Ch 26: Red Carpet Readiness

The next morning, I planned to take it easy; I didn’t have much planned. Sitting in a t-shirt and pajama pants, I sat down to watch TV. Michelle had already headed out to go shopping. When I heard the buzzer for our apartment, I thought it was strange. I wasn’t expecting anyone. When the buzzer rang again and then a third time, I walked to the intercom to check.
“Who is it?” I asked.
“It’s Luke.”
I pressed the button to open the door to our apartment building. A dozen questions circled through my head. Why was Luke here? How did he know where I lived? Should I change?
He came into the apartment holding a garment bag and looking a little disheveled, his hair flopping over to one side.
“Hi,” I said. “What are you doing here?”
“Stella, I’m sorry about what happened yesterday. It was a lot with the accident and then the dress.” I nodded. “After I saw you in that dress looking so gorgeous and sexy, I just thought, well, will you be my date for the red carpet tonight?”
I looked at Luke stunned. First, Luke called me sexy. Next, he wanted to take me on a date in public. Third, what was in the bag?
“What would Lyle say?” I asked.
“Don’t worry about Lyle. He actually helped me.” Luke unzipped the garment bag and pulled out an exquisite purple gown, gathered in the center with a seashell shape in the middle.
“It’s beautiful.” I said. The dress slightly glittered in the sunlight streaming through my apartment windows. And the way a shell pattern accented the dress in the front, was just my style.
“Lyle and I worked on it until late last night. He adjusted some things, and attached the seashell.”
“I love it,” I said, “but I don’t know if I can be your date.” Luke looked worried. “I won’t attract attention like Gina. I’m sure you can find some other model or actress.” I turned away, leaving Luke standing by the door.
Luke followed me, draping the dress over a chair. “I don’t want any other model or actress.” He walked over to me and took my hands in his. “I want to go with you, Stella.” His alluring eyes gazed into mine, looking passionate and sincere. I couldn’t look away is if he’d cast a spell over me, willing me to believe he only had eyes for me.
Luke’s thumbs gently rubbing the back of my hands stirred my feelings him. I looked at our hands and when I brought my head back up to return his gaze, he kissed me passionately, our heads slightly turned. He let go of my hands and wrapped his arms around my waist. Unlike the last kiss that felt comfortable and soft, this one felt fiery. Our lips opened, Luke’s tongue gently dancing in my mouth.
When we pulled apart, I again searched his eyes. He stared into mine, and I felt the electricity between us. We kissed again, this time with Luke running his hands along my back. I tried to echo his intensity and ran my hands through his hair and along his neck.
He grabbed my shirt and started to pull it off. At first I wondered if he wanted me to try on the dress, but then he yanked off his own shirt and pressed his body to mine. Our skin felt warm against each other as the heat between us intensified. He picked me up easily with his rippling muscles and carried me to the room I pointed out as my bedroom.
While I was surprised at Luke’s energy and passion for me, I didn’t want it to stop. We undressed in between kisses and lay intertwined on the bed. We continued to kiss, Luke cupping my breasts, exploring my skin and curves.
Our love making was both passionate and gentle. Luke eased into me and our bodies moved together like our dance the night before. As his hands continued to caress my body, I held his chest tightly to my own. I didn’t even have time to worry about what Luke thought of me naked. His lips and his body let me know he thought I was attractive.
When he shuttered and rolled over, he let out a sigh, looking over at me. “So much for professional,” I said.
***
When Michelle arrived home from shopping, Luke was gone. I promised him I’d do my best getting ready with Michelle’s help. He said he’d send over a hair and make-up person at Lyle’s insistence. I came out in my robe once I heard Michelle open the apartment door.
She looked at me and the purple seashell dress draped over the chair. “What’s going on?”
“Luke asked me to go to the red carpet with him.” I smiled and clapped my hands in excitement. “Oh, and we slept together.”
“Time-out. What?”
“Yeah, he came over with this dress.” I stroked the flowing fabric with my hand. “Just for me and well, one thing led to another.”
Michelle made a confused face. “Definitely another.”
“Will you help me get ready?” I asked.
“Sure.” Michelle said.
Munching on a rice cake, I sat on a chair in the bathroom, Michelle doing my hair. The make-up artist Luke and Lyle sent over was setting up her kit on the counter.
“What’s with the styrofoam snack?” asked Michelle.
“I busted through one of Lyle’s designer dresses,” I said as if that was a perfectly reasonable explanation. “Can’t take that chance tonight.”
“Huh?” said Michelle.
“I tried on this dress because Lyle asked me to and it split. It was so embarrassing. I had been dancing with Luke and …”
“Seems like you’ve been through a lot in the past two days. How’s Gina by the way?”
“I don’t know. I forgot to ask Luke.”
“Yeah, you two were a little busy.” She smirked.
“And there’s been nothing on the news,” I said.
When the girls were done with my hair, make-up, and nails, I slipped on the dress. To my surprise, it fit well. Unlike the night before, the fabric flowed around my hips and thighs. There was one part Michelle helped pin, in part because I was worried it wouldn’t hold up all night.
“I have to make sure nothing rips or falls off. I’d be mortified,” I said. I was starting to feel nervous about people looking at me and taking pictures.
“People have wardrobe malfunctions all the time these days. It’s practically a celebrity requirement,” Michelle said. I patted her hand in appreciation.
When I gazed in the mirror, I admired how I looked. My hair lay in smooth waves just below my shoulders. The dress hugged me in all the right places, and the make-up artist made my face appear fresh and alluring with a smoky eye and light lip.
I had become more confident with my body in Luke’s presence, but what would the rest of the world think? I knew cameras would be everywhere, so I stood in front of the mirror practicing standing straight and tall. I hoped I would help represent Luke well, and people would be interested in his movie. I couldn’t mess up such a big night for him.
And most importantly, now that our relationship had progressed out of the friend zone, I longed for more of Luke’s passionate kisses. What I hadn’t considered was how I’d react when he introduced me to the rest of the world.