Well…I've been gone for a bit, brainstorming, plotting, planning…
Here it is *le sigh*
Enjoy, my babes!
Chapter 45 — The Body
I'm about to jump out of my fucking skin.
Bella's in the bathroom, the hairdryer on full blast accompanied by some muffled music that's probably coming from her phone.
I'm about to fucking freak out.
I shouldn't have had that third coffee this afternoon.
Getting up off the bed, I steady myself before I open the bathroom door just a tad more, enjoying the view. Angel in black lingerie, face beautifully made-up, wrestling with a round brush in front of this giant mirror, the countertop blissfully cluttered with all her things.
"Hey," she smiles at me, putting one big curler in at the crown of her head.
"God, you look beautiful."
Her smile turns a little timid now as she bites her lip.
"You have no idea how nervous I am," she says.
I bet I do, angel.
"There's nothing to be nervous about," I tell her, meanwhile I'm dying on the inside. I don't think what I'm planning on doing has ever been done.
"Yeah, there is." Bella's eyes glide over my all-black ensemble. I got sent clothes for tonight from some brand that likes to spoil me. It's kinda funny when you think about it: a clothing company sponsoring a porn star, but it looks really nice. My jeans are tight, slashed denim in all the right places. My belt has gunmetal rings, and I'm wearing black dress shirt, first few buttons undone and the sleeves rolled up. "I have to walk on a fucking red carpet next to you, baby. Do you have any idea the kind of pressure that puts on me?" She's joking but I can still see some nerves on her face.
"They won't even look at me when you're around. You light up any room you enter."
It's the truth.
"I'm gonna go see Em, okay? I'll be back in half an hour, tops."
"Are you okay?" she asks, brown eyes searching my face. When I nod and smile Bella seems satisfied with the answer though.
"Never better."
I press a kiss to her cheek and walk out of our room, into the hallway in search of my best friend.
My accomplice.
"What's that text about, dude?" Emmett asks, adjusting the bowtie he's wearing. The suit he chose to wear is tight around his shoulders, pants fitting him like a second skin, curls ruffled.
"I'm freaking out, Em."
"You're not gonna tap out, are you?"
"What if she…" I start.
"Don't fucking go there, Edward. Just…don't, please." He shakes his head, throwing one arm around my shoulders.
"Seriously," he starts. "You look like a million bucks, your girl is head over heels in love with you, and you're about to do the most romantic thing in the fucking world. Hell, I wish I would have been able to do it. My proposal was so fucking lame," Emmett chuckles.
"Stop that, Rose loved it!"
"Yeah, but she would have gone fucking nuts if I did what you're about to do."
"Well, I'm about to go fucking nuts," I tell him.
"Don't be! Relax, enjoy each other, enjoy tonight. Because man, you even got nominated for the Director of The Year award."
"Yeah, it's…big for sure." I smile, and just realized I cannot fucking wait.
"I'll meet you at our table? Or does Rose want to do the carpet with us?" I ask.
"From what I've heard, my baby wants you to shine all by yourselves. It's epic, dude. Your first award show with your girl!"
I grin, my cheeks hurting.
"You're right," I admit.
Emmett hugs me tightly, wishing me good luck before I go back to the room.
My jaw hits the floor when I see Bella, though. She's dressed to kill, a silk, black dress that hugs her curvaceous body like a second skin, leaving very little to the imagination.
"God fucking damnit," I mutter.
Bella smiles, lighting up my entire world, looking away a little shyly. It's cute as fuck.
"You look so beautiful."
"You said that already when I was in my underwear, so I'm thinking I don't really level up with the dress," she jokes.
"You're beautiful naked, dressed, with or without makeup or your hair done. Didn't you get the memo, angel?" I start, pecking her on the lips gently. "I'm fucking crazy in love with you."
"I love you too, Mister Bigshot…but we're going to be late if we don't get going right now."
"Yeah," I nod, leaning in to whisper in her ear. "The dress is stunning, but it'll look so much better on the floor tonight."
Red carpets in Vegas are always interesting. Pair that with the AVN-awards and honestly, there's something for everyone.
Porn stars gone rogue.
Bella grasps my hand tighter once she sees the number of photographers lined up, the cameras, and the hosts interviewing several of my colleagues. When it's time for us to walk into the venue and past the media herd, my heart beats excitedly, eager to show off my girlfriend to the world. To my world.
"Masen! Masen, this way, please!" My head turns at the voice because it's a familiar one. It's Sue from Triple X Entertainment, an internet phenomenon, a star in her niche of blogging and vlogging and bringing people the dirtiest news on the planet.
"Get ready to have your face plastered all over her blog, angel," I whisper to Bella. Her eyes grow wide, but the smile on her face is infectious.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I have the hottest guy on OnlyFans by my side right now. Not only that," Sue says to her camera, "but he's brought his lady with him tonight."
"Hey, Sue," I smile. "Lovely to see you here, as usual."
"Tell us, Angel," she addresses Bella. It's the only name I've ever come public with since the debacle with Felix made us a bit more careful. "How is life with one of the most successful porn stars out there?"
Bella laughs, biting her lip before she looks at me with eyes that shine with love.
I feel my heart grow and grow up to the point where I think I'll explode as I hear Bella talk about us, about me, about what she loves about me…I never had anyone confess their feelings for me this openly—for the entire world before.
I thank Sue, and take my girl inside before another herd of photographers and media moguls decide to claw us away from an evening of each other.
The venue is dressed up like we're attending the fucking Oscars. It's tasteful and decadent-looking with black tablecloths and gold accents all over the room. I spot Emmett and Rose sitting at one of the round tables near the front, in the left corner facing the stage and we make our way over there.
"God, that was incredibly nerve-wrecking. I hope I didn't make you cringe too much," Bella laughs, sitting down. Her beautiful dress rides up a little, showing off her thigh.
"You were a natural," I say.
With every course of food they bring out I grow more and more nervous but I'm careful with the wine. I don't want to be up there drunk off my ass and embarrass myself.
Emmett shoots me a wink once the dessert is cleared off the table, and Rose sips her glass of white wine with an all-knowing smirk on her face.
I'm absolutely terrified.
Sue hosts the awards with Diego Star, one of the household names in the industry. The both of them are witty and playful as they go over each category for the award.
When my picture flashes onto the big screens along the stage, my table goes nuts and it's hard to keep a straight face.
Award after award, we applaud for our colleagues, until Rose is crowned as the Best Female Performer of the Year.
Emmett kisses her tenderly before rising from his seat, taking her hand and telling her to 'go get it'.
My beautiful bestie stands in front of us all, her little outfit making her look like some kind of nymph in shades of pale pink and lavender as she accepts her award with a gigantic smile on her face. Her speech is simple, yet powerful as she thanks every one of her co-stars and Emmett, and even me since I helped produce the last few of her videos that ended up doing much better than anything she's ever put out before.
Rose gets off stage and walks back to our table. Her bliss is infectious, the sparkle in her brown eyes bright and almost reflecting off the walls and bouncing back into the entire room.
She hugs me, whispering a 'thank you' in my ear before she kisses my cheek. Rose lingers and wishes me good luck, too before she squeezes my hand.
I have always enjoyed the award show. Tonight is a little different, though. The food and drinks are premium quality, as it always is, but I find it hard to focus today. My mind is running in circles, and I'm terribly preoccupied.
"Yes," Sue starts on stage. As she takes one step after the other, the leather maroon dress she wears flutters around her thigh, the split almost scandalous yet in this environment, it's couture. "When I talk about this performer, it's usually because he's hit the top of the top in the online rankings, again," Sue continues. "But tonight…we have something else to add to the list." She winks at the audience, at her co-presentor when he hands her the envelope.
"The Male Performer of the Year." Sue takes a deep breath. "Third year in a row, ladies and gentlemen…"
"Mr. Masen Green."
The crowd erupts in applause and some catcalls, but it's Bella who has to shove me back to reality. Her hand around my neck, lips touching mine before she tells me 'congratulations'.
"Baby! Get up there!" She urges.
"Hold your horses," Sue says.
Moment of truth.
"This is pretty unconventional, but since he is coming up here anyway, we might was well drop the veil and tell you all that Masen isn't just taking home just one award tonight."
"No," Diego goes on. "Mr. Green, you better come up on stage because…Man, you're Director of the fucking Year!"
My eyes grow large, heart pounding and pounding as I make my way up the steps, watching where I'm going before I faceplant and become viral for a new reason than my porn career.
Director of The Year.
I wasn't planning on this. Even the nomination took my breath away.
Bella cheers along with Emmett, and Rose sits back in her seat, sipping a flute glass of pink champagne.
She's enjoying my discomfort, sadistic little bitch.
I feel shaky all over when I'm on stage facing everyone I do and don't know, my eyes on my girl, on our table as I stuff my right hand into my pocket.
It's now or never, Masen.
Sue holds my awards. They're shiny, the outline of a couple in a tight embrace, so golden it's almost tacky.
I can't believe my name is engraved in both of those things. I can't believe they're gonna get a place in my home after this trip is over.
I can't believe I'm about to do this…
"Wow," I breathe into the mic.
"I am at a fucking loss for words," I start. "This…this is incredible, and I'm beyond thankful for these accomplishments."
"You know I have this list of people to thank right here in my head, but suddenly there's only one person left. I know my crew and close friends know who they are. They know how much I love them, how I love working with them and yeah…directing? That has been a new one this year. But I'm enjoying it so much I can't wait to do even more of it." I take a deep, steadying breath when I see Emmett stand up and clap.
Motherfucker.
"I bet you've all seen her tonight, and probably a fair share of you have been checking her out, because how could you not?"
Another breath in an attempt to calm myself down.
I wouldn't say it's working because the second I take the mic from the stand, I notice how badly my hand is shaking.
A round of laughter echoes through the venue, and yeah, it makes the jitters a little less noticeable. I let the nerves fade to the background as much as I can while my eyes focus on the sun and moon of my existence.
My Angel.
"That's why," I start again, more confident. Because I may not know her answer just yet but I do know this: Isabella Swan is in love with me. With me, Edward Masen. Not the persona, not the money or the cameras.
She's in love with me.
She moved in with me.
And I love her.
"I'd like my Angel to come up here. Since tonight is a tad unconventional, and all." I give the audience my biggest smile. Suddenly I'm hyper aware of all the cameras, of the screens alongside the stage, of the fact that the show is streaming live on the internet, and thousands of people are watching right now.
I'll have this moment forever. I get to watch this when I'm old and sitting next to my fucking grandchildren.
We'll have this forever and ever.
And we have forever to explore that forever.
I watch Bella's expression, her flushed cheeks as all eyes are on her.
I fucking love this.
Nerves are gone, replaced by nothing but excitement.
"Come on, angel…Come up here for me, beautiful."
Emmett scoots back in his chair, standing up again and taking my girl's hand. He leads her through the crowd as they applaud and cheer her on.
She bites her lip as Emmett walks her over like he's giving her away at the end of the aisle. With a wink and a kiss on her cheek, he's going back, disappearing into the audience.
"My angel, everybody," I introduce Bella to the crowd.
"Sweet, sweet, angel." I take another breath as my eyes glide over her body, over the dress that highlights her perfect physique. My beautiful physician.
"You're crazy," she chuckles.
Bella reaches out to take my hand, but instead of linking my fingers with hers, I grab the moment by the fucking balls and own it.
I get down on one knee, my neck straining from looking up at the goddess in front of me, at the way her eyes widen and her mouth drops open slightly.
Number one: surprise her, check.
My fingers fumble with the square box as I try to find my words. The room has grown quiet after a few gasps. Extremely quiet. You could hear a fucking feather tumbling to the floor.
"Sweetheart, you fucking know how crazy I am about you," I go on. "And in case you still didn't? Well, angel… I don't want to sleep next to any other person for the rest of my life. It's you…from the minute you stepped into my life. Meeting you was one in a million, and I have Emmett to thank for that. If he hadn't almost died falling through my shower wall? Well, we probably wouldn't be here right now, would we?" I chuckle, the audience laughing. I look over to the table, seeing Em and Rose cuddling as they have an epic smile on their face.
I don't leave room for Bella's commentary yet. I need to get this off my chest first. Because it's too fucking important.
"And from the start you were perfect for me. You never once tried to change me, looked down on me because of my job. No, because you were excited. You were the one asking to be on camera with me. You are the one who loves my friends like they're your own people. Well, they are as much my friends as they are yours. The way you accepted me, my soul, my heart…The way you accepted my everything makes me wonder why the hell I ever thought I was in love before. You are the one, the everything. You're the ultimate, angel. And you make me a better person, you believe in me."
I notice how Bella's eyes gleam, and how one, lone tear is making its way down her cheek.
Number two: impress, check.
"Angel…" I present my girl with the ring I picked out for her. Rose helped, of course, making sure it was the most perfect thing. White gold, with an oval emerald surrounded with tiny diamonds, the same ones that sit inside the band itself.
"Fucking marry me, please?"
The crowd erupts in "aw's" and cheers but I couldn't care less.
I only have eyes for my girl.
"Oh my god…" Bella starts. Her hand is on mine, before she crouches down in front of me, burying her head in my neck.
"Yes," she breathes. "A thousand times yes, baby."
Number three: get the girl, check.
I kiss her like my life depends on it, fire mingling with my soul, winds of passion swirling through my body and into hers.
It's the perfect moment, the perfect girl.
My fiancée.
My forever.
Man…
I can't express how bittersweet this is for me. Maybe I say this about all my fics, but this one? God, this was a fun ride. I loved your reactions, even though some chapters had me a bit anxious (since some people don't like B/E with other people) but DUDES…You guys blew my mind.
Thank you for yet another extremely nice experience. I love the Doc and her Porn Star to pieces.
xoxoxo
