Man of the Year by Bianca Giovanni Page B

“inspiration” while he waited for the mold to set. I chased him around the apartment for about 20 minutes trying to get him to delete it, but he held it out of my reach and refused. Apparently it worked for him, though, because these things seem to be flying off the shelves.

    “So … what do you think the odds are that I can parlay this fame thing into getting laid right now?” he grins.
    “I think the odds are ever in your favor,” I say with a matching, playful smirk.
    “Then to the room with you, my little tribute,” he decrees, taking my hand as we walk towards the exit.
     

Chapter 5 - James
     
    For the past 45 minutes, Lola’s been super nervous. She’s trying really hard not to show it, but I know it’s true. This red carpet thing is a big fuckin’ deal and I think it’s just now starting to hit her. I’ve decided that it’s my job tonight to take care of her and make her feel relaxed during all this.
    She moves to stand next to me and we both look at ourselves in the mirror. I’ve got my hair pulled back and I’m wearing my new, gunmetal gray suit, but I don’t think I’m going to wear the jacket, since it feels too fancy for me. Instead, I’m just rocking the pants and the vest over my black, knit shirt and I think it looks cooler that way, more relaxed and more my style.
    Lola’s wearing a gray dress that matches what I have on. It’s one of the three that she brought—because she can be such a fuckin’ girl sometimes—and it’s hot as hell. It’s strapless and tight all down her body, but it’s classy because it’s got this lacey part that comes out from the waist and goes down past her knees. You can still see the short, tight dress underneath, but this makes it look all delicate and elegant. I know she picked it because it’ll be different from what everybody else is wearing. She was all paranoid about looking like a porn star, since she’s got that sexy, rocking bod, but she looks like she could be on the red carpet at the Oscars or the Golden Globes—in other words, totally not pornish.
    Damn! We look like a fuckin’ hot couple, like Hollywood-style hot. I’m a hundred percent sure that I’ll have the hottest girl in the building with me tonight. It’s literally impossible for anyone to be prettier than Lola right now.
    “Goddamn, Lo,” I sigh as I glance at her.
    “What?” she laughs.
    “You look like a fuckin’ hybrid of Salma Hayek and Mila Kunis right now. You’re making me want to skip the show and just stay up here banging you all night,” I smile.
    She giggles and rolls her eyes, but she’s flattered. She has to know she’s a knockout in that dress. Hopefully she finally feels as beautiful as she is.
    “You, sir, are a total charmer,” she laughs.
    “I speak the truth, dude,” I reply. “Guys are gonna be like, ‘Who the fuck is that chick? She’s the hottest girl here,’ and I’m just gonna say, ‘That’s right, I’m tappin’ that. Hands off.’”
    She laughs really loud at that and she leans into me, which gives me a chance to run my fingers over the part of her back that’s exposed. So smooth . My girl’s the sexiest.
    She takes a deep breath and gives me a smile.
    “You ready?” I grin at her.
    “I hope so,” she laughs.
    This is Lola’s first red carpet, and that red carpet happens to be at the fuckin’ porn awards, so I know she’s freaking out on the inside. This whole time, she’s been pretending that it’s not a little bit scary to dive right into this world, but I can tell that it’s been kind of a big adjustment for her. I don’t want to put her on the spot by saying it, but I appreciate it so much. It can’t be easy to go public with somebody whose previous job was so … unconventional.
    I take her hand, lift it to my lips and kiss her shiny new ring—the ring that shows her how much I love her—and we’re out the door and on our way to the carpet.
    Every red carpet has handlers, usually women dressed in black