- Joined
- Mar 7, 2019
She awoke to heaviness, like all the pressures of the world had condensed into a single stone to lay between her shoulder blades as she pressed into the bed below. Tenley exhaled with a wince as the pressure started to churn and change, spreading over her until her head was nearly too heavy to lift off the pillows, and her lashes glued together so firm it took enough effort to exhaust just to peel them apart.
"Oh, god," she whimpered hoarsely, managing to roll herself over onto her back. The back of her hand slapped something solid, startling her. The creature coughed, swatting back at her before a rough heel dug into her thigh.
'get off'v'me' her best friend Marcy groaned, his bare ass sliding out from under the sheets as he rolled over. 'oh my god what time is it?'
Tenley reached blindly for her phone, finding it with her fingers under her pillow before pulling it free. Squinting through her lashes, she grimaced with the pain from the sunlight pouring into the room as she read the time.
"Fuck, it's two-thirty."
'When is Val coming?'
"Three."
'Fuck.'
"I know."
Barely managing to roll herself back onto her side, Tenley used the force of her momentum falling forward to stumble off of the bed and into the master bath for a shower.
The click of the lighter was followed by the bubbling of the water as she inhaled, feeling her lungs fill with the sticky sweet smoke. Hazel eyes swept closed as her head fell back and lips peeled from the glass cylinder as she held her breath. Her chest spasmed, her body demanding she cough, but she held. She held for as long as she could, willing the drug to soak into her lungs to calm her brain for the next several hours. Eyes pinching and lips pursed into a thin white line before she couldn't hold off on exhaling any longer. With a raucous cough, she exhaled the smoke out the bathroom window and gasped for air; waving at the cloud with her free hand. The sensation of weightlessness was nearly immediate, blanketing her as the song playing from her headphones seemed to swell around her in waves.
Opening her eyes, she calmed her breaths, interrupted by only a single, soft, tremoring cough before she canted her head to stare down to the driveway below. So far the slab of asphalt was bare, but her manager would be arriving soon to discuss the rumors circulating around the photograph taken by TMZ outside of Lush. She barely remembered the conversation she had last night with Valerie, but she remembered that she had been very upset.
You're putting everyone's careers on the line!
I've never managed anyone so selfish!
What were you thinking going to a place like that?
There was nothing Tenley could say to change what had happened, but she was sure Valerie was coming over with a plan to implement in order from her having to say anything about it at all. Other than deny it was her. She exhaled, feeling her stomach tighten with the memories of the hands on her… the lips… the sensations that she wished lingered as long as the hangover.
The black Bentley rolled into her driveway just a moment later, pulling her from the brief reverie and forcing her to finish preparing for her meeting with Val. Marcy would probably remain asleep through the entire endeavor and stumble down the stairs just as Valerie was leaving, conveniently missing the entire reprimand.
Monroe Manor, as it had been nicknamed by the press when she first bought the home at seventeen, was a fine example of the fortune she obtained throughout her already tenured career. She lived here alone, though Marcy may as well be considered a roommate, and it was her sanctuary. So, as Tenley stepped downstairs to witness Valerie entering her home with someone she didn't know, she frowned… slowing her steps and gripping the banister as she stopped.
"Ah, Tenley. There you are. I'm pleased you're actually awake on time."
Valerie's voice was clipped. She was clearly still upset with Tenley, and if it wasn't obvious from the crisp edges of her voice it was plain in the razor sharpness of her hawkish eyes. Tenley felt sixteen again. She frowned, fingernail scratching at the post beneath her palm before she sighed and finished descending the steps. Valerie was already ushering the stranger toward Tenley's living room, the floor to ceiling windows looking out over her pool and the waterfront view beyond.
Tenley wrapped her cardigan tighter around her shoulders, following the pair into the common space and making her way to the couch. She settled onto the edge of the sectional upon her hip, unabashedly staring at the man while Valerie crossed her arms in front of the window as she admired the view.
"The most recent turn of events have forced us into a most precarious situation," Valerie turned her head to rake her eyes over Tenley. Her dark hair up in a half-bun, with tendrils of smokey chestnut framing her large doe eyes and full, pouting lips. She wore the outfit of someone who had just rolled out of bed, leggings and a tank top, hardly a hint of anything underneath but the cardigan wrapped around her arms hid anything distasteful well enough. Not a wonderful first impression, but an accurate one, Val supposed. At least it seemed as though Tenley had showered.
"I've already spoken to [insert name here] and he has accepted his role as 'boyfriend'. You will appear at events together, be photographed on vacation together, be seen leaving restaurants and hotels together. For all intents and purposes, the pair of you shall be in a relationship."
Valerie's eyes leveled on Tenley. The gentleman had already been briefed, his role made clear to him in a much more private conversation, but Tenley… all Tenley understood was his cover, his alibi, would be hers.
"You two were together last night. You've spent nearly every night together for the past week. Young love. In fact you just returned from a holiday in Italy. Behind closed doors you are completely business, do you understand?"
The young starlette's attention was on her manager. Hazel eyes as wide as moons and lips twisted in a frown, but Valerie knew she would play along. She'd perhaps run her new 'boyfriend' ragged, stress him to the point of backing out, but Tenley herself would never refuse this. There was too much riding on the line.
"Of course," Tenley said, finally, smiling ever so subtly at Val before her head turned and she laid her gaze onto her new beau. "Tenley Monroe. Such a pleasure to finally meet your acquaintance, sweet pseudo-lover of mine."
Sarcasm was light and friendly, but present. She smiled, resting her chin on her fist as she regarded him.
"At least you found someone sexy, Val. Should be easy to pretend to want to suck his cock."
Her smile turned lasciviousness as Valerie drew in a thin breath and cleared her throat.
"Strictly business, Tenley. We're supplying alibis to the media for your behavior, not rewarding your publicly lewd behavior. We have a contract to uphold."
"Oh, god," she whimpered hoarsely, managing to roll herself over onto her back. The back of her hand slapped something solid, startling her. The creature coughed, swatting back at her before a rough heel dug into her thigh.
'get off'v'me' her best friend Marcy groaned, his bare ass sliding out from under the sheets as he rolled over. 'oh my god what time is it?'
Tenley reached blindly for her phone, finding it with her fingers under her pillow before pulling it free. Squinting through her lashes, she grimaced with the pain from the sunlight pouring into the room as she read the time.
"Fuck, it's two-thirty."
'When is Val coming?'
"Three."
'Fuck.'
"I know."
Barely managing to roll herself back onto her side, Tenley used the force of her momentum falling forward to stumble off of the bed and into the master bath for a shower.
♕ ♕ ♕ ♕ ♕ ♕ ♕ ♕ ♕ ♕ ♕ ♕ ♕ ♕ ♕ ♕ ♕ ♕
The click of the lighter was followed by the bubbling of the water as she inhaled, feeling her lungs fill with the sticky sweet smoke. Hazel eyes swept closed as her head fell back and lips peeled from the glass cylinder as she held her breath. Her chest spasmed, her body demanding she cough, but she held. She held for as long as she could, willing the drug to soak into her lungs to calm her brain for the next several hours. Eyes pinching and lips pursed into a thin white line before she couldn't hold off on exhaling any longer. With a raucous cough, she exhaled the smoke out the bathroom window and gasped for air; waving at the cloud with her free hand. The sensation of weightlessness was nearly immediate, blanketing her as the song playing from her headphones seemed to swell around her in waves.
Opening her eyes, she calmed her breaths, interrupted by only a single, soft, tremoring cough before she canted her head to stare down to the driveway below. So far the slab of asphalt was bare, but her manager would be arriving soon to discuss the rumors circulating around the photograph taken by TMZ outside of Lush. She barely remembered the conversation she had last night with Valerie, but she remembered that she had been very upset.
You're putting everyone's careers on the line!
I've never managed anyone so selfish!
What were you thinking going to a place like that?
There was nothing Tenley could say to change what had happened, but she was sure Valerie was coming over with a plan to implement in order from her having to say anything about it at all. Other than deny it was her. She exhaled, feeling her stomach tighten with the memories of the hands on her… the lips… the sensations that she wished lingered as long as the hangover.
The black Bentley rolled into her driveway just a moment later, pulling her from the brief reverie and forcing her to finish preparing for her meeting with Val. Marcy would probably remain asleep through the entire endeavor and stumble down the stairs just as Valerie was leaving, conveniently missing the entire reprimand.
Monroe Manor, as it had been nicknamed by the press when she first bought the home at seventeen, was a fine example of the fortune she obtained throughout her already tenured career. She lived here alone, though Marcy may as well be considered a roommate, and it was her sanctuary. So, as Tenley stepped downstairs to witness Valerie entering her home with someone she didn't know, she frowned… slowing her steps and gripping the banister as she stopped.
"Ah, Tenley. There you are. I'm pleased you're actually awake on time."
Valerie's voice was clipped. She was clearly still upset with Tenley, and if it wasn't obvious from the crisp edges of her voice it was plain in the razor sharpness of her hawkish eyes. Tenley felt sixteen again. She frowned, fingernail scratching at the post beneath her palm before she sighed and finished descending the steps. Valerie was already ushering the stranger toward Tenley's living room, the floor to ceiling windows looking out over her pool and the waterfront view beyond.
Tenley wrapped her cardigan tighter around her shoulders, following the pair into the common space and making her way to the couch. She settled onto the edge of the sectional upon her hip, unabashedly staring at the man while Valerie crossed her arms in front of the window as she admired the view.
"The most recent turn of events have forced us into a most precarious situation," Valerie turned her head to rake her eyes over Tenley. Her dark hair up in a half-bun, with tendrils of smokey chestnut framing her large doe eyes and full, pouting lips. She wore the outfit of someone who had just rolled out of bed, leggings and a tank top, hardly a hint of anything underneath but the cardigan wrapped around her arms hid anything distasteful well enough. Not a wonderful first impression, but an accurate one, Val supposed. At least it seemed as though Tenley had showered.
"I've already spoken to [insert name here] and he has accepted his role as 'boyfriend'. You will appear at events together, be photographed on vacation together, be seen leaving restaurants and hotels together. For all intents and purposes, the pair of you shall be in a relationship."
Valerie's eyes leveled on Tenley. The gentleman had already been briefed, his role made clear to him in a much more private conversation, but Tenley… all Tenley understood was his cover, his alibi, would be hers.
"You two were together last night. You've spent nearly every night together for the past week. Young love. In fact you just returned from a holiday in Italy. Behind closed doors you are completely business, do you understand?"
The young starlette's attention was on her manager. Hazel eyes as wide as moons and lips twisted in a frown, but Valerie knew she would play along. She'd perhaps run her new 'boyfriend' ragged, stress him to the point of backing out, but Tenley herself would never refuse this. There was too much riding on the line.
"Of course," Tenley said, finally, smiling ever so subtly at Val before her head turned and she laid her gaze onto her new beau. "Tenley Monroe. Such a pleasure to finally meet your acquaintance, sweet pseudo-lover of mine."
Sarcasm was light and friendly, but present. She smiled, resting her chin on her fist as she regarded him.
"At least you found someone sexy, Val. Should be easy to pretend to want to suck his cock."
Her smile turned lasciviousness as Valerie drew in a thin breath and cleared her throat.
"Strictly business, Tenley. We're supplying alibis to the media for your behavior, not rewarding your publicly lewd behavior. We have a contract to uphold."