Chapter 8: The Party of the Year

As much as Rey wanted Kylo to explain more about what he meant, he didn't. In fact, they didn't speak much more about his family the rest of their weekend in the Hamptons, to Rey's dismay. Yet she still held onto hope. It was obvious that deep down Kylo longed to mend his relationship with his mother. While Rey wished she could do it for him, he needed to be the one to take initiative. But if Rey so happened to stumble upon any opportunities that could help facilitate the process, she would damn well take it.

They returned to the city Sunday evening without having really talked more about Kylo's family. He always skirted around the issue, acting like nothing had happened, as if he didn't kick out his own mother from his house. As if the woman he hadn't spoken to in years hadn't shown up on his doorstep, begging for a chance to talk with him. Rey would've pressed him—a big part of her wanted to—but her intuition told her to give Kylo space and to be patient. She believed that eventually he would reach out to his mother of his own accord rather than being forced to. Which is how she thought it should be: voluntary, of his own will.

The mention of his grandfather, though… it gnawed at Rey. She lay with eyes wide open, staring into the darkness. Kylo slept soundly beside her, their arms and legs tangled with their heads sharing the same pillow, taking up very little space in their enormous king-sized bed. Rey checked the time and saw it was 4:50am. She had woken up before Kylo's alarm was set to go off. The temptation to investigate Kylo's grandfather was great in those early morning hours, but she resisted the urge to do a quick Google search—she knew there just had to be a story there—because she wanted to hear it from Kylo himself. At one point she contemplated calling Leia to ask her, but decided against it. She was going to see her at the Met Gala later that night anyway. Rey could wait to talk about this, in person. She had a feeling it was something to be spoken face to face about.

Yes, she could wait until tonight. What was a few more hours?

Rey knew all about waiting after all.

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

The alarm was shrilling, obnoxious and loud. It woke Kylo up instantaneously. He stirred in Rey's arms, mumbling a few obscenities before slamming the snooze button. When he turned back to face Rey, she saw the outline of a toothy smile in the darkness.

"Morning, sunshine," he whispered, pecking the tip of Rey's nose. It made her giggle.

"Morning, Biggie."

"This is nice," he muttered, wrapping his arms tighter around her. "I love getting to wake up with you every morning. I don't think I'll ever get tired of it."

"I know," Rey agreed, kissing the end of his nose. "To think that we'll get to do this every day for the rest of our lives now, it makes me—"

"—happy," Kylo finished. Rey moved to snuggle closer to the man she loved, to the man she was going to spend the rest of her life with.

"Mm-hmm. We're not alone anymore."

"Nope." Kylo gave Rey another peck on her nose. "We're not."

"So does this mean you're still okay with me coming to work out with you?"

"Of course. But only if you're up for the challenge."

Rey harrumphed. "Challenge?"

"My workouts are pretty grueling, Rey," he teased as he played with her hair. "I wonder if you'll be able to keep up."

Rey scoffed, wriggling out of his embrace to sit up in bed. "Anything you can do, I can do better."

"We'll see about that…"

"Are you mocking me, Ren?" Rey grabbed a nearby pillow and playfully hit him with it.

"Yes," he replied to which Rey hit him again. "Lighten up, baby, you know I'm just messing with you."

"Uh-huh, that's right. You better be!"

"Besides, it is known fact that couples who workout together, stay together."

"Well then, let's get to it. Let's hit the gym!" Rey climbed out of bed and opened the blackout curtains with a touch of a button. "We gotta be in tip-top shape for the wedding. We have to be shredded. These are the pictures we'll show our kids and our grandchil—" Rey stopped herself, clearing her throat. "Well you know what I mean. Lots of people will see these photos for many years to come so we should look our best."

"Grandchildren?" Kylo scratched his chin, impassive.

"Yeah, our future grandchildren…"

Rey didn't know if this would finally get him to talk about his grandfather. She waited with bated breath, watching as his expressionless face broke gently into a smile.

"I like the sound of that," Kylo confessed.

Rey sighed, defeated. Darn it.

Even though she was disappointed that Kylo seemed to skirt around the topic again, she had to admit her heart warmed at the thought of children… of grandchildren with Kylo.

A family.

Her family.

"Hmm, I like the sound of that, too."

"Bench press me again, babe!"

Kylo's dark hair shone, blacker than usual, glistening with moisture. His solid body was slick with sweat, and the exposed skin of his toned arms and back muscles

rippled with movement. Rey didn't think it was possible for him to look sexier than he did in that moment.

"Alright Nowan, get over here," he grunted, beckoning with his free hand as he replaced the bar he was lifting back in its rack.

Rey made her way over to him and he gave her a sideways grin before, assuming his position on the bench press.

"Do you want me to spot you, Mr. Ren?" the trainer who'd been working with Kylo and Rey all morning asked jokingly.

"I think he'll be just fine," Rey answered as she positioned her five foot seven frame perpendicular between Kylo's extended palms with her hands crossed over her belly. He supported Rey's one hundred and twenty pound body like it was nothing. She felt as light as a feather. "But stay nearby, just in case," she teased as Kylo lowered her body to where it almost touched his chest. He moved his arms up and down with practiced ease as Rey counted aloud.

"18... 19... 20! Yes! You did it, babe!"

Kylo set Rey down gently then punched the air before he sat up to catch his breath.

"Awesome job, Mr. Ren!" his trainer praised, slapping his shoulder. He beamed at Kylo, then looked to Rey. "You both did a tremendous job this morning! I'd say it's time for a cool down."

"What do you suggest?" asked Rey.

"How about some yoga?"

"That sounds great," Kylo stated, rising to stand. Rey scrunched up her nose.

"Yoga?" she muttered in a disapproving tone. "Yoga is boring as shit."

Kylo laughed. "Oh, come on, Rey. Give it a chance. It has its perks."

"Like what?"

"Well for one, it makes you more flexible." He caressed the long length of her sweaty neck, lowering his lips to her ear to whisper, "We could use more flexibility in the bedroom."

Instead of encouraging Rey, the remark offended her. "Excuse me? You've never complained about anything before! If anything you seem to be quite satisfied in that department."

"N-n-no, no," Kylo panicked, stuttering to save himself. "I'm not complaining!" Kylo defended, holding his hands up. "I'm not. Things are great! Really great! I'm just saying there's more we've yet to discover. That's all."

"Oh." Rey relaxed, much to Kylo's relief. "Well, when you put it like that, then okay, let's go do some boring poses."

"Perfect!" the peppy trainer exclaimed, displaying his extremely white teeth. "You guys are actually in luck! We have a very special guest teaching yoga this morning." He began to lead the two towards the back of the famous New York City gym that gained its worldwide notoriety from its uber-famous clientele.

Kylo quirked an eyebrow. "Special guest?"

The man nodded enthusiastically.

"Who is it?" Rey asked, her excitement growing.

"None other than Teddi!"

Teddi? Never heard of them, Rey thought to herself, not wanting to disappoint the man with her lack of knowledge of who this Teddi person was.

"Teddi… Osorio?" Kylo's voice quivered slightly before he gulped loudly. "The influencer?"

"Yes!" the cheery instructor beamed. "The one and only!"

Rey flicked her gaze from the buoyant trainer to Kylo and saw the color drain from his face.

He stopped dead in his tracks.

"Kylo?" Rey asked, halting her own steps. "Are you okay?"

"You know what? On second thought, we're gonna pass on the yoga," Kylo blurted, already turning on his heel as he took hold of Rey's wrist.

"What? Why?" Rey was taken aback by Kylo's behavior. Why is he acting so strange?

"I just remembered I have an important meeting to get to."

Kylo was obviously lying and Rey wasn't buying this hasty excuse. "So you go then. I'll stay here and take the class—"

"NO!"

Rey and the trainer jumped in shock from his outburst.

"No, I-I need you to come with me." His tone was stern but his face quickly went from demanding to pleading. "Please?"

Rey took a moment to consider his request. She looked from Kylo to the trainer then back.

"Okay," she conceded. "Okay."

Kylo all but bolted and Rey struggled to keep up with his hurried pace.

"What the hell was that all about?" she asked once they had exited the exclusive gym.

"Look, I'll explain later, but right now—"

"No! Not later. Now!" She yanked her hand free from Kylo's grasp. "Tell me right now! You need to tell me everything." Then it all came out of her like word vomit. She couldn't stop herself. "Tell me about your mother. Tell me why you said you're like your grandfather. Tell me why the fuck we ran out of the gym like it was on fucking fire! You need to stop this, Kylo! I'm so sick of you not telling me things, of shutting me out. Stop it!"

"I'm not shutting you out!" he yelled back. "I'm just trying to protect you!"

"Protect me? From what?"

"From… from…"

"Ren!" a voice called loudly from nearby, startling them. Glancing to the side, they discovered that a black Audi had pulled up beside them. The voice belonged to a flustered redheaded man sitting in the backseat with the glass window pulled all the way down.

"Hux?"

"Thank God! I was on my way to your building, but I'm glad I caught you here. You need to come with me now. There's an urgent matter at First Order needing your attention."

"What?" Kylo barked. "Urgent matter? What the fuck are you talking about?"

"What's wrong?" Rey asked, her eyes flitting from Kylo to Hux.

"Um, well," Hux floundered, scratching his forehead. He cleared his throat, lowering his voice, "There's word that the FBI will be dropping by this morning."

"The FBI?" Kylo grew increasingly concerned, shifting to face his uneasy COO. "Like a raid?"

"Perhaps," Hux said, but what his fretful green eyes and quivering chin meant was: yes.

"Not again," Kylo stomped towards the parked vehicle and opened its door, shoving Hux harshly as he slid into the backseat. "I thought they were done with that, we've proven our innocence. We had nothing to do with that insider trading case!"

Hux nodded fervently. "Right, right. Which is why you need to be there to tell them that."

"Do we have time to stop at my place?"

"No," Hux shook his head violently. "We need to leave now."

"Shit," Kylo cursed, turning to look back at Rey with an apologetic stare.

"It's okay," Rey allayed. "I understand. First Order needs you."

"I'll call Tom Cruz to come pick you up," Kylo told her as he shut the car door.

"No, don't be silly. The penthouse is less than a five minute walk from here. Just go. I'll be fine."

"You sure?"

"Go, Kylo!"

"Yes, please," Hux agreed eagerly. "Let's go."

"Okay, I'll see you later tonight, sweetheart," Kylo said before ordering the chauffeur to drive. "We'll talk some more at home before the gala, I promise."

Rey's shoulders slumped as she nodded, waving him goodbye as the car pulled away.

"I really hope we can," she whispered to herself.

"Where are you?" Rey asked into her phone. "We were supposed to have left for the gala an hour ago."

"I'm sorry, Smalls," Kylo apologized profusely. "This whole issue with the FBI turned into a complete clusterfuck. It's taken up all of my goddamn time today."

"Really? It's that bad?"

"It's okay, we've seemed to have finally resolved all of the FBI's lingering doubts."

"Thank God," Rey breathed a huge sigh of relief.

"Yeah. Listen, I'm gonna get on out of here soon. I had Mitaka get me another suit for the gala. I think it's best if I just meet you up there instead of me going home since we're already behind schedule."

"Okay." Rey was disappointed, not wanting to have arrived separately, but at least they'd be together once there.

"So what did you and the stylist come up with wear?" Kylo asked, attempting to lighten the mood.

"Oh my God, Kylo, you should've seen some of the stuff he wanted to put me in! Some outfits were downright ridiculous! Most of them I couldn't possibly even sit in, let alone walk!"

Kylo chuckled. "Wild and wacky fashion is always a staple at the Met Gala. People go all out for it."

"Are you going to?"

"Hell no," Kylo replied, causing Rey to snort. "I myself always like to keep it simple."

"Great! Because that's what I did, too... to the stylist's dismay."

"I'm sure you look absolutely stunning. You always do."

Rey's mouth stretched widely, her teeth bared. "Thanks. I can't wait to see you. I'm sorry about blowing up on you this morning."

"Don't be, you had every right to. I'm sorry you felt like I was shutting you out. I'm not, I swear."

Rey made a half-hearted sound of acknowledgement.

"You know I love you, right?"

"I know," Rey replied. "Just like you know that I love you, too."

"Right."

"Miss Nowan, shall we get going?" Tom Cruz, the driver, asked Rey. "The traffic right now is… how you say… pésimo. Terrible."

"Yes, let's go, Tomás," Rey replied then spoke into her cellphone. "I'll see you in a bit, Ren."

"See you soon, sweetheart."

"So what exactly is the Met Gala, Miss Nowan?" Tomás asked Rey on their way uptown to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

"Tomás, I told you that you can call me Rey," she reminded.

"Perdón, Rey," he apologized, shrugging. "Force of habit."

"That's okay. So the Met Gala…"

"Yes?"

"It's usually held the first Monday in May, but this year they moved it to June because the museum was undergoing a bit of remodeling. From what I can tell, it's like the Super Bowl of fashion. It's a huge affair, the party of the year. Everyone who is anyone comes to the museum for their annual fundraising gala that celebrates the Costume Institute's new exhibition on a changing theme. Every year it's different, I hear."

"What is the theme this year?"

"Yin and Yang: The Fashion of Balance," Rey answered. "So like, I guess basically it's like a black and white party? Hence my dress." Rey was channeling her inner Audrey Hepburn in her black and white dress. Her hair was pulled his on top, arranged in a tight ponytail-meets-bun. She kept her makeup classic and glamorous, her skin glowing and her cheeks shimmered a subtle shade of peachy pink while a bit of drama was added to her eyes with impeccably traced black gel liner.

Tomás shot a quick glance at Rey in the rearview mirror. "It is a very lovely dress, Rey. And you look hermosa. Beautiful!"

"Thank you," Rey flushed and fumbled her fingers in her lap. "I have to admit I'm quite nervous."

"Why?"

I would feel better if Kylo were with me. "There's going to be a lot of celebrities there. A lot of cameras. I get starstruck pretty easily. I don't know, it's a bit overwhelming, sort of."

"I see," Tomás commiserated. "For what it's worth, miss, I think you will be okay. You will blend in with those people really good."

"You think so?" Really? Me? A nobody?

"Of course!" he replied with gusto. "This is your world, after all."

"Huh," Rey clicked her tongue. "I suppose it is now."

"We are here, Rey," Tomás announced when their white Tesla rolled up to the very busy and chaotic Fifth Avenue.

Rey scanned her surroundings and her mouth dropped in awe. New York City police officers could be seen stationed all around the gargantuan building. The sprawling stairs of the museum were encased in a tented white structure. Frantic reporters and photographers alike were situated in cramped barricades on either side of the grand entrance. Across the street, Rey saw a myriad of onlookers gathered behind police roadblocks, hopeful that they'd catch at least a glimpse of a famous star. The crowd roared and cheered as elite guests made their way inside the exclusive event, pausing to pose for the cameras and speak with journalists along the way.

"Wow, this is insane, Tomás!" Rey exclaimed, covering her mouth with a manicured hand.

"It looks like so much fun," he answered excitedly before parking the car. "Have a great time, Miss Rey!"

The door at Rey's side flew open then, and a burly guard extended a hand.

"Welcome to the Met Gala, miss."

"Uh," Rey hesitated before placing her right hand in his, allowing him to help her out of the car. "Thank you."

"Please continue down that way," the security guard indicated to the red-carpeted path in front of her. "Feel free to stop for pictures or interviews with anyone you wish. Have a wonderful evening."

"Do I—do I have to show anyone my invitation?"

The guard shook his head. "Not necessary, miss. Mr. Ren informed us you'd be with him."

"Oh," Rey said as she smoothed out the lengthy train of her flocked gazar dress. "Do you know if he's here yet?"

"No, ma'am. Not yet. But you can wait for him by that corner if you wish to walk the carpet with him."

"I think I'll do that, thanks!"

"You're welcome."

Just as she turned to walk, she bumped forcefully into someone that was either walking by at that exact same moment she was or they were standing idly way too close to her. The force of the impact was so great it had knocked them both down to the ground.

"Ouch!" Rey yelled as she landed on her bottom. The ground beneath her was hard as cement because it was cement.

"Carajo," the woman she bumped into cursed, grimacing as she rose to stand. "Shit! Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm alright," Rey said, struggling to get up to her feet. The woman offered her hand to help and Rey gratefully accepted it. "I think that's gonna leave a mark, though," she admitted, rubbing her sore bottom through her dress. "But I'm okay. You?"

"I'm fine," the brunette stranger replied, blushing. "I'm sorry, I just couldn't help but admire your dress. It's stunning! You look gorgeous."

Rey wanted to express thanks, but she was struck speechless as her eyes roamed up and down the entrancing woman in front of her.

"Who are you wearing?" she asked as Rey remained speechless. "Let me guess, it's Oscar de la Renta, right?"

"How-how did you know?" Rey finally broke her stunned silence but continued to gawk.

"I have an eye for these kind of things," she winked at her and Rey's heart inexplicably skipped a beat. There was just something captivating about this beautiful stranger. She tried very hard to break free of her spell, to stop herself from looking like a complete loser, but it was futile. "Your makeup is absolute perfection!" the brunette continued to compliment Rey. "It's glamorous, but simple. Not too ostentatious. Not like mine, anyway," she chuckled before her eyes zeroed in on Rey's lips. "That shade of Nars lipstick looks so delicious. It's Brigette, right? That's the same shade I'm wearing, but it looks way better on you. Exquisite!"

"Thank you," Rey said, continuing to stare at the bombshell before her. "But you're being much too kind. You look like a fucking goddess."

She threw her head back and laughed daintily, the action making her seem even more ethereal. "You are too sweet, girl. Thanks!"

The charismatic woman was young, and Rey surmised she had to be no more than in her late twenties. Her features were refined and delicate with a chiseled jawline and symmetrical cheeks. Her nose was perfectly narrow and sculpted, her lips full and plump, and her brown eyes carried a provocative warmth to them. In short, she radiated sultriness and Rey felt like a mere mortal in her glorious presence. It made her wonder what she did to warrant such a blessing.

"Your makeup is artsy," Rey reciprocated the gorgeous stranger's compliments, studying her. She sported a dramatic cat eye look with three intricately placed silver glitter tears on her right cheek. "And your whole look is, too. That dress… wow." She wore a black tight-fitting sleeveless gown with a thigh-grazing slit and her enviable assets were on display in its low cut top. She paired the gown with bicep-high black latex gloves and a sweeping white cape that covered her toned shoulders, making her look both sexy and pure. A balance between virtue and vice.

"It's Prabal Gurung," the brunette explained cheerfully. "Let me tell you, I was incredibly fortunate to have him design this dress for me. I'm a huge fan of his work."

"It's fabulous," Rey said. "And those jewels, whoa!"

The young woman touched the intricate silver and gold chokers around her neck—they resembled a coiling snake—that had a massive sapphire pendant positioned in the middle. The neckpieces matched her sapphire earrings adorned with dazzling diamonds, shimmering brilliantly from her ears.

"My jewels? They're nothing compared to yours," her dark brown eyes darted from the mismatched pair of white diamond earrings down to the massive bauble on Rey's ring finger. "Diamonds are indeed a girl's best friend." She reached to grab her hand, bringing it closer to her eye level. Rey found her touch to be oddly unsettling and reassuring at the same time. "Are you engaged?"

"Yes, I am."

"Congratulations!" the statuesque brunette beamed. "What a lucky guy…" Her attentive gaze moved from the engagement ring to look into Rey's eyes. "Or girl." She winked again, disarming Rey.

"Guy," Rey felt the need to clarify. "It's a guy."

"Ah." She smiled knowingly, letting go of Rey's hand. "Well, guess I should get going now. These things always make me so nervous. It's so overwhelming."

"You feel overwhelmed by it, too?"

"Of course! I mean, how can you not?" She gestured towards the screaming photographers and rowdy crowd.

Rey was relieved to find someone else here felt the same way she did. "Is this your first Met Gala?"

"Me? Oh no, I've been here a handful of times before," the bewitching beauty replied, "but this is the first time I come unaccompanied."

"You came alone?" Rey was baffled by the idea of this stunning girl being single.

"Yep, but I do not mind it one bit. I've learned that it's quite empowering and liberating, being on your own."

"Liberating?"

"I haven't had the best of luck in love. I always end up falling for the wrong guy, unfortunately."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Rey sympathized. She suddenly felt extremely fortunate to have found Kylo.

"Eh, my romantic life has had more downs than ups. It's just how it's been for me. In fact, the guy I came here with last time was the last boyfriend I've had in a long time. He… he wasn't good for me. He didn't appreciate me. He only wanted me at his beck and call. I was just a trophy, a possession for him. He didn't love me." Rey watched as she gracefully choked back a sob.

"That sounds awful," Rey said, resisting the urge to hug her. "Your ex-boyfriend sounds like he was a real asshole. It's for the best you guys parted ways then."

"Yeah, I know that now, but you know, it's... was still painful."

"I'm sure it was."

"The funny thing is that there were warning signs, and I just chose to ignore them."

"Warning signs?"

"Like… well, for starters, the way he treated his mother. It was cringe-worthy, the stuff he did to her, said to her. His relationship with his father wasn't any better, either. It was probably worse. And then there was that horrible tragedy with his grandfather…"

"Grandfather?" The hairs at the back of Rey's neck stood on end.

"Yeah, it's crazy, but it turns out that his grandfather was abusive to his grandmother and ended up actually killing her in a fit of jealous rage. It's such a sad and disturbing story. And well, you know how the saying goes… the apple doesn't fall far from the tree."

Rey's chest grew tight as bile rose into her throat. She gasped loudly when the girl—who was she?—grabbed her left hand.

"Just… make sure whoever gave this ring to you knows your worth," she caressed her ring finger and Rey's hand shook, her heart thudding in her chest. "And that he loves and respects you with every fiber of his being," the mysterious woman heeded. "Don't settle for any less."

"Of course," Rey's voice trembled.

The brunette flashed her a reassuring smile as she released her hand. "My name is Teddi, by the way."

"T-t-teddi?"

"And you are?"

"Teddi! Oh my God, it's Teddi Osorio, guys!" a photographer bellowed and many others followed suit. "Teddi! Teddi! Come over here, Teddi! Who are you wearing? Teddi!"

"Looks like duty calls. See you inside," Teddi said, turning to walk towards the flashing lights and screaming photographers and reporters.

Rey couldn't move, let alone breathe.

"I see you've met the famous social media influencer, Teddi Osorio," came a young female voice from behind Rey.

"Jesus Christ!"

"You know, I think she actually has even more followers than that guy," Kaydel Ko Connix joked. "Sorry, Rey, didn't mean to scare you there. You look very beautiful, by the way. Love your dress."

"You know her?" Rey blurted.

"No, not personally," Kaydel's tone matched her deadpan face.

She was wearing a white off-the-shoulder ruched Zac Posen gown that made her resemble a bored bride. "But I do follow her on Instagram and Twitter. She's got like, 12 million followers, it's ridiculous. Oh, and I'm subscribed to her YouTube channel, too, obviously. "

"Who is she?"

Kaydel fished her iPhone from her black clutch. "Long story short, she's a former beauty queen turned influencer. Teodora 'Teddi' Osorio was Miss Mexico and then later crowned Miss Universe back in 2010. After her reign ended, she dabbled in a bit of everything: modeling, acting, fitness. She's an amazing yoga instructor! You should check out her videos on YouTube. They're so good. Anyway, her whole goal in life is to inspire and uplift women." Kaydel stopped typing and scrolling on her phone, turning it around to show Rey. "And yeah…" Rey's breath came quick and uneasy as her eyes bulged, fixating onto the Instagram picture displayed on Kaydel's screen. "She's Kylo's ex-girlfriend."

Author's Note:

Teddi is an original character of mine and she will be popping up in future chapters, so keep an eye out for her. I envision Teddi looking exactly like Mexican actress Eiza Gonzalez so feel free to use her face when picturing her in this little fic of mine.

More Met Gala gloriousness to come so I hope y'all stay tuned.

THANKS FOR READING! Okay you all know I is a sucker for comments! Please let me know what you think. Hearing from you helps keep the story going. So if you want more, sound off in the little box below!