Chapter Text
“Is this the right place?” Rose asked, her voice filled with awe.
Rey and Rose sat in the backseat of a cab car as it pulled to a stop in front of the X-Wing, the bar Ben Solo’s band was headlining. The bar did not look like a bar. It was more of a massive, elaborate music hall with bar-like features.
Rey craned her neck to take in the marquee above the ticket booth. Black zip-track letters spelled out: TONIGHT — KNIGHTS OF REN W/ SPECIAL GUESTS — SITH & DEATH STAR. Above it, glowing red neon letters read: X-WING. She glanced around at the line forming outside — girls and boys, men and women clustered together on the gritty sidewalk, laughing and talking over one another. A bouncer stood just beyond the ticket booth, controlling the flow of bodies through a red velvet stanchion and into the venue.
“This sure looks like it.” Rey replied.
“That must be Jason.” Rose said, pointing at the tall and muscular olive-skinned man wearing a backwards baseball cap at the left side of the red stanchion. She opened the door to the cab as Rey handed the driver money for the ride. As they climbed out, the bouncer immediately turned to look at the pair of women, and Rose winced at his intense glare. They approached the front and people murmured amongst themselves.
“Tickets?” Jason asked, his expression a scowl.
Rey stepped closer, her pink platform heels clacking on the pavement. “We’re here with Ben Solo.” she declared.
“Who?” he asked, his face still stoic as he asked and scanned the crowd behind them.
Rey and Rose looked at each other.
“Ben Solo,” Rose repeated. “He’s the… lead guitarist in the Knights of Ren, he told us we could—”
“Ohhhhh, Ben?” Jason said, recognition lighting his face. “One moment.”
He reached up into his ear and murmured that two women were here to see the Drama King. He laughed at the muffled response, then waved the two confused women forward.
“Alright. Names?”
“Rey and Rose.” Rey said.
Jason repeated their names into the headset, nodded, and unhooked the stanchion. “Alright. Follow me.”
As they slipped through, Rey heard someone behind her mutter, “They’re with the band?” She turned to raised eyebrows and whispers before snapping her attention back to Rose and Jason, who led them around the side of the building. They stopped at a large steel door marked BACK OF HOUSE in black vinyl lettering.
“Rey,” Rose whispered, grabbing her arm, “we’re going backstage.”
“Yep. Backstage, here it is.” Jason said. “Enjoy your evening ladies,” he continued, waving them through the doorway.
“Are you serious?” Phasma barked, sipping on her beer bottle, silver fringe dangling from her arm sleeve as she moved.
“I can invite whoever the hell I want.” Ben snapped.
Phasma glanced at DJ, arms spread, leaning back in her chair.
DJ stared blankly. “Are you at least gonna put a shirt on?” He gestured at Ben’s glistening, bare torso before taking another swig. Ben ignored him.
“How do you think this’ll go over with Hux?” Phasma asked, dry.
“I don’t give a shit.” Ben replied. “He needs to focus on getting his act together for the set. I’ll escort them to VIP when they get here.”
“Escort who?” Hux slurred from the doorway. He leaned against the frame, glaring. Russet hair framed his sharp face, stage makeup already set, sweat streaking down his ruddy neck.
Ben turned toward him, towering over Hux’s smaller frame. Silence settled between them, broken only by DJ lighting a Marlboro and inhaling.
“Some friends of mine.” Ben said at last.
Hux raised an eyebrow. “You don’t have friends. Bitches, maybe?”
“No.”
Hux smirked. “Whores, maybe.” he asserted in a sloppy tone, snickering. Ben looked at his eyes, red and drooping. He was already shitfaced. "The girl from the other night, is that right?” Hux continued.
“No.”
“Get some water in him before we go on.” DJ muttered.
“Lying ass son of a bitch!” Hux roared, pointing the neck of his beer bottle at Ben. "You need to loosen up, they're all out there waiting for us! I've already got a few of them picked out."
Ben sighed.
“You are such a loser.” Hux said, laughing and draining his beer.
“You did this to yourself.” Phasma said to Ben, rubbing glittered lotion into her arms.
“SHUT UP!” Ben roared, hurling a stool across the room.
"Is this it?" A voice called from the hallway. Ben instantly recognized it as Rey's. He straightened up as he watched her emerge in the doorway.
Rey stopped in the doorway, her small frame squeezed into a red mini dress, hair freshly permed. Beside her, Rose glittered in jewelry, a corset top, and a mini skirt. The Knights of Ren stared. The girls stared back, frozen.
“Hey… Ben.” Rey said softly.
Ben took her in and felt his pulse spike. His expression softened, brows relaxing as he breathed, “Hello, Rey.”
Rose caught the shift instantly. Rey couldn’t look away from the shirtless man in leather pants, smoky eyeliner, and perfectly blown-out hair. The tension in the room thickened, uncomfortable and undeniable.
“Well, this is awkward.” Hux said. He pulled another beer bottle out of thin air and opened it. “May I offer one of you lovely ladies a beer?” He asked in a mock British accent.
“Sure.” Rose said, taking one.
“None for me, thanks.” Rey said. She looked at the bottle then back at Ben, who she caught staring at her. He immediately flicked his gaze to the floor.
“I’ll… be back.” DJ muttered, crushing his cigarette as he left. Phasma followed, mumbling about drumsticks.
Silence.
“Thank you for inviting us.” Rey finally said.
“Oh, not a problem.” Ben replied. “The bands are allowed to bring a few VIP guests… I can show you where the VIP section is.”
"Okay.” Rey replied, smiling.
"Hold on.” Hux approached, putting an arm around Rose's shoulder. "Don't forget, after the show the Ritz is hosting that after party for us."
"The Ritz-Carlton?!" Rose asked, excitedly.
“No. The gentleman’s club.” Hux grinned. “Big night for us. Ladies, do join.”
Rey’s stomach twisted as she looked at Ben. His jaw hardened.
“When did we decide that?” Ben demanded.
“You don’t remember? Twelve beers in four hours, champ.” Hux laughed. “Angel can’t wait to see you.”
Rey's stomach twisted as she looked at Ben's face, his lips forming a hard line. You motherfucker. Ben clenched his jaw as he glared at Hux’s laughing face. He closed his eyes for a split second, just long enough to steady himself. He imagined the feel of Hux’s throat under his palm. The thought didn’t scare him. That’s what did.
"Let's go," Ben said. "VIP is this way."
Ben guided Rey and Rose to the VIP section just behind them as they walked in front of him. Rey felt Ben’s breathing down her neck and back, causing her to shiver. The sweet, delicate scent of Ben's breath enveloped her. She imagined Ben drunkenly agreeing to have the after party at the strip club. Then she imagined herself drunkenly calling Ben to leave him that voicemail. Am I REALLY going to a strip club? She thought. Oh, fuck, don't be such a prude, Rey. He is a man, after all. He's in a rock band, of course he's been to a strip club. Angel is definitely a stripper name, too… I wonder if she’s pretty. I can’t say I’m innocent; I've flipped through a Playgirl magazine once or twice. The Judd Nelson one... he definitely should have gone nude. Him and Ben have the same hairstyle… Focus!
They walked around the floor pit and to the back of the crowd, to a raised platform with high-top tables. A bouncer stood at the foot of the stairs guarding the entrance. No words needed to be spoken as the bouncer recognized Ben and opened the stanchion to allow Rey and Rose through. They began walking up the short flight of stairs up the platform. Rose went first, Rey following behind, with Ben watching at the foot of the stairs.
“Rey…” Ben began. She stopped mid flight and turned to look at him. She looked back at Rose, who mouthed "I'll be over there.” to the table closest to the stage. The sound of the crowd talking was just low enough that they could speak without shouting as she turned back to face him.
“Rey, you don’t have to go to that stupid club…” He put his hands in his pockets. “I can’t believe we’re even having it there to begin with, I don’t even remember agreeing to it. Hux loves that place, and, yeah I’ve been there a few times with the guys to pass the time--"
“Ben, I don’t mind. It’s just a club. It could be good publicity for your band. This is your first big show and they want to celebrate.” She replied. She wasn’t so sure she had herself convinced.
Rey rubbed her lips together, biting her lower lip. Ben’s expression was resigned as he gazed at the way her gold earrings framed her face, her perfectly lined lips a ruby red color. Her lashes were long and full and accentuated her hazel eyes. She’s so beautiful, and she doesn’t even know it. He thought. She wouldn’t have a problem walking out the door, and finding another date. One that would be appropriate for her, dinner at the Ritz-Carlton, not dinner at the Ritz strip club.
Ben’s gaze flicked up at hers. “I don’t want you to think I’m going there for the girls.” He reached out to grab her hand. “They're not important to me.”
Rey’s heart raced. Is he telling the truth? She thought. It was the first romantic gesture he had made aside from writing his phone number on her arm. What it meant, she had yet to decipher. She didn’t want to feel drawn to him, but what would it mean if she never saw him again? She rubbed her thumb on the back of his hand. They locked eyes as her stomach did somersaults.
Can I trust him?
“Meet me backstage after the show.” Ben said, his eyes pleading.
She paused “Okay.” Rey replied, smiling. She held his gaze for a few more seconds as she turned to walk up the stairs.
On the walk back to the dressing room, Ben heard his mother Leia’s voice quoting Hegel in his mind, a quote that she told him each time he was lectured. Man is nothing but the series of his acts. It doesn’t matter what you say, actions are the true measure of a man.
“These women work for my mother, what the hell are you doing inviting them to a strip club?”
“Don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about.” Hux answered, drinking his required ration of bottled water, droplets spilling from his lips.
Regrettably, Ben didn’t know what he was talking about. After he left Rey that voicemail, he binge drank to suppress his emotions. He remembered rehearsing, then woke up in a puddle of sweat on the garage floor the next morning.
“I don’t, I blacked out that night.” Ben spat reluctantly.
“Not my problem, bro. Besides, they offered to host it and why the fuck would I say no?’
Ben sighed and sat down.
“Also, I’m not gonna lie, that Asian chick your girl was with is kind of hot. I was gonna invite them, anyways.”
“What the fuck, leave some ass for the rest of us.” DJ replied. He flicked his studded leather jacket over his shoulders.
Ben groaned. “Good luck trying to hold a conversation with her. She’s an engineering intern and she's not going to want to talk about sucking your dick all day.”
Hux threw his half empty water bottle at Ben and grabbed another beer from their cooler. They heard a knock at the door.
“We’re ready!” Hux replied.