the star
six
Rachel was glad to have accepted the services of Noah Puckerman on Monday morning, glad Jesse had instructed him to take the black sedan Audi Quattro, with tinted windows, to drive her wherever she wanted to go. There were paparazzi camping out outside of the mansion's gates, and also at the studio's entrance.
When they were in the safety of the studio's estate, she asked Noah to stop the car so she could speak to the security guard.
"Ms. Berry?" The guard asked.
She smiled.
"Good morning. I just wanted to warn you that my mother, Shelby Corcoran, isn't my manager anymore, and she isn't welcome at the set".
He nodded.
"Mr. St. James has already given me instructions about that. Also about Mr. Hudson and Ms. Fabray. Don't worry".
"Thank you".
Jesse... Always a step ahead of her. He thought of everything.
The day on set was way better without her mother meddling into everything, watching, criticizing, ordering. Everyone knew already about Rachel's situation and showed a lot of comprehension. Only when she displayed she wasn't disturbed, but determined to move on, everyone was more relaxed towards her. Rachel felt her selfconfidence grow as she followed the director's instructions without interruptions.
Solidarity gave place to curiosity. She didn't act like a traumatized woman. Had she left her unfaithful husband and jumped headfirst into a relationship with Jesse St. James? No one spoke that, but Rachel could see it in their eyes. Strangely, she didn't feel ashamed. Although it wasn't true, she felt people wouldn't crucify her if it were. Anyway, that was her and Jesse's issue.
However, that afternoon, she ended up talking about tje deal between them. After she left the studio, she asked Noah to drive her to her favorite grocery shop, in Santa Monica, to buy fruit and vegetable and not be so dependent of what Emma had left in the guest house.
It had been a few minutes since Rachel entered the grocery shop when she heard a familiar voice.
"It's awful when a mother is forced to stalk a car to be able to talk to her daughter!"
Rachel dropped the lettuce she held. Her heart skipped a beat when she turned to face the attack head on. Her mother was furious, her hands lifting up like claws to grab Rachel's shoulders and shake her. The old instinct nearly made her give in, but Rachel resisted. She was no longer a child to be looked down at, and she didn't belong to her mother anymore. She straightened her spine and didn't move, although she felt her legs start shaking.
Noah Puckerman intervened and she almost fell apart in relief.
"Get out of the way! She's my daughter!" Her mother hissed, holding his arm and trying to shove it out of the way.
"Ms. Berry?" Noah looked at Rachel, as if waiting for instructions.
He would send her mother away and escort her out of there. All she needed to do was ask. The temptation to run away assaulted her, but she had been weak for enough time. To run away now would admit her mother still had power over her, that she would always have. If she wanted a more independent life, that needed to end.
She shook her head.
"I'll talk to her, but stay around, Noah", she turned to her mother, with drive shining in her eyes. "if you make any more scenes, my body-guard will intervene and we will leave. Am I clear, mother?"
"Your body-guard?" Shelby mocked, as Noah walked away to leave them face to face. "Jesse St. James', you mean. He's completely controlling you, and you're too naïve to notice!"
"He's just protecting me of the kind of harassment you're putting me through right now".
"And why is he doing that, Rachel? Have you wondered?"
"It doesn't matter to me. I walked away of that fake marriage, which you wanted to keep me in só that I kept working and making money. I'm not so naïve I won't notice that, mother".
"You worked today to make money to Jesse St. James".
"He didn't lie to me".
"It was for your own good, Rachel. The affair would have ended with no hurt for you if Quinn hadn't gotten pregnant".
"I don't like what you think it's good for me. I won't accept that anymore".
"You need me, Rachel. Without me, you'll be lost. I took care of everything for you for a very long time".
"I'll learn how to do everything by myself".
"And you think you'll be able to learn in a day?" Shelby mocked.
"No... I know it will take a while".
"Where will you live?"
Rachel hesitated a bit; she hadn't thought about it yet.
"You can't stay at Jesse's guest house forever", her mother carried on.
"No, of course not".
"He invited you to stay there, didn't he? How long?"
"It's none of your business".
"More than a few days. More than a week, so that you think you don't need me. A month? Two months?" Especulation turned into triumphant certainty. "That's it. Two months. Until the show is wrapped up. It's convenient for him. And you're so naïve you fell into his trap".
"It's convenient for me too!" Rachel shot back, hating how her mother always twisted everything.
"Jesse St. James is worse than Finn, ditching women every single moment. He's preparing you for when he breaks up with Andrea Cohen, which will happen soon, you can be sure of it. Before those two months, you'll be in his bed".
It was dangerous... That undercurrent of physical attraction... Impossible to ignore, but, even só, she hated how her mother visualized the situation.
"You'll end up in a bigger mess than the one you're in now", Shelby carried on. "You need me, Rachel. It was me who always protected you. Jesse St. James is a predator. He'll chew you and, when his sexual appetite is satisfied..."
"ENOUGH!" Rachel screamed. "I don't have to hear that, and I won't! Noah, I want to leave now".
He immediately wrapped her arm around his, holding the other one out in a sweeping motion.
"Excuse me, Mrs. Corcoran", he said politely, beginning to lead Rachel through the grocery shop aisles towards the exit.
"When you realize I'm right, Rachel, come back home. I'll take care of you".
Rachel kept a blank look on her face, looking straight ahead, refusing to recognize she wouldn't be able to take care of herself.
She would.
As for the rest, Jesse wouldn't force her to do anything she didn't want to do.
Unlike her mother, who always dictated what to do, he always gave her options. And also unlike Finn, who cheated on women, being with two at the same time.
At least she could be herself with Jesse. She liked that. She would never take steps back to the point where she would go back home asking for her mother to help. Never.
"Do you want me to take you to another mall?" Noah asked once he had her settled in the car.
She had forgotten the cart with the few fruits she had picked.
"Tomorrow afternoon", she said, too shaken by the confrontation to be able to think about food, and knowing she could live with what there was in the kitchen of the guest house. "Let's go home, please, Noah".
Home... Tears threatened to bubble in her eyes when she said that. The children house wasn't her home; even so, it looked more like one than any place she had ever lived with her mother. But Rachel didn't care. In some moment of the next two months, she would find a place for herself.
It was hard to contain her tears. She felt her heart clenching. Jessse had made possible for her to leave her past and her mother behind, but to meet her face to face... She felt physically and mentally drained for having to face her. She had ended up running from the confrontation with the help of the bodyguard Jesse had the sense to hire. Any way else, would she be able to do so?
She didn't know. The old feeling of being helpless grew within her, although Rachel tried to fight it off with all of her strength. It wasn't easy to leave behind an entire life of domination, doing everything the others ordered. She needed the refuge Jesse had given to her, the time to fortify herself. But what if her mother was right? Did Jesse have a personal reason, besides the professional one, to help her? Was she so naïve?
The tears fell. She desperately tried to wipe them and get back her composure while they reached Jesse's manor. Noah opened the car door for Rachel, who kept her face down as she walked out of it.
"Thank you. I'll see you in the morning, Noah".
"Have a good night, Ms. Berry".
"You too", she muttered, running to the safety of the children house, seeking the cozy comfort to lock outside the awful feelings the confrontation with her mother had arisen.
Jesse felt her jaw clench as he listened to Noah Puckerman's report. Shelby Corcoran obviously would do anything to get her meat ticket. She'd plant doubts, fears and suspicions in Rachel's mind; everything to undermine her trust in him. It was great that Rachel had challenged her, but what would it cost?
"Her mother is a bitch", Puck said. "I'd say it's likely that the abuse in her relationship with her daughter wasn't only psychological, but physical too. I don't hit women, but I wanted to kick her ass".
"Although I relate to your urge, be aware that she's capable of having you charged with aggression and manipulating the situation for her own gain", Jesse advised.
"Ms. Berry..." Puck shook his head. "You did good keeping her away from her".
Doubts about Jesse's intentions had also been planted in his mind. Jesse noticed he questioned if that situation was best for Rachel, in the long haul. But that's none of his business, Jess thought, and he knows it. Puck didn't say what he was thinking, but he cared, thanks to Rachel's special gift that inspired that feeling in men, and that made him say, "She was crying on the car. I don't know if there's anything you can do about it".
"I can distract her", Jesse said with a smile. "It's highly likely you'll have to take care of a puppy onset tomorrow every time Ms. Berry needs to shoot a scene".
The bodyguard's concern was replaced with a wide smile.
"No worries, Mr. St. James. I also have a dog; I always liked them".
With his report finished, they stood up and exchanged a firm handshake; the bodyguard left the office. Jesse sat back down on the chair behind the dest and wondered where he would get with Rachel. There were no doubts that it had been good for her to get Shelby away. But what about him, would he be good for Rachel in the long term?
He had never wondered about that when he was going after another woman. They knew how things worked with him, and Jesse didn't feel resposible for the choices they made. But Rachel was different. She was very, very vulnerable. He had to take it into account, or it would be hard to deal with the feelings of guilt later on.
Rachel made a face as she heard the knock on the door. She had washed her tear-filled face, had taken a long shower to relieve the tension, wrapped herself up on a silky bathrobe and had curled on the seat by the window, trying to clear her mind by watching the bay. She didn't want to see or talk to anyone. She didn't want to think.
The knock came again.
Several times.
Growing more insistent.
That forced her to realize that, whoever it was, they knew she was home and would be concerned if she didn't answer. With a reluctant sigh, she set her feet on the ground and walked to the door. The wrinkled face of William was pressed against one of the glass panels of the door, relief replacing the concern when he realized she was approaching.
William was in his sixties, still surprisingly strong and with his skin deeply tanned since he worked outside, although he always had a cap on to protect his face from the sun.
He smiled encouragingly at her, showing off her teeth, yellowed by the years he had smoked. He had an armful of bags, probably things he wanted to deliver to her. Rachel only realized he wasn't alone when she was practically by the door. Standing a few steps behind, there was the unmistakable silhouette of Jesse St. James, with his back turned to her, his head slightly bowed as if he was studying the grass.
Her heart sped up instantly, her hands lifting in a quick move towards the loosest part of her bathrobe, close to her breasts. Her naked breasts. She felt her nipples harden. If her mother was right about what Jesse wanted with her, Rachel couldn't allow him to see her dressed like that. He could see it as an invitation. Besides, although she was fully dressed, Jesse's presence was enough to leave her extremely aware of his powerful sexuality, and how much this affected her.
She made a gesture asking for William to wait and ran to her bedroom. She stripped the robe, put some underwear on, shorts and a t-shirt, put some flipflops on, brushed her hair and looked reasonably adequate. She decided not to apply any makeup, thinking it was better that way. It showed she wasn't looked to be attractive. She took a deep breath, trying to calm down, and went back to ther door, opening it without hesitation and saying, "I'm sorry I made you wait. I wasn't waiting for guests and-"
"Don't worry, Miss Rachel", William said, with a big smile. "We brought you a little welcome gift".
"A gift...?"
William stepped aside when Jesse turned to face her. Rachel's confusion grew into a surprised gasp when she saw the small black and white puppy in his arms.
"It's a miniature cocker spaniel", Jesse explained, smiling indulgently to the puppy that licked his hand. "It looked at me through the petshop window glass and his eyes told me it needed someone to love it". He looked up from the puppy, and his cobalt blue eyes bore into Rachel's, warming her to her core. "I immediately thought of you, Rachel, and how you told me you wanted something real in your life".
"You bought it for me?" She said, happiness mixing with the shame of allowing her mother to poison her against that man – her wonderful white knight, giving her everything she needed... His dark sides didn't matter.
"Do you want it?"
"Please!" She avidly held her arms out, where the puppy quickly nestled into. "I was never allowed to have a pet! I'll love it so much, Jesse! Thank you!"
She hugged the puppy and laughed when it licked her neck.
"Here you have everything he needs", William said. "A bed for him to sleep, food, bowls for food and water, a collar, shampoo... The full package. Can I come in and show you everything?"
"Yes, please!"
She stepped back to give him space so that he came in, waiting for Jesse to follow after him. But he didn't. He stood next to the door for a few minutes, watching her with the puppy, that man's pure magnetism making her heart speed up and leaving her breathless. And, when he smiled at her, Rachel even felt dizzy.
"To see you happy is a reward", he said softly. "I'll leave you alone, Rachel".
He didn't wait for her reply, walking away in large steps before she even came up with the right words. Rachel told herself that she had already thanked him anyway. But his departure, and that wonderful gift, left her ashamed for having allowed her mother to tarnish the image of him slaying the dragons in her life.
She lifted the puppy to look inside his eyes what had caught Jesse's attention at the shop. Rachel saw the same expression in them, how he asked for love, and smiled. "Here's your home. Here with me", she promised.
And, in that sweet bonding moment with the puppy, she felt a huge wave of love for the man who had given her so much without asking anything but her contract with him being fulfilled the best way she knew how.