The Experiment © [Completed]

Chapter 43 - Hello, National TV!

"RJ, I can't breathe."

"Babe, relax... This will be over soon. Let's just try to enjoy the whole experience. Besides, you were great during rehearsals, I'm sure you'd be able to pull this off perfectly once we're on the stage."

They were inside a dressing room and someone's already doing Dei's hair and make up as RJ waited for his. As soon as they got to the studio and Dei started seeing the number of people coming in, her nerves started kicking in and she felt like she was going to hyperventilate any minute.

"Aren't you nervous?" she asked him.

"Well, I am... But you're already too nervous enough for both of us so..." he said, smiling at her.

"RJ Faulkerson?" one of the staffs called from the doorway.

"Yes?"

"This way to your dressing area," she said, pointing out the door.

"I'll see you later, babe." he said, giving Dei a quick kiss on the forehead. "Try not to hyperventilate," he added.

"Thanks for reminding me!"

+++++

RJ waited for Dei by the entrance to the stage. There was still another segment going on but one of the staffs had already given him a cue and said their production will start in two minutes.

He wiped his sweaty palms on his pants and took a few deep and slow breaths.

"RJ..." he heard Dei call him and he turned around. His jaw dropped when he saw her. She looked absolutely stunning.

Dei barely wore jeans. Her wardrobe mostly consisted of dresses and skirts and shorts of all length, and these apparels showed off her legs a lot without actually making her look like a skank. But today they made her wear a pair of jeans, a ripped one at that, and there was just something about the way the stretchable garment was hugging the perfect shape of her legs and thighs that made her look sexy as hell. And then there was her top - she was wearing a black cropped top that showed off her midriff and toned abs and she had on a cropped jacket too. His mind was already going wild at the thought of her grinding against him in those clothes and he silently cursed the stylist for making him wear a slim fit jeans.

He looked at her face that had been perfectly made up and at her hair that had been braided on top to look like a headband. Her make up enhanced all of her most attractive features - her expressive eyes, her well sculpted nose and her full lips. The combination of the sexy make-up and outfit, plus the innocent look from her hairstyle was intoxicating that he almost felt his knees go weak. Damn Dei!

"Are you okay?" Dei asked. "You look like you're the one about to hyperventilate now."

RJ bit his lip. "You're ... You... I mean you..." he struggled to find the perfect superlative for the word 'beautiful' because there was just no way to describe how gorgeous she looked at that moment.

"Do you need a thesaurus?" she asked, almost guessing what's on his mind.

"No word on the thesaurus could describe how beautiful you look, babe."

Dei ducked her head and blushed and they suddenly heard suppressed screams like the ones Mara usually did, and they realized that there were actually staffs crouching on the side waiting to give them their cue.

"Oh, carry on," one of the staffs said. "You still have about a minute." She giggled.

They finally heard their names being announced and he pulled Dei's waist and kissed her on the lips a few seconds before the door to the stage opened. "Good luck, babe. Break a leg," he whispered.