It's been a couple of weeks since I started working for Ben, and I can feel the tension rising. I'm plastered on every gossip magazine, well at least the back of my head is. It's almost impossible not to look when your waiting in line at the cashier in a grocery story and you're surrounded by yourself. The stories are always the same though, "Mystery Girl" seen again with Ben Adamson.
Evie and the boys' questions have died down which is good. Without Evie's comments the boys completely forget about the matter, and since Evie knows what's really going on now she's kept the comments to a minimum.
Whenever I see Lonnies phone number ring on my phone I flinch. It hasn't been as bad as I thought it would be, but I can't stand Ben. He's always drunk or high or passed out and he always stinks of cigarettes. My phone rings, and I don't even have to look at the screen to know it's Lonnie.
"Hi Lonnie" I sigh as I fold my laundry.
"I need you at Ben's house ASAP" she says firmly.
"Ok" I start heading out, "I'm on my way".
I take my time to get to Ben's house. I'm kind of getting used to being there. I mean the house is as big as the White House, so even if I'm here there's no need to be around Ben. This time, however, I must face my worst nightmare.
"Hi" I walk in confused. There's no one here. No makeup artists, no hairdressers, no stylists, and no Lonnie. "Hello?" I walk deeper into the house.
"What are you doing here?" Ben's deep voice startles me as he appears behind me. I turn around quickly and freeze. His standing there, by the kitchen door, in nothing but his boxers. His bare chest is perfectly toned and polished, and his hips create a V shaped crease that disappears into his boxers. "Enjoying the view?" He teases as I almost drool looking at him.
"What?!" I finally snap out of it. He's a douche Mal. "Lonnie told me to come here"
"Oh really?" He walks past me and opens the fridge. "Want anything?", I shake my head and he reaches for a can of soda.
"Do you know what this us about?" I ask a little desperate.
"No" he shakes his head and takes a sip.
"And you aren't the least bit curious?" His silence answers her question. "Alright then, I'm calling Lonnie".
I step out of the kitchen and back into the living room where I pace as the phone rings. I don't understand what's going on at all.
"Hello?" Lonnie finally answers when I'm about to hang up.
"What going on Lonnie?" I ask a little pissed.
"You're at Ben's house?"
"Yes" I nod and Ben joins me in the living room, "and I don't understand what's going on"
"Ok, put me on speakerphone" I do as told, "listen closely both of you. It's time to take the relationship into a more intimate level, so today you're spending the night"
"What?!" I half yell, but Ben remains calm. "I don't even have clothes or a toothbrush"
"It's fine" she begins to explain, "I want you to leave tomorrow with the same clothes you came in today, and Ben has everything you need for the night"
There's a long silence, or at least it seems long to me, where Ben and I just stare at each other. I can't believe I'm actually going to do this.
"I want you to post something online Ben" she starts again, "something that shows you have company, but in a very subtle way"
"Ok" he answers casually and I can't help but roll eyes. Not that he did anything wrong, he's just way too arrogant.
"Now I trust you can pull this off" Lonnie says intimidatingly, "I do not want to be disappointed". She hangs up and leaves me in shock. She could have at least warned me!
"I guess we're stuck here aren't we?" He says grinning. If I have to be here, might as well get along.
"Yeah" I nod.
"What do you need?" He starts going up the stairs and I follow him.
"Umm, pajamas, toothbrush and toothpaste".
He goes into a gigantic walk in closet and I wait by the door. How many suits can one guy have?
"I only have these" he hands me a pair of checkered boxers and a blue v neck shirt. I'm about to throw them back at him but I guess he really doesn't have anything else. "Don't worry" he notices my reaction, "the boxers are brand new". He goes back into the closet, and this time he comes back with a toothbrush, still in the packaging, and a shirt on. "You can just use my toothpaste". I nod and he starts walking down the hall. We make it all the way across the house when he stops infront of a door, "this is your room. There are fresh sheets in the bed, you have your own bathroom, and you have a T.V."
I walk into the bedroom and like the rest of this house its spectacular. This room is like four time the room I have now. I can't believe he actually calls this the guest room. I leave the stuff he gave me in the bed and take a look around. White polished furniture with purple accents here and there and a huge flatscreen tv like he said.
I head back downstairs and find him in the kitchen again with two glasses of red wine. He places them on the kitchen counter and snaps a picture.
"What are you doing?" I laugh quietly.
"Following orders" he snaps another picture with his phone.
"No no no no" I grab the two glasses, "this is all wrong".
"Where are you going?" He calls after me as I head to the living room.
I hit the electric fireplace switch so it turns on and then place the glasses on the coffee table in front on the fire. "There"
"Not too shabby" he nods and snaps one last picture. "Will that please Lonnie?"
"Let's hope so" I cross my arms, "because if not we're dead meat".
He posts the picture on Instagram and we wait for Lonnie to call or text. We sit on the couch in silence for a few minutes until he finally speaks. "Do you want some wine?" He asks.
Should I have some wine? No I shouldn't, but he's offering. Just as I'm about to say yes, his phone rings.
"It's Lonnie" he says as he reads the text, "she loved the post".
"Really?" I sound a little surprised. I thought she was going to criticize it.
"Yeah!" He stands up and grabs the two glasses, "celebration wine?". He offers me the glass, but I can't.
"I'm actually kind of tired" I lie, "I'm going to head to bed".
"Oh" he places the glasses back on the table, "than goodnight then"
"Goodnight" I smile as I head up the stairs and into the guest bedroom.
When I finally get to sleep the dreams start. It's usually right the same, I'm alone in an alley and someone picks me up and takes me away. I always try to see what happens next but I immediately wake up. After that I can't go back to sleep. I toss and turn for hours switching between watching tv and staring at the ceiling. This room is way too big, this bed is too soft, and Ben is sleeping right down the hall. My head just won't shut up. I turn on my side and the digital alarm clock lights up. 2 in the fucking morning. Are you kidding me?
I accept my defeat and get out of bed with a low grunt. I walk down the hall and Stand by Ben's door. I want to knock, but he's probably asleep so I head to the kitchen instead.
He probably doesn't even cook for himself and he has this amazing kitchen. So unfair. I start looking around and find all the ingredients to make some chocolate chip cookies. It's kind of weird for a grown woman to bake cookies at 2 am, but it really does calm me.
I place a first batch into the oven and start preparing another sheet.
"What are you doing up?" I jump at the sound of Ben's voice behind me.
"Stop doing that" I sigh after getting over the surprise.
"Sorry" he stands next to me, "I didn't mean to scare you. Cookies?"
"yeah" I nod as I mix more batter, "I couldn't sleep, and this is kind of my guilty pleasure".
"I couldn't sleep either" she lets out a long breath, "nightmares".
"You too" I look at him surprised.
"Insomnia" he shakes his head, "what are your nightmares about"
"Its always the same" I go back to mixing, "It doesn't mean anything. Probably just a bad memory I don't exactly remember. "What about your insomnia?"
"I don't know" he leans against the counter, "it started when I broke up with my girlfriend, well my ex-girlfriend. You probably know her, Audrey Bellini."
"Oh yeah" the name seems familiar, "isn't that the girl from those movies about witches and like werewolves and stuff"
"That's the one"he nods with a smirk, "we met when we were filming Auradon High. I played the marvelous prince everyone loved, and the was my girlfriend even though she was kind of a bitch".
"I remember that movie" I laugh. I used to love that movie when I was younger. It was all about a prince who wanted to go to a normal high school. It was actually kind of bad and had impromptu musical numbers. "What happened between you two?"
"We grew up" he says vaguely, "I started going out to clubs, and she got this big movie deal. When she left she called me washed up and drunk"
"Is she wrong though" I can't help myself, "all people see from you anymore is drunken days and a new girl everyday"
"I guess she had a point" he admits to my surprise. There's a long silence as he comes closer to me. His face is merely inches from me and I can feel him breathing down my neck. "You know why I accepted this little sheared were doing?" He asks getting even closer.
"Because you were going to lose that part in that movie" I repeat what I had heard before.
"Yes" he says quietly, "but do you know why this part is so important to me?". I don't answer this time. I just turn my head around so now we're standing face to face. His breath is cool on my nose as I look up at him. He's so darn cute. "I have always been the good guy, and now this is my chance to play the bad guy".
I look up mesmerized at his pale green eyes and perfectly defined jawline. His face is now barely and inch from mine, and I can't help but want yo kiss him. He might be a douche, but he's a hot douche.
I'm about to go for it, and so is he, when the oven timer rings. Instantly I snap out of whatever that was and turn my head. "The cookies are ready" is all I can say before I walk away.
