*Author's Note: TAs a referrence note to understand the circumstances surrounding this chapter, notions here for clarification purposes, are a direct parallel to those found in Chapter 8 and the beginning of Chapter 9 of A Tale of Two Popstars.*

They couldn’t get past it.  Set in stone, and instructions abound, it remained.

Tense.

Hesitant.

Impulsive.

Brash.

Listless.

Enigmatic.

Another hangover later.  Another wake up in an unknown hotel room.

That was Ritchie Neville and Aliesa Montaine. 

It couldn’t be helped.  Nothing about them could really.  They were stuck like that.
And when they thought things couldn’t get any worse they just did.  There were no options, no choices to choose, no path to ponder in the slightest sense.  Dealing was the only resort.  And dealing for them was never a good thing.  Add kissing into the mix… and well…it just wasn’t right- at all. 

Public displays of affection?  It was wrong.  Wrong. Wrong.  Wrong.  For them, kissing had nothing to do with willingness, with emotions.  Instead, it had everything to do with being completely wrong.  And right now, in this instant, to Ritchie, that’s all it was, that’s all they ever were. 

But with everything that was their relationship, was that somehow right?

Aliesa Montaine about to kiss Ritchie Neville?

Point one.

Silent sullenness.  They had left Los Angeles in a mess of emotions.  The plane ride over to Europe had been tolerable at best.  But as soon as they had reached their European destination, and stepped off the airplane, all the animosity that had built up on the trip across the ocean had dissipated beneath the surface.  Ritchie and Aliesa became simply that-Ritchie and Aliesa.  Couple.  Happiness squared.  Exuberance personified on the outside, in their quest to play the “in love” couple.  There was an audience after all, and they had their roles. 

Point two.

Undeniable characteristics.  Their personas were a complete change from their incarnations behind closed doors.  All day Aliesa had been amiable not only to him, but to everyone around them, charming them with her light laughter and her pleasant cordialness.  At the hotel their ploy was in full force with Ritchie’s bandmates and management rampant.  And there were compliments abound when they ventured out with the others to the awards ceremony.  Ritchie and Aliesa were picture perfect.  Media watching, their red carpet entrance went off without a snag, and with the plausibility of the whole world watching, their speeches at the podium confessing undying devotion?  Flawless.

Point three.

Resolution execution.  Ceremony concluded they were off to the necessary appearances, the parties.  And Aliesa continued to play doting wife.  Ritchie?  He continued to play devoted husband.  Nods.  Congratulations.  Making their rounds around the room, Aliesa would blush, Ritchie would smile lovingly, and everyone was gushing.  It was all calculated and contrived to the point of gagging.  And everyone was buying it.  It worked. 

So…was it right?

Aliesa Montaine about to kiss Ritchie Neville?

Before this moment she had smiled at him, sweetly, which of course had thrown Ritchie off just a little, not completely, but enough to phase him.  Sweetly was not appropriate for the occasion, it was expected.  But despite it all, despite the personality turn around that Aliesa was suddenly sporting for their public farce, Ritchie hadn’t expected her to all of a sudden turn towards him in the midst of that crowded room.  To somehow exclude the buzz around them, and grasp a hold of his other hand, the one that she hadn’t been holding, and smile up at him-like that. 

And when her smile sobered.  When she bit her lip.  When her head tilted upwards, then stopped.  And she flashed him that smile again? 

That was when all of the warning bells sounded in Ritchie’s head. 

That’s when he knew it wasn’t just wrong.   It was beyond wrong.

Because though the move was not surprising in the slightest considering their current circumstance, it was something that up until this point, Aliesa had definitely not been enthusiastic about instigating.  It was something that Ritchie had to cajole her into.  In fact, he just had, on the flight over.  But right now, in the middle of a crowded room she was right there, willingly doing what she normally wouldn’t.  Positioning his arms around her, and strategically placing them until they met at the small of her back.  And that was definitely unexpected. 

And it  was the instant the situation went from, Aliesa Montaine about to kiss Ritchie Neville, to Ritchie Neville questioning how to handle kissing Aliesa Montaine. 

And hiding his slight weariness of this sudden affection on her part behind a wavering smile of his own, Ritchie decided to pacify her.   “What are you trying to prove Ali?”

Aliesa stared up at him, eyes bright.  “I hate when you call me that.”

At that bit of information, that wavering smile of his, turned up in mega wattage. “You’re changing the subject, must be something big.”

She ignored his taunt, and instead pushed herself closer to him.  “Remember what we talked about on the plane over?” 

“You mean when you were ignoring me?” 

“I told you that I knew what was at stake Ritchie.”

“So you’re agreeing with me?” he questioned as her fingers splayed across his chest. 

“Of course not.” 

Ritchie’s head lowered.  “Then what are you doing?” 

Aliesa lightly pressed the back of his neck, getting the perfect angle.  “Doing my job,” she murmured right as their lips met. 

It was brief.  A touch.  Ritchie’s eyes were still shut when she pulled back a second later, but a smirk played on his mouth, as one eye opened. 

“That your attempt at playing nice?” he accessed, as her fingers slipped down to the collar of his dress shirt. 

“Don’t push it.” 

“Right…” Ritchie declared right before bringing her close once again and muffling any kind of protest escaping her parted mouth with the elicited action. “Effect purposes,” he reasoned when that familiar accusatory glint glittered in her gaze when their lips broke away from each other. 

Wrong.

He concluded, right then and there.

It was definitely wrong. 

Seven
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