Page 54 of Breakaway
"I believe some call me Reese now," I say, my voice huskier than how I usually speak. There's a hint of sex in the words because that's what Empress sounds like, what I channel as I speak as her one last time.
"Which do you prefer?" Traci asks.
I pause as if thinking about the question. This could very well be the last chance I get to be Empress, and I kind of want to live it up as much as I can before she retires, and so does playing her.
"Are we talking about in day-to-day life or in the bedroom?" I ask, winking at Traci, who lets her head fall back with a laugh.It goes on for a moment, and I preen a bit at still having the confidence to say something like that on camera when my whole face is showing.
"I won't lie," Traci says, wiping under one eye dramatically as if my joke were anywhere near funny enough to make her cry. She's hamming it up, but then again, so am I, so I can't really blame her. "When I was told you were only doing one interview, I was worried you were going to be a bore without your mask."
Her eyes go wide as she leans in, once again as though she's telling a secret, but her tone remains loud enough for the mics to easily pick her up.
"Worse, I thought you might come onto the show crying about how awful all of this has been for you."
I roll my eyes dramatically. Some of the glitter on my eyelids has adorned my false lashes, and little silver shimmer sparkles in the light. I toss my hair over my shoulder and recross my legs.
"Traci, we all know no one cares about someone's feelings when they make a lot of money. Besides, complaining has never been something I do, unless we're complaining about men. I do that frequently and have no plans of stopping."
"Speaking of men," Traci says, her brows wiggling suggestively.
My cheeks heat. They did that when I was Empress, too, and the amount of makeup I'm wearing at least helps to make me not look as tomato-y.
"I know we're not talking about your man tonight, but there's been a lot of chatter online from someone who swears up and down he shared your bed."
I snort and play it off as if I find it amusing. Traci has already cleared this topic of conversation with Mauve, so I'm not unprepared for it, but it's still not something I'm eager to discuss. Zill is standing not even twenty feet away and is aboutto listen to me talk about a one-night stand. It's not what I'd consider an ideal situation.
"I'm sure there are all kinds of people saying all kinds of things about me," I say with a shake of my head. "Are you asking if I slept with anyone while I was Empress?" I pause, barely containing my feigned amusement. "I think based on what I sang about it should've been pretty clear to everyone I wasn't some blushing virgin bride."
"I think we're all just so curious if the rumors are true."
"Well, you have to be a little more specific than that," I urge her to go on, even though we both know what she's about to say. Some stupid idiot I met on a hookup app needed to get his five minutes of fame.
"I cast no judgment, you know I like it when things are a little freaky."
"Don't we all," I interject, earning another laugh from the woman.
"So, is there any truth in you pegging this man?" Traci finishes her question.
The surprised little laugh that sounds more like me blowing a raspberry isn't even fake. There were a few things we'd prepared for her to ask me about. Bondage, gags, threesomes, plenty of other rumors that I was ready to leave up to the imagination of the audience, since Empress would, without a doubt, do all of those things. Whether or not Reese actually did them has no bearing on anything. Still, hearing her ask about pegging? That wasn't anywhere close to what we prepared for, and my reaction is genuine.
"He's out there telling people I pegged him?" I asked, gasping for breath between words and laughs. "I didn't know which of them it was because I try not to keep up with the rumor mill, but it was Brock, wasn't it?"
"I will neither confirm nor deny that," Traci says as she nods her head vigorously, sending me into another fit of giggling. "I'm guessing I can go ahead and confirm that was in fact something that happened."
I hold up my hand as I get the rest of my giggles out of the way, "If that's what he's saying." I shrug, sputtering a bit as I try to hold in my laughter. "Sorry, I wasn't prepared for that."
"You weren't the only one," Trcai says, and I know she's not talking about herself, but I'm not about to look over at Zill to see how he's taking the conversation about past partners.
He's the only one in my life now, the only one I want for the rest of my life. Still, if he was talking about past hookups, which he'll never do since I'm the only one he'll ever be with, I'd be pretty jealous as well. But looking over at him now will just be a way for Traci to try to bring him into the conversation, and I don't want that.
Does he look upset?I ask in my head.
I know there's no way for Kolos to answer me, but I have to ask. He's the one I know is listening to my thoughts with absolutely no reservations about how it might be perceived as rude. Isha can probably hear me too, but she likes to pretend she can't, and I won't make that more difficult for her by asking her in my head.
Is Zill upset that the woman he loves, the one who sings about sucking and fucking, has slept with other people before she knew him? Fuck no. He's enjoying the show as much as you are.
Kolos's voice surprises me so much, I stiffen, eyes going wide. I didn't know that was possible. Now I'm trying very hard not to whip my head around the room until I figure out where he is, so I can make sure it's actually him in my mind and not me weirdly imagining him in my head telling me what I want to hear.
Sombrans as strong as us can do a lot more than project our thoughts, Reese. Gods, has Zill not taught you anything about us? Next, you're going to–
