatever they want.” Victor shrugged. “Just avoid his hands and stay in a public place. You’ll be fine. With his mother’s money backing this studio, he could make big things happen for you.”
Dahlia ground her teeth. “Did you get Scott to sign the divorce papers yet?”
Victor’s eyes shifted away. “He’s proving hard to track down.”
“Still? Scott isn’t a genius. This shouldn’t be that hard! I’ve talked to a lawyer. It turns out I can get a divorce even if I can’t find him to serve the papers. What if we try another private—”
Victor grabbed her forearm. Hard. “You did what?”
Dahlia smoothed her face, hiding the trembling inside. She hated that she still had that reaction to him. She wasn’t a naïve nineteen-year-old anymore, but despite her success over the last few years, the old habits were tough to break.
Thanks to the ridiculous contract she signed ten years ago, on the scarred table of her and Scott’s tiny kitchen, Victor had a stranglehold on her career. He controlled virtually every aspect of her life.
But that would end in just a few months.
Dahlia corrected her posture and squared her shoulders. “I’ve hired a lawyer.” She hadn’t. It was only a consultation, but the alarm on Victor’s face proved she needed to hire one soon. He would not take being replaced well.
Victor twisted her arm, making her wince, and Dahlia struggled to hold on to her newfound courage. He pulled her close, and she smelled the stale coffee on his breath.
“We have a contract, and if you think, just because you’ve had a taste of fame, you’re going to leave me behind after everything I’ve done for you… You need to think again.” He threw her arm, causing her to stumble and bump her hip against the raised counter.
Dahlia hid the anger bubbling inside. The urge to lash out was pumping through her blood. When had she become so weak? But fighting with her agent/manager, on set, wouldn’t do her reputation any good. She knew what people said about her. She was cold, emotionless. Most mistook her need to hide her true nature as arrogance. They had no idea what she had been through or what she would sacrifice in order to be a famous actress.
Dahlia blanked her face, pushing the emotions down, but looked pointedly at her arm where Victor’s red fingerprints stood out against the pale skin of her arm.
“Shit! I’m sorry.” Victor’s shoulders dropped, his paunch protruding over his belt as he sagged. He fished in his pocket for a bottle of concealer before handing it to her.
By the time she’d smoothed the makeup onto both arms so that there were no visible marks, her face was back to the serene expression that never failed to irritate Victor.
He rubbed a hand over his hair. “I shouldn’t have done that. I’m under a lot of stress. You can’t fathom the things I have to deal with hourly to help you. Crawford, the director, organizing your press…”
Right. It’s my fault.
Dahlia’s smile never wavered. In the past, the manipulation had worked on her. Already feeling inadequate and ashamed about what had happened with her family, Victor knew just whatbuttons to push to make her feel guilty and grateful. She had always backed down.
Shewasgrateful Victor helped her escape rural Ohio and her past, but she only recently realized just how high a price she had paid. How much he and her, hopefully soon-to-be-ex, husband, had taken advantage of her naivete.
