by Sian Ceinwen
“Well, maybe you can, later. It depends on how tasty the chicken is, I guess.”
“Oh, really?” He raised an eyebrow at her. “If I can’t cook, you won’t consider sleeping with me?”
“Correct. Think of it as an audition. If your chicken is good, then maybe you’ll get a callback.”
“That’s a lot of pressure to put on my capability of baking a chicken.” Gabriel laughed.
Ariana smiled at him. “Do you think you’re up for the test?”
He dropped the cheese he’d started cutting a minute ago into the salad, wiped his hands on a towel, tilted her face up to look at him, and said, “yes.”
Then he kissed her again. Ariana really wanted to forget about dinner; she wasn’t hungry, she’d rather go have sex instead. Unfortunately, a timer went off right at that moment, and Gabriel ended their kiss.
“Saved by the bell, Ari.” He winked at her.
“You say, ‘saved,’ I say ‘thwarted.’”
He laughed as he got some oven mitts and opened the oven to pull the chicken out, while Ariana finished putting the salad together. It was strange; she felt incredibly comfortable here with him in his apartment. This was nice, making dinner together while they were joking and laughing. He was one of the nicest people she’d ever met.
“Do you want anything to drink?” Gabriel asked her.
“I’ll have a vodka and orange if you’ve got it.”
Gabriel got their drinks, as Ariana dished up their dinner. They took their plates over to the dinner table together and sat next to one another.
“How was work this week?” Gabriel asked her.
“Boring as shit. I hate it.” Ariana rolled her eyes.
“Any word on the internships you applied for, yet?”
Ariana sighed. “Nope, nothing. I’m starting to lose hope that I’ll ever find a career worth pursuing. In the meantime, it’s so much fun being a temp. I had to put in for the office pool for a gift for someone who was leaving the other day. I don’t even know the guy.”
Ariana rolled her eyes, and Gabriel laughed. “Why did you contribute if you don’t know him?”
“Well, it’s not his fault that I don’t know him. I’m sure he’s very nice, and what if my five dollars was the five dollars that made the difference between him getting a good gift or a crap gift? I wouldn’t want to be the cause of that.”
“Are you sure that Ariana doesn’t mean ‘woman who overthinks things?’” Gabriel asked her with a grin and nudged her side.
“You know what, it probably does. I should find some other Arianas and ask them if they overthink things, too.” She grinned at him. “How was your week at work, Gabriel Knight?”
“Oh, my week was boring as shit, too.” He winked. “But if you really want to know, we did some interviews. Well, a lot of interviews. We had some rehearsals this week, as well. You should come along one day if you’re free and check it out. I think it’s going to be awesome.”
And there it was, again. He was Gabriel Knight, rock star. Interviews with reporters who would want to know every minute detail of his life. He was amazing and here with her, safely cocooned away from the world, she could pretend that he wasn’t who he was. That he really was just a guy that she liked.
Ariana frowned, she intensely disliked celebrity. Why she was here with him was beyond her. Then she looked at him, and she remembered why. It was because when he was here with her, and like this, it felt amazing to be with him. He must have noticed her change in demeanor because he was frowning back at her now.
“You don’t have to if you don’t want to. Look, I know you don’t like Seb…” he trailed off.
Oh, he had gotten it wrong. He thought she was frowning because of his friend.
Ariana sighed. “No, it’s not Sebastian.”
“If you don’t want to come and see us rehearse, that’s fine. I just thought you might want to.” His tone was cool now.
“Wait, Gabriel. It’s not that.” Ariana rushed to reply before he could further get the wrong idea about her hesitation. “I do want to come and see you guys rehearse, that would be amazing. I’m honored that you would invite me.”
How did she explain this? She couldn’t; the truth was complicated and involved other people’s private lives. She decided to go with the simplest explanation for now.
“I really like you. You’re amazing. When you’re here, with me, that is. Where you’re out there…” Ariana gestured to the window, indicating to the outside world. “You’re Gabriel Knight. I know that you’re just a man, but the world doesn’t. They see the rock star. That’s the life that you lead, and that’s okay. I just. I don’t know. I only just graduated from college. I don’t know what I’m doing with my life, and I’m not sure that I want it picked apart by the media.”
Gabriel frowned. “What are you doing here, then, Ari? I’m not going to stop being a rock star any time soon.”
Ariana felt like crying, it was only their second date, and she was already screwing it up. She should have just said, ‘I’d love to come to see you guys rehearse, thanks!’ and they could have kept flirting and having fun. She sighed, then looked at him.
“I’m here because I met a guy I liked, and he asked me out on a date. I’m here because that guy makes me smile when the day is long. I’m here because I like you, Gabriel Knight, even if I don’t like the world you inhabit.”
Gabriel didn’t reply immediately. She’d learned that he always had a funny quip ready to respond to almost anything that she said, so this was odd for him.
“I’m glad that you’re here. I guess we just keep having fun and see where this goes?” he asked her.
“I guess we do,” she said, glad that he hadn’t ended their date then and there. “Also, because this chicken is really good. I’m just saying.”
Gabriel grinned at her, then. “So, I passed my audition?”
“I think you’re probably on the callback list at this point.”
He laughed, and they continued eating their meal. When they had finished, he led her into a room with a big-screen TV, and they sat on the sofa together to watch a movie. He picked some random comedy on Netflix. They laughed together and made comments here and there.
Near the end of the film, Gabriel had his arm around Ariana and was playing with her hair. She was acutely aware of his physical presence and the scent of him, the combination was intoxicating, far more than the two vodkas she’d drunk tonight.
As the end credits began to roll, Gabriel dropped his head to hers and kissed her. She parted her lips as their kiss deepened, and the fire from earlier burned throughout her body again. When their kiss ended, Gabriel looked at her with an intense desire reflected in his gaze.
“Do you want to take this to the bedroom?”
“Yes,” she said in a throaty voice. “I definitely do.”
Ariana followed him to his bedroom. It wasn’t much different than what she’d imagined, though the sheets weren’t black or silk, just normal bed sheets, and she laughed when she saw them.
“Just how many thread counts are these sheets, then, Rock Star Gabriel Knight?”
He grinned at her. “I don’t even care, as long as you’re lying in them.”
Ariana blushed and felt herself getting wet as he stepped closer to her and kissed her again. Gabriel pulled her T-shirt off over her head, then knelt in front of her and unbuttoned her jeans before pulling them down. Her breathing rate skyrocketed as she kicked them off and aside, while he stood up in front of her again.
“God damn, you’re so fucking sexy,” he growled as he pushed her onto the bed.
She kicked off her shoes and scooted back, so her head was on the pillow as she watched him take off his top and drop it on hers. He removed his shoes and then his jeans. Ariana audibly moaned when he removed his boxers and freed his throbbing erection.
“Come here, baby.”
She crawled back to the edge of the bed and sat in front of him, her legs on either side of
his, and lowered her mouth to his cock. She began to suck and lick him, loving the sounds she was eliciting from him as she did.
He reached down into her bra to knead her breast and then rolled her nipple between two fingers. She moaned her satisfaction onto his cock, bobbing her head up and down faster.
He reached his other hand down to play with her other breast, then pushed her bra down under her breasts, so they were free for his touch as she moved her head back and forth.
He urged her up on to her knees so he could kiss her, and their tongues intertwined as he lifted her and moved her back, so her head was on the pillow again. He continued to kiss her as his hand reached down and into her panties.
She gasped when he brushed his fingers softly against her clit. He broke the kiss and smiled at her as he began to rub her clit. She threw her head back and closed her eyes, moaning loudly.
“Come for me, sexy.”
His instruction didn’t take long to complete as she felt herself reaching orgasm and following it into the abyss. She lay there panting for a moment before he pulled her underwear down her legs and threw them aside. He unclipped her bra and threw that aside as well.
Ariana felt suddenly shy at being completely naked with him, particularly when he allowed his gaze to linger on her naked form. He looked her over from head to toe, and it took everything in Ariana not to cover herself up from his view.
“You’re so beautiful,” he said to her, a note of awe in his voice.
“So are you,” she replied, speaking the truth as he moved over her and kissed her deeply again.
He reached into his side table and grabbed a condom out of it.
“You want this, Ari?” he asked her.
“Yes.”
He opened the condom and rolled it onto his cock.
“Are you sure?” He asked, holding his weight on his hands above her.
“Positive.” She smiled at him invitingly. “I definitely want this.”
“That’s what I wanted to hear.”
He kissed her again, slowly and gently as he entered her. It felt amazing. It was everything she had been fantasizing about and more. He filled her so completely, and she wrapped her legs around him as they began to move together in rhythm.
She could feel herself building to another orgasm as he slid in and out of her. He leaned down and kissed and sucked on her neck and ear before kissing her mouth again. She moaned with pleasure as her orgasm overtook her, and she felt his cock spasm inside her as he groaned and let his load go.
They lay together, panting in unison and cuddling for a few minutes before he pulled himself out, removed the condom, and disposed of it. He came back to the bed and joined her under the covers.
“God, that was even better than I imagined,” she told him.
“Damn straight,” he replied, holding her close to him.
Ariana fell asleep in Gabriel’s arms not long after that, feeling satiated and content.
The Fourth Song
They had already gone out together a few more times before the night that Gabriel arrived at Ariana’s house at eight on the dot. They had long conversations about everything from politics through to which pizza place served the best deep-dish pizza in Chicago.
She locked the door of her apartment behind her, then headed out to the limousine he’d arrived in, tonight.
“How ostentatious,” she told him by way of a greeting as she slid into it.
“I’m happy to see you, too,” he replied.
“Are you going to tell me where we’re going now, Gabe?”
“I’m not sure you’ll be pleased when you find out,” he warned.
“Why is that?” She was curious.
“We’re going to a birthday party for April Conway.”
Ariana failed to withhold a grimace. He’d had a box delivered earlier that day with a gorgeous gold dress and a pair of black heels for her to wear on their date that night, along with a beautiful gold necklace, so she’d guessed they were probably going somewhere special. She hadn’t expected it would be a celebrity birthday party.
“It’s going to be obnoxiously fancy, and there will be lots of celebrities and rich people showing off how wealthy and amazing they are, and you’re going to hate it, and I’m already sorry for bringing you,” he said it in a rush, and Ariana couldn’t help but laugh.
“Why did you invite me then? Especially since you already know that I’m going to hate it.”
“Because,” he said and took her hand in his.
“Because, why?”
“Because I was already committed to coming to this party and couldn’t get out of it, but I didn’t want to not see you tonight,” he answered honestly. “It’s crazy, but I miss you so much when I’m not around you.”
“Well, what is it they say? It’s the thought that counts, right?” she asked him. “Anyway, I’d brave the most obnoxious of celebrity parties to spend the night with you if that makes you feel any better.”
“You might be about to do just that, so I’m glad to hear it.” He waited until she was looking directly at him before continuing. “I’m really enjoying getting to know you, Ari, I hope you know that.”
“I do now,” she told him. “I’m enjoying getting to know you, too.”
“Good, because this?” He gestured around the limousine. “Tonight? It’s a part of me—well, a part of my world at least—and if we’re going to continue to spend time together, you’re going to have to get used to it.”
Ariana poured them both a glass of Dom Pérignon from the bottle that was in the cooler and took a deep breath for courage as she handed it to him.
“I won’t lie; this part of your life is my biggest concern, you know that. Fame is just not something that I have ever wanted—being followed by paparazzi and having every aspect of your life dissected just isn’t fun.”
He frowned as he took a sip from his glass.
“I knew you weren’t thrilled by it, and I guess that I have to ask. Is this a deal-breaker for you?”
Was it a deal-breaker? She sighed, put down her glass, and moved closer to him, reaching up to give him a soft kiss on his lips.
“If it was a deal-breaker, I wouldn’t be here right now. I would’ve told you to turn the car around as soon as you told me we were going to a birthday party for the person who literally just won the Grammy for Best New Artist. So, it’ll be hard, but I guess I’ll have to try and get used to life in the fast lane.” She winked at him as she picked up her glass again. “To stupidly expensive champagne!”
They clinked glasses, and each took a sip.
“Okay then, well now it’s my turn to make a toast,” Gabriel told her. “Let’s toast to an amazing woman who surprises me at every turn and dominates most of my thoughts these days.”
“To April Conway!” Ariana announced before draining her glass, and Gabriel finished his own before taking her glass and putting it aside with his. He put his arms around her waist and easily pulled her into his lap.
“To who?” he questioned, his voice husky in her ear.
“To April Conway,” Ariana repeated, and Gabriel kissed the nape of her neck.
“To who?” he inquired again.
“To, um, April?” She gasped as he nipped her earlobe with his teeth.
“To who, Ariana?” He turned her head, so she was looking into his ice-blue eyes.
“To me.”
He kissed her then, long and slow. She felt completely overwhelmed as a flaming heat spread throughout her body. They were both breathing heavily when the kiss ended.
“To you, indeed,” Gabriel said as he kissed her again, even more passionately this time. Ariana had just had time to wonder if they were about to have sex in the back of a limousine when he broke the kiss and moved her back to her seat.
“We’re about five minutes away,” he told her.
“Oh, that’s good, isn’t it?” She fumbled for something to say.
“Is it?” he asked with a wicked gleam in his
eyes.
“Probably not.” She smiled back at him.
“I, at the very least, need some time to get control of myself, though.” He winked at her, and she blushed as he indicated to the very obvious bulge in his pants.
As they arrived at the venue, they were fifth in a line of limousines dropping guests off. She could see a billboard at the front of the venue announcing April’s twenty-first birthday party. There was a crowd of both fans and people with cameras and microphones either side of a roped-off walkway into the building.
“Are you ready to run the Gauntlet?” he asked her.
“The Gauntlet?”
“Yeah, it’s what we call the red carpet at events. People calling your name, wanting your photo, or a soundbite.”
“They won’t want my photo, though, will they?” Ariana asked him, starting to panic.
“If you’re with me, they might, or they might ask you to stand aside while they take mine. It depends on the day, but you’ll probably end up in a few. Do you not want your photo taken?”
“No, I really, really don’t.”
She struggled to maintain a sense of calm. The thought of the paparazzi taking her photo made her want to puke, but she couldn’t tell him that.
“That’s fine,” he told her. “Hang back when I get out of the limousine, and once I’ve moved on a bit, just get out and walk straight to the entrance. They won’t recognize you, and if you don’t interact with them, they won’t bother with you.”
“Does that really work?” Ariana asked. “I thought they’d take photos of everyone just in case.”
“They might snap a photo or two of you, but without any information on you, they don’t have much to put under it. ‘Random Person out of Gabriel Knight’s limousine’ doesn’t really have much of a ring to it. If you watch, someone will probably do it out of one of those limos.”
Sure enough, when the third limousine got to the red carpet, a well-known actor got out, had photos taken, and moved to the side. After that, a guy and a girl Ariana didn’t recognize got out and made a beeline for the venue entrance despite people calling out to them. It looked so simple, but Ariana wasn’t sure she could manage it.