Always Belle Ch. 01

"Who did you want it to be?"

What a loaded question.

--

On the car ride from the airport, I couldn't not think of Belle, knowing I was heading her way. Thankfully I was in an Uber, where I could hide my growing arousal from the privacy of the backseat. Maybe I should've been pleased my uncle was too busy to pick me up himself. It was his girlfriend after all, that was the one fueling these desires. Would I be able to enjoy my x-rated thoughts of her right now if he was at the wheel?

My Uber was headed to my uncle's new mansion, one that I hadn't been to yet. Apparently, he was throwing a huge party there later tonight, the same day I was returning home from college. I wondered if the party was actually a surprise one in honor of me graduating, but that was merely wishful thinking on my part.

Returning "home" for me wasn't exactly straightforward. When my modest-earning parents had downsized and moved across the country last year, it'd left me without a fallback housing option in the city that I'd grown up in, the same place where I now wanted to start my career. Luckily, my Uncle Arthur--or Artie, as we liked to call him--still lived here, still thriving as some kind of big-time international broker.

I could see my mom sternly warning her younger brother, "Artie, Kenneth's going to end up homeless and dead if left to fend for himself. You need to take him in." Some version of that exchange had probably led my uncle to insist that I stay at his mansion, while I got my life and job situation in order.

All in all, I was grateful to know I'd have a place to sleep at night. Yet, I was also nervous that I'd be imposing, knowing that Belle, my uncle's younger girlfriend, was also living with him in this new house. I doubted she'd want a poor college grad like me taking up space in her home, eating from her fridge, infringing on her privacy. Simply put, I wouldn't blame her if she already hated my guts.

Though I hadn't met Belle yet, I'd known of her since forever. She was a public figure, making a glamorous living as a lingerie and swimsuit model. You could've argued that she looked like any other gorgeous blonde, with her subtle curves, legs for days, and her natural bust that filled out bras and bikinis nicely. But she was different to me in so many other ways.

For one, I relished Belle's anonymity. My guy friends would usually name drop famous actresses or porn stars as the girls they lusted over. Belle didn't fall into those categories. She felt like my little secret. Basically you only knew her name if you had cared enough to look her up. Otherwise, she was probably just a static photo in an ad you'd come across; you'd notice her attractiveness, and then go about your day.

Not for me though! I'd been jerking off to Belle since high school. I remember the first time I came across her swimsuit photos. They were suggestive without being explicit, lighting my hormonal imagination on fire. Back then, I had detached a square from a magazine, unfolding it to realize that it was a mini poster of her in a bikini, lying horizontal on a beach. I had it pinned to the wall in front of my bed, a convenient visual for self-pleasure before sleep.

From that point on, Belle had become the staple of my masturbation fantasies. Thinking back on those formative years, her swimsuit photos had likely imprinted some weird psychological coding in my brain, something that couldn't be undone now.

The day I found out my uncle was dating Belle was a surreal one. During my Criminology 201 lecture, my mom texted me a photo of a woman with the comment: "Just chatted with your Uncle Artie. He's dating this model now. Isn't this the girl you had a poster of?"

To be honest, the odds of Uncle Artie dating Belle weren't implausible. He was a 40-something guy who obsessively worked and worked out, handsome and successful. It wasn't uncommon for men of his age and status to be with girls that looked like her. His circles probably overlapped with Belle's more than not.

Little did I know that now her circle would soon overlap with mine. In the past few weeks, I'd been using our shared living situation as juicy material to jerk off to, imagining her getting freaky with other men who'd be around the house; for example, the gardener who'd come over every week to mow, the plumber who'd make a house call, the business associates my uncle would invite over for dinner, etc.

In all my Belle fantasies, I happily played the silent spectator, never the active participant. In truth, I lacked that masculine alpha gene, the one that drives certain men to go after the hottest woman in the room. That trait just wasn't in my arsenal. And I was more than okay with that, knowing I could always get my fill imagining Belle with other men--my addiction.

Was it wrong to do so, considering my uncle was dating her? Sure, some days I'd feel guilty. But most other times, I'd reason that as long as I kept my pornographic thoughts to myself, then who was I really offending?

***

My Uber had driven up a long gravel driveway, stopping at the front of a vast two-story mansion. There were open loading trucks also parked, stocked with cocktail tables and rental furniture, random people unloading them.

As I exited the car, the first thing in view was a tall, slender blonde, wearing a white tank top and matching shorts. She stood on the steps leading to the front door, a smile coloring her face, hands clasped in excitement.

"Ken! Is that you?"

"Yes?" My voice went an octave higher, taken aback that I was now actually in front of Belle Adelson. Her height was jarring, having an inch on me, at least.

"So good to finally meet you! Welcome home!" Belle skipped briskly to hug me. Tightly. As if we were already familiar.

"Ni-nice to finally meet you too." I could feel my nerves starting to get the best of me.

She casually left a hand on my shoulder. "So how was your flight?"

"Not to-too bad. How was yours?"

Belled crinkled her eyebrows, confused.

How was yours? What the fuck Ken! I immediately knew I misspoke right when the words escaped my lips. Act normal dude. She's a person, just like you.

Belle's hand retreated from my shoulder, probably thinking I was some weirdo who didn't know how to talk to women.

I quickly got a hold of my senses and improvised. "Your flight... I heard you're a model? Your job must fly you to some really cool places."

"Oh. I was just in London, come to think of it. But I flew back here last week."

"This house looks amazing!" I changed subjects.

"Do you like it? Your uncle and I bought it last year when we moved in together. Come on, I'll show you around. And don't worry about your luggage, it'll be brought to your room."

As Belle started guiding me toward the house, I looked behind me at my suitcase sitting on the gravel driveway. Then I noticed my driver still standing next to his car. He hadn't left yet, a perverted close-lipped smile adorning his face, his eyes squarely fixed on Belle (probably this whole time).

Belle brought me into the foyer, where I immediately took stock of my surroundings. Super high ceilings, modern fixtures, a floating staircase. Floor-to-ceiling glass walls separated the living room from the backyard, where I could make out dozens of staffers outside, setting up for the party tonight.

"Can I offer you something to drink Ken? We've got sparkling water, wine, craft beers, you name it. Your uncle told me college probably made you a cheap beer guy, but 'we'll make sure to upgrade his tastes.'" Belle's voice went deep to impersonate my uncle's. It was actually kinda cute.

She continued, "I told your uncle that you can drink whatever beer or beverage you prefer, no judgment." Belle's bubbly demeanor was disarming. Not at all what I was expecting.

"I think I'm fine for now, thanks. Is Uncle Artie also here?"

"Not yet, he told me he's out doing errands for tonight's party. But I'm sure he's really excited to see you later. Of course I would've picked you up from the airport myself. But with all the party staff running around here, I had to stay and oversee. But I hope the premium Uber I ordered was comfortable. Was the driver nice?"

"He was, yeah." If I knew Belle well enough, I would've mentioned that my driver had eyed her delicious body like she was fresh prey.

Belle proceeded to show me around the magnificent mansion. It had a swimming pool, home theater, among a slew of other luxuries. Even the game room in the basement felt bigger than my college apartment.

Belle then led me up to the second story, where we passed multiple rooms until we reached the end of the hall.

"Alright, well this one's yours," Belle pointed to a closed door. "It's right next to mine and your uncle's." She then gestured toward her master suite, which had its double doors open. I snuck a glance inside.

In the master, I spotted an extra-large bed with a mirror above it, affixed to the ceiling. Interesting. Unable to control my dirty mind, I immediately imagined Belle in a short, silky nightgown. She'd be lying on her back, her skirt wedged up around her waist, her matching panties strewn across the floor.

A man, sitting on his haunches, would be plowing into her. Over. And over. And over. She'd watch herself in the ceiling mirror, staring at her face, locked in pure ecstasy as she moaned non-stop, unable to suppress her volume. And I'd be outside, ears pressed to the closed double doors, hard as a rock, enjoying every second of every sound I could make out. And then it occurred to me... That the man likely doing that plowing would be my uncle.

"Ken?"

"Yep?" I quickly shook myself from my daydream, hoping my pants weren't showing anything. I made eye contact with Belle, who was now wearing a worried expression. I wondered why. What the hell kind of vibe had I been giving off?

"...Do you not like your room?" Her tone was suddenly so vulnerable.

"It's fine," I tried to be polite but I feared I had already offended.

Belle sighed. "Look, I get it Ken. You're a young guy. You probably want your privacy. If you're annoyed at our room being too close to yours, I can always prepare you a different one."

My mind hastened to correct her, tell her that the room's proximity wasn't the issue. Yet I couldn't tell her the truth. That I secretly loved being close to her bedroom so I could hopefully hear her having sex.

Belle added, "I only suggested this room for you because honestly, it has the best view of the sunrise. I wake up early and go in here sometimes, just to stand on the balcony and watch it for a few minutes. It's calming. And makes starting the day so energizing. I thought you'd like that..."

Shit. She was being genuine. And I was coming off as ungrateful.

"I love the room!" I emphasized. "Um, I just froze up because I don't want to be a nuisance to you and my uncle. This is your house. Your sunrise room. I'd hate to be the reason you lose it."

"Don't be silly Ken." Belle ruffled my hair in a playful way, then combed it neatly back in place with her soft fingers. "We're basically family. What's mine is yours too."

Belle then finally led me inside my room, where my eyes were drawn to a row of shiny balloons in the shape of letters, floating along the far wall: W-E-L-C-O-M-E K-E-N.

She giddily stood next to items on my bed, looking like she was ready to recite a prepared speech. "So Ken, hope you don't mind, but I bought some extra things that I think a college grad like you might need. A new laptop. Yours to keep of course! I think your mom told your uncle your current one was on its last legs. Also, I had a fashion friend gift me a couple of men's suits, y'know, for your future job interviews. We can get them tailored together next week, maybe hang out and get ice cream after?"

I was dumbstruck. "Wow, this is all way too generous! I can't take these!"

"Of course you can! They're my welcome gift to you!" Belle brightly insisted.

"I don't know what to say..." I was flustered. "Thank you Belle. I mean, Auntie Belle? Uh, do I even call you my aunt?"

"Please don't!" She giggled. "Your uncle and I aren't even married, much less engaged. Plus, I'm only like five years older than you!"

"Fair enough," I laughed, getting her to do so as well, both of us seemingly building a bond that I hadn't anticipated, or even knew I'd wanted.

Since I'd met Belle, she'd been nothing but warm and welcoming, greeting me at the door, ordering my Uber, buying me all these nice things. She was dispelling every negative stereotype I had of models being vapid, self-absorbed divas. And yet here I was, just minutes ago, fantasizing about her getting pounded in the next room over. Shit, now I was feeling guilty that I had jerked off to her seven times last week.

After Belle returned downstairs, I plopped onto my new bed, just to take a breath, soak everything in--this new chapter of my life.

***

After a tidy power nap, I checked my phone that'd been charging on my nightstand. The sunset was nearly gone. What time was the party again?

In my room, next to my luggage, there was a hanger with trendy clothes, along with a note from Belle saying that she had tailored my wardrobe for tonight's "white attire" party. After dressing up, I walked downstairs hoping to grab a bite to eat.

I traversed the living room and entered a very busy, very spacious kitchen, where a handful of workers were prepping endless rolls of sushi. I walked toward one of the staff, hoping they'd be nice enough to spare me.

Just then, a voice from behind called out to me. "Hey sorry buddy, food's not ready yet. Party hasn't started."

I turned my head, seeing a tall man enter the kitchen--the chef I surmised--based on his clothes, also conveniently white. He gave me brief eye contact, then continued to one of the stations to work on the food prep.

"Sorry, is there something I can munch on?" I asked, my stomach growling at this point.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Ken, Artie's nephew."

"Artie's nephew huh?" He sounded surprised.

"Yeah, I just flew back into town today," I mentioned, staring at him cutting mouth-watering sushi rolls. "I'm renting a room here."

"I hope your uncle's giving you a good discount."

"More or less," I chuckled, preferring not to advertise my personal poverty.

"I'm Sebastian. Seb for short."

"Nice to meet you," I replied, my eyes still glued to the sushi.

"Interesting day to start your residency here. I hear your uncle's industry parties are pretty crazy."

"I'll take your word for it. It's a first for me."

"We have something in common then. Except I guess I'm on the clock. Here, try this." Seb handed me a small plate of the colorful sushi roll he'd been working on. I quickly snapped it up and started to devour it.

With cheeks bulging, I asked, "So how do you know my uncle?"

"I don't. My wife Rita works with his girlfriend, Belle."

"Cool, yeah I just met Belle earlier for the first time."

"I'm sure a young man like you is familiar with her work." Seb winked.

I cringed inside, weirdly paranoid that he'd somehow known about my long-time fascination with Belle.

He followed, "Let me know what you think of it. I'm experimenting a bit for my upcoming restaurant."

I scarfed down more pieces, taking note of the sushi's vibrant flavors and textures.

"Hey Seb, this is really good!" I complimented.

"The marinated eggplant's the secret. Shh, don't tell anyone."

"So when's your restaurant opening?" I asked, stuffing the final piece into my mouth.

"Hopefully soon. I'm trying to get Belle to be there, make it a whole press event. You should tag along. Free food!"

"If it all tastes like this, count me in!"

"Right on." Seb flashed me a thumbs up, then turned to give instructions to his assistants.

Hunger satisfied for now, I decided to enter the backyard and see how the party was shaping up.

***

Outside, string lights were now on and illuminating the entire space. A performance stage had also been fully constructed, as well as an outdoor bar, where a guy was unboxing and organizing liquor bottles. I walked his way to see if he could help quench my sudden thirst.

"Excuse me, could I get a bottled water please?" I asked.

The man turned around and his face lit up. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Look who's back home!"

Holy shit, it was Ox! My uncle's best friend. I hadn't seen this dude since before I'd left for college. What the heck was his real name again? Oscar? Knox? Everyone just called him by his moniker.

"How's it going Ox?" I gave him a manly embrace, fitting for a guy of his appearance.

He similarly wore a white button-down shirt and white pants. Unlike me though, his muscled build filled out his clothes more snugly.

"Well played Kenny, Artie's told me you've managed to score a free room at this place. And nice threads, I see you got the memo on the dress code."

"Belle actually picked it out for me."

"She's got good taste! So you've met Belle then. Your uncle's a lucky guy huh." His tone was suggestive, like he wanted me to point out how hot she was. I didn't take the bait. Didn't want to give any hint that Belle had carved a permanent space in my mind since puberty.

I desperately switched topics, "Um, so where's Sherrie? I haven't seen her in ages."

"My lovely wife is currently at home with the kids. Babysitter wasn't available tonight. Kenny, can you pass me the Clase Azul?"

"The what?"

"The tequila."

"I don't know which one that is."

"The one that looks like a big pepper shaker."

"Sorry, I don't--" I fumbled with my words, unable to decipher the various bottles quickly enough.

"No worries bro, I got it." Ox grabbed the bottle himself, chuckling.

I felt like an ignorant idiot, clueless to help. You could say it was seemingly much ado about nothing, but in my mind, I started to feel inadequate. Started to feel like I didn't belong at this party.

"Hey Kenny, so I'm assuming you're single."

"For now, yeah."

Shit, why'd he assume that? My self-conscious anxieties were now front and center. Did I look like a hopeless loner?

"There's gonna be some hot girls here tonight," he added. "Belle invited her model friends. You ready? All you gotta do is say that you live here and they'll be throwing their pussies at you."

I stood in awkward silence, thrown off by the image of this 40-something uncle figure calling me bro, dishing out adult language out so casually.

Ox sized me up with a smile. "Come on Kenny, you're old enough now. We can use the word 'pussy' with each other. I'm sure you had your fair share of it in college."

Was he being sarcastic? I couldn't tell.

Ox continued, "Let me tell you, your uncle's parties are the stuff of legend. Think about all his high-profile connections. Then mix in Belle's model friends? Sheesh, this party's gonna be one to remember. Man, if I wasn't married..."

"Don't let Sherrie hear you say that," I lightheartedly let out.

Ox laughed in good fun. "Hey we're boys now. This 'guy talk' stays between us, alright?" He extended his arm for a fist bump. I extended mine, feeling like it'd be awkward if I didn't.

"Kenny, you should come over to my house next week. I'm throwing a little barbecue pool party. I invited your uncles."

Uncles. Plural.

"Uncle Frank?" I inquired.

"Yeah. Also his kid Colin. They're here tonight, don't know if you've seen them yet."

I scanned the far-ranging backyard for my other family members, but to no avail.

"Anyway," he continued, "Come through next week! I know Sherrie'd be happy to see you."

"Yeah I'll think about it. I don't really have a car at the moment."

"Carpool with your Uncle Artie. Belle will probably be in a tiny bikini, if you needed any convincing," Ox winked at me and nudged my forearm.