Chapter 12

* * *

“You have got to be kidding me!” I exclaimed peering over the top of the dressing stall. “I’m not coming out in this.”
My outfit was nothing less than scandalous.
I was dressed as a school girl. The kind of school girl that went to Playboy’s School of Stripping!
I wore a white halter top that was fashioned like a button down shirt, and wristlets made to look like shirt cuffs, completed with a purple tie, and purple, white and yellow plaid micro-mini that just barely covered my bottom.
The look was completed with white knee socks and purple stilettos.
“You look good.” Prince, in a purple and white pinstriped suit, urged from the other side of the stall. Suki and Mindy stood a few feet away, looking on silently.
“No I don’t! I look like a goddamned hooker!” I frowned out at him.
“Brynn stop it, you’re being childish.” Prince shook his head. “Now come outta there. You’re wasting time. And I’m paying a lot for this. Now come out.” He ordered.
Staring out at him, I whined, “I’m not coming out. This isn’t me. Michael would kill me if he saw me in this.”

Prince’s expression went stony at the mention of Michael’s name.
His heels clicked on the marble floor as he made his way to the stall door.
Giving me a lethal stare, he whispered,
“You get out that stall now, or I’m going to pull it apart and drag you out by your hair.”
I met his stare, an inkling that he just might yank me by my hair.
Against my better wishes, I flipped the latch on the door and slowly swung it open.
Prince reached down and gripped my arm so tightly, I winced.
“Mr. Prince…!” Mindy called out alarmed.
“Shut up Mindy.” Prince whipped his head around and glared at them.
“You and Suki take five.”
“But…” Mindy started.
“Now!”
As Mindy and Suki scurried out the door, Prince pulled me over to the class set and plunked me down in the seat.
Prince circled the chair several times, rubbing his chin before he finally said,
“This scares you doesn’t it?”
“You grabbed me again.” I growled, running my hand along the sore spot Prince had left on my arm.
“I’m not talking about the grabbing. I mean this: the little skimpy outfit. You’ve got a nice body. You should show it off.” He observed.
“No, I’m not being photographed in this.” I crossed my arms and shook my head defiantly.
Walking over to the chalkboard, Prince pointed,
“What’s this word?” He questioned.
I remained quiet and looked away.
“Now I know you can read. What the hell’s that word?”
“It’s ‘sexy’.” I mumbled quietly.
“What? I didn’t hear you.” Prince glanced back and grinned at me.
“Clean your ears! I said the word is sexy!” I snapped and pounded on the table.
“That’s right! Sexy!” Prince spun around. “Now a few days ago, I called you that. And you were acting like it. Letting me kiss on you…” Prince strutted over and leaned on the desktop.
“And you were totally dressed. I just wanted to see how far you’d let me go. I could have done much more to you. All I did was hug and kiss on you. You see…” Prince’s nose bumped mine as he leaned into my face.
“If I really wanted to make you crazy, I’d have rubbed that tight little ass of yours, or played in those big fun pillows coming out your chest. You probably would have raped me if I had touched them!”
“Please man!” I was utterly disgusted and tried to lean away from him.
“Brynn come off it. You know you’ve got some tits on you. Little hot thing.” Prince clicked his tongue and moved away from me.
I looked down at my hands which were clutched so tightly together, my knuckles were turning white. Which was a feat in itself considering I was Black.
“It’s funny how if you’re fully dressed, you’re ready to act like a little porn star, and when I put you in something barely-there, you act like a deer caught in the headlights. I think I’ve figured out something about you.” Prince walked around behind me.
“What’s that?” I questioned, a nervousness enveloping me with a cold chill.
“You know you’re sexy, but when it comes down to showing it off, you get scared. What happened to the girl that was all on me when Morris was here?” Prince tapped his foot on the floor.
“That was a mistake in judgment on my part.” I flipped my hair over my shoulder. I desperately wished he’d leave the studio incident alone.
“My ass.” Prince laughed. “Wherever that girl is, I want her back. Not this little Neverland minded child that’s here now.”
“Stop calling me a child!” I shouted jumping out of my seat.
“Stop acting like one.” Prince crossed his arms and grinned at me. “Prove to me that you can act like a woman.”
“Why does everything have to be proven to you?” I demanded stalking up to him.
“Because with you, I won’t believe it until I see it.” Prince winked at me.
“You’re an infuriating little man!” I drew my fist back to punch him.
“Don’t hit me.” Prince warned. Turning his back and starting towards the door, he said,

“Forget about the class shoot, this is too damn much trouble. Put on the next outfit. I’m through with this. And for the love of God, act your age instead of your damn shoe size.”
As Prince disappeared out the doors, a rage surged through me.
“Ahhh!” I screamed angrily and kicked the desk over.
It wasn’t as good as kicking Prince, but it did make me feel better.
And I knew I had a possibility of kicking the hell out of him, since the day was far, far from over.

An Hour Later

“Prince is a sadist right?” I looked up at Mindy as she busied herself brushing my hair.
My hair was a welcomed change. For the first time since I had been in Minnesota, my hair was once again straight. It was parted on the side and layers fell into my face, covering one eye.
“What do you mean?” Mindy questioned, setting the brush down and misting my hair with spray.
“I mean, Prince knows that I don’t particularly care for these little outfits and he keeps putting me in stuff like this.” I motioned to my ensemble.
I wore a pair of black stretch short shorts and a matching bustier. (It was clear that Prince wanted to showcase my bust: my boobs had never been pressed up so hard in any article of clothing in my life!)
Over that, I wore a purple wide-knit, fishnet shirt. Black go-go boots completed the look.
“Well, you know a portrait from one of these shoots is going to be hung somewhere here in the studios. Mr. Prince wants you to look your best. And everyone knows Mr. Prince likes scantily dressed women.” Mindy shrugged.
“Yeah, I know.” I sighed.
“You think I like dressing up all the time? Wearing high heels and skirts and stuff?” Mindy questioned. “In order to be here for Mr. Prince at five a.m., I have to get myself up and ready at three a.m. And photo shoot days are murder ‘cause he’s expects me to look perfect at an hour when people are going to sleep.” Mindy shook her head.
“I’d rather come to work in jeans or sweats, but Mr. Prince wants a lady to look like a lady. And he’s sketchy, cause one day he’ll come in and say, ‘Pack up, Mindy, we’re going to such and such event or some outing, and I don’t have time to change.” Mindy giggled.
“Don’t you ever have a vacation?” I wondered, fingering the edge of my net top.
“Well kind of, like if Mr. Prince goes somewhere or out the country and doesn’t need me all day, he’ll let me go. The last real vacation I had was when he and his wife broke up, that week.” Mindy thoughtfully twirled a lock of hair that had come loose from her ponytail.
At the mention of his wife, I stiffened. Prince had been hitting on me, and I was wondering if he was just on the rebound.
“Mindy, do you think there’s anyway that Prince and Manuela will ever reconcile or are they really Splitsville?” I wondered in a low voice.
“No, I don’t think so.” Mindy shook her head and leaned against my chair.
“When Mr. Prince threw me and Suki out in the hall, the other make up artist said that while she was working on his face, the phone in the salon was ringing off the hook with calls from lawyers talking about the divorce and all that sort of stuff. So yeah, it’s really over. I know last week, Manuela called him one morning, and he hung up in her face.” Mindy sounded sad.
“All that over a bill for an apartment. It’s a lot of shit.”
“Mindy…” I looked up at her, a question throbbing in my mind.
“You work with Prince all the time, um…” I chewed on my bottom lip, painted a frosty pink color. “Does he say anything about me?”
‘Sometimes. Nice things though. I think he likes you.” Mindy patted my shoulder.

“As a friend or what?” I hid my trembling hands in my lap.
“I’m not sure.” A smile touched Mindy’s lips. “He mentions everyday that he likes how pretty I have you looking the day before. So maybe more. Don’t quote me though. Why? Are interested in him?” Mindy leaned around and grinned at me.
“He makes it so hard to like him. Is he bi-polar? I mean for most of last week he was nice to me, and then we argued over that damn schoolgirl outfit…” I cracked my knuckles.
“That’s the problem. Mr. Prince is stubborn. You have to let him have his way. Trust me: it makes life a lot easier if you do what he asks, when he asks.” Mindy advised. “When he told me I’d look better blonde, I had to go right out and get my hair dyed.”
“What?” I stared at her. “You mean you’re not naturally blonde?” I was shocked.
“I’m a natural redhead, but he thought blonde would look better. And I wanted to keep my job. Besides, it’s only hair color. It’s not who I am. You’re still the same person Brynn, whether you’re in this go-go outfit, or in the clothes you like. Just tough it out. I know you’d rather get this over with than argue all day.” Mindy nodded.
Mindy was absolutely right. My clothes didn’t make me who I was. I was still the same girl I had been before I had ever met Prince.
As I thought about her words, Prince entered with Suki.
All my worries sailed away when I laid eyes on his ensemble.
He wore tight, hip-hugging trousers and a purple mesh shirt that matched mine. His hair had been straightened and blown out and tumbled over a mesh that Prince wore over his eyes like a blindfold. (But since the nets were so widely spaced, he had no trouble seeing.)
His gold symbol hung near his waist.
The man looked good.
Prince once again made his way over to me and gave me a once over.
He nodded silently, running his hand over his furry chest.
I glanced back at Mindy; she watching the scene just as quietly. Her face was placid, but her eyes showed her worry.
Leaning forward, Prince pecked my lips gently.
His kiss further lightened the mood and clued me in that he--at least for the moment--was in better spirits.
And it didn’t hurt that I liked the kiss.
Speaking into my mouth, he whispered,
“You look good.”
My words bounced into his glossy mouth as I whispered back,
“So do you.”
Prince clutched my hand and started towards the cage.
“I had a feeling we were going to use this.” I giggled as he opened the cage.
“It’s my dirty little cage.” Prince grinned.
“For a dirty man?” I winked at him.
Prince just chuckled.
The shoot utilizing the cage was relatively short.
For the first time, the photos seemed more centered on me than him.
Prince spent most of the shoot, retreated in the corner of the cage, while I stood front and center, in an array of poses, curling around the bars.
After the shoot, Prince approached me and dropped yet another curious question:
“Do you like the weather here in Minnesota so far?”
“It’s alright, if you dig feeling like a Popsicle every time you step outside.” I flipped my hair over my shoulder.
Prince chuckled. “Think warm thoughts.”
With that, he made his exit.
“Think warm thoughts? What’s that mean?” I questioned storming over to Mindy who handed me a garment bag.
“You clearly haven’t seen the last outfit.” Mindy giggled as I opened the bag.
Inside was a stiff black and purple harlequin patterned jacket with a pointed hem. Small gold symbols hung from each point.
Pinned to the jacket was a small pair of black bikini bottoms.
I glanced at Mindy and off at Suki, who had paused to watch my reaction.
I knew that they were waiting for me to explode and start complaining about the skimpy outfit.
I didn’t want to give them the satisfaction, and even though I was miles from my comfort zone, I wasn’t going to give in and raise hell.
Though I wanted to.
“Oh well.” I shrugged nonchalantly.
After I had changed into the outfit--making sure the jacket was zipped underneath my chin, since it was clearly the only thing between me and utter nudity--I stepped out of the stall and allowed Mindy to outfit me with a pair of five inch black stilettos.
“You’re taking this well.” Mindy observed touching up my hair and make-up.
“Sooner I do it, sooner it’s over, right?” I smiled at her.
In my mind I was hoping that Michael didn’t even think that I was wearing an outfit like I had on--for the sake of his health. And mine.
“You’ve got it.” Mindy returned the smile.
The room became quiet; Mindy tended to my hair and Suki stood a few feet away, reloading film into her camera.
In the silence, I looked down at my hands, pondering just what Prince had going on in his tiny mind to come up with such a scandalous outfit.
My mind drifted to a few hours earlier when he had called me sexy.
I just couldn’t seem to wrap my mind around the idea. I never really thought I was sexy. Cute, maybe pretty, but never sexy.
I had to admit, I did get a delicious chill up my spine when I thought of Prince referring to me in that way.
But it was so hard to like Prince.
Sure he was attractive, everybody with eyes could see that, but his attitude was so wild, nice and sweet--like right after he had given me Gone With The Wind--and then a Tiny Terror during all our arguments.
But then again, I couldn’t like Prince; I belonged to Michael. I owed my life to Michael and I had to be faithful to him.
I remembered how ill I was when Prince had kissed me soon after I got to Paisley Park. I knew I was doing wrong. I knew it.
But my body stiffened as my mind replayed what had happened in Prince’s dining room.
I had never regretted it.
I knew that I had thrown a temper tantrum, but it wasn’t because Prince had humiliated me.
It was because I hadn’t wanted him to stop. To stop kissing me, to stop touching me…I didn’t want him to stop.
And there were times where I still wanted him to touch and kiss me…
I was jarred from my thoughts by a light tugging on my hair.
I glanced into the mirror, expecting to Mindy trying to comb out a tangle.
My heart flipped when I saw that Prince was standing behind me.
Without thinking I jumped out of my seat and bumped against the make up table.
He looked fresh and dewy in a jacket that matched mine. It was unzipped exposing his chest and he wore black trousers that were so tight, it was impossible to conceive that he was able to breathe in them.
His hair was brushed back and almost into a pompadour and seemed gelled into place.
A smirk found its way onto his pinkish lips.
“Brynn… damn….you look good.” Prince reached out and grabbed my arm and pulled me closer to him. I stared at the floor to avoid looking at him.
He looked me up and down. “You got some legs on you….”
Peeking behind me, he continued, “…and a cute little ass.”
My body burned with a mix of flattery and embarrassment.
I looked up and saw that Mindy stood off to the side a few feet away, twirling a comb in her hands. She looked on nervously, I was sure she was after Prince’s approval of my look.
“Come on, Suki is waiting for us.” Prince turned and started towards the door.

Obediently, I followed him quietly, noting that his excessive bottom bounced tantalizingly with every step he took. Mindy brought up the rear, trying to smooth down my hair as I walked.
We silently filed through the building, I was so strung on watching Prince’s bottom that he could have led me into the Seven Circles of Hell and I probably wouldn’t have noticed.
When Prince finally did come to a halt, and I had to catch myself to keep from running into him.
I saw that we stood in a large garage. It was painted in a simple eggshell tone.
Several luxury vehicles were parked in there, including the stretch limo that carted me between Prince’s home and the studio, a bright yellow BMW, a dark blue Hummer, and coincidently, a little red corvette.
I looked around; Prince, Mindy and I were the only souls in there.
“Um…Prince, where’s Suki?” I asked timidly.
He turned to me and smiled coolly.
“Remember how I said to think warm thoughts?” He questioned.
“Yeah…” I was confused; I thought that was how I ended up in the skimpy outfit.
Prince made his way over to a switch on the wall and flipped it.
“Well start thinking now.” He said as a low rumbling sound flooded the area.
I realized that one of the three doors to the garage was opening!
I jumped as a chilly gust of air blew against me and my exposed legs.
“Oh my God!” I stared through the door and saw that Suki stood just outside the doors--bundled in a lime green marshmallow coat, no less--and was holding her camera.
“The last shot is outside?” I shrieked as more wind blew.
Putting his arm around me, Prince chuckled,
“You catch on fast.”
Tugging me along, Prince led me outside and a few feet from the garage where a very large black and chrome Harley-Davidson motorcycle was setting on a wide cement walkway. I sputtered helplessly--Mindy walked along quietly and offered no assistance.
“Now all I wanted was a nice shot of us on my bike. Calm the hell down!” Prince shook me lightly.
Tossing my hair back, I snapped, “I am calm. Just cold!”
I watched as Prince slid into the leather driver’s seat and ran his hands along the handle bars. How he was able to stand the frigid atmosphere, I had no idea.
“Get on.” Prince glimpsed back at me.
Teeth starting to chatter, I slipped in behind him, the freezing seat sending shock waves through my butt.
“Aww!” I cried out and wrapped my arms around my torso. My entire body was quaking uncontrollably.
“Put your arms around me, so it’ll look like we’re actually riding the motorcycle.” Prince instructed.
Almost in tears from cold, I slid up close to him and wrapped my arms around his slender waist.
For some strange reason, Prince felt extremely warm, as if he had an electric blanket wrapped around him.
Without really thinking about it, I leaned my head against his back and shoulder, my cold flesh heating against his.
“Are you comfortable?” Prince asked softly.
“Yes…” I sighed contentedly.
I don’t know how I managed to do it, but I managed to get a series of shot on the bike without expiring from exposure. Some had Prince and myself looking serious, some laughing and grinning and in an instant of sheer adrenaline, perhaps insanity, I had hopped up, leaned against the front of the bike, and unzipped my jacket to wear I could get it off my shoulders.
Maybe a newfound sexiness had prompted the snap pose, I didn’t know.
But I soon found out that one cold shoot, was going to lead to a very hot situation…