“It’s funny, there’s some fantastically creative stuff out there. I had no idea.”
“Speaking of ideas, do you have any?”
“Nothing concrete.”
“Have you tried writing anything yet?”
“No.”
“Why don’t you do that? Aim for one thousand words today and then sleep on it.”
“Will you be the one to call my agent and tell them what I did today?”
“No, you’re an adult. Now, open your keyboard and start putting words into sentences.”
“Fine. Sure you don’t want to come over for a drink? This hotel is really nice…”
“Get to work, Banerjee.”
“Yes, sir.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
May 23, 11:14 A.M.
Sitting at the same desk, with candy wrappers, at least half a dozen Winchester branded water bottles in various states of being finished, half-drained cups of coffee in saucers littered with partially nibbled cubes of sugar, remains of various room service meals, damp towels and clothes surrounding her, Aditi pounds fast and furious on her laptop’s keyboard.
Her concentration is broken by a knock on the door.
Pushing dark and slightly unkempt hair out of her eyes, she walks to the door. Looking at the digital peephole, she sees a friendly face on the other side, and unlocks the door, opening it. Suddenly realizing the state of the suite, she says sheepishly, “Hi Dawn, please come on in.”
“Thank you.”
“Sorry for the mess,” Aditi gestures to the week’s pile of things, scattered on every surface, and stacked into piles. Together, they clear a space on the settee.
“I noticed you have only taken advantage of limited housekeeping services for the week. Would it be okay for me to send them up now?”
Aditi waves her hand and answers, “No need. Is there something I can help you with?”
“While we,” Dawn clears her throat and continues, “and I speak for the entire Winchester management and staff, are delighted to have you in residence, I do have to let you know that while we were originally able to extend your stay in the suite, in two days there is a previous booking we’ll have to honor.”
Aditi remains quiet. This room has been her sanctuary. What had started as a four-night stay has extended to eight nights.
“Miss Banerjee, is that okay?” Dawn prompts, “We could move you to another room, but I’m afraid our suites are all booked for the weekend.”
“No, no… I was planning on leaving.”
Dawn stands up and trying not to react to the collection of trash and accoutrement in the room and says, “Let me know when I can send the bellhop tomorrow morning to help bring your things down.”
“I will, thank you.”
Dawn hesitates another moment and says, “And let us know if we can help with anything else.”
As soon as the door closes, Aditi immediately pulls out her phone and dials her former professor. Once he picks up, she all but shouts, “They want me to leave!”
“It had to happen one day. Not to mention, I know you are doing well, but how can you afford to continue living at the Winchester?”
“What happens if I leave and the ideas go away?” Aditi avoids the answer with a question.
“When was the last time you left the room?”
“I’ll have you know I go downstairs for breakfast every day. The muesli here is especially delicious.”
“Okay…”
“And once I went up to the rooftop pool!”
“And before that? Any exercise?”
“No.”
“Have you left the property at all in the past week?”
“Er… I’ve been busy working! There hasn’t been time.”
“When was the last time you took a shower?”
“I…”
“Changed your clothes?”
“What does what I wear have to do with how I’m writing?”
“Have you actually interacted with anyone this week?”
“The room service staff are particularly lovely here. Does that count?”
“Aditi, I say this with all the love in the world. Go take a walk. You’re turning into a shut in.”
“But…”
“No excuses. Call me when you get back in the room. And you must be gone for at least an hour.”
The author hangs up the phone, resigned. Walking to the bathroom, she looks at herself in the mirror. The reflected image is not one she’s particularly proud of. Aditi can’t remember the last time she bathed, and although she usually boasts a fit figure from morning runs on the beach, the week long period without exercise has not been kind. Splashing water on her face, she walks out of the bathroom and in the mess finds clothes that are vaguely clean.
Pausing at the door, Aditi keeps her index finger on the handle, unsure if she wants to step through. What if her thoughts dry up after the walk through the doorway? What if her ideas only exist in the Winchester?
Confidently slipping her key in her pocket, Aditi reminds herself she’s a good writer, that people enjoy her work, and opening the heavy door, walks into the hallway.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
May 25, 2:02 P.M.
With two pieces of luggage (a Louis Vuitton Keepall 45 and a busted duffle bag) and two garment bags, a teenage couple creeps into the suite.
“Are you sure this is the right room?” Ben asks.
“Positive,” Chloe replies, pleased with the room.
Then, remembering his manners, Ben says, “I’ll just hang up your dress and my tux.”
“Thanks.”
Chloe wanders silently around the space, running her manicured fingers over the various surfaces. She’s been dating Ben Harvist for awhile, and has decided the nuisance of her virginity is a problem she wants to get out of the way.
Does she love him? Yes, or as much as a high school junior is capable of loving a high school senior.
Is she attracted to him? Undoubtedly. They’ve snuck around and made quick physical progress in their relationship.
Is it a cliché to lose one’s virginity on prom night? Most certainly.
Does she care? Not particularly.
Even now, finally alone, really alone, there is only the smallest distance holding them apart from fully consummating their relationship.
Chloe has no fantasy of this moment being some life-changing event, but she does have a healthy curiosity of what exactly happens. How the process works, what goes where, how it will feel. Part of the reason she’s chosen Ben is because he still has his V card. While it might be better if she was with someone who knew what they were doing, she wants to believe this will bring them closer.
She realizes many of her friends (and most of the nation) are convinced she cashed in her virginity a long time ago, but she doesn’t care. Let others believe she slept with Blade Mathers during the first season of Take One! At Mulholland High, but with Ben she feels there won’t be embarrassment. Ben knows the truth. Privately, he has nothing but respect for her. She wasn’t ready to have sex with Blade and she didn’t give into the constant pressure. She held her head high even when the entire country thought she had slept with him and called her all kinds of names. He’s still not entirely sure how she did didn’t crack.
However, in this suite, Blade Mathers is a distant memory. Although the young actor’s rising popularity makes it nearly impossible to get away from his face, Chloe is glad she’s waited for Ben. It does bother her sometimes – what the media says, but Chloe is glad she’s made it this far without having sex. As far as she can tell, intercourse complicates things and her life is already crazy enough. Well, maybe something weird will happen, but she believes he won’t judge her or spread rumors about what takes place between them. While Chloe has talked to her more experienced best friend Pepper, hastily viewed a few videos on the internet, and started a course of birth control, she is still equal parts nervous and excited.
“Do you remember Chelsea and Shaun?”
“The Brits?”
“Yes. She was just telling people she was pregnant.”
“We met them at some barbecue, right?”
“Yeah, anyway, he does real estate with my dad. I talked to her for a little bit and she said they had a great time here.”
“I can understand why, this place is fantastic.”
“Better than the pool house at home?” she asks flirtatiously.
Accounting for the amount of time they have been spending ‘studying’ at the aforementioned location, Ben blushes. Six months ago in Ohio, fooling around in the pool house with a semi-famous reality star seemed impossible, but then his father, a spectacular cook, accepted a job with Chloe’s incredibly wealthy step-father and the rest has been history. He and his bratty sister had moved to the exclusive neighborhood of Mulholland Creek and started school among the rich and famous. Ben changes the subject and says, “I still feel shitty about not paying.”
“Really, it doesn’t matter, and anyway, I’ve got plenty of money and trust me, this is exactly how I want to spend it. Not to mention, every young man should own a tuxedo.”
Ben runs a hand through his slightly shaggy mane and says, “I guess so, but I’m not sure anyone is my old high school has Armani hanging in their closet.”
“You’re giving me a corsage, right?”
He gestures to his bag and says, “Yes.”
“Then we’re even.”
Her blasé approach to generosity is one of the many small things Ben loves about Chloe Winterhaven. Even without her salary from the show (Take One! at Mulholland High), her step-father is richer than Midas. Still, Ben has never once felt like his lack of funds weren’t ‘good enough’ for her. Certainly, he feels inadequate in other ways, but that’s mostly because he still can’t understand why someone as radiant, beautiful and talented as Chloe Winterhaven wants anything to do with him. At the end of most days, Ben still thinks he’s going to wake up from a dream and be back in his sad Chloe-less life in Ohio. He hasn’t even allowed himself to think what they’re about to do is actually going to happen. Ever since she booked this room at the Winchester, he’s tried to convince himself that they won’t actually have sex. He doesn’t want to pressure her, but silently prays again to the god of horny virgin eighteen year olds that she’ll have sex with him tonight. As much as he wants to skip Prom completely and get Chloe naked in this amazing room, he realizes this is a night they’ll both look back on. With the semester nearly over and his AP exams complete, sex has been dominating his thoughts. It seems he can’t go anywhere without being reminded of what hasn’t happened yet.
Swallowing nervously, he asks, “And your parents really think we’re doing some sort of after party at Pepper’s?”
“I’d like to give them a bit more credit than that.” She swallows and not looking at him asks hesitantly, “Are you having second thoughts? I mean, we could just, you know, sleep here.”
“No!”
“Good.”
Basically, Chloe’s only goal is to get this event out of her way, and to hopefully still be able to talk normally with Ben after. She knows she can complete the physical element, but is less sure about how they will act around each other.
“Do you want anything from room service?” she asks.
“I’ve never had room service before.”
“Really?”
Ben shrugs and answers, “Actually, I’ve never stayed in a hotel room without my family before.”
“It’s not as if I’ve done it lots. Usually, Dad just rents adjoining suites, and then we can each have our own space.”
“Makes sense.”
“Why don’t you look and see what you’d like?”
Ben flicks through the meal options, and then asks, “What time is San Francisco coming up?”
Chloe giggles and says, “Actually, he should be here any minute.”
Sure enough, Francisco arrives with his accoutrement and assistant in tow. Air kissing both of Chloe’s cheeks, he smiles warmly. Chloe Winterhaven is not a pretentious mini-version of all the other wannabes in this town. She is an individual and not the person the editor and show runner of the reality show Take One! At Mulholland Creek make her out to be. Furthermore, Francisco owes a huge debt to her mother, a former friend from his days on the pageant circuit.
“Will the cameras be there tonight?” Francisco asks, fluttering around Chloe’s shiny blonde hair.
“We’ve asked them not to be, but I have a feeling they will,” Chloe answers grumpily.
“Then you will have to look extra fabulous.”
“Thanks.”
“Let me see the dress!”
Chloe walks with the hairdresser to the closet and, pulls out the garment bag and unzips the black garment bag to reveal a delicate creation in royal purple.
“Prada?” Francisco asks.
Chloe nods and adds, “I’m thinking ‘old world Hollywood’ for my hair.”
“And for your mister?”
Ben looks appropriately uncomfortable and says, “I had a shower this morning. I’m good.”
Bechara, still learning his craft, tuts quietly and, gesturing to the chair at the desk, answers, “Sit.”
For the next hour the quartet listen to silly pop tunes and chat about the past season of the show. When the coiffeurs finally leave, the couple look at each other and the awkwardness rises up again.
“I’ll just get my dress on,” Chloe says, suddenly shy. “The limo should be here in a half hour or so.”
She slips into the bathroom, and, after putting on her matching lingerie, steps into the dress and gives a final look at her make up. Satisfied, Chloe steps out of the bathroom and Ben’s breath catches. She is radiant. Ever since moving to this crazy city, Ben Harvist still can’t believe his good luck. He used to be some dork from Ohio, now he’s dating Chloe Winterhaven and taking her to Prom.
Finally finding his voice, he says, “You look beautiful.”
And in this moment, she feels gorgeous. Ben is powerless to stop himself and moves to kiss her. He knows he will probably mess up her dress and makeup, but as of this moment, he doesn’t care. Before he can reach second base, a knock on the door stops any further action. Ben, breathing heavily, breaks the kiss and asks, “Do we have to answer that?”
“I’m not sure who it is.” Chloe’s perfectly waxed eyebrows go up in concern, and she asks, “What if it’s the paparazzi?”
“I’ll check.” Ben moves quietly to the door, then steps back when someone knocks again. He looks at the LCD peephole and says quietly, “It’s some dude I don’t recognize.”
From the other side of the door, an irritated voice says, “Look, I was hired by Chloe’s parents to do your Prom photography. Just let me in, okay?”
Ben looks to Chloe, who shrugs and says, “Let him in.”
“Aren’t you worried your parents know where we are?”
Kissing his cheek, she says, “I think the photographer is a sign they trust you.”
Ben blushes as he opens the door. A shorter man in his thirties loaded with camera equipment answers the door. He doesn’t seem particularly pleased to be at the suite. Chloe, taking charge, asks, “And where would we have seen your work? Vogue? Elle?”
“The Associated Press.”
“As in?”
“I don’t usually cover shit like this.”
“Are you from a publication?”
“No. This is private.”
“You don’t want to be here,” Ben states.
“Whether or not I want to be here is irrelevant.”
The couple exchange another glance and Chloe, deciding she doesn’t want to wreck the magic of Prom, slips onto the couch and asks, “First of all, what’s your name?”
“I’m Zach,” the man says, while unloadin
g and starting to unpack his equipment.
Glad for distraction - anything to take the focus of what is going to happen later this evening, Chloe asks, “And Zach, what seems to be the issue? Why have you accepted this job when you so clearly don’t want to be here?”
Ben, not used to speaking to someone older than himself in such a direct manner, tries to affect the same confidence as his girlfriend. Adjusting his hastily tied black silk bowtie, he says, “Yes, Zach, what’s got you in such a bad mood?”
“You kids really want to know?”
“Yes, we do,” Chloe answers.
Zach sighs and sits down in the chair opposite the small couch. He looks at the pair, radiant with young love, eager to begin what will obviously be a memorable evening. In this moment, he envies them. In this second, he wants to bring down the brightness a bit. It’s not his finest act, but he doesn’t care. He answers honestly, “Fine, if you must know. I’m only doing this shoot because your parents are paying me an outrageous amount of money.”
Ben, attempting to placate the bitter man, says, “Money is good.”
Chloe asks, “Do you need the money?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“My marriage is suffering because I travel all the time. And do you know why I travel all the time?”
“Why?” Chloe ventures.
“Because I fucking love it. And because it’s my fucking job.”
“Oh.”
“Only I also fucking love her.”
“That’s a dilemma,” Ben says.
Chloe asks, “Besides the money, is there any other gain you have by being here today?”
Zach sighs, scratches his blonde stubble and answers, “This is my way of trying to break into the portrait bullshit wank market here. So, is that enough for you? Can we just get started?”
Thinking the particular conversation is absolutely killing the romantic vibe in the suite, Ben desperately wants to stop this awkward conversation, but Chloe presses their guest in a different direction. She asks, “So, what was your Prom like?”
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