Blue Rose - Reneé Rapp

Close Enough to Touch

Back at the hotel, Y/N stood in front of the full-length mirror, running a hand through her hair. The VMAs performance was still fresh in her mind, along with the way Renee Rapp had introduced her. "Making every girl fall in love with her." The line had lingered in her thoughts, twisting a smirk onto her lips.

She had already changed out of her stage outfit—something bold and sexy, fitting for her sultry performance. Now, she was slipping into something for the after-party: a sleek black mini dress with a plunging neckline, paired with silver strappy heels. It hugged her body in all the right places, a statement that said she wasn't done with the night yet.

Y/N applied the finishing touches to her makeup—dark eyeliner that made her eyes smolder and a deep red lipstick that screamed confidence. She gave herself one last look in the mirror, tilting her head. "Yeah, that'll do."

----

The after-party was already in full swing when Y/N arrived. Lights flickered across the room, drinks flowed freely, and music thumped in time with the pulse of the city. Celebrities, artists, and industry insiders mingled, creating an atmosphere that buzzed with excitement.

As Y/N walked in, her eyes scanned the room, landing on a familiar face—Sabrina Carpenter. The blonde singer was laughing, a glass of champagne in her hand, as she chatted with a group of people. Y/N made her way over, her own drink appearing in her hand moments after entering.

"Y/N! You absolutely killed it tonight!" Sabrina greeted her with a wide grin, pulling her into a quick hug.

"Thanks, babe. You weren't too bad yourself," Y/N replied with a playful wink, taking a sip of her drink. "Honestly, that performance of yours? You had the whole room vibing."

Sabrina laughed, shrugging casually. "You know, just trying to keep up with you. By the way I saw you out there—working the crowd, eyeing all the girls. And I saw you looking at—"

Before Sabrina could finish, someone else stepped into the conversation. Y/N turned her head just in time to see Renee Rapp approaching. She hadn't noticed Y/N standing there yet, her focus entirely on Sabrina.

"Sabrina! Great to see you again baby," Renee said with a bright smile, her voice cutting through the music. They exchanged a few words, laughing about something Y/N couldn't quite catch.

Then Sabrina turned toward Y/N, her grin widening like she was in on some inside joke. "Oh, and I don't think you've met Y/N yet, have you?" Sabrina's eyes sparkled with mischief as she looked between them.

Renee turned, and her gaze landed on Y/N. For a moment, there was silence—just a charged second where Y/N could feel Renee's eyes taking her in, her lips parting slightly in surprise. The same electric tension from earlier buzzed between them.

"Of course," Renee said slowly, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "How could I forget? Plus after that introduction, how could anyone?"

Y/N's heart skipped, but she played it cool, flashing a confident smile. "Oh yeah, the one about every girl falling in love with me?" She raised an eyebrow teasingly. "Guess that includes you, huh?"

Sabrina laughed, clearly enjoying the banter between them, but before she could add anything, her phone buzzed. She glanced at it, her face lighting up. "Shoot, that's my boyfriend. I have to run, but you two—have fun!" She shot Y/N a knowing look before slipping away into the crowd.

Now, it was just Y/N and Renee.

There was a beat of silence, and Y/N took a sip of her drink, glancing at Renee with a small smile, noticing how the energy shifted now that it was just the two of them. The noise from the party seemed to fade slightly as they stood there, closer than before.

"So..." Y/N began, her voice more casual than earlier. "How's the night treating you? You seem pretty comfortable at these things."

Renee shrugged, a soft laugh escaping her lips. "I guess I've been to enough of them by now. But tonight's been fun. Especially with performances like yours to steal the spotlight."

Y/N tilted her head, studying Renee's expression. There was something genuine in her words, not just the usual celebrity flattery. "Well, thanks. You didn't do so bad yourself with 'Pretty Girls.' I could feel the whole room vibing with you."

Renee smiled, her eyes softening as she looked at Y/N. "That means a lot, coming from someone who had the crowd eating out of her hand."

Y/N chuckled, taking a slow sip of her drink. "Gotta give the people what they want, right?" Her tone was light, but there was a hint of something deeper in her gaze as she looked at Renee.

Renee leaned in a little, her voice quieter now, but still playful. "And what exactly do you think they want?"

Y/N didn't answer right away, letting the question hang in the air between them. She set her glass down on a nearby table and crossed her arms, the fabric of her dress shifting slightly as she moved. "I don't know," she said slowly, her lips curling into a small smile. "But you seemed pretty interested earlier when you were watching."

Renee didn't miss a beat. "Maybe I was."

The tension between them grew, but it wasn't rushed. It was the kind that simmered slowly, building with each glance, each word exchanged. Y/N could feel her pulse quickening, but she kept her cool, letting the moment stretch just a little longer.

"Well," Y/N said, her voice teasing, "I'm glad I could put on a show for you."

Renee smirked, her eyes glinting. "Oh, you did more than that baby."

Y/N let out a soft laugh, leaning a little closer, her voice dropping. "You know, with that thing about making every girl fall in love with me." She raised an eyebrow, her tone playful but laced with intent. "Were you speaking from experience?"

Renee's gaze flickered with amusement, but there was something darker in her eyes too, something interested. "Maybe," she replied softly. "Maybe I was just giving them a heads-up."

Y/N was about to respond, the flirtation hanging thick in the air, when her phone buzzed in her hand. The moment shattered slightly, and she cursed under her breath as she glanced at the screen. It was her manager, reminding her about the early morning photoshoot.

Renee noticed the slight shift in Y/N's expression and tilted her head. "Everything alright?"

"Yeah," Y/N sighed, slipping her phone back into her purse. "Just a reminder. I've got a photoshoot early tomorrow, and I should probably head out before I get too distracted."

Renee's smirk remained, though Y/N could see a hint of disappointment in her eyes. "Can't have you missing your shoot. Gotta keep that star shining, right?"

Y/N laughed softly, meeting Renee's gaze again. "Something like that. But hey, this was fun." She paused, her eyes lingering on Renee's. "Maybe we'll continue where we left off some other time."

Renee's smile deepened. "I'll hold you to that."

With one last look that lingered just a little too long, Y/N turned and made her way toward the exit. She could feel Renee's gaze on her as she left, the tension between them far from over. And as she stepped into the cool night air, she couldn't help but smile, already looking forward to the next time.