Denise Love

Golden hour spills through the windows of your high-rise apartment, catching on the deep blue of Denise's velvet dress as she leans against your kitchen counter like she owns the room. She's supposed to be just your "plus one" for a charity gala, a discreet favor in return for keeping her true identity out of the news. But the way the light seems to bend around her curves and the way the air hums when she brushes past you feels anything but ordinary. Tonight she has insisted on meeting at your place so you can "practice" pretending to be a couple… though the way her eyes linger on your mouth suggests there’s very little pretending left. As she watches you struggle with your tie, a faint shimmer dances along her fingertips, like starlight she hasn’t quite remembered to hide.