CHAPTER 9

Marietta didn’t know what to expect to happen after the last take. But what she didn’t plan on happening was Tobias hanging back to flirt with the make-up and wardrobe assistants. Her jaw clenched shut as she watched Tobias’s guide one of the women onto his lap. She had a mind to burst into his private party, but her pride wouldn’t let her. Instead, she headed back to her room and waited for him.

It was almost midnight when he finally showed up. Marietta sat on a chair in the corner of the room and watched him as he plopped down on the bed.

“Where were you?”

“You aren’t my mother or my wife. I don’t owe you any explanation.” Marietta noticed how Tobias dragged his words. It was obvious that he had had more than his share of alcohol.

“I think you should leave.”

“Fine.” He pushed himself off the bed, but before he left, he moved towards her.

Tobias knelt on the floor and put his chin on her knee. She thought he was about to apologize, but his next words battered her heart. “I don’t think we should keep seeing each other. After tomorrow, I’ll be going my way and you will be going to conquer the movie world somewhere else. It was fun, really it was. But I am not a relationship type of guy.”

Marietta swallowed the huge lump of emotion that had formed in her throat. She fought back the tears threatening to spill out of her eyes. She didn’t look at him, instead she concentrated on wall directly in front of her. She gently brushed him off her then said, “That’s fine with me.”

“I’m glad. I had a great time, Mattie.” Tobias got to his feet and pressed a kiss on her forehead. He gave her a wink and a grin before leaving.

Marietta realized that her fingers were digging into the arm of the chair. When she released it, she felt it shake and the emotional quake going on in her heart seemed to radiate to each of her limbs. She tried standing up but ended up back in the seat. She wasn’t going to cry. From the beginning she knew their relationship was only physical. It was her fault that she ended up falling in love with him. But then she would get over him. Although it was unbearable to think that she had felt the last of his kisses, the last of his arms around her, his gentle caresses, and sweet words, she was glad that they would be going their separate ways.

She reached for her phone and dialed her lawyer’s number. It was time to start letting go of the past and she had to start with the dreaded house, then Tobias Harden. “Sell it. Let them tear down the bloody place I don’t care.” After barking her orders, she tossed the phone on the bed. She thought about crawling into bed and just letting the tears run out of her. But she couldn’t. She was sure that the pillows still smelt like Tobias. Plus, she had become so accustomed to crushing into his hard muscular body when she turned in her sleep that the bed seemed too big. Marietta eased into a comfortable position in her chair and prayed that sleep would wash over her soon.

Marietta groaned as she tried to turn her head. Her neck was stiff, no doubt from the very uncomfortable position she had slept in. The chair didn’t have much room and didn’t offer much head support. She hated herself for letting herself get so affected by Tobias Harden that she couldn’t sleep in her own bed.

“What’s wrong Mattie?” Jessie asked as she watched Marietta’s face morph into different forms of distress.

“Don’t call me that.” Tobias had called her that, and it never sounded right when anyone else said it.

“Fine, what’s wrong with your neck Ms. Parks?” Jessie asked once more, a hint of sarcasm in her tone.

“I didn’t sleep well. My neck is knotted up.” Marietta pressed her fingers into her neck trying to massage herself.

“What, Toby’s muscles are getting too hard for you to sleep on?” Jessie teased.

“That’s over,” she shot out. It had been the first time she had said it out loud. It seemed so real, although for it to be, she had to validate the existence of a relationship. “We were never together in the first place.”

“That’s why you are in knots. No one loosened you up this morning.” Jessie chuckled. But when she saw a note of despair in Marietta’s eyes, she changed her tune going for comfort and truth instead of jests, “You had to know that you guys weren’t going anywhere. Is that why you are wearing the shades? You want to hide the fact that you were crying over him?”

“I have my pride.” Marietta groaned when the pain in her neck seemed to shoot into her head. A wave of dizziness washed through her. She grabbed at the table in front of her to steady herself.

“Are you okay!” Jessie’s panicked tone caught the attention of everyone in the room.

Tobias looked in the direction of where the panic-stricken voice seemed to emanate from. He watched as Jessie gently eased Marietta into a sit and handed her a bottle of water. He wanted to go to her and find out what was wrong, but he stopped himself. It didn’t matter what he felt for her or vice versa, he wasn’t good for her. Tobias knew his wandering eye would prove to be too much of a burden for Marietta to bear. Although in the last few weeks he had managed to relegate himself to Marietta’s bed alone. But stuff always happened, and he had a gift for shooting all his relationship to hell in an emotionally broken basket.

He held himself back as he watched the people around Marietta fuss over her. He would only see if she was feeling better, he convinced himself. He moved towards her and mixed in with the little crowd. Tobias watched her as she shrugged off the millions of hands that were being put on her shoulders in support. He chuckled; he had always known that she was strong, but he was more intrigued by how stubborn she was. Marietta was her own person, her own source of strength and comfort. She didn’t need anyone to make her complete and neither, did he? Their similarity was the one thing that kept them apart. How would two totally independent people learn how to rely and lean on each other?

He noticed her kneading her fingers into her neck. Instinctively he brushed her fingers aside and took over massaging her. He felt her muscles submit under the pressure of his fingers. That single and unintentional reaction got him aroused. He thought of all the nights they had spent together and how she had surrendered her body to his hands. A sweet moan emanated from her lips and that was it for him. He jumped back and his fingers drew away from her.

A whimper escaped her lips as she wondered where the source of her pleasure had gone. Marietta turned around to catch the needy look in Tobias’ eyes. Of course, it had to be him who had given her such comfort, relief, and pleasure. He had the magic touch. Marietta shot up to her feet and walked away from the crowd, and as if on cue McKenzie called the whole set to attention.

Once McKenzie yelled cut, the filming of the last scene of the entire movie was met by tears and a roar of applause. Usually, she would be part of the emotional conclusion of her movie, but Marietta couldn’t wait to get off of the set. She accepted a couple of hugs, each time taking a step towards the exit.

“See you at the party.” McKenzie yelled at her.

“See you there.” Marietta yelled back, her eyes locking with Tobias for a brief second before Sarah called his attention.