Craving: A Kylo Ren Tale

Twenty-Nine

The gallery is packed when we pull up. Kylo walks in, a few steps ahead of me, and is immediately greeted with applause and a swarm of people around him.

I knew better than to think I'd be by his side tonight, but it's still lame to watch him like this from afar. Especially given the context of the exhibition photos. Instead of sulking, or pouting for his attention, I mingle throughout the party.

The lights are dim, and there's sensual dark music in the background. Tall taper candles are placed on many of the surfaces, casting shadows and flickering flames.

Somehow the gallery is even more mysterious, sexual, dangerous.

A sign calls the series "Tethered Triptych", and three of the walls have been covered in the photos. To my left, the scenes of me writing on the couch in the library. Dozens of pictures of my clothed body, never my face, and the energy is very innocent. Observational.

The second wall displays the progression of bondage. Ropes and loops and knots. Innocence is gone, these pictures are darker.

And finally to my right are the scenes with my reddened skin, the lingering patterns left from the tightly bound ropes. A delicate balance between pain and beauty.

My cheeks flush as I watch all of these strangers chatting and drinking while surrounded by graphic moments from my life. They burn red as I watch people gazing upon the photos and discussing the details with their companions.

But Kylo was right, it's fun to see their reactions. Everyone seems enthralled by the series, loving his revolutionary work yet again.

There's an intoxicating exhilaration to being the woman in the frames. I walk anonymously through the crowd catching snippets of conversations, listening in on the praise people have for the artist and the model.

As I'm staring at the drink cart, deciding between champagne or liquor, Cardo appears at my side.

"Hello again, beautiful," he smolders. "What do you think of the setup?"

"It's definitely an... experience."

"It absolutely is. We want the guests to spend a while at each wall, soaking in that section of time before moving on to the next phase. It's very powerful."

His hand is on my lower back while he pours himself a glass of gin. Gently resting, fingers barely meeting my dress, but the gesture is apparent.

I have a sneaking feeling that Kylo's friends knew about his proposition before dinner. Which would explain why they're all trying to win me over. They're playing a game.

I'm sure Ushar and Kuruk will make appearances soon, doing their best to win my favor.

Kylo has given me some sense of power over these men, I control who's worthy of sharing my body. But I also know that Kylo holds even more power over all of us. The whole game is leaving a tingling sensation just below my skin, I'm brimming with anticipation.

Cardo's hand stays on my lower back as I mix myself a dirty martini, and it only leaves once I turn to face him.

"I noticed people putting little circle stickers on the wall next to the photos?" I inquire, curious about how this all works.

"Each patron was given three stickers, and if they'd like to purchase art tonight they must buy in sets of three. They select one photo from each wall, and then at home they'll display them in the three panel triptych style. He's truly a genius."

We sip our drinks and scan the crowd, watching the elite of the art world mingling and claiming photos with their different colored stickers. He talks to me for a while, touches me in other small flirtatious ways. Only when someone wants to make a large purchase does Cardo leave my side.