Room 702 (22 page)

Ben runs a hand through his slightly shaggy mane and says, “I guess so, but I’m not sure anyone is my old high school has Armani hanging in their closet.”

“You’re giving me a corsage, right?”
 
He gestures to his bag and says, “Yes.”
 
“Then we’re even.”

Her blasé approach to generosity is one of the many small things Ben loves about Chloe Winterhaven.
 
Even without her salary from the show (
Take One! at Mulholland High
), her step-father is richer than Midas.
 
Still, Ben has never once felt like his lack of funds weren’t ‘good enough’ for her.
 
Certainly, he feels inadequate in other ways, but that’s mostly because he still can’t understand why someone as radiant, beautiful and talented as Chloe Winterhaven wants anything to do with him.
 
At the end of most days, Ben still thinks he’s going to wake up from a dream and be back in his sad Chloe-less life in Ohio.
 
He hasn’t even allowed himself to think what they’re about to do is actually going to happen.
 
Ever since she booked this room at the Winchester, he’s tried to convince himself that they won’t actually have sex.
 
He doesn’t want to pressure her, but silently prays again to the god of horny virgin eighteen year olds that she’ll have sex with him tonight.
 
As much as he wants to skip Prom completely and get Chloe naked in this amazing room, he realizes this is a night they’ll both look back on.
 
With the semester nearly over and his AP exams complete, sex has been dominating his thoughts.
 
It seems he can’t go anywhere without being reminded of what hasn’t happened yet.

Swallowing nervously, he asks, “And your parents really think we’re doing some sort of after party at Pepper’s?”

“I’d like to give them a bit more credit than that.”
 
She swallows and not looking at him asks hesitantly, “Are you having second thoughts?
 
I mean, we could just, you know, sleep here.”

“No!”

“Good.”

 
Basically, Chloe’s only goal is to get this event out of her way, and to hopefully still be able to talk normally with Ben after.
 
She knows she can complete the physical element, but is less sure about how they will act around each other.
   

 
“Do you want anything from room service?” she asks.

“I’ve never had room service before.”

“Really?”

Ben shrugs and answers, “Actually, I’ve never stayed in a hotel room without my family before.”

“It’s not as if I’ve done it lots.
 
Usually, Dad just rents adjoining suites, and then we can each have our own space.”
 
“Makes sense.”
 
“Why don’t you look and see what you’d like?”

Ben flicks through the meal options, and then asks, “What time is San Francisco coming up?”

Chloe giggles and says, “Actually, he should be here any minute.”

Sure enough, Francisco arrives with his accoutrement and assistant in tow.
 
Air kissing both of Chloe’s cheeks, he smiles warmly.
 
Chloe Winterhaven is not a pretentious mini-version of all the other wannabes in this town.
 
She is an individual and not the person the editor and show runner of the reality show
Take One! At Mulholland Creek
make her out to be.
 
Furthermore, Francisco owes a huge debt to her mother, a former friend from his days on the pageant circuit.

“Will the cameras be there tonight?” Francisco asks, fluttering around Chloe’s shiny blonde hair.

“We’ve asked them not to be, but I have a feeling they will,” Chloe answers grumpily.

“Then you will have to look extra fabulous.”

“Thanks.”

“Let me see the dress!”

Chloe walks with the hairdresser to the closet and, pulls out the garment bag and unzips the black garment bag to reveal a delicate creation in royal purple.
 

“Prada?” Francisco asks.

Chloe nods and adds, “I’m thinking ‘old world Hollywood’ for my hair.”

“And for your mister?”

Ben looks appropriately uncomfortable and says, “I had a shower this morning.
 
I’m good.”

Bechara, still learning his craft, tuts quietly and, gesturing to the chair at the desk, answers, “Sit.”

For the next hour the quartet listen to silly pop tunes and chat about the past season of the show.
 
When the coiffeurs finally leave, the couple look at each other and the awkwardness rises up again.

“I’ll just get my dress on,” Chloe says, suddenly shy.
 
“The limo should be here in a half hour or so.”

She slips into the bathroom, and, after putting on her matching lingerie, steps into the dress and gives a final look at her make up.
 
Satisfied, Chloe steps out of the bathroom and Ben’s breath catches.
 
She is radiant.
 
Ever since moving to this crazy city, Ben Harvist still can’t believe his good luck.
 
He used to be some dork from Ohio, now he’s dating Chloe Winterhaven and taking her to Prom.
 

Finally finding his voice, he says, “You look beautiful.”

And in this moment, she feels gorgeous.
 
Ben is powerless to stop himself and moves to kiss her.
 
He knows he will probably mess up her dress and makeup, but as of this moment, he doesn’t care.
 
Before he can reach second base, a knock on the door stops any further action.
 
Ben, breathing heavily, breaks the kiss and asks, “Do we have to answer that?”

“I’m not sure who it is.”
 
Chloe’s perfectly waxed eyebrows go up in concern, and she asks, “What if it’s the paparazzi?”

“I’ll check.” Ben moves quietly to the door, then steps back when someone knocks again.
 
He looks at the LCD peephole and says quietly, “It’s some dude I don’t recognize.”

From the other side of the door, an irritated voice says, “Look, I was hired by Chloe’s parents to do your Prom photography.
 
Just let me in, okay?”

Ben looks to Chloe, who shrugs and says, “Let him in.”

“Aren’t you worried your parents know where we are?”

Kissing his cheek, she says, “I think the photographer is a sign they trust you.”

Ben blushes as he opens the door.
 
A shorter man in his thirties loaded with camera equipment answers the door.
 
He doesn’t seem particularly pleased to be at the suite.
 
Chloe, taking charge, asks, “And where would we have seen your work?
 
Vogue?
 
Elle?”

“The Associated Press.”

“As in?”

“I don’t usually cover shit like this.”

“Are you from a publication?”

“No.
 
This is private.”

“You don’t want to be here,” Ben states.

“Whether or not I want to be here is irrelevant.”

The couple exchange another glance and Chloe, deciding she doesn’t want to wreck the magic of Prom, slips onto the couch and asks, “First of all, what’s your name?”

“I’m Zach,” the man says, while unloading and starting to unpack his equipment.

Glad for distraction - anything to take the focus of what is going to happen later this evening, Chloe asks, “And Zach, what seems to be the issue?
 
Why have you accepted this job when you so clearly don’t want to be here?”

Ben, not used to speaking to someone older than himself in such a direct manner, tries to affect the same confidence as his girlfriend.
 
Adjusting his hastily tied black silk bowtie, he says, “Yes, Zach, what’s got you in such a bad mood?”

“You kids really want to know?”

“Yes, we do,” Chloe answers.

Zach sighs and sits down in the chair opposite the small couch.
 
He looks at the pair, radiant with young love, eager to begin what will obviously be a memorable evening.
 
In this moment, he envies them.
 
In this second, he wants to bring down the brightness a bit.
 
It’s not his finest act, but he doesn’t care.
 
He answers honestly, “Fine, if you must know.
 
I’m only doing this shoot because your parents are paying me an outrageous amount of money.”
 
Ben, attempting to placate the bitter man, says, “Money is good.”
 
Chloe asks, “Do you need the money?”
 
“Yes.”
 
“Why?”
 
“My marriage is suffering because I travel all the time.
 
And do you know why I travel all the time?”

“Why?” Chloe ventures.

“Because I fucking love it.
 
And because it’s my fucking job.”

“Oh.”

“Only I also fucking love her.”

“That’s a dilemma,” Ben says.

Chloe asks, “Besides the money, is there any other gain you have by being here today?”

Zach sighs, scratches his blonde stubble and answers, “This is my way of trying to break into the portrait bullshit wank market here.
 
So, is that enough for you?
 
Can we just get started?”

Thinking the particular conversation is absolutely killing the romantic vibe in the suite, Ben desperately wants to stop this awkward conversation, but Chloe presses their guest in a different direction.
 
She asks, “So, what was your Prom like?”

A brief but hesitant smile graces the mouth of their guest and he answers, “It was actually amazing.”

“What happened?”

“Who was she?” Chloe asks at the same time.

“Her name was Regan.
 
She was funny, beautiful, and I didn’t deserve her.”

Ben instantly relates to the scenario and asks, “So, what’s the story?”

Zach, fiddling with the expensive Canon, answers, “I was originally supposed to be going with someone else as friends.
 
The day before Prom, my crush, the one I’d liked all through high school broke up with her boyfriend.
 
She was in my art class and by the time we got to fifth period, I knew I had to make my move.”

“What did you do?” asks Chloe.

“She was a senior and I was a junior and I knew I was never going to see her again after graduation.
 
Prom was the week before finals, so I knew it was a now or never situation.
 
This late in the semester, senioritis had set in for everyone, so the art teacher wasn’t paying attention.”

 
“How did you ask?” Ben questions.
 
Even though he and Chloe have been dating a few months, when he asked her to Prom, he still didn’t believe she would say yes.
 
The fact they were here and prepared to take their relationship to the next level had Ben believing in all the clichés that surrounded the most sacred of high school events.

 
“I can’t believe you care about this.
 
It’s an ancient memory.”

 
“Indulge us,” says Chloe.
 

 
Zach smiles and says, “I actually just blurted it out.
 
I wasn’t smooth or cool or any of the things I thought or hoped I would be.”

“What did she say?”

“Obviously, my question had a different impact on her than it had on me.
 
Basically, she just shrugged her shoulders and said ‘I already have a dress.’
 
Somehow, in my mind, I thought this meant she was in love with me.”

“And?”

 
“I won’t bore you with all the hopeless details, but basically, my first mistake was deciding I should cut my own hair on the day of Prom.
 
Also, the corsage I got her, she was allergic to, but somehow through all my mistakes we had a great night.”

“Did she fall in love with you?” Ben asks.

“It wasn’t meant to be.
 
She didn’t fall in love with me, nor is she my wife today.
 
Regan left for college and all I got were some lame pictures of me in a rented tux.”

Both Chloe and Ben look upset at the outcome of Zach’s evening.

“No,” Zach puts his hands up and continues, “It’s not like that – she was perfectly nice about letting me down.
 
My seventeen-year-old self was devastated at the time, but things worked out how they were supposed to.
 
I was an immature idiot back then and I’m not sure that much has changed.”

“Did you ever get over her?” Chloe asks.

“It took a long time.
 
In fact, requited or not, I’m not sure if anyone ever gets over their first love.”

The pair looks at each other, then Chloe says, “Are you in a better mood to take some pictures?”

Zach clocks a lens into place and says, “Yeah, and look, I’m sorry, I was supposed to be here earlier and get all the ‘getting ready’ pictures.”

“It’s no problem,” Chloe assures the photographer, “And hey, you haven’t missed Ben giving me the corsage.”

“Before we do that, let’s get Chloe out on the patio.
 
The lighting is fantastic, and Ben, I think you’ll agree, she’s looks great.”
 
The younger man, appreciating the ‘bro code’ moment, says, “She really does.”

 
Nearly an hour later, the trio captured any number of pictures and it occurs to Ben this well documented adventure will be a strange, but perfect way to have captured the exact place he lost his virginity.
 
As Zach packs his equipment up, he asks, “Would you guys mind if I add your images to my portfolio?”

“No problem,” Chloe says.
 

 
Offering his arm to his date, Ben asks, “Shall we go?”

“Yes, let’s.”

“You kids have fun,” says Zach.

 
“Get home to your wife,” Chloe shoots back.