Taming Precious Sinclair by Sasha Combs

intangible solidness that wasn’t actually there, but she’d grasp hold and this feeling had grounded her to the show. It wasn’t until now that she realized, she needed him. He needed that grounding force that only he possessed. She felt her legs moving at the same rapid pace of her beating pulse.
    “Hamilton...” she said breathlessly. “I thought you said that...” She paused, trying to recall the details of their conversations. Her head had been heady and weighted with concerns. How to deal with a problem that was truly no fault of her own?
    Hamilton’s eyes scanned her face, and she did something, she’d never done before. Precious gazed into his mesmerizing silver-gray eyes. Most times he wore dark shades, and she’d never stood this close to him. She spoke low, saying...
    “I can’t... I can’t do this alone.”
    Her fingers were tightly wound like knots, turning pale. Hamilton peered over her head, and he noticed the others. Their confusion was palpable. Until today, his name had only been words scrolling during the shows credits. He was fairly certain that Precious had never talked about him or his role as the shows producer. And why would she? As the shows producer, traditionally, his contact with the cast was usually limited but this project had been different. During the taping of the Grosse Pointe program, Hamilton rarely saw his office in California, because most weeks he was somewhere in this state. He also knew that Precious was the reason for this. In the past, he’d done his best to avoid her. But now, he was faced with a difficult decision. He knew what he should do, and dammit if he didn’t do the opposite.
    He closed his eyes momentarily, then he opened them. Hamilton rested his hand on her elbow, easing her to the side. If he was going to do this, then he would do it right. He would talk face to face to her parents and her ex-boyfriend. He maintained his calm cool exterior while embracing the irony in this situation. At one point he’d done his best to avoid her, and now he was telling a lie to ensure that she’d be glued to his side.
    “Look folks...” He said as his opening statement. They didn’t leave nor did they interrupt him, so he continued.
    “We all want what’s best for Precious and we want her to be happy with this choice. Today, while we were talking... Finding a safe place for her to ride out this storm, had been one of our topics. Now... When I brought her here, I wanted her to tell her parents what happened before you saw the story on the news.”
    Precious couldn’t believe the web of lies that were being woven, but she was willing to play her part if he needed backup. She listened, while Hamilton continued.
    “I didn’t want to whisk her away before she had the opportunity to talk to you.”
    “Whisk her away...” Her mother said. “Precious darling... Where are you going?”
    “That’s the beauty of this Mrs. Sinclair.”
    Now, his hand lay resting at the base of her back. Hamilton lightly guided his fingers up and down; soothing as he stoked and caressed. He had this and he didn’t want her to worry. He’d told her that he would fix this. So he reasoned, why not go all the way. He was telling a story that might end up being true.
    He continued...
    “The best way to ensure that Precious will not be followed...well, we’ll have to do something that the media would never expect. I’ve given this some thought and I’ve decided on a plan that I believe will work. I’m taking her to a secluded location, while my PR firm works on this little problem of hers. I can’t see into the future, but these people are good at their jobs.”
    That part of his web of lies was true, and he really believed that in a matter of weeks, Precious would have her life back. Of course, Stone might have to cooperate but he’d not seen anything today that would hint that he wouldn’t.
    “So you see...” Hamilton looked down at Precious. She was forcing a smile, that looked