Dane's Date Pt. 02

Dane's Date: Part Two

by kiwibat

Tess was exhausted. It was only an hour into the event, and she already wanted to go home.

Her feet were throbbing in these ridiculous high heels. She was tired of wearing this stupid dress. It was ridiculous short and tight. Every single movement required careful calculation. One wrong move and her tits and ass would be on display for everyone.

She was tired of being treated like a trophy, tired of the endless parade of guests with their polite smiles and judgmental looks.

This was so humiliating. Tess sank into an empty chair.

Fuck these shoes.

She reached down, yanking off her heels. She winced as the cool floor soothed her swollen feet.

That's better.

No more heels. No more dressing up for Dane. Why should she give a shit what he thinks. She leaned back in her chair, trying to ignore everything around her. The room felt too warm, too loud, too bright. The warm glow of the chandeliers gave it a hazy, dreamlike feeling.

All around her, people were staring. The women's expressions ranged from amused to judgmental, while the men... well... she knew exactly what the men were thinking.

She's with Dane Holliday.

She's on his arm, dressed like this, looking like that.

She's not here with her husband.

Dane's dates are all the same.

She needed a break, some time to breath, but it'd barely been a minute before she once again heard his deep, annoying voice.

"Tired?"

Tess sighed. "Can't I just be alone for one damn minute?"

"You can rest later. There's someone I have to meet, and I need you by my side."

She sighed. "This is so humiliating. Everyone thinks I'm some shallow gold digger."

Dane just smiled. "Are you?"

Tess shot him a look with daggers in her eyes.

He chuckled. "Relax. No one thinks you're a gold digger. If you were, you'd have charged more than five grand."

She blinked as a strange wave of confusion passed through her.

Her mind felt strangely blank. Something about Dane's presence made it harder to think. The warm scent of her perfume still clung to her skin.

She could have asked for more, couldn't she? She should've. She should have played hardball, gotten ten, maybe even twenty thousand. That's what a smart woman would have done.

So why hadn't she? Why had she agreed so easily?

A respectable woman would've never agreed to this at all. Wouldn't have walked into this ballroom on the arm of a man like Dane. She wouldn't have let him dress her up, show her off, all to humiliate her husband.

Why'd I ever go along with this? What's wrong with me? This isn't like me...

"Relax," Dane said, gently lowering his hand onto her thigh.

The first couple times he'd done it, she'd pushed him off. The third time, she'd snapped at him. The fourth, fifth, and six, she politely asked him to stop.

But this time she didn't react.

Not because she wanted it, or because she liked it, but the moment he touched her, a strange warmth spread through her body. A calming reassurance, like a weight had just been lifted.

It felt... safe.

For the first time that night, all the endless worries and constant stress just... went away.

She knew she should push him off. Tell him to keep his hands off her, but the moment she thought about it, a calm washed over her, like stepping into a warm bath.

Dane's thumb traced tiny circles on her thigh. A harmless touch, nothing inappropriate. Nothing she needed to fight.

Right?

Tess took a deep breath, staring at the bubbles in her champagne glass. She wasn't letting him touch her. She just... wasn't going to stop him... just this once.

Dane's voice cut through the haze. "Come on. Time to go."

With a sigh, she reached for her bag, ready to toss the heels inside, then she hesitated. Something felt... off, like something was missing. Her toes curled against the floor. The dress, the hair, the makeup. It all felt... incomplete without the heels.

Dane's dates always wore high heels.

No. That wasn't her. She wasn't going to put them back on just to look good for him.

She wasn't going to...

But before she could stop herself, she'd already slipped them back on. The moment she stood, her posture changed. Back straight, shoulders back, chest forward. A strange satisfaction washed over her. She looked right.

She barely had time to process it before she felt his warm hand on the small of her back. Before she could think, she was already moving. She'd wanted to rest a little longer, but his touch felt so... natural. Like it was supposed to happen. Like she was supposed to follow.

Her heels clicked against the floor as she let him guide her forward.

Tess tightly gripped her champagne glass, burning with frustration.

It wasn't just the endless introductions, the judgmental looks, or Dane parading her around like his trophy. It was the condescending way people spoke to her.

People kept treating her like one of Dane's bimbos, like they didn't expect her to understand anything beyond expensive shoes and spa days. All because of the way he'd dressed her up. The hair. The makeup. The tight, skimpy dress. The ridiculous heels. All to humiliate her. To humiliate John.

He'd done a damn good job making her look the part.

People really believed it.

They looked at her and saw a shallow, dumb blonde. A woman who giggled at jokes she didn't understand and stared blankly when the conversation got too complicated. But that wasn't her. She wasn't some vapid airhead. She wasn't one of Dane's brainless bimbos.

She just needed to prove that.

Tess saw her chance. Dane was chatting with a group of executives about the stock market. She stepped closer, determined to prove she wasn't just his arm candy.

"Actually," she interjected, "I read this really interesting article about market shifts the other day. It said..."

Her mind went blank mid-sentence. The men turned, expectant. Heat rushed to her face as she suddenly realized... she had no idea how to finish that sentence. The executives exchanged amused looks.

"Oh?" one of them said. "What article?"

Her brain scrambled for something. Anything. "It was, um... online?"

Dane smirked. "Online. Of course, I think I read that one too."

Tess wanted to disappear.

"Haha, yeah," she said weakly, trying to play it off. "It was super... interesting?"

Why did she just say that? She sounded like a vapid airhead, trying to pretend like she knew what she was talking about.

That's when she felt it. The touch. The warm press of fingers at the nape of her neck. Not forceful or demanding, just there. A silent acknowledgment.

Her body reacted before her mind could catch up. Her shoulders relaxed. Her lips curled into a smile. And the moment his fingers stroked a slow circle, her brain just... stopped.

She jerked away, stepping out of reach.

What the hell was that?

For a split second, it felt... good. Too good.

Tess tried to shake it off. She was just tired, that was all. Until it happened again, the same gentle press of his fingers. The same slow circles. Like a reward. Like he was telling her she did something right. She jerked away again, taking a step back, but the warmth remained. She refused to acknowledge it. Refused to think about it.

But then it happened again, and again. That same gentle touch. Like he was conditioning her to react to his touch.

Her heart sank. Suddenly, she could see the pattern.

Every time she had a ditzy moment. Every time she stumbled or flustered. Every time she acted a bit more like the kind of girl Dane's dates were supposed to... he touched the back of her neck. It wasn't an accident. It wasn't a coincidence. He was rewarding her behavior. Reinforcing it.

She hated everything about this. Hated how her brain froze every time Dane's fingers touched the back of her neck. Hated how the touches were becoming more frequent. Hated how he did it every time she had a ditzy moment. Until eventually, he wasn't just rewarding her for having ditzy moments...

He was causing them.

They'd been speaking with a businessman and his wife when Dane touched her neck. Tess was confused. She hadn't even done anything dumb yet. But then suddenly, everything just... stopped. Her thoughts became slow and sluggish, like her mind had been dipped in honey. She was supposed to say something, but all that came out was:

"Umm... uh..."

Dane pulled his fingers away and the fog cleared. Her face burned with embarrassment as she realized what'd just happened.

A few minutes later, he did it again. Dane had just told a joke. Nothing particularly funny, just an offhand comment. She wasn't even paying attention, but then his fingers found that same spot on the back of her neck, and just like before, her mind slowed as the warm, fuzzy feeling spread through her body. And before she even realized what'd happened, she giggled.

Like a ditzy girl with nothing in her head. The men looked at her. Heat rushed up her neck, her face, her ears.

Why did I laugh? It wasn't even funny.

Another investor joined the conversation. An older, well-dressed man. He turned to her with a kind smile.

"So, Tessy, what do you do?"

As she opened her mouth to speak, she once again felt Dane's fingers on her neck, and just like that her thoughts vanished. Totally gone.

She was supposed to say something... wasn't she? What was it again? Her job? She couldn't remember.

"Uh... um... I, like..."

The investor waited. Dane said nothing. Her brain grasped for anything.

"I, um... do... lots of stuff."

... Did she really just say that out loud?

Dane's arm slid around her waist, pulling her closer. "Tessy handles important business matters for me. She's a terrific assistant."

The investor nodded and the conversation moved on. Dane's fingers slipped away.

Tess was dying inside. She sounded like a complete bimbo. And the worst part was...

It felt good.

Tess was not okay.

Her brain was completely malfunctioning. Her heart was pounding and her skin felt like it was on fire. She knew it wasn't just a coincidence. She knew Dane was doing something to her.

But why did it feel so good?

No, she wasn't going to fall for this. She wasn't some weak, empty-headed girl who melted under a man's touch. She was strong. She was smart. She was--

Dane's fingers found the back of her neck again.

Tess gasped. The reaction was instant. A shiver ran down her spine, her shoulders loosening, her body melting before she could stop it. Her mind screamed at her to pull away. To push his hand off her.

But her body froze.

No. Don't let him do this to you.

Then his thumb moved. That same slow, gentle stroke, tracing a circle on the nape of her neck. Her whole body shuddered. The pleasure was so intense it stole her breath. Her thoughts became slow and fuzzy, and a rush of warm pleasure hit her, spreading down to her thighs.

No. No... she wasn't... she wasn't aroused. Right?

She was too warm, too relaxed. She couldn't let this happen. Her body wasn't supposed to react like this, but she couldn't stop it. His hand didn't leave her neck this time. It stayed right there, his warm fingers stroking and teasing.

Slow circular motions, again and again. Every slow caress of his fingers sent another wave of heat through her body, and the longer he rubbed that same spot, the slower her thoughts became. Slower and dumber, like every stroke of his fingers was erasing something from her brain.

Dane leaned in, "Feels good, doesn't it?"

A dumb smile filled Tess's face. She should pull his hand off and yelled at him. Told him to go to hell. But instead she let out a breathy "Mmmhmm."

She was horrified by the sound of her voice. Her whole body was burning with shame. She'd accidentally just moaned like a horny, little slut.

Dane chuckled. "Of course it does."

His fingers kept moving and Tess couldn't think straight.

Dane's thumb traced another slow, teasing circle. She bit her lip hard, trying to suppress the pleasure that was flooding her mind. She could stop this. She could fight this, but the longer he touched her, the harder it became to think about anything except how good it felt. A fog rolled over her thoughts, drowning out the panic, drowning out the fight, drowning out everything but that slow pleasure.

Dane's voice slid through her ears like a warm blanket. "It's nice, isn't it?"

Another circle and her whole body tingled.

"It's nice not having to think so hard."

A breathy, mindless little "Mmm..." slipped out before she could stop it. She froze.

Dane chuckled. "That's my girl."

He was rewiring her. She knew it. She felt it. She needed to fight against it. But she was too warm, too slow, too happy. And Dane was taking his time, letting her body sink into it.

"You don't need to think so much about the things you say."

Another slow stroke of his fingers.

"You don't need to think hard at all."

Her brain felt like syrup.

"Just let me do the thinking for you."

The words wrapped around her. They were heavy, thick, and most importantly, true. What was she even thinking about anyway? What was so important? Nothing. Nothing at all.

"Mmm... okay."

And then he let go of her neck. Tess stumbled and all her thoughts snapped back into place like a rubber band stretched too tight.

Oh my god. What the hell was that?

She jerked away, breath ragged, face burning, body shaking. Dane just smiled, that same smug smile, like he'd just won something.

Tess's head was spinning. Her skin still tingled where he had touched her. Her thoughts were slow and heavy. She tried to snap out of it and gather herself.

Somewhere beneath the fog she was furious. At him. At herself. At whatever the hell he was doing to her. She needed to say something. Something angry. Something to prove she was still herself. She squared her shoulders, took a deep breath, and snapped.

"Dane, you... y-you total, like, um... JERK!"

That wasn't... that wasn't what she meant to say. Her voice had come out all wrong. High, breathy, and whiny. Like she was pouting instead of yelling.

Dane tilted his head, amused. "What's that, sweetheart?"

The condescension in his voice made her face burn with rage. She clenched her fists. No, she wasn't falling for this. She wasn't one of his stupid bimbos. She squared her shoulders, took a deeper breath, and tried again.

"I said, y-you can't just, like, um... just touch me like that and... and... do stuff to my brain, 'kay?! I'm, like... I mean, I'm not..."

That was even worse. Every word dripped with ditzy hesitation. She sounded exactly like the kind of girls Dane always surrounded himself with. He just looked at her with his smug smile, clearly enjoying every second of this.

Tess bit her lip hard. She had to fix this. She had to prove she was still herself. She cleared her throat and forced her voice lower.

"Dane, I am not--"

And then his hand brushed the back of her neck. Just for a second, but that was long enough. Her body shivered and her brain hiccupped, and when she tried to finish her sentence...

"--like, some dumb little bimbo or whatever!"

Oh my god...

She froze.

Dane grinned. "You sure about that, sweetheart?"

Her face was burning. Her heart was pounding. Her brain was still foggy, but underneath it all she was furious. She wasn't like this, she wasn't a bimbo, she wasn't stupid. She just needed to slow down and clear her head. Needed to say something smart... something to prove she was still herself.

"I am, like, SO not a bimbo, Dane!"

That was so much worse. She didn't just sound ditzy, she sounded defensive. Like a dumb girl trying to pretend to be smart.

"Oh?"

Dane was just toying with her now, watching her prove his point. She could fix this, she just needed to think harder.

"I mean, uh, like, obviously, I can totally think good and stuff. Like, I literally just--"

She forced herself to stop. She sounded so fucking stupid. Dane was grinning so hard. He was loving every second of this. She needed to just shut up and stop making things worse. But her brain wasn't working right, and her words kept tumbling out.

"I mean, I totally got, like, a really good score on my SATs and stuff. And, like, um, I read books! Like, really smart books! Like... um..."

Oh god, make it stop. She covered her mouth with her hand. Closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, desperately fighting for control. And when she opened her eyes, Dane was still watching her with a big grin. And before she could do anything else, his fingers slid against the back of her neck once again.

Slowly and gently rubbing circles on her neck, over and over, each stroke making her brain melt more and more. Her knees felt weak, and her breathing slowed. The heat from his touch spread throughout her body, and when she tried to form another thought... nothing came.

Her mind was just... blank. Empty. Everything was quiet, then Dane's deep voice slid into her ears.

"See, sweetheart," he murmured. His thumb continued rubbing the base of her neck. His fingers pressed a little deeper. "You don't have to think so hard. You sound so much prettier when you don't."

"Mmm..."

Her eyes widened. She just moaned. She actually moaned. She ripped herself away, stepped back, panting and shaking. Her hands clenched into fists. She wanted to scream. To punch him in his stupid face. To tell him off like she did before, but she couldn't. She knew her voice would just betray her again.

So instead she turned and stormed off, heels clicking against the floor. Her own voice looped in her mind, that ditzy little whine.

"I am, like, SO not a bimbo, Dane!"

Dane had dressed her up just like one of his dumb, little bimbos.

And now she sounded like one too.

Tess stormed off, her towering heels loudly tapping against the floor. The way she moved was completely wrong. Her hips swayed in an exaggerated rhythm, back arched, chest thrust out.

She caught her reflection in the window by the stairwell.

I look like... a fucking bimbo.

She tried to walk normally, but her body wouldn't listen. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't stop moving like someone who wanted to be looked at. Her heels wobbled with each step. Why had she put them back on? She hated heels. They were stupid and impractical, designed to turn women into sex objects. Now here she was.

What the hell is happening to me?

She was still fuming when she felt a hand grab her wrist.

"Tessy, wait--"

She ripped her arm away and spun around.

"Don't call me that!"

Dane took a step back and raised his hands, like he was trying not to scare a wild animal.

"Whoa. What's wrong?"

He said it like nothing had happened. Like he hadn't just spent the entire night toying with her, touching her, breaking her down, pulling her deeper into... whatever the hell this was.

Tess crossed her arms. Her skin was still warm from where he'd touched her. She shook it off. She wasn't going to let him get her all worked up like this.

"I'm not playing your little games anymore. I'm going home."

His smirk disappeared. "Games? What games?"

Why does he always sound so calm and in control?

Tess scoffed. Her voice was shaking but she didn't care.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about! You're... you're messing with my mind somehow."

Dane looked genuinely puzzled. "What?"

"You're doing something to me. Every time you touch me, my head gets all... fuzzy. You're making me act like..."

"Like what?"

She didn't answer. She couldn't.

Dane sighed. "How much have you had to drink tonight?"

"What? That's not--"

"Five glasses? Six? More?"

Tess stiffened. That wasn't that much. Was it?

Dane slowly stepped closer.

"You're exhausted, you're stressed, and now you're telling me I'm controlling your mind by touching you? Come on, sweetheart. That sounds a little crazy, don't you think?"

Tess frowned. It did sound crazy. The moment she'd said the words out loud, she felt ridiculous, like some kind of paranoid conspiracy theorist. Like she was this fragile, hysterical woman who couldn't handle a little champagne and male attention.

No... she knew what she felt. That wasn't just all in her head.

... Was it?

Dane looked straight into her eyes. No smugness, no teasing. Just genuine concern.

"Tessy. I'm flattered, really, but you're giving me way too much credit. Look, if I really did have some kind of magic touch that made women lose their minds, you really think I'd be using it on you?"

Tess started to reply but hesitated. She was tired, and the champagne had been hitting her harder than expected. She'd spent the whole night stressed, anxious, out of her element. Maybe he was right.

Maybe she was overreacting...

Maybe this was just all in her head. She'd spent the whole night surrounded by all these ditzy bimbos. Maybe it was starting to rub off on her. Like that time she did a semester abroad in Paris and came home with a slight French accent.

She sighed. "Maybe you're right. I just... It all felt so real... I don't know."

Dane smiled. "Honestly, I actually really enjoyed the whole bimbo act. The wide-eyed stares, the cute little giggles, the way you kept tripping over your words... I have to say, Tessy, it looked good on you."

Tess rolled her eyes. "I wasn't acting. And stop calling me Tessy."

"So I was thinking. Since you're already so good at it, why not keep it up?"

Tess scoffed. "Fuck off."

"I'm serious. Just for the rest of the night. It's so much easier to make a deal when you have a beautiful bimbo on your arm. Something about it just puts people at ease."

She stared at him. Unbelievable.

"I'm not a bimbo..."

"I never said you were. Just play one for tonight. Lean into it. Have some fun."

Tess shook her head. "No. Absolutely not."

Dane sighed, like she was the one being difficult. "I'll make it worth your while. How does... twenty thousand sound?"

... Twenty thousand!?

The number rang in her ears like a bell. She felt dizzy. That damn perfume was still stuck to her skin. The scent was overwhelming.

"Twenty thousand... dollars?"

Dane nodded. "There are only a few hours left. Just keep doing what you did before. That was perfect."

Twenty grand... That's a lot of money. More than she and John have ever had at once. Most of their fights were about bills, debts, stupid purchases. That kind of cash could really help their relationship.

Her mind raced. It was only two more hours. Plus she'd already been accidentally doing it for free. What was the harm in doing it on purpose... just a little longer? All she had to do was play dumb and look pretty. How hard could that really be?

Tess took a deep breath. "So you want me to pretend to be a bimbo for the rest of the night... and you'll pay me twenty grand?"

Dane smiled. "Exactly."

This was insane. This was humiliating. This was... twenty thousand dollars. People were already treating her like a bimbo. Might as well get paid for it.

"... Fine. I'll do it."

Dane's hand rested on the small of her back, guiding her through the crowd. Tess had stopped bothering to try and shake him off. It was easier to just go with it. Just a couple more hours.

It was just a role. For the money.

Her head was still spinning as he slowed to a stop in front of an elegantly dressed couple. An older man in a tailored tux, and his wife beside him in an emerald-green gown, huge diamonds hanging from her ears.

"Ah, Dane. Good to see you." He briefly looked over at Tess.

Dane gave his usual easygoing smile. "Arthur, good to see you too. And Margaret, you look as stunning as ever."

Margaret smiled politely. She looked over in Tess's direction as well, but it was a different kind of look.

This is it. Play the part...

Tess forced a smile. It felt wrong on her face, too wide and too bright.

Dane's hand didn't leave her back as he turned slightly toward her. "This is Tessy. She's my date tonight."

Tess stiffened, but she held back the instinct to correct him. Not Tessy. Just Tess. But that wasn't what a bimbo would say. A bimbo would just keep smiling. So she did.

The couple were both staring at her, waiting for her to say something.

Shit. What was she supposed to do?

How do you act like a bimbo? It was harder than it looked. She didn't want to overdo it and look ridiculous, but she needed to say something.

"Hi!" she chirped, "It's, like, soooo nice to meet you."

Ugh, that was way overdoing it.

She cleared her throat and tried again. "I mean, um, it's really, uh, like... nice? To meet you?"

Tess cringed. Still too much. It felt like really bad acting. Like a daytime soap opera. But Dane just laughed and slid his hand higher up her back.

Say something. Compliment her dress. Ask about their hotel. Say literally anything.

"Oh wow, your earrings are like... sooo pretty!"

Margaret smiled politely. "Thank you, dear."

Dane looked at her expectantly, like she was supposed to be doing something else. But what? What was she supposed to do next? Think.

Think like a bimbo.

She pressed herself into Dane, clinging to him. Then she gave Arthur her best wide-eyed, interested look. She twirled a stand of hair around her finger.

"So you're, like, super rich, right?"

Arthur chuckled. Margaret looked annoyed. Dane squeezed her waist. Tess wasn't sure if it was encouragement or a warning.

"I suppose you could say that."

Tess tried to giggle but realized she didn't know how. What came out wasn't quite a laugh, and it certainly wasn't cute or flirty.

How the hell do you even giggle?

Thankfully the conversation moved on, back to business. Tess fought the urge to let out a relieved sigh. Dane had been right. Arthur seemed more relaxed now. Who knew whether it was because of her or not. But she did what he asked. She played her part.

Dane's fingers brushed the back of her neck, moving in a slow, deliberate circle. Her thoughts went quiet for just a moment, warmth flooding into her mind like ink into clear water, clouding everything it touched. And somewhere beneath it, panic surged.

It's that feeling from before... he's doing it again. This isn't right. I have to--

Margaret's bracelet suddenly caught her eye. It was so pretty and shiny. Maybe she would buy one just like it with the money got from tonight.

Tess blinked, suddenly aware that she'd lost her train of thought. She'd just been thinking about something, hadn't she? Something important?

An alarm rang out in the back of her mind, a warning that something important was slipping away, but that concern felt abstract now, blurred by the warm, pleasant haze wrapping around her thoughts. The shame she'd just felt from her awful attempt at bimbo banter suddenly felt less embarrassing.

Before she knew it, Dane was already leading her to the next guest. They slowed as they approached a tall, broad-shouldered man with a Rolex. Next to him was a younger woman, early twenties at most, in a tight glittering silver dress that clung to her abundant curves.

Tess could instantly tell what she was.

A trophy.

Just like Dane wanted her to be.

Dane turned to her. "Tessy, this is Richard Maxwell. He's a very important investor."

Okay. Think. Play the part. Be the bimbo.

The last conversation had been awkward, but she'd somehow gotten through it. A compliment, a giggle, a little hair twirling. It wasn't that hard, was it? Just keep it fun and flirty. She could do this.

She gave them her biggest smile, eyes wide, lashes fluttering.

"Hiii," she said, putting on her best bimbo impression. It still felt like bad acting, but it was getting better.

Richard's eyes dipped down to her cleavage. Tess felt uncomfortable from his stare but tried not to show it. Bimbos don't get flustered.

Dane's fingers brushed the back of her neck.

The same panic from before shot through her. Why does he keep--

Her eyes snapped to the other woman's neckline.

Ohhhh. So pretty! The way it caught the light and sparkled with every movement.

A tiny part of her mind noticed the unnatural shift, the way one thought had been replaced by another, but that awareness was fading more and more with each touch.

Richard chuckled. "Dane, you've got excellent taste as always."

Tess was surprised by the sudden sound of giggling. Did that just come from her?

Richard's date looked over at her with a big vapid smile. "Ohmigosh, who did your hair? It looks amazing."

Okay, just copy her. Do what she does. Simple enough.

"Uh, it was like this super fancy salon downtown. They totally, like, transformed me."

The girl giggled. "I totally gotta check it out. It's so hard to find people who really know how to style hair the way we like it."

Tess nodded. "Totally."

That wasn't so hard. Just a couple more hours and I can finally go home.

She didn't even notice Dane brushing the back of her neck as she continued the conversation.

Tess continued smiling and looking pretty. Every smile felt a little more natural, like her face was starting to get used to its new default state.

Three more guests. Three more rounds of "Ohmigosh, that's so cool!"

Things were getting easier each time. A giggle here, a hair twirl there, and she was already onto the next. Her body was learning the patterns, picking up the mannerisms without a second thought.

Tess still cringed inwardly, but the voice that used to yell at her to stop humiliating herself like this was now just a whisper.

She could do this. She just had to stop overthinking. Although... it really was getting harder to think. Not like she couldn't, it just took more effort now.

Her brain wasn't gone, just taking a back seat while something simpler took over. That wasn't weird. It probably just meant she was finally starting to relax. Her body felt amazing, warm, floaty, kind of tingly. So what if her thoughts were a little fuzzy? She was fine. Totally fine.

"Tessy, this is Charles Kenmore. He handles a lot of our international business."

Okay play the part. Be the bimbo.

Be the bimbo.

She put on a big smile. "Oooooh, I love your suit! It's so...." she struggled to search for the right word, "... fancy!"

That sounded so dumb. I really sh--

Dane rubbed her neck, and she giggled automatically.

That wasn't so bad, right?

She noticed his date's necklace. Oh my god! It was gorgeous. For a moment, she totally got lost in how sparkly it was.

Wait... wasn't she just thinking about something?

After that, Dane led her towards a short, balding man. His round belly was barely contained by his tight tuxedo. He looked like he'd been drinking all night. His eyes were glued straight to her chest. Not even trying to be subtle.

"Tessy, this is Leonard Gilmour. He owns several of the resorts we work with."

His eyes never left her cleavage.

Tess cringed. God this guy was gross. Her first instinct was to turn away or tell him to fuck off, but then she caught herself. A bimbo wouldn't do that.

A bimbo wouldn't be disgusted. A bimbo would love the attention. That was the whole point, wasn't it? She forced herself to smile.

"Well, aren't you just a little treat," he said, finally looking up at her face. "You sure know how to pick 'em Dane."

Tess bit her tongue. She hated this.

... But a bimbo wouldn't. A bimbo would giggle. A bimbo would like the attention.

So she giggled. She was getting good at that. It was almost starting to sound real.

Dane's fingers brushed the back of her neck.

Wait, stop I don't want to--

Whoa...

... Her tits look incredible. So... big and... jiggly. No wonder Leonard couldn't stop staring.

Wait... hadn't she been thinking about something? Something about being... uncomfortable? It was getting so hard to remember.

Whatever.

Tess arched her back a little more, giving Leonard get an even better view. It felt natural, almost instinctive, like her body was designed for display. What'd once required conscious effort now seemed to happen automatically, like her muscle memory was rewriting itself in real time.

Damn she looked hot.

Dane guided her forward and Tess followed without thinking. His hand felt warm against her back.

The last conversation had gone... well?

Wait, no, that's not right. It'd been gross. Leonard's eyes were all over her, and she wanted to leave.

But a bimbo wouldn't be disgusted. A bimbo would love the attention. And once she reminded herself of that, something clicked into place.

The next guest was a thin man with slicked back hair and a sharp face. His eyes slowly swept over her, like he was studying her body. She should be used to this by now, but something about him made her pause.

Then Dane's fingers brushed the back of her neck.

Victor's suit was really nice. Like, really nice. Looked expensive. Probably was. She wondered if Dane had a suit like that.

Oh, right. Back to the rich guy. Okay, think. Bimbos love rich guys. Be excited. Be impressed.

"Oooh, you have a private jet? That is, like, soooo cool," she purred.

That sounded a lot more real. She was getting pretty good at this. Probably easy cause it actually so cool that he had a private jet. That's, like, so cool. Tess was totally impressed.

And when his eyes lingered on her chest, she reminded herself to enjoy it.

"You ever been on a private jet before, darling?"

"Mmmm, nooo, but I bet it'd be so much fun!"

That really did sound like a lot of fun. Dane probably has a private jet. He's super rich. Maybe Dane would take her for a ride.

Wait, no. Why would she wanna go on a private jet with him? He's a jerk. Just cos he's rich doesn't mean he's not a huge dick.

Tess giggled as the thought of Dane's huge dick popped into her mind.

Whoopsie.

Tess had stopped trying to sound smart.

Smart was hard. Pretty was easier. Being pretty got her compliments and smiles. Pretty girls got admired, and Tessy was starting to enjoy being admired.

She was getting really good at this. She didn't have to think about walking in heels. Didn't have to remind herself to giggle. It was all starting to come naturally.

That should've terrified her. Hours ago it would've. But now the thought brought a strange satisfaction. The joy of perfecting a new skill. Even if that skill was slowly replacing parts of herself she'd used to think were important.

With each giggle, each hair twirl, each exaggerated sway of her hips, the line between acting and being grew blurrier. Her body didn't seem to realize she was acting.

And when the next guest, a broad-shouldered man was staring at her body... she felt it.

She actually felt him looking. Like a warm hand squeezing her breasts. She suddenly felt too hot. Her skin was buzzing with sensitivity. She took a deep breath and squeezed her thighs as another wave of arousal washed over her.

And this time when Dane rubbed the back of her neck, something surprising happened. She didn't have to pretend to enjoy it... she actually did.

The realization filled her with horror even as her body responded with pleasure. Something was wrong. She'd just been acting this whole time, but now... it felt real.

Then Dane's thumb brushed against her neck.

Tessy will return in Dane's Date: Part 3