“I called ahead to my assistant and asked her to pick out some stuff for you. I kinda had to guess the sizing,” he says sheepishly. “I hope it’s not too far off.”
“Oh, wow!” I breathe out the words in surprise. “That was really nice of you, Ben. And totally unnecessary.”
I turn to face him and impulsively throw my arms around his neck.
“Ah, come on, I can’t have you running around LA with me in that old BSB t-shirt and cut-off shorts,” he says teasingly. “I’ve got a rock star rep to maintain, ya know?”
“Sure. Well, thank you.”
I smile at him, relieved to hear that I’m not going to be taking to the streets of Tinseltown in his ex’s garments. But I’m also troubled by his words. I know he’s joking about the BSB t-shirt, but it’s a harsh reminder that Ben is always under the microscope. What’s more, he’s aware of it. He knows that the media follows him, and he clearly feels the need to maintain some kind of image for them. It sounds like an exhausting way to live.
“So, shall we get you geared up for tonight? We’re meeting Rob and Ella for dinner at 8 pm.”
“Rob and Ella as in Rob Brennan and Ella Candy?” I ask, turning to him in astonishment.
“Sure. Rob’s my bass player and Ella is—”
“His girlfriend,” I finish the sentence and then cringe at myself for being lame. I sound like such a stalker—an image I’d like to distance myself from at the moment.
“Yup. They’re super cool and down-to-earth,” Ben says, seemingly unfazed. “You’ll like them.”
He grabs me by the hand, intertwining his fingers with mine, and leads me to the bedroom and into an enormous walk-in closet. Sliding back a panel, he reveals an entire section of women’s clothing. Leather pants, short skirts, sequined tops, and animal prints jump out at me.Woah.
“So, maybe with the jacket, a dress would be cool?” Ben asks. “Kinda mix it up with something feminine and then the jacket for a little edge?”
“Sounds good,” I say, surveying the closet helplessly. I’ve never exactly been a fashionista and I definitely don’t know what to do with this wardrobe full of sexy, trendy pieces.
Ben starts rifling through the racks, muttering to himself, and then pulls out a few dresses. I take them in my hand, scrutinizing them. One is a short red dress with plunging cleavage that looks like a nip slip waiting to happen. The other is a snug, leopard print number—it covers the chest but is so short, I have no doubt the world will see my panties by night’s end. Finally, there’s a plain black minidress, slightly sheer, long enough so that I don’t feel the need to blush wearing it and showing just a hint of cleavage.
“I think I’ll try this one,” I say tentatively, grabbing it.
“Nice, all black ensemble with the black dress and black leather jacket. I’m into it. Very rock’n’roll,” Ben says with an encouraging nod.
“Oh and—” Ben pauses as he slides open another panel in the closet, “you can pick whatever shoes you want too. I told my assistant to get some different styles and sizes, so hopefully something works.”
I stare open-mouthed at the wall of shoes Ben has just unveiled. Even though I don’t know fashion, I certainly recognize a pair of red bottoms when I see them. And I’m staring at a sea of red right now.
“Sure, uh, wow, that’s really nice of her,” I stutter out the words. “Please thank her for me. This is a great selection.”
“Sure thing. I’ve got to get changed myself. You can change in here,” Ben says a devilish grin, “I can’t wait to see the big reveal.”
“I hope I live up to your expectations,” I say coquettishly, half joking and half serious.
“I have no doubt you’ll far exceed them,” Ben replies and then takes my face in my hands and kisses me, long and lingering. The kiss leaves me breathless, my body tingling in nervous anticipation. Our brief moments of physical intimacy at Rose Manor have been exciting. But here, in these strange surroundings, removed from the familiar comfort of the old house, every touch is even more exhilarating. There’s an elevated excitement in these luxurious surroundings. It’s like I’ve stepped into someone else’s life for a moment. I feel freer here. Every sense is heightened and the electricity that’s been building between me and Ben over the last weeks seems to be elevated. Is it just me feeling this way? Or does Ben notice it too?
I stare after him as he saunters out of the closet, leaving me standing in the huge walk-in closet stupefied. My heart racing with anticipation, I slip out of my dowdy blue dress and wriggle into the black mini dress. Then, I peruse the Louboutin shoes. First, I settle on a simple pair of black pumps. But then I catch sight of a pair of black pumps with metal studs adorning the entire exterior. I pause. This issonot my usual style. But none of this is my usual style. And these studded black pumps areveryrock’n’roll. I slip them on, wobbling slightly in the high heel as I find my center of gravity. Then I walk over to the full-length mirror at the walk-in’s far end and take myself in.
I barely recognize the girl in the mirror. The body-hugging black dress shows off the curves I normally try to conceal. But it’s still long enough that I feel comfortable in it. I bend over, checking out my butt in the mirror to make sure nothing I don’t want to be seen can be seen. All good! Then I giggle at myself. When I went to Rose Manor, I certainly never expected that I’d end up a month later in LA, getting ready for dinner with rock stars—and checking my outfits to make sure I didn’t get caught flashing my ass for all the world to see.
I turn back around and check out the shoes, feeling good about my choice. With the all-black outfit, the metal studs on the heels add just the right amount of glam. To top it off, I slip the leather jacket over my shoulders. It gives the entire outfit that little bit of extra edge. The right mix of gritty and flirty. I barely recognize myself, but I definitelylikethis version of myself, I realize with a smile. The outfit is sort of like armor. In this getup, I feel better equipped to head out into LA with Ben. It’s sort of like I’m an actress, playing a part for the night. The part of a rock star’s girlfriend? With a deep breath, I steel myself to go out and show Ben.
“So, what do you think?” I ask as I step out into the master bedroom.
Ben is slouched on the big bed, playing with his phone, but perks up the second he hears my voice.
“Woah,” he says simply when he sees me.
“Is that good or bad?” I ask with a grin. I already know the answer. Ben is already up off the bed, walking towards me, his eyes burning with a look of desire I haven’t seen before. So far, it’s been all sweet kisses and flirtatious banter. But now?