Fallen a lesbian romance, p.1
Fallen: A Lesbian Romance, page 1
FALLEN
A LESBIAN ROMANCE
BERRI FOX
ITS HER BOOKS
Copyright © 2023 by It’s Her Books
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CONTENTS
Also By Berri Fox
1. Taurus
2. Europa
3. Taurus
4. Europa
5. Taurus
6. Europa
7. Taurus
8. Europa
9. Taurus
10. Europa
11. Taurus
12. Europa
13. Taurus
14. Europa
15. Taurus
16. Europa
17. Taurus
18. Europa
19. Taurus
20. Europa
21. Taurus
22. Europa
23. Taurus
24. Europa
25. Taurus
26. Europa
27. Taurus
28. Europa
29. Taurus
30. Europa
31. Taurus
32. Europa
33. Taurus
34. Europa
35. Taurus
36. Europa
37. Taurus
38. Europa
39. Taurus
40. Europa
41. Taurus
42. Europa
43. Taurus
44. Europa
45. Taurus
46. Europa
47. Taurus
48. Europa
49. Taurus
50. Europa
Preview
51. Harper
52. Maxine
53. Harper
54. Maxine
55. Harper
Also By Berri Fox
ALSO BY BERRI FOX
Her Scent
Fake Wife
Make Believe Wife
Protecting Her Heart
Bet You’re Mine
Mrs. & Mrs.
Her Nanny
Fake Girlfriend
Fake Wives
Be My Fake Wife
Shelter My Heart
Waking Up Married
ONE
TAURUS
I stare at the large, customized wooden shelf on one side of my living room.
Rows of plaques, trophies, and awards are displayed here. They’re my pride and joy, and the fruits of my labor.
I’ve been acting since I was twenty years old.
Like any other novice actress, I’ve had my share of heartaches and disappointments. There were times when I thought about quitting. But my grandma always reminds me that nothing good ever comes easy.
Also, from the start, it’s been my mantra that there are no small roles, only small actresses, so, even if my exposure involves just me walking past, or saying one line, I still give it my all.
Little by little, I got noticed by the bigwigs in the industry. Calls for auditions and even offers for sure roles came pouring in. There were even times when I had to choose between projects because my schedule wouldn’t be able to accommodate everything.
Over the years, my work’s been recognized by different award-giving bodies. I’ve acted for television, movies, and been on the occasional advertisements. I’m thankful that they think I’m good at what I do.
For an actress, aside from having a large fanbase, awards are the next important thing. The thrill of being nominated, and ultimately, winning the trophy is an experience like nothing else.
I reach out and touch the very first acting trophy I got. It’s not from a big organization like the Academy or the Golden Globes, but it’s still very special to me. My only regret is that my parents will never see me accept any award.
My parents died when I was in high school, leaving me in the care of my grandmother. She’s very caring and loving, and I couldn’t have asked for a better guardian. Still, there are moments when I can’t help but miss my parents.
A tear falls from my eye, and I wipe it away. It’s days like this when I’m all alone at my condo with no one to talk to that nostalgia hits the hardest. I open the wine fridge, choose a bottle, and pop it open. Fetching a glass, I pour myself some.
I’m just about to treat myself to a nice, warm soak in the bathtub when my phone rings. It’s my grandmother. I put my glass down at the table, and answer.
“Hey, Grams, what’s up?” I greet.
“Are you watching?”
What is she talking about?
“Watching what?” I ask.
“Turn the television on and tune in to channel 22. You’re on the news,” she informs me.
“Grams,” I protest. “You know I don’t like watching myself or anything about me. I even close my eyes when I’m at the premiere night of my movies.”
“Oh, come on. Just open the damned thing.”
I don’t want to argue with her any further, so I follow her instructions. Getting the remote control from the side table, I press the power button and look for the channel. I see the news feature starting.
“I’m watching it right now, Grams.”
“Good. I’ll call you after.”
We end the call and I turn up the volume. I think my manager might have mentioned something about this, but I don’t quite remember. It’s some kind of feature on successful actors who are under thirty years old.
Maybe this is interesting. My bath can wait until later.
I try to watch and listen. I didn’t give any interviews for this, so they probably got some old footage.
“Taurus Cunningham is an international, award-winning actress who’s one of the best in her generation.”
Well, this might be nice. Sometimes, it feels good to feed the ego. I continue to listen.
“Taurus is professional and versatile. There’s not a role she’s unable to perform perfectly. All the nods she’s received is a testament to her talent.”
“Her co-stars have always said that working with her keeps them on their toes. She arrives thirty minutes early on set with her lines memorized, and gives an earful to anyone who’s late and causes delay.”
A short clip is shown where I’m answering an interview.
“I believe that time is a valuable thing for everyone. We shouldn’t waste it. Being on time is a sign of respect for the people you work with,” I hear myself say on TV.
The show goes on to a commercial. I think about recording it, but I decide against it. I’m sure Grams is doing it already. The show comes back again.
“Taurus is a genius. In fact, several documentaries have been made about her, talking about her life, her career, and her success.”
That’s true. I’ve done interviews for Real Stories, BBC, and E! News. I had an appointment with Oprah but the timing didn’t work out. Even National Geographic had been interested, but I told them it’s probably not a good idea.
The show continues as it discusses my various achievements. They narrate how I started from a small role until I got all the awards.
For a moment, I wonder how it’s going to end. Probably about the latest movie I’ve done, which got me nominated for three awards this season. That one’s almost in the bag.
“But, like all good things, it has to come to an end. It has come to our attention that Taurus has recently been involved in some kind of scandal. A reliable source confirms that she’s having a relationship with a top studio exec, and that’s why she’s been getting all these major film roles.”
That’s so sick.
These people have twisted the truth so much, nobody knows what’s real and what’s gossip. I’ve never had a romantic relationship with anyone in the business... ever.
Completely disgusted by the show, I turn the TV off, and throw the remote onto the sofa. I drag myself to my bedroom and lie down in the middle of the bed. I pull the blanket over me.
This is just great, nothing’s going right. I feel so unmotivated right now, all I want to do is sleep. Maybe once I wake up, all this will just go away like a bad dream.
TWO
EUROPA
I’m not a people person.
It’s why I sometimes wonder what I’m doing at this job. I work for an events company, and even though I’m just an executive assistant to one of the department heads, there are still times I need to coordinate with other people.
This had been mentioned to me when I first applied for the job, but I assured the HR representative that I’m flexible and willing to learn. Maybe that’s why I was hired.
Truth be told, if I had another choice at the time, I wouldn’t be sitting at this desk looking for a supplier who can provide us with the correct shade of tulips we’re looking for.
Unfortunately, I needed a job as soon as possible and this had been the only one available. I wasn’t in a position to be choosy. I told myself this was only temporary and that I’ll look for a better job when I had the time.
It’s been six months, and I’m still here. I don’t have any motivation to come to work except for the salary. I don’t have a single friend in this place.
“Europa, have you short-listed the tulip suppliers?”
My boss, Sigrid Townsend, calls out from her office.
“I need that in an hour, she adds.
“I’m just finalizing the list. I’ll send it to you in twenty minutes.”
“Great, thank you.”
There are over fifty establishments on my initial list, but so far, I’ve only managed to email twenty of them and call at least ten. That’s more than half, and I think it’s sufficient given that we’ll only be needing one.
I input all the necessary details in a spreadsheet, double-checking everything. If there’s one thing I’m proud of, it’s that I’m very thorough with my work. I make sure everything that leaves my desk is up to par.
Once I’m satisfied with the list, I send it to Sigrid. I look at my watch, it’s almost time for lunch. I get my purse and stand up, stopping by Sigrid’s table.
“I’ve sent the file to you,” I say. “I’m going out for a quick lunch. Do you need anything?”
She looks at me for a few seconds.
“Uh no, thanks.”
I shrug and leave.
A few blocks away is a café I like to frequent. They serve good sandwiches and pasta. But best of all, it doesn’t get crowded, even during lunchtime, so I can be alone with my thoughts.
The door chimes as I open it. I look at the board for the day’s specials before heading toward the counter. The server greets and smiles at me.
I order a bowl of clam chowder, shrimp scampi pasta, and a glass of cold raspberry lemonade. I pay using my card and go to a corner table to wait for my food.
Did I mention that the food here is also affordable? For someone on a tight budget like me, this place is truly a gem.
I pull out my mobile phone and text my closest friend, maybe my only friend, Henry.
“Are you busy?”
Almost immediately, I get a reply.
Of course. I’m at work. Where are you?
“Having an early lunch. I finished my tasks early because I’m very efficient.”
I give a small laugh as I send the message, knowing that it’ll piss him off.
So, what do you need?
“Nothing really, I’m just checking up on my best friend.”
More like annoying him.
He knows me so well.
“Well, that, too. Do you want to have drinks tonight?”
My food arrives and I start to eat while waiting for Henry’s reply. I’m on my second spoonful of soup when my phone chimes.
I’m sorry, I have a deadline. Maybe this weekend?
“Okay. See you.”
I continue eating my lunch while browsing my phone. While I’m on it, I think about looking for other work opportunities. I log in to my job search account, do a couple of searches, and submit several applications. I hope at least one of them gets back to me.
After my last sip of lemonade, I walk back to the office slowly. How I wish I don’t need to. What if I resign right now? I think I have enough savings to last me for a month.
Finally, I’m back at my table. Time to get back to work.
I check my email and there’s the usual stuff—meetings to schedule, lists to check, and some potential clients I need to follow up on.
I spend the entire afternoon completing all my tasks. I’m usually the last person to leave the office, but for some weird reason, Sigrid is still here.
I’m quite sure she doesn’t have any meetings tonight, so her staying late is truly suspicious. There must be a reason she stayed behind, and I don’t know if I want to know the reason.
While I’m arranging my desk, I can feel Sigrid approaching. Shit, now I think I know what this is all about.
“Europa, can I have a moment with you? I need to discuss something.”
I nod and we talk inside her office.
“I’m sorry, Europa. But we need to let you go. The management doesn’t think you’re a fit for this company. Today’s your last day. Don’t worry, we’ll make sure you’re fairly compensated,” she says in the end.
I’ve seen this coming, so there’s nothing else I can do but agree. She makes me sign a paper, then she leaves.
The rest of the evening I spend packing my stuff, which, to be fair, only fits in one box. The cab I called is already outside, so for the last time, I turn off the lights and close the door.
With a sigh, I put my things inside before I climb in.
I just got fired. What a way to end the day!
THREE
TAURUS
My ringing phone jerks me awake.
I don’t feel like standing, so I just let it go straight to voicemail. I’ll check it later.
Still lying on my bed, I look around and realize it’s quite dark outside. How many hours have I been asleep? I check the clock and see that it’s 8 pm. My sleep, though dreamless, did nothing to recharge my energy.
I still feel listless and unmotivated.
It’s dinnertime, and I’m having an internal debate about whether I should get up and grab something to eat, or just go back to sleep. I’m leaning toward closing my eyes once again, but my stomach starts to rumble.
I guess it’s food then.
Wearing an oversized shirt and lounge shorts, I make my way to the kitchen. I’m not in the mood to cook something, and I don’t think I want fast food right now. Opening the fridge, I look for something I can eat.
Luckily, I find a container with some leftover grilled chicken wraps that Grams sent over the other day. Checking that they’re still good to eat, I put them in the microwave to reheat.
I open a can of diet soda and pour it into a glass with ice. Together with my plate of wraps, I sit by the kitchen bar. Snippets of the news feature come back to me, and I try to shake it off.
Retrieving my mobile phone from my bed stand, I notice that there are a lot of messages and missed calls. I remember putting this on silent mode before going to sleep.
Most of the messages are from people I’ve worked with within the industry asking if it was true. Sometimes, it irritates me how they can be so naïve when it comes to these things. As if they don’t know how it works.
There are a couple of unknown numbers who called. I guess these are from media people who’d like to get my comment regarding the feature. I wonder how they’re able to get my private number when I never give it out.
I delete everything that’s not important. There are a lot of messages and calls from Grams, but I’m not in the mood to talk right now. I make a mental note to reply to her tomorrow when I hope I’m feeling better.
Once I’m done with my food, I put everything in the dishwasher. Then, I decide it’s time to take that warm bath I was supposed to enjoy earlier. I prepare the tub, fill it with water and add bath salts. I light some scented candles and immerse myself.
Maybe this will help me relax a bit.
When my body hits the water, I feel my thoughts fly away together with my stress. I hope things get better tomorrow.
It’s been several days, and I’m not as sad as I was the day I watched the feature. But I’m still not feeling a hundred percent. Most of the time, I prefer to stay in bed unless there’s an important event I need to attend.
Lately, nothing’s been that important.
It’s 9 am, the sun’s up and it’s too bright, I can see sunlight seeping through the curtains. I cover myself with the blanket, wanting to go back to sleep.
All of a sudden, I hear the sound of my front door being unlocked.
