***The song appearing @ the end of this fic is again "Hands to Heaven" written/performed by the 80s group Breathe. It's a wonderful song that I'm totally not taking credit for.***
Winston was waiting for Claudia the next day. He paced in the lobby of the restaurant wondering what on Earth she was going to proposition.
"You showed," Winston heard Claudia's voice say. "You really do have feelings for this girl...that makes this so much more...interesting."
"Claudia, what is this all about?" Winston had rage in his eyes.
"You and me, Winston. We're getting back together."
"You truly are mad! What you want more money, is that it?"
"Partially, of course...but not all of it. I want the status, I want the power...I simply want you to be miserable."
"And why would I give you any of that?"
"Because if you don't, you're little plaything won't be as fortunate as she was last night." She laughed cruelly, sounding like a horribly scripted villain.
"Forget it, Claudia. She'll have body guards around her constantly and..."
"I know everyone you know, Winston. She won't be safe unless you leave her and resume things with me. You know it's not a threat, Winston. Leave her...send her off somewhere. Set her up with a deal on the West Coast. If not, I'll have her killed and take down your career if you try to prove that I did anything...and kill her anyway."
The look on her face assured Winston that she meant business. He felt his heart being torn out of his chest. "She can't stay on Radiance's label here?"
"No."
"You're going to have a miserable existence with me, Claudia."
"Well, I always have. But I'll have money and social stature."
"I don't love you, Claudia...I love her. Can you live with that?"
"Can I live with your misery? You bet. Do it today, Winston."
"Today?! That's not possible..."
"Anything's possible, Sammy." She turned and left.
Winston was scared and hurt, furious and full of the knowledge that Claudia wasn't playing games. When he got into the limo, he started making phone calls to California. He had arranged for an apartment to be bought and furnished, for Corrine's things to be overnighted, and for her contract to be handled through Radiance Recordings West Coast office. Everything was taken care of within a matter of minutes. The hard part was going to be saying goodbye to her.
Winston went to the hospital; Corrine was to be discharged that evening. He walked into her room and his face told her that something was terribly wrong.
"What did she say, Winston?" she asked with tears forming in her eyes.
"You have to leave, Corrine." He choked on his words. "I have a new life set up for you in L.A. and..."
"No...Winston, you promised..."
"She's going to kill you, Corrine! Do you think I want this? She knows people...you'd be dead before midnight if she wanted it that way. I can't protect you." He started sobbing. "She knows everyone I do and then some. I can't risk you getting hurt..."
"Why? I risked myself for you." Her voice was small, childlike.
"I love you too much to risk your life."
"But Winst..."
"I've made the decision. You're leaving tonight, directly from here."
"You can't make this decision for me!" Her abdomen ached as she yelled.
"I can and I did! You need to get the bloody hell out of my life, Corrine!" He regretted those words as soon as they left his mouth.
Corrine looked at him and couldn't control herself. She cried hysterically. Winston sat on her bed and held her.
"I didn't mean it like that, love, you know that." They sat on her bed crying in each other's arms. "You've got a wonderful career ahead of you," he finally said. "You'll be so busy that you'll forget all about..."
"I'll never do that, Winston. Can't we still talk and..."
"Let's wait a while, O.K.? We've got to get you out of here." Corrine was discharged and Winston helped her out to the waiting limo. He explained that he arranged everything for her already and somebody would meet her when she landed. He embraced Corrine and kissed her passionately. He saw a man against the building over Corrine's shoulder; he knew what he was there for. "You need to go now," he whispered in her ear. "I love you."
"I love you too, Winston." She kissed him and got into the limo. To make the event even more painful, as he got into his own limo, he heard Corrine's voice on the radio:
"...As we move to embrace, tears run down your face
I whisper words of love, so softly
I can't believe this pain, it's driving me insane
Without your touch, life will be lonely
"So raise your hands to heaven and pray
That we'll be back together someday
"Tonight, I need your sweet caress
Hold me in the darkness
Tonight, you calm my restlessness
You relieve my sadness
"Morning has come, another day
I must pack my bags and say goodbye..."
Winston put his head in his hands and cried softly. The only woman Winston would ever truly love was gone.