The scorching days of summer were now upon them and Victoria was enjoying the leisure of writing children's stories during the day and making love to Colin at night. On the weekends, they got into the habit of going out with friends that they had made through Colin. There were a few who she wasn't too fond of, but there were some she had also grown to really like. Two particular couples hung around them a lot and Victoria really liked their company; Brad Ahlberg and his girlfriend Holly Ireland and Mark Herrington and his girlfriend Erika Denison.
Brad and Mark had been childhood friends and moved to Hollywood together. They were actors but also screenplay writers. In fact, they had just finished a screenplay for an upcoming movie that they both would be starring in as well. They had been nice enough to give some pointers to Victoria about that kind of writing. Since she was so close to Hollywood, she didn't see that it would hurt. Brad was about as crazy as she was and they usually had a lot of fun in the clubs. Colin was a pretty serious dancer when it came to music and Holly only liked to dance when she could get real close to Brad. Brad and Victoria liked to have a lot of fun, so they usually wound up on the dance floor together doing lots of crazy stuff. Colin and Mark just liked to sit back and watch. Mark didn't really like to dance at all but he liked being out with his friends.
One evening, they were all out at Millennium, the same club where she had first met Colin, and Brad and Victoria were out on the dance floor. The club kept playing old 70's and 80's music and they were having a blast being crazy as usual. When who to Victoria's surprise and disgust, but Marisa Stamp - Colin's old girlfriend - walked in alone. Victoria didn't notice her at first until she came off the dance floor along with Brad to take a break and she noticed that Colin's attention was off towards the bar. As she was walking up to him, her eyes followed in the general direction where he was staring and that's when she saw her. It stopped her short, causing Brad to run right into her. "Shit, Vicky! What the hell's holding you up?" She didn't know what to say. Marisa was staring right back at Colin and he couldn't keep his eyes off her. In fact, Victoria couldn't help but notice the same type of look on his face that she had seen him use on her many times, like he wanted to tear her clothes off right then and there. Victoria just stood rigid, looking from his face to hers. There seemed to be an unspoken message traveling from his eyes to hers, and she knew at that moment that it wasn't over for him.
Brad walked around in front of her, watching her closely. "What's wrong with you?" he asked, and then noticed it in her look without having to say another word. He turned and saw what had stopped her short. As he turned back to face Victoria, pity shining in his dark eyes, her hand fluttered up to her mouth as her luminous eyes quickly filled with tears. She quickly glanced at Brad and saw the remorse there and she knew that what she thought she had with Colin was nothing more than a passing thing for him to take his mind off of his one true love, Marisa. This whole time he had been playing games with her heart and she felt it break into a million pieces right there on the floor. "I should've known from the start before I let him into my heart,' were the words that kept spinning through her head.
She glanced at Colin once more, hoping she was wrong and that's when his eyes shifted and met hers, the smile that had been on his face melting away to confusion and then the realization of what she had seen hit him. He stood up straight from his leaning position over the banister that stood between them as he set down his drink. In a barely audible voice, as she stared at Colin, Victoria whispered to Brad, "I've got to get out of here." Before she could turn to go, an unshed tear slid silently down her face. As she turned she also saw Colin move away from his spot and start down the steps to where she and Brad stood. That's when Victoria's feet shifted into forward motion and away from this god-awful scene!
Brad stood for a minute not knowing whether to intercept Colin or to follow her back through the crowded dance floor. As Colin jumped the couple of steps down onto the floor, Mark also noticed that something was up and followed suite. The closer Victoria got to the door, the more her eyes filled up with unshed tears, threatening to engulf her. Blinded, she struggled against the crowd to reach the door before she exploded. As she stumbled in her head-long flight to the safety of the door, Brad was suddenly there to catch her elbow and steer her to the entrance. "It's okay Vicky, I've got you." Leaning against him, she struggled to take the last few steps.
As the cool outside air hit her face, the tears came and she gasped at the realization of what had happened. She had believed in Colin and what they had and now it lay shattered at her feet. She leaned against Brad for support, unsure that she could stand by herself at that point. If it hadn't been for his physical support, Victoria was sure she would've collapsed on the walk. Her whole body felt like the blood had been drained from it and she could tell by the look on Brad's face that she looked it too. She felt like someone had punched her in the gut, taking all her breath. She clung to Brad, gasping for breath, tears streaming down her face. "Oh . . . my god . . . did you . . . see him . . .?"
Mark, Colin, Holly and Erika all reached them at the same time. Mark gave voice to the concern everyone else felt. "What happened? Is she okay?" Colin came around to face her, regret and concern etched in his beautiful forehead. Even in her misery, as she fought back the urge to scream, she loved him. Brad stared at him, not sure himself what to say.
"Victoria . . ." he began, a hand reaching out for her.
Anger and hurt came out of her at him and he stood there and took it. Coming upright, she slapped his hand back and hissed, "Get the hell away from me!" Gasping for a breath, she stared at him in shock. "How could you do that?"
"What did I do?" he asked. "What is it exactly that you thought you saw?" Everyone else but Brad stood confused at her angry onslaught.
"It's not what you did, but what you wanted to do, Colin. I saw the look you gave her, the passion you still feel for her. Why are you with me?!"
"Because I love you." He stepped in closer to her, again trying to reach out.
She took a step back, out of Brad's arms and further away from Colin. "Don't touch me. Please . . ." she choked out, trying to still the tears running down her face.