by Sian Ceinwen
“If you could please take your clothes off and put them in this basket, we’ll bring them back to you at the end of your treatment. We’ve got this lovely robe for you to wear while you’re here,” Stephanie indicated to a plush terry toweling robe and matching slippers, “I’ll give you some privacy. I’ll be back when you’re ready.”
Ariana waited until the door was closed and then removed her clothes and dutifully put them in the basket before pulling on the robe and waiting nervously for Stephanie to return.
The was a soft knock on the door a minute later, then it opened, and Stephanie came back into the room.
“Excellent, you’re ready. Follow me to your mud bath treatment.”
“My what?” Ariana asked, but Stephanie had already started walking away.
They walked out of the room and farther down the hallway that they had come down before. At the end of the hallway, it opened up into a large area with a couple of sofas and several doors coming off it.
Stephanie walked straight across the room and opened one of the doors. Inside were two massive baths filled with brown mud.
“When you’re ready, hop into the mud bath. The mud is heated to one hundred degrees, and it’s absolutely glorious. I’ll be back in an hour—enjoy,” she smiled at Ariana and left the room.
Ariana hung her bathrobe on a rack that was clearly intended for it and then lowered herself into the closest mud bath. Stephanie was right, ‘glorious,’ didn’t seem a good enough word for it. It was absolutely exquisite, so warm and luscious.
She’d been in the bath for maybe a minute when the door to the room opened, and a woman Ariana hadn’t seen before entered, followed by Heather, who was wearing a bathrobe the same as Ariana’s. Heather grinned at Ariana as the woman gave her the same speech that Stephanie had given.
“Thanks, Lucie,” Heather said as the woman left the room.
Ariana looked away as Heather removed her bathrobe, hung it up, and got into the other bath.
“How amazing is this?” Heather asked her, grinning from ear to ear.
“It’s pretty awesome!” Ariana replied, “thanks for organizing this, Heather.”
“You’re welcome. I figure that this whole ‘being on tour,’ thing is pretty stressful, and tonight’s a big night, so we deserve a treat.”
Ariana lay back against the headrest and closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth. After a minute, she opened her eyes and looked over at Heather. She was lying serenely still and seemed to be enjoying herself.
“Are you looking forward to tonight?” Ariana asked her.
“Yeah, I am. It’s the first big awards show I’ve been to, and I can’t wait,” Heather smiled at her.
“What about the paparazzi? Are you worried about running the Gauntlet?” Ariana had been worried about this aspect of tonight for the past two months.
“Not particularly, mostly they just want pics of Harrison, and sometimes they’ll want me, too. Are you going to walk through with Gabriel?” Heather seemed surprised.
“No, I don’t think I will,” for some reason, this admission made Ariana feel guilty.
“Can I be honest with you?” Heather asked her.
“Of course you can.”
“At some point, you are going to need to make it public that you and Gabriel are together. He loves you, and he’s proud of you. He wants to show you off to the world.”
“I know,” Ariana looked at the roof and shrugged, “I know, I do. Why is it so scary, Heather?”
“Life is scary. If it isn’t, then you’re not pushing yourself to be better, to do more, and then what’s the point?”
Ariana pondered that thought. Was she holding herself and Gabriel back from something amazing all because of her fear? What was really the worst that could happen? The paparazzi analyze her every waking move until they break up, and then she’s known as Gabriel Knight’s ex-girlfriend. So what? Eventually, he would move on, and she’d be last week’s news. They’d forget about her, and she could carry on with her life in peace.
But if she did it, they would at least have this night together first. It was a huge achievement to even be nominated, and she was so proud of him. She knew that her support would be priceless and make the night that much better.
“Maybe I will walk the Gauntlet with Gabriel tonight,” Ariana said slowly.
“Really?” Heather’s face snapped towards hers, “do you mean it?”
“Whoa, wait. I said, maybe. I might chicken out. Don’t say anything to him. I don’t want to disappoint him if I’m too scared!”
“Of course not. It’s just between you and me. I’m just happy that you would even consider it,” Heather beamed at her.
“Why is that?” Ariana asked.
“I’ve never really had any female friends. At school, girls were often, I don’t know, intimidated by me or something. After that, Hayden had started becoming famous, and most of the women I came across were just interested in using me to get to the guys,” she looked hurt by these memories.
“I’m so sorry, Heather, that must have sucked,” Ariana frowned.
“Yeah, it did. Then you came along, and you’re just so nice and awesome, and we get along really well. You’re probably the closest friend I’ve ever had,” Heather blushed at the admission.
“Well, I’m glad that I met you, Heather,” Ariana smiled at her friend, “I honestly don’t know how I’d have managed all of this without you.”
They sat in silence for a few minutes, both enjoying their mud baths. Ariana reflected on all the ways that Heather had been an amazing friend to her. For a while, she had forgotten that if she left the tour, she wouldn’t just be hurting Gabriel.
She had made friendships with other people, and those would be broken if she left as well. They would almost certainly side with Gabriel in any breakup. The thought made her so sad that she had to hold back tears.
“So, what’s the plan after this?” Ariana asked, half to distract herself from her line of thought and half out of curiosity.
“After this, we’re going to get our nails done; then it’s back to my room where a makeup artist and a hairstylist are going to do our hair and makeup. Then we get dressed, and I’ll release you back to Gabriel,” she laughed, “he seemed less than impressed when I kidnapped you this morning!”
“Yeah, I think he had different ideas for how we could prepare for tonight,” Ariana smirked.
“I’m sure he did. Randy little bastard that he is.”
“Hey, you don’t hear me complaining!” Ariana blushed as she admitted it.
Shortly after that, Stephanie and Lucie returned. They directed them to an area where they could shower and get changed back into their clothes, which were sitting in the baskets that had been placed near the showering area.
Once they were dressed, they were taken back out to the main area, and they thanked their guides profusely before leaving the spa.
“Thank you so much for that, Heather,” Ariana gushed, “I feel absolutely amazing!”
“You’re welcome, darling.”
Ariana followed Heather back up the stairs to the Lobby and then into the elevator to the third level of the hotel where there was a commercial area. They went to the nail salon and got their nails done. Heather helped Ariana choose a beautiful glittery lavender nail polish that she never would’ve chosen for herself.
Ariana was feeling decidedly glamorous by the time they arrived upstairs at Heather and Harrison’s room.
“Where’s Harrison?” Ariana asked as she sat down in one of the chairs in the living area.
“Soundcheck,” Heather replied, waving her phone at Ariana, “he just texted.”
“Nice! I can’t believe they’re performing at the Grammys. It’s totally insane,” Ariana shook her head.
“I know, it feels like just yesterday that they were writing songs at home and performing in tiny bars in Chicago!” Heather smiled, obviously reminiscing of days long gone.
There was a knock at
the door, and Heather started in surprise. She walked over and opened it wide, allowing a tall, black-haired guy and a short, blond woman in.
“Hey, darlings!” Heather greeted them with warm hugs, “Ariana, this is Tristan and Jessica.”
“Hi,” Ariana said as she shook their hands.
“I’m going to be doing your makeup,” Jessica told her.
“I’ll be doing your gorgeous hair,” Tristan smiled at her.
“They are the absolute best,” Heather declared, “I am always so grateful whenever I can get these guys to help me out before an event.”
Over the next two hours, Jessica and Tristan performed what Ariana considered nothing short of a miracle. She could barely believe what she saw in the mirror; she didn’t look at all like herself. Her hair was in an intricate updo with braids all through it, and her makeup was heavy but not overdone, with beautiful purple eyeshadow that matched her nails.
Ariana and Heather thanked them profusely as they left. Ariana thought that Heather looked even better than her. Her hair was in stunning, loose curls, and her makeup was beautiful with bright, red lips.
“And now for the final surprise,” Heather announced with glee.
Ariana could tell that she was very pleased with herself.
“I’ve been working hard, and I’ve made dresses for us both to wear tonight!”
“Oh my god, Heather! Really?” Ariana was stunned.
“Yeah, well, you know I’ve always wanted to be a designer. I figured now is as good a time as any to start doing it,” she blushed.
“That’s amazing; I’m honored,” Ariana was genuinely thrilled.
She followed Heather through to the spare bedroom, where two stunning dresses were laid out on the bed. One was a long, slim black dress that had a plunging V in the bodice that was studded with black rhinestones.
The other was a beautiful lavender strapless dress with a sweetheart neckline and a big, flowing skirt. It was the most amazing dress Ariana had ever seen.
“Tell me that’s mine,” Ariana gasped.
“Of course, it is. Why do you think I suggested you should have lavender nails?” Heather laughed, “now, please, please do me the honor of wearing it tonight.”
“You don’t have to ask me twice.”
Ariana couldn’t wait to wear the dress. Heather took the black dress with her and left the room. Ariana removed her clothes and stood in her underwear, just staring at the dress. She picked it up gingerly and felt the gorgeous silk material flowing through her fingers.
She turned it over and discovered a hidden zip. She undid it and stepped into the dress. Ariana pulled it on and did up as much of the zip as she could. She walked out into the living area and saw Heather walking towards her.
“Heather! You look amazing!” Ariana gasped.
“Thank you,” Heather said, doing a twirl.
The dress was perfectly fitted, showing off Heather’s willowy figure.
“Can you zip me up?” Ariana asked, turning her back to Heather.
“Not a problem, darling,” Heather pulled the zip up the rest of the way, “you look beautiful. Come and have a look.”
Ariana followed Heather back into the bedroom she’d gotten dressed in and walked over to the full-length mirror. Her breath caught in her throat. She’d never seen a creature as beautiful as the person looking back at her.
She couldn’t believe for even a second that the person she was looking at was her. She shook her head and looked again, drinking in the beauty that she could never usually see.
“I need Tristan and Jessica to get me ready every morning!” Ariana laughed.
“No. You really don’t,” Heather smiled at her, “now, here are your shoes. Pop them on and go see Gabriel, he’ll be back soon.”
Ariana turned to Heather to see her holding a pair of low-heeled silver pumps that, of course, worked with the dress perfectly. She walked over to her friend and threw her arms around her, tears in her eyes.
“I don’t think I can ever thank you enough for today. It’s been amazing,” she said genuinely.
“You’re very welcome. It’s been delightful, and we should do it more often. Now, go!”
As Ariana was walking towards the door, it opened, and Harrison walked in. He smiled at Ariana, then saw Heather and absolutely beamed at her.
“Hello, angel,” he greeted her.
“Hi, honey,” Heather replied as she melted into his embrace.
“Hi, Harrison, bye Harrison,” Ariana said with a laugh.
As she was walking out of the room, she heard a terrible ripping sound as her dress caught on the door catch. She pulled back, her mouth shaped in an ‘O,’ of horror.
“Oh my god, Heather. I’m so, so sorry!” Ariana felt awful.
“It’s okay, darling, it’s not like it’s completely destroyed. Let me have a look.”
Ariana walked over to Heather and let her assess the damage.
“Okay, I can fix this,” Heather announced, “Harrison, honey, can you please grab me my sewing kit from the spare bedroom?”
“Do I need to take the dress off?” Ariana asked as Harrison went to fetch the supplies.
“Nope, I’m going to sew you into this dress like you’re a film star from the twenties!” Heather laughed, “you just won’t be able to take it off until after the awards.”
“No problem, I’m so sorry about this,” Ariana said, unable to resist apologizing again.
“Don’t fret. I’ve got this.”
Heather took the sewing gear off Harrison and threaded a needle. Within a few minutes, she’d mended the rip, and as Ariana looked in the mirror, she couldn’t even see where it had been torn.
“You are a genius!” Ariana exclaimed.
“I like to think so,” Heather smiled, “off you go, darling. I’ll see you later.”
Ariana gave her a hug and carefully left the room, avoiding the door jam. She could see that the catch was slightly broken, and that was how she’d caught her dress. It was pretty annoying, and Ariana made a note to herself to alert the hotel staff later.
Her heart began to race as she walked towards Gabriel’s room, remembering his earlier promise. She was also anxious about how he would react to the way she looked. Heather’s dress was amazing, but maybe Gabriel wouldn’t like it. She opened the door to his room and called out to him.
“I’m in here,” he called from the bedroom.
As she walked in, she saw that he was in the process of getting dressed. He had his trousers on already and was looking down as he buttoned his shirt over his muscled chest. Ariana felt the ache instantly return between her thighs.
He looked up as he finished what he was doing and finally saw her. His expression was stunned at first but soon melted into burning desire.
“What do you think?” she asked, feeling self-conscious.
“You look absolutely beautiful,” he replied, striding towards her.
He put his hands around her waist and pulled her into his embrace.
“I believe I made you a promise before you left,” he growled into her ear.
“I’m not sure that you can make good on that promise,” Ariana laughed.
“Want to make a bet?” He raised an eyebrow.
“Yeah, I do. Heather made this dress, and I already ripped it once. I can’t take it off until after the awards.”
“Well, then,” Gabriel said as he pulled her out towards the living area, “we’ll have to be very careful, I guess.”
He led her towards the dining table that was in this area. When they were standing next to it, he pulled back and drank in the sight of her.
“I can’t believe that you’re mine,” he said simply, and Ariana couldn’t come up with a response.
Gabriel ran his hands down the side of her body, stopping when one hand was either side of her waist. He suddenly lifted her up and rested her bottom on the table. Then, with one hand on either leg, he parted them.
Swathes of fabric draped dow
n between her legs. He reached both hands underneath her dress and felt for her underwear. She lifted her bottom so that he could slide them off. The table was cold underneath her, and her breathing was ragged.
Gabriel unhooked her panties from her legs and tossed them aside.
“You won’t need those tonight,” he stated, and Ariana flushed.
Gabriel lifted her skirt and positioned himself between her legs. Ariana felt the cool air on her exposed flesh for a few seconds while he unbuckled his pants and dropped them to the floor. Then he entered her, and there was no room for any more thought.
The Thirteenth Song
After they’d made themselves presentable again, Ariana was surprised that they didn’t have long before they had to leave for the awards ceremony.
“Are we all going in the same limo?” She asked Gabriel.
“Yeah, we are. They’ll want us to do some pics together during the Gauntlet.”
“I was thinking…” Ariana trailed off, unsure.
“Thinking what?” He asked, coming over to where she was standing and wrapping his arms around her, careful not to mess up her hair.
“That maybe we could walk through the Gauntlet together,” she said, looking intently at one of the buttons on his shirt.
Gabriel put his hand gently under her chin and lifted her face, so it was turned upwards. She closed her eyes involuntarily, unable to meet his gaze.
“Ariana.”
She opened her eyes as he said her name. He was staring intently at her, his expression a mixture of wonder, joy, and fear.
“Do you mean that?” He asked her.
“Yeah, I do. I think, I mean, I know that I’m ready to do this,” she smiled at him.
He leaned his head down and kissed her passionately. He pulled her tighter against him, and she melted into his embrace. She felt so completely at ease here at this moment. Surely with Gabriel by her side, she’d be able to do this. They made their way down to the lobby to meet up with the rest of the band. Heather and Harrison were there along with Hayden.
“Wow, you look amazing, Ariana!” Hayden told her with a smile.
“Thanks,” she said, resisting the urge to downplay the compliment, “this dress that Heather made for me is probably the nicest thing I’ve ever worn.”
