What could PRINCE have to worry about? He's gorgeous, talented and successful And as a bonus, his insecure girlfriend Penelope Smith has become a little more confident while growing her photography business.
I drop my things off and arrive at Prince's rehearsal after being unexpectedly gone. At the last minute, I landed a decent job for an up and coming hosiery company. My photos will be in ads AND on the packaging! Never did I think my photography would be on a product package! On top of my rate, I even negotiated a small percentage pay for each package sold! The things you can do when you start getting out of your own way! Prince is exherburent when he sees me.
Marilyn looks at me with disdain. "Seriously, you left your man to photograph women in pantyhose?" she sighs. "Do you know how many millions of women would NEVER pull a stunt like that with Prince?"
Was I selfish? Did I do something wrong? I second guess myself.
"So you have no man then? If you did, you're saying you'd be with him now, right?" Prince scoffs.
Marilyn smiles a bit, "Actually I am single. And yes, I wouldn't be doing things like tagging along on tours if I had a boyfriend back home. When I'm seeing someone, I make sure he's happy."
"Then the thing to do would be to go on work trips." I comment. Prince's band snickers.
"You have such a ...unique sense of humor, Penelope" Marilyn says with a smile she doesn't mean.
"One of the many things I like about her" Prince says nonchalantly. He tells me,"Honey, take a seat someplace."
Marilyn looks at my handbag while I'm sitting and rooting around inside my bag for my mints. "Um...would you like a mint?" I ask.
"No thank you. I was just wondering if you only brought one handbag for the entire tour. ." she replies. Everytime I see her she's got a different one.
"Actually, I didn't. Just seems that way. " If there's on thing I don't bring many of on tour, it's handbags. I just bring two for daytime, two for evening and my work bag-in case I get a job.
"Where'd you get that anyway?" she asks as she gets out a compact and overpriced lipstick out of her Chanel bag.
"Doesn't really matter." I bought it at Macy's. On clearance and with Aunt Sophie's discount.
"You ought to look into a Chanel-if you get your business off the ground. Or maybe you'll get lucky and Prince will buy you one." She replies with an as if that will happen tone.
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Click, click, click. Prince's heels carry him to us. "Let's see this bag you're going on about."She hands it to him. He looks at the petite item, opens it. "Naw, this is a bag for party girls who need nothing more than lipstick and a credit card. Where would Penelope put her photos, business cards and book of contacts?"Prince drops it without caution back into Marilyn's lap.
"They come in other sizes" she responds meekly. So happy this "conversation" has been put to an end. I'm not comfortable with this type of fashion talk. I'm used to how normal people talk about style. There's a couple designers I like but mainly, I only look at fashion ads from a photography perspective.
"Were you upset I left for an unplanned work assignment?" I ask Prince later in our hotel room.
"How else are you going to build a business if you don't work?" He asks" Of course I missed you, but you were doing what you needed to do."
Prince narrates:
"You don't need to feel guilty about landing assignments on tour. I'll make sure Marilyn isn't at rehearsals anymore." I promise. Marilyn is pretentious, obnoxious and telling her band to get a new manager is on my to do list.
Penelope and I are getting ready to spend the evening in because there's no concert tonight. She has taught me to spend time relaxing when I get the chance on tour. There's not often time for it but when there is we walk around town if it's daytime or chill out poolside. In the evening, like tonight we order room service and watch a movie. Penelope has chosen Butterfield 8, starring Elizabeth Taylor.
Our shoes and makeup are off. They usually are when we are alone. Around each other we are authentic, I'm not public persona "Prince" and she's not the perfectly poised girlfriend of a public figure. When she's with only me, Penelope acts so at ease as though she' with her friends or family.
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Clad in our sleepwear, we enjoy the movie. Liz appears onscreen in a slip much like the one Penelope is wearing- except that Penelope's is very short. Slips are possibly Penelope's favorite lingerie. "You're the best thing to happen to slips since this movie" I whisper.
"Charmer" she retorts through giggles. Eventually the giggles are followed by prolonged silence as Penelope looks down at herself. Finally she speaks softly,"I lost a lot of weight when I was a teenager- thirty pounds...then I gained it back after three years, then I lost twenty after we met. I'm afraid of gaining it back again when I didn't lose it all in the first place." she sighs.
"Hmmm...if you start getting thicker I could always chase you around..."I crawl over to her, put my arms around her tightly as I whisper."...and when I catch you- which you know that I will...I'll really work your body."
"Sounds like more fun than my current cardio routine. "
To show her I ain't playing, I introduce her to The Prince Nelson Physical Fitness Program, a program which the two participants must be nude and the man must wear a condom. Sweat drenches our hair and bodies as our hearts pound rapidly. Normally we don't go this hard, no pun intended. We take turns on top, giving the other the best and most intense that we've got.
"Ugh...I'm gonna feel that in the morning."Penelope groans as we finish.
"Let's get cleaned up." I tell her. I take the shower stall and let her use the tub. If we start bathing together then things might start up again. Anyway she needs to soak her muscles so she isn't as sore in the morning. I'm alright because of the physical condition that my shows keep me in.
Penelope brushes her hair and teases,"The way you went after me tonight, I'm probably with child-the pill and condom be damned."
I let out a laugh and say,"If that's the case, I'll have to marry you."
Slowly, she turns to look at me "You love me that much? To raise a family with me?"This is our first time discussing this so openly. It's long overdue and more than welcome.
"Naturally."
Penelope gives me the biggest embrace ever and whispers,"I love you"
