Y/N HUDSON
SEPTEMBER 16, 1957
It had been a good two weeks since you left Graceland and Elvis was frantic. He called you every morning and night, you were even surprised with a white corvette on your second day of being in your own apartment. You tried turning it down multiple times, claiming it was too much for barely a parting gift, but he insisted, and his stubbornness wouldn't allow you to budge him anymore.
You were sitting on your couch when your phone began to ring. Elvis had just called you this morning, not too long ago, so it couldn't be him again.
You picked up the phone and began to speak into the receiver, "Hello?"
"Y/n!" A cheery voice squealed from the other end of the phone, "I've missed you!"
"You called me last night, Kassie." You smiled, recalling your eventful phone call from last night. Kassandra was ranting on and on about her love life and it was definitely your entertainment for the night.
"What? I can't miss you over the span of a night. Too bad! Anyways, what are you doing tonight?"
"Nothing, why?" You answered, taking a sip of your hot coffee.
"Come on out to Seth's party tonight, he's been wanting to meet you!"
You remembered Kassandra speaking about Seth a while back. Every once in a while, his name would pop up. He had owned several big boutiques across the state and they were always filled with beautiful clothes. Some would say you were lucky and blessed to have such connections but nothing would beat the fact that you were Elvis' number one girl, and you still are.
"I dunno, Elvis wanted me to-"
"Forget Elvis, Y/n! You need to live a little; you two need to let each other breathe. It can't be love if you don't leave any damn wiggle room for the new to come in!"
She had a point, you and Elvis had constantly been seeing each other still, which somewhat ruined the whole point of you moving out of Graceland, per Gladys and Colonel's 'suggestion'.
You knew why they, at least Colonel, wanted you out for some time. Elvis had been in the papers more and more for his new 'single' status. Many paparazzi haven't followed you around since then, but from time to time, whether you were getting out of your gifted vehicle, bringing in groceries, or even grabbing the daily paper from your designated mailbox in the lobby of your apartment, you'd hear the click of camera flashes.
"I dunno, paparazzi could be dragged into the party... I wouldn't want to be a burden on Seth."
"Seth won't mind! He gets stopped for questions and pictures all the time! I'm sure the people there wouldn't mind being in a few pictures, doll. And don't worry about Seth, worry about you! You need to occupy that busy mind of yours with somethin' other than Hound Dog."
Giving in, you smiled and nodded. "Fine, fine, I'll go. Now tell me the address, so I can write it down!"
✩
You got ready for the party and decided to throw on one of the dresses you haven't worn before. It was a dress with a mix of different shades of blue all swirled around and mimicked a marble design. It was tight fitting from the waist above, which was nice since it hugged your curves nicely, and had a boat-like neckline that nearly made the dress off the shoulders, but not quite. The sleeves were long bell sleeves and they slightly added to the dramatic effect. From the waist down, the skirt of the dress wasn't as tight as the top but barely mimicked the flowy effect from the sleeves. The skirt of the dress wasn't necessarily long either, the hem barely stopping a little lower than your mid-thigh.
It was safe enough that if you dropped something, you'd be able to slightly bend over to pick it up without revealing anything, but the dress certainly wouldn't be Elvis-approved. Unless he said something different, he would make sure the dresses you wore covered just about everything; however, from time to time, he wouldn't mind a tight-fitting dress with a little cleavage showing.
You paired the dress with a pair of white gogo boots, tailored so that the leg of the boot was fitted to your calves, a headband that matched the print of your dress, and a white handbag.
You looked in the mirror and didn't bother to tease your hair, figuring it looked quite divine in its natural state. You applied some black eyeliner that brought out your eye shape, a pair of natural-looking lashes, and a few coats of mascara on your bottom lashes. You looked extremely beautiful for the night, and you couldn't forget your signature scent, your Nina Ricci perfume.
On your way out of the nice apartment, you grabbed your keys and closed & locked the door behind you. After you took the elevator down to the lobby, you said hello to the front desk clerks, three men who were in awe of your looks, and all had a pink tint spread across their different colored cheeks.
As your car was brought out by the valet driver, you walked to the driver's side and he opened the car door for you and left the keys in the ignition. Right before you were about to get in, and the driver walked off, your head turned in the direction of your name being called.
"Miss Hudson! Miss Hudson, right here!" A man called out to you.
"Good evening, sir!" You replied as he got closer to you for a picture.
As he got closer, you noticed he was wearing all black with a hat on, tilted downwards so his face was merely a shadow.
"You mind if I get a picture, Miss?" He held his camera pointed towards the floor while he awaited your approval.
"Not at all," you responded. He has got to be the kindest paparazzi you've ever come across.
You posed for a picture, resting your hand on the white vehicle, your other holding onto your handbag. As you were about to smile for the photo, a car on the busy street honked loudly, and your head turned, your mouth slightly agape. Right then, the man took his picture and thanked you, successfully having a picture that he was sure would make it into the papers.
✩
As you drove through the gates of the home, which were opened after you stated your name into the speaker at 5:38, you were led uphill, ever so slightly, to a beautiful two-story home with cars parked up and down the driveway. The lawn was freshly cut, beautifully to add that, and the sun had just gone down around 5:30.
You stepped out of the car after putting it in the park and taking the keys out of the ignition and began to walk up to the home. You realized you were slightly late, the picture and waiting on the valet driver taking up some of your time, and most people were inside already.
As you stepped inside, it was a big room of chatter with music playing in the background. On one side of the house, many were dancing, on the other, some were watching the football game and making bets on players and teams.
You walked through the crowd, saying hello to a few familiar faces, and excusing yourself for bumping into a few as well. You noticed that as you were walking through, some women gave you dirty looks, most likely because of your connection with Elvis, whom many despised and envied. You made your way to the backyard and saw Kassandra sitting around the fire with some people you knew, and some you didn't. There seemed to be two open seats available for grabs; however, many steered clear of the fireplace for a reason unknown to you.
Kassandra saw you and waved you over. You took a seat on the open one next to her and the unclaimed chair was direct across from you. She began immediately introducing you to everyone around the fire.
You all began talking and everyone seemed to be extremely nice people. You got to know everyone and how they knew Seth, who you still haven't seen.
"Hey! You're Elvis' pretty girl-friend, aren't ya'? I've seen you in the papers a whole bunch," the one named Micah said.
"Yeah, I am. He's-"
You were cut off by Kassandra who eagerly answered, "They're just friends! He's a real charmer."
"Woah, calm it, Kassie," Delia said, smiling at you. "The band is taking a break, how about you sing us an Elvis song, girl?"
"Oh- that's not-" Kassandra tried to fit in.
"Please, I could barely sing Love Me Tender if I tried," you said with a small snort at the end.
"Sing us somethin' powerful, baby! You've got to have some pipes in ya'," Ted said.
"Should I go up there?" You asked the group.
A mix of encouraging cheers and excited 'yeses' came from everyone. Everyone but Kassandra.
Feeling slightly scared, you began to make your way to the box stage, which wasn't too small, towards the side of the backyard. The stage was a few feet away from the pool and many were taking a 'late' night swim.
The firepit wasn't far at all from the stage so your new acquaintances stayed put while you walked onto the stage. Not very many noticed as you took to the stage, which you couldn't help but be thankful for, but you felt like you heard the sound of a camera flash; however, when you turned around, nothing was there, or so you thought. The band members were sitting around with their instruments when they saw you.
The male drummer saw you and immediately started to clap. "Y'all, it's that Y/n Hudson girl! The one who's always seen with Elvis!"
They all began to happily murmur before the guitarist asked, "what can we help you with, Miss?"
"Hello," you nervously chuckled. "A uh, a few friends of mine thought I should come up and sing one of E's songs, if that's alright with you, if not then-"
"Are you kiddin' me?" The drummer asked. "We'd be honored!"
"What song ya' have in mind, pretty Miss?" Another member asked. He was an older man, his cane was propped up against the drummer's drum set. His gaze was soft and he was extremely polite.
"I was thinkin' Heartbreak Hotel?" You answered.
They all happily agreed and took positions at their instruments. The lead guitarist, who was an attractive looking man, stepped up to his own microphone and called for everyone's attention. As soon as that occurred, everyone, even those in the water, turned their attention to the stage.
Eyes landed on you from basically everywhere. "I'd like to introduce you to a little guest of ours," he looked at you, "boy, ain't she a little thing?" He compared the height difference between you two. He was pretty tall compared to your 5'7 height.
The audience laughed and you couldn't help but notice a man in a dark green Polo shirt tucked into a pair of clean black slacks, stepped out of the house, drink in hand, followed by a crowd of people coming to the stage.
His gaze was on you, and though you couldn't see far, you knew his eyes were piercing through yours. You tore your eyes from him and looked around the audience.
You lightly tapped the guitarist's shoulder playfully and he introduced you properly. "My little friend here's gonna sing us a song her companion done wrote not too long ago! Y/n Hudson, everyone!"
Everyone cheered and you stepped up to the microphone. "Hi there," you let out a small laugh.
"Girl, you better dance!" Delia yelled from the pit, resulting in another round of cheers from everyone else.
"Me? Dance? Oh, we'll see," you laughed into the mic.
You turned around for a dramatic start and it was your call when the band would start since the song started off acapella anyways.
"Well since my baby left me," you sang sweetly into the microphone, tilting the stand towards you ever so slightly. "I found a new place to dwell!" Your take on the song was somewhat faster, allowing you to put a little more sass in your movements.
With each hip shake, thrust, or whatever the movement might be, you made sure to match it up with the consistency and beats of the band. Excited cheers erupted from the crowd and you turned around to face them, placing a hand on your hip as one hand wrapped the microphone stand.
"It's down at the end of Lonely Street," You pointed to Seth's beautiful home, "at Heartbreak Hotel!"
"Where you'll be, you'll be so lonely, baby! you'll be so lonely, you'll be so lonely, you could die," You swayed your hips back and forth with the beat of the drums, your shoulders and left heel bounced in a rhythmic beat, the music flowing through your body.
"And although it's always crowded, you still can find some room," you walked over to the edge of the stage, snapping. You smiled at a few men who were watching you in awe and they cheered. "For broken hearted-lovers, lord, to cry away their gloom!" You pointed at yourself on each beat.
"It'll be so lonely baby, it'll be so lonely. It'll be so lonely, you could die!"
"Sing it, baby!" The drummer said over the live band.
"Damn dog," you said into the microphone with a smile,
You made sure the band slowed down the small instrumental break so you could really feel yourself. This was your first time in front of a crowd and you actually enjoyed it. You allowed the music to carry you away, and as soon as you heard the beat slow, you let out a small "Oh," into the microphone.
As you put the microphone back into its original place in the holder on the stand, your feet carried you to the middle of the stage. Your hips swayed in a slow circular motion as the rest of your body followed and slowly spun in a circle. As the guitarist played the solo, you put your hands on your waist and did a small shimmy with your chest before sticking out your knee and bending over, with a teasingly slow rise.
"That's right," you praised yourself.
The crowd cheered once more for your dance and even more whistles were heard from the crowd. You made eye contact with the eye-opening male from earlier, he was now sitting in the chair that was open across from you when you were previously seated.
He had brown hair and a small stubble of a beard. You could tell his hair was previously slicked back, but throughout the day, most of his hair had fallen from its perfect style which left him with a somewhat attractive, messy look.
"Well now, if your baby leaves ya'!" You kicked your leg back for both beats. "And you need a tale to tell! Just take a walk down a lonely street, to Heartbreak Hotel," you walked over to the lead guitarist and pushed a finger into his chest. "Where you will be, you'll be so lonely, baby!"
You turned so your body was pushed against the guitarist's back. "You will be lonely! You'll be so lonely you could die!" You held out a rather long riff that only got deeper and deeper. Each time your pitch got deeper during the riff, you would slide lower and lower down the guitarist's back until you were basically at his feet.
As you stood up to give a small bow, the crowd gave a final round of applause. You thanked the band and made your way off the box stage and back to the firepit.
The group gave you a round of applause themselves when you came into view. You smiled brightly and took your seat once more.
"I told y'all she would have some pipes," Delia said, a proud smirk plastered on her face.
"You are like a goddess up there, woman," Ted complimented.
"Thank you all. I need to loosen up just a little, are there drinks here?" You asked.
"Yep, they're in the kitchen. A ton of premade margaritas, they aren't bad," Lee answered.
You thanked Lee and began to make your way back into the house.
When you reached the kitchen, you saw all the pre-made drinks sitting on the marble counter. Your heels clicked against the tiled flooring and the sound echoed off the walls. It was around the same size as the kitchen in Graceland, just slightly bigger. Some people lingered around both entryways to the kitchen, but nobody was really inside. You picked up a glass with a pink liquid inside. Swirling the glass around in your hand, you heard a voice from across the room.
"I didn't put anything in them," the voice said.
Your body quickly turned towards the voice and your eyes laid upon a man sitting in the middle seat at the island. It was that same man from earlier, the one who sat in the last, eighth seat around the pit.
"Excuse me?" Your head tilted in confusion.
His long fingers drummed against the countertop, his gaze softened as you tilted your head. His hair was a shade of natural copper and his shirt complemented his forest green eyes. You didn't know why, but he gave off a dominant and sinful aura upon meeting his eyes.
"You're at a party and you don't know very many of the people, let alone the homeowner, and you're smelling and swirling the glass around. It appears to me that you think the drink is drugged," he shrugged.
Two of his long fingers beckoned you over to come closer. Curious and ever-so intrigued by the man, you complied and walked to where you were directly across from him.
"You're right," you let out a nervous laugh, slightly intimidated by the man. "My friends told me to come here and- and..." You paused, your eyes narrowed at him. "How did you know I didn't know the homeowner?"
"That's because I am the homeowner. We haven't met," He smiled.
Feeling a weight being lifted off your shoulders you let out a relieved sigh. "God, I thought you were some stalker for a second." You laughed, so did he, but not as loosely as you did. "Are you Seth?"
"Yes, lovely to meet you. It's about time we met."
"Nice to meet you, Seth, I'm Y/n."
"I know."