Little Bright Lies

Make it or Fake it

In her cramped London hotel room, Rey looked at herself in the full length mirror. Poe had tried to insist she stay with him but Rey hadn't felt right about it. Butterflies performed aerial acrobatics in her stomach. What if this was a bad idea? What if Ben took one look at her and ignored her for the rest of the night?

Stop worrying. It will all be fine. You're here now you might as well make the best of it.

Rey turned around to survey the back of her dress, it really was beautiful. Covered in gold sequins that caught the light as she walked, it was full length and figure hugging and dipped down at the back, stopping just above her Venus dimples.

She had been looking forward to feeling Ben's large warm hand sprayed out across her bare back. Suppose it would be Poe's hand she would feel there now. She thought miserably.

A honk from a car horn outside broke her from her reverie, and she looked out her 4th floor window and couldn't help but laugh when she saw Poe's torso peeping out of a black limousine sunroof. He held a single red rose out towards her in his outstretched hand.

'Come on Cinderella! Get in!' He called out.

Rey laughed as she collected her purse and headed for the door. Maybe the night wouldn't be such a train wreck after all.

**********

Ben adjusted his bow tie in the mirror for the fiftieth time and tried to shake the miserable expression off his face. He had to spend the whole night fucking schmoozing with Baz when he could have spent the whole evening drooling over Rey.

Well done Ben you prize idiot.

She was probably never going to give him another chance after the way he had fucked up this time and he didn't blame her.

'Anyway probably for the best.' He said to his reflection. 'You would have just screwed it up down the line anyway. What on earth would a young, bright, beautiful girl like Rey want with a jaded old fucked up mess like you?'

But deep down he still wanted her to care about him. He still wanted her to give a damn. Rey was one of the few people who had opened him up to the possibility that he might be able to have the future he had always thought was beyond his grasp. A wife, kids, a house out in the country. He wanted those thing desperately now, but only with Rey. Well, he would just have to forget about all that, Rey would be a part of someone's else's happy ending now. He tried not to focus on how much that thought churned up his insides.

He took out his phone and sighed audibly.

'Baz? The car is here. I'll pick you up in ten.' He said then hung up without saying goodbye.

'Okay. He said standing up and slapping his palms against his thighs. 'Let's get this shit show over with.'

**********

Sitting in the limo with Poe, drinking her second glass of champagne, Rey giggled uncontrollably as Poe shimmied his chest to the Spice girls song he had managed to find on the radio that was now blasting out of the limo's twin speakers.

'How much did this thing cost you?' Rey asked.

'I got a hefty discount, the guy who runs the place is a very close personal friend.' Poe said with a wink.

Rey grinned at Poe. It was so easy to like him with his good looks, charming personality and eagerness to please. She understood why men and women were falling at his feet.

Shame she couldn't feel the same but her heart was still strongly invested in the selfish ass who thought that money mattered more than love.

Poe noticed Rey's mood change and stopped dancing long enough to give her a sympathetic look.