Fame and Consquenses

2: Enchanted

Makeup sprawls across the once pristine sink in my hotel bathroom. Through a door, an open suitcase lays on the carpet, half empty. Most of my clothes are spread out on the king bed Taylor kindly provides for us, but I still haven't decided what I'm wearing. Three pumps of setting spray later, I pile everything into my makeup bag and prepare to brave my closet.

I stand on the bed, towering over dresses and tube tops and countless pairs of shoes, my hands on my hips. It's a shame I have so many pairs of shoes; I already know I'm wearing boots. The platforms with the six-inch heels, to be exact. I so badly want to wear something original today, something I haven't worn before, maybe something sexy. I check the time. 6:37pm. I check google. Most stores don't close until 7pm today. Almost instantly after learning this information, my purse appears in my hand and my converse are laced on my feet. I guess I'm going shopping.

I escape our hotel without anyone seeing me, as I hoped. I don't want anyone, especially not Audrey, to ask what I'm doing. I end up two streets away, almost instantly finding a Roberto Cavalli store, which makes me sigh with relief. Taylor has a lot of custom pieces from them, and she's started to get me hooked lately. I walk around for a few minutes, lingering closer to the back of the store. Then I see it: a short black dress, embellished with intricate gold detailing. A few ruffles lead the hem of the dress out a little, much different from any of the tiny form-fitting dresses I see so often. It's perfect.

I already know what size I am with this designer, so I ask to ring up the dress in a small without trying it on, for fear of bothering the staff only minutes before they close. The words "five thousand pounds," make me flinch a little, but Taylor pays us so well that it's only a slight splurge. Either way, it's worth it. The cashier takes my credit card, and my pride with it, but returns it to me along with a very expensive dress in a very expensive bag. She then sees me out, relieved to lock the doors behind me, and I hurry back to our hotel.

I make it back to my room unseen at 7:09pm. I put on the dress, then my boots, then shove all my clothes back into my suitcase and leave it open on the floor. Then I stand in the mirror and admire my spontaneity for five minutes. Then I check the time again. 7:24pm. I only have six minutes until the party starts, but I still need to do my hair. I decide this makes me fashionably late, spending the next 20 minutes blowing out my long, unnaturally blonde hair.

I head up to the rooftop at approximately 7:51pm, though my phone is buried in my purse now, so I can't be sure. The elevator doors open to a flurry of lights and colours, and my first move is to slip over to the bar. I sit down, order a long island iced tea, and observe. Everyone is here – all the dancers, the musicians, Taylor and Travis... and then I see Audrey.

She doesn't see me at first, giving me a solid fifteen seconds for my jaw to plunge, my eyes to water, my heart to stop beating, and my thoughts to go rogue before I take a deep breath and collect myself. I step off the bar stool, wanting her to be able to see the full glory of my dress, holding my drink for security. How I control myself as she walks over to me, I'll never know.

Her hair cascades over her shoulders in dark, loose curls. Her collar bones and some partial cleavage is visible between the straps of her red halter-neck dress, and I can tell from the way the sides dip that the back is completely open. The dress stops at the top of her thighs, a small layer of lace hemming it, but it's definitely enough to make me wonder how she'd look if she bent over. Then I see her eyes trail down my body, causing a chill to run down my spine. She looks so much shorter than me now, my heels elevating me to my preferred height.

"Nice to meet you, pretty woman," She jokes up at me, leaning toward the bar for a drink.

"Audrey. I'm enchanted." My response makes her dip her head, and I think I even catch a blush.