Chapter Text
Rey Niima was the very essence of a supermodel. She’d walked runways in New York, Paris and Tokyo, landed cover shoots across a wide swath of glossy fashion magazines, been photographed by Annie Leibovitz and Greg Groman, and was the darling of some of the most intimidating personalities birthed by the fashion industry. But standing outside the crumbling yellow stone walls of Jakku High, she suddenly felt nervous enough to puke.
“Seriously, girl, what are we doing here?”
The grumpy question came from her best friend and personal assistant Rose Tico, a welcome distraction from a tidal wave of memories.
“I need to do this,” Rey told the young woman who was her one and only secret keeper.
Rey had met Rose when the brunette first walked into a dive bar looking for an extra large frozen margarita. Rose was desperately seeking a new roommate and Rey was desperate to find a room, having jumped on the first bus out of Jakku and landed in Coruscant with nothing to her name. Rey and Rose’s living arrangement and inevitable friendship was written in the stars.
Five years later and everything had changed. Everything except their status as each other’s BFFs.
“From all that you’ve told me, you don’t owe this jerkwater town a thing,” Rose declared.
Rey gave her a fierce hug. “Thanks, Rosie. I appreciate the support, but I’m doing this for all the little Reys who still haven’t escaped the trailer park. If I can offer one kid hope by telling my story, I’ll be happy.”
Rose gave a grumbly sigh. “Fine. Keep proving that supermodels have hearts of gold, why don’tcha?”
Rey giggled, feeling better.
The moment lasted for all of three seconds. Just then, Jakku High’s rusted gymnasium doors flew open, revealing the man most likely to make Rey’s heart implode like one of those gross chestburster creatures from the Alien movies. Though why she’d be thinking about blood and gore at a time like this was inconceivable.
Focus, Rey.
Ben Solo, principal of Jakku High, was walking towards her.
Hells bells, she’d forgotten how hulking he was. Six foot three, right on the money. She’d asked for his stats in one of her more daring adolescent moods, so she had this information straight from the horse’s mouth. Broad as a barn, his shoulders and chest were more imposing than she recalled.
Mr Solo was unabashedly hairy, but in the good way. If Rey’s math was math-ing, he’d entered the second half of his thirties with a raven dark head of hair that would’ve made a matinee idol envious. He still wore it several inches too long, drifting across his eyes and curling at the nape of his neck, but not long enough for a man bun or ponytail. His glorious hair was only allowed to go so far and no further.
That hair had been a constant temptation to teenage Rey. She’d wanted nothing more than to grab a brush from her backpack and groom Mr Solo like a poodle.
He had the most beautiful eyes. They were warm brown with a ring of shimmering amber, hypnotic in sunlight and intense in shadow, unabashedly direct while she blushed and squirmed in front of him. Those eyes were always so serious as he considered her schoolgirl questions, as if the answers being given were deeply important.
Rey forcibly snapped back to the present as Mr Solo drew closer. He walked with leashed confidence. It wasn’t the stride of a man who needed to be noticed. Or feared. It was one hand in his pocket, the other loose at his side, unhurried but goal oriented.
And had she already mentioned that the school principal had a body like a linebacker? Though she didn’t remember him being quite so thick. His thighs were almost too robust for faded blue jeans, a light blue button down peeking out of a loose navy sweater. He’d always dressed like a grad student, and that hadn’t changed.
Good grief, he’d be close enough to touch in three… two… one…
Rey gave the brightest smile she could muster as she held out her hand. “Hi, Mr Solo. It’s so nice to see you again.”
A grin creased his cheeks, making her heartrate double. “Call me, Ben. I think you’ve earned it, sweetheart.”
Sweetheart. Oh me, oh my.
And just like that, the scandalous scarlet satin La Perla thong Rey had put on as a shield against unsettling memories of her adolescent collection of threadbare cotton undies grew damp.
Ignoring her outstretched hand, Ben leant down for a hug. Dang, he was tall, and she was a model too- used to walking alongside human shaped giraffes for a living. He smelled like fresh rain and cedar, the scent completing the ruination of her very expensive panties.
“I’m surprised you still work here,” Rey blurted out. It was her firm opinion that Ben Solo was both a gifted teacher and a brilliant human being, and that the township of Jakku didn’t deserve him.
His smile tightened, and she realised her words could easily be misconstrued as an insult.
Standing by Rey’s side, Rose sing-songed, “OMG, awk-ward.”
“I- I just meant, you could do anything,” Rey stammered, her cheeks turning the same fire engine red of her underwear. “Go anywhere.”
Mr Solo- Ben- shrugged shoulders that weren’t just broad anymore; he’d beefed up like a mofo in the last five years. “The school board promoted me to principal, so I decided to stick around.”
“Well,” Rey gasped, struggling to regain her poise, “that makes sense.”
He gave her a strange look, and she didn’t blame him. She had no idea what she was talking about either.
“You arrived at just the right time,” Ben said, getting down to business. “The kids are already in the bleachers, and we have a few students prepped with questions to help guide the conversation. Everyone’s excited to see you.”
Rey took a deep breath, reminding herself that this was why she’d returned to Jakku. To speak to the youth. It wasn’t for this man with his deeply inviting chest and smoothly drawling baritone. Nope. No way. Negatory.
Had it only been a month since Mr Call-me-Ben-Solo slid into her DMs? After Rey responded to his polite overture, he’d provided her with his mobile number. She took a day before calling, only because she didn’t want to look desperate.
Too late.
Rey had been on the streets of Geneva when she rang, the winter sky a gorgeous lilac and heavy with oncoming snow, skeletal trees stark against a backdrop of the Swiss Alps. She wore an exquisite pink sequin appliqué Chanel bra and a pink tweed Chanel miniskirt, and should have been freezing her ass off as the team from Vogue set up for a photoshoot. Instead, her blood turned to molten lava when Mr Solo invited her to speak to his students during Jakku High’s Mental Health Week.
She told herself she was back at her old school for purely altruistic reasons. Absolutely, and without question.
Mm-hm.
“Will you all join me in welcoming Rey Niima!”
As applause rang through the gymnasium, Rey was transfixed by the sight of the dark-haired man now standing behind a podium. For some reason, her feet refused to move.
“Rey?” Rose muttered, digging an elbow into her side. “You okay?”
She shook her head, a wide-eyed deer caught in dazzling headlights.
Rose groaned under her breath. “He’s the one, isn’t he?” she hissed. “The teacher who changed your life? The guy you’re still half in love with?”
Rey said nothing, because what was there to say? She hadn’t anticipated such a visceral reaction to Ben Solo. Or that he wouldn’t be wearing a wedding ring.
The man in question was watching her with growing concern. “Come on up, Rey.”
Exercising every skill she’d learned as a jet setting supermodel in the last four and a half years, Rey walked towards the centre of the room and perched on a metal foldout chair. She wasn’t alone. Three students sat alongside her, bright smiles on juvenile faces and cue cards in hand.
“We’re so thankful for you,” Ben continued, his smooth voice making her pulse trip. “Not only are you an alum, but we’ve noticed how very open you are in interviews and with your social media following about tending to your emotional wellness.”
“I’m honoured to be here,” Rey said, turning away from Ben’s chiselled face with its sculpted cheekbones and dominant nose and plush lips she still dreamt about, choosing to focus on the bemused expressions of schoolkids instead. “It’s amazing to see how the grounds have changed and reflect on where I’ve come from. I’m ready to talk to the students and share my journey.”
Having done his duty, Ben joined a cluster of teachers standing on the side. Rey experienced a momentary stab of panic as he disappeared from her eyeline. She reminded herself she was no longer the neglected morsel of humanity who’d clung adoringly to Mr Solo’s sportscoat in an effort to find her own worth. By anyone’s estimation, she was a raving success.
“You’ve shared online about struggling with self-image and insecurities when you attended Jakku High,” a boy with blonde curls and blue eyes began. “What are some strategies you’d recommend when dealing with social media?”
“Sometimes you just need to take a break from it,” Rey said. “Everyone should unplug by deleting their apps once in a while.”
A murmur went through the crowd.
Rey drew a breath. “I know that sounds hypocritical considering I have a hundred million followers and my last Gucci campaign utilised my personal social media account, but I mean it. I delete my apps all the time.”
“Seriously?” her interviewer blurted out, drawing laughter from the stands.
“Yep,” Rey grinned, feeling herself relax as she began speaking on a subject she was passionate about. “Initially, it’s a shock as your brain realises you can’t just scroll through your feed anymore. And then a couple of days go by, or even a couple of weeks, and it’s the most liberating feeling. It’s good for you to turn off your devices and be in the real world, to realise what’s important isn’t the stuff being posted and commented on, but the people around you.” Rey glanced to her side and met Ben’s gaze, the warmth of his expression almost derailing her thoughts. “Um, yeah, I mean, we can all fall into patterns of viewing things that aren’t helpful to our mental state, so removing yourself from the negative spiral is key.”
Student number two, a pretty girl with mocha skin and wild bronze curls, asked, “Could you share a moment where discussing mental health had a positive impact on your career?”
“Great question,” Rey said, making the teenager glow. “I never talked about my mental health struggles with an agenda in mind. I’m usually a very private person outside of my work, but one day I woke up and decided to post about how I was feeling. The most positive thing that came from the experience was real people telling me they felt less alone hearing my story. That’s when I realised my message was being received in a way that wasn’t about me, but about others who were struggling.” Rey couldn’t help herself, glancing at Ben once more. “Sometimes all someone needs is the knowledge that there’s one person who sees them, who’s in their corner.” She swallowed a lump in her throat, praying her stinging eyes didn’t reveal actual tears.
The final student interviewer was the most nervous, a petite redhead with scraggly bangs and dark eyes. “What would you say was the biggest thing that helped you survive high school?”
The answer slipped out before Rey could stop herself. “Mr Solo.”
Ben Solo was struggling to hide his attraction to a young woman who, in his mind, wasn’t a woman at all. Rey Niima was part ethereal unicorn creature and part lost little girl from his past, which was proving to be a truly dangerous combination.
He’d sent a private message to her social media account not expecting to get a response. The woman had literally hundreds of millions of people drooling over her every post, so there was no way she’d notice a single solitary message from her old high school social studies teacher.
But Rey had messaged him back. And then she’d called him. And now she was here. An honest-to-goodness fantasy brought to life. Except she wasn’t, was she? She’d been his student once upon a time.
Ben couldn’t help charting Rey’s rise to fame in real time as she increasingly dominated the fashion industry, startled but unsurprised by the vivacity with which she modelled. She’d always been that girl, even as a teenager under his care. It wasn’t just the way she looked- it was her energy. Strong, earthy, and unencumbered, with a radiant smile and glowing golden skin. Just last year, Rey was listed by Forbes as the highest paid fashion model in the world, and he could only imagine the kind of extraordinary wealth she now possessed.
Good for her. She damn well deserved it.
He'd watched or read every one of her interviews, and she’d been open not only about her triumphs and successes, but also her flaws and struggles. That honesty helped her amass a huge fanbase, only increasing her stardom.
According to an article in Harper’s Bazaar, Rey was first spotted on the streets of Coruscant by an agent who signed her up immediately, making her a true rags-to-riches Cinderella story. Rey’s first show was with Marc Jacobs, chestnut red hair hidden under an ice blue wig and wearing nothing but a silver chainmail t-shirt that left her nipples completely exposed. Lurker that he was, Ben had a press photo of the moment on his phone. Next came Givenchy. And then Chanel. And soon Burberry came calling, wanting her to be the face of their latest fragrance. Rey was officially a star.
She was now one of the most sought-after celebrities in the world, but Ben was still hard pressed to separate her from the vulnerable girl she’d been.
He could feel the eyes of his teaching staff on him as Rey informed the entire gymnasium that he was the reason she’d survived high school. He didn’t know what to do with that information, not when the woman she’d turned into was so formidable.
He was an educator and she a supermodel. The two things did not fit.
Not that his body was aware of the fact. His cock had come to life the moment he saw Rey, the swelling organ still uncomfortably pressed against the button fly of his blue jeans.
He wasn’t sure what exactly was heating his blood since Rey was dressed appropriately and not in the burnt orange swimsuit she’d slipped into for last year’s Sports Illustrated cover shoot. ‘Swimwear’ had been a euphemistic name for the bundle of orange ribbon displaying the curve of her peachy ass and the rise of upthrust tits, her flesh gilded to golden perfection under a Tahitian sun. He didn’t think it was possible to envy grains of sand until he saw them squished between adorably manicured toes and dusting the length of one elastic thigh. He’d stopped himself from jerking off to the image, but considering his reaction to the real deal, it now felt like a mistake.
The version of Rey seated in the middle of Jakku High’s basketball court wore a calf-length caramel leather skirt with tan leather boots and a silky beige camisole that demurely hugged her breasts, her classic Burberry trench coat held by her assistant. Rey’s chestnut red hair was in twin buns wrapped in yellow ribbon, and the contrast between casual elegance and innocent ingénue was making his blood boil.
It had been a mistake inviting her back, but to be fair, he never thought she’d actually show. Even after Rey said yes, he kept waiting for her to cancel on him.
Another dozen questions later, and the students’ interview was over. Ben decided to dismiss the kids and teachers for the day, earning him cheers. He really wasn’t being that magnanimous considering it was after lunch, but he found himself needing to catch his breath. It was Friday and the schoolyard was sure to empty out in seconds.
He allowed the kids to swarm Rey for a short while, keeping a close eye on proceedings, making sure she wasn’t jostled by some meathead football player desperate for her autograph. Rose was there to act as a buffer as well, clearly protective of her boss and friend.
Rey must have taken a hundred selfies by the time he gruffly moved the crowd on. People knew him well enough by now to simply obey. No use begging or bargaining with Mr Solo. He meant what he said, and he did what he meant.
Once everyone left, Ben approached Rey to thank her for coming. He didn’t expect a world famous supermodel to hang around a country bumpkin school principal for much longer. It was only then that he realised she was in animated conversation with Rose. So animated, in fact, it looked like they might be arguing.
He paused to give them their privacy.
Rose scowled and gesticulated. Rey placed hands on hips and snapped back. After a couple of minutes, Rose seemed to accept whatever Rey was saying with bad grace. As the brunette left the gym, she shot Ben an unexpected look- part warning and part challenge- as if he’d been the cause of the argument.
Surely not.
“Everything okay?” he asked Rey.
She cocked her hip, advantageously displaying her lithe figure. “All good.”
“Where’s Rose headed?”
“She’s gonna drive the hire car back to our motel so you and I can catch up.”
It took several seconds for Rey’s words to penetrate his brain. Suddenly, Ben was struggling to breathe.
He was all alone with the most beautiful woman in the world, and, what was more, she actually wanted to be there with him. Whatever next?