Rain fell in a slow, steady rhythm, dancing on the metal roof. Silver streams flowed down the window as Ariana Grande looked out at the gray sky. February in Los Angeles. It should feel cold and dreary, but she liked the rain. And today of all days it felt right. A new beginning. A new era. And she was going to own it.
It was a bad idea, right? Ariana knew, objectively speaking, that this could be a huge mistake. Her mama wouldn't like it, her daddy wouldn't either, probably no one in her family except her brother. Frankie would be the only one who could understand. It had started with him after all. They had both been rebounding from failed relationships. Ariana's divorce finalized and her fling with Ethan come to its inevitable conclusion. That has not been a shock, but she had been shocked at her brother's relationship ending.
XxXxXxXxX
So there they both were on New Year's Eve with their friends, single and trying to drink away feelings of loneliness. Fake it till you make it. But there's nothing quite like the holidays to make you reflect on life, especially New Years. Ariana had been hoping some vodka shots would help clear her head when Frankie started complaining about the process of moving out post break up. She listened without really listening, after all she was an expert at breakups. Eventually she asked the burning question, what happened? She had liked his fiancé. Thought he was a good match for Frankie.
Instead of answering directly, Frankie answered with a quote. He could be so damned philosophical when drunk. Frankie slapped his shot glass down on the table and loudly proclaimed, "Oscar Wilde once said, "everything in the world is about sex — except sex. Sex is about power." Honesty, Ari, that resonates with me so much. Like, I like being attractive and sexy. I want people to want me. But when I date guys that are less famous and wealthy than I am, when I'm the one with all the power and they are there for the free ride, it actually makes me feel less powerful. I feel taken advantage of. Even when they aren't gold diggers or whatever. I just feel like I'm settling for something less and thus acknowledging that I'm not that powerful. I dunno, maybe that doesn't make sense."
The problem was it did make sense. In fact Ariana had never gone from tipsy to stone cold sober so quickly. A sudden self-realization. She was addicted to power. Suddenly her old crush on President Obama made sense. She had daydreamed of being a modern Marilyn Monroe. But that crush immediately dissolved when Obama's presidency was over and thankfully had not transferred to the geriatrics who succeeded him. She didn't actually have a crush on the man, it was the power he held.
In every relationship she ever had it was she who had all the money and power. No power couple just Ariana and whatever guy she was currently with. A revolving door of mediocrity. Okay, that was a little harsh. But she had certainly never been the arm candy for a powerful man. That should be a feminist nightmare but damn if it wasn't fucking sexy to her. How ironic. She was supposed to be a strong, independent woman. Why couldn't she be both? She wanted it all. And didn't she deserve that?
Ariana thought about her most recent relationships. Ethan had made her feel powerful for a while. The sheer fact that he was willing to give up his marriage for her was thrilling. As horrible as it was, it made her feel sexy and desirable. Like she could have any man she picked if she really wanted to. But the allure wore off quickly. Reality hit hard that he wasn't much of a prize. His willingness to cheat on his wife manifested in their own relationship as wandering eyes.
Dalton had been perfectly adequate for a Covid relationship. Routine set in and he had become downright domestic. Marriage was a mistake, but she had learned. Thank you, next. Pete had been fun. At least for a while, but his struggle with drugs has always been a source of contention. The list went on and on but the fact remained that all those men had not been on the same level of money or fame. She had been playing with boys but she wanted a man.
Once the revelation had struck it had become her mantra. As the ball dropped in Times Square, Ariana made her resolution. She was going to get herself a man with power, fame, and money.
The problem was who to choose? Ariana looked at each criteria in turn. Although power was her main focus, possibly bordering fetish territory, that one seemed the most depressing. She thought about men in government and shuddered. No. No geriatric president. No overweight senator. Just no. Ugh, maybe she'd come back to that one.
Fame made Ariana think of Hollywood. She could date some famous actor. Certainly he would have fame and money. The issue was she couldn't think of any actor who she would consider especially powerful. Plus a pop star dating an actor seemed so cliché. Ariana didn't just want to cause a stir. She wanted to take the media by storm. To be all they wanted to talk about. Two out of three just wouldn't do.
Money. Money was a form of power after all. Perhaps this was her deciding factor. And it was probably the easiest one. Literally a measurable factor in her trifecta. A quick google search counting down the wealthiest men on earth. Some were instantly dismissed, either because she had never heard of them, so not enough fame, or the geriatric factor. For example, at nearly 70 years old, Bill Gates didn't seem like a viable candidate. Mark Zuckerberg was at least reasonably close to her age as well as being famous and controlling social media. He was married though. Minor inconvenience. He was a possibility. She read on. Jeff Bezos was on the borderline of her age limit. He was definitely famous, powerful, and engaged but not married. Apparently his ex-wife had taken a chunk of his Amazon wealth. Good for her. Respect to his ex. In any case Jeff was another possibility, albeit with a time limit. Geriatric French guy, pass. And then she reached the top of the list. Elon Musk.
Oh, well look at that. The wealthiest man on earth, at a reasonable age, and she had to admit he was quite handsome. Definitely the best looking out of the list, although that was a low bar. She read on. Currently unmarried and with no current relationship. A bunch of kids from different women. Playboy. So many companies. Fuck. How did he manage them all? Tesla, SpaceX, X (RIP Twitter), Neuralink, etc... And who didn't know his name? Definitely famous, boarding on infamous. Certainly his tweets or X's were all over the place, like he just spewed out his random shower thoughts, which were sometimes funny, or bizarre, or provocative, or just plain confusing. Chaotic bad boy. Ariana liked chaos. Money, fame and power. Ariana had found her man.
The glow of headlights cutting through the mist and rain brought her out of her reverie. A Tesla pulled under the carport. Silver streams of rain trickled off the gleaming red paint. She smirked at the red Tesla. What a perfect choice for her. The color of desire. The color of her new album. She stepped out her front door as the falcon wings of the car began to rise.
It was a bad idea. Ariana knew it. But it was going to happen. She wanted to feel what it was like to hold that kind of power. She deserved the best. Besides, it wasn't going to be anything serious. She was temporary. Hit it and quit it. A simple affair. The falcon wing clicked down and the Tesla took off, propelling her into her new era.
The Tesla Design Factory was surprisingly close to Ariana's Hollywood Hills home. It felt almost serendipitous. That and the fact that the gleaming red Tesla matched her heels. She had picked her outfit carefully, she wanted to exude a casual elegance. It would look ridiculous for her to show up in a little black dress to tour a car factory. But the Louboutin heels were a must.
The Tesla pulled up to the factory entrance and Ariana thanked the driver as she got out. Her heels clicking to the concrete in a satisfying rhythm. The sound always piqued her confidence and as she turned she flipped her ponytail off her shoulder. A technique she had perfected over the years. She knew she looked good. And she blessed all her lucky stars because damn if he didn't look good too.
It was Ariana's first time seeing Elon Musk and she realized that she had not fully prepared for this moment. First, he was much more handsome in person than she had expected. Intelligent eyes, dark hair, square jaw, and a smile that was both roguish and charming. And he was tall. Ariana, at just over 5 feet, only came up to his shoulder. She knew he had to be more than a foot taller than she.
Grateful to her heels, she approached him, making sure to check her posture. In contrast, Elon stooped, ducking his head and bending at the waist as he extended his hand to greet her. She loved when tall men bent down to her. The fact that the wealthiest man in the world was bending to her made her feel like a queen - no, check that, a fucking goddess! Hell yes! This feeling, this is what she had been craving.
Elon Musk extended his hand to hers as he said, "Hi, I'm Elon. Welcome to Tesla."
Oh fuck. Ariana hadn't been prepared for his voice. Deep, rich and the most beautiful accent, sophisticated yet not too heavy, just perfect. She loved a good voice. And Elon's made her heart sing.
Ariana also wasn't prepared for the zing of electricity as he squeezed her hand. His hand was warm, fingertips calloused from work, and so much bigger than hers. These hands change the world. God, she could get used to this. This power high. She already felt addicted.
Ariana smiled her most winning smile and tried to squeeze his hand too, but she was pretty sure she was only gripping his first two fingers.
"I'm Ariana, but you can call me Ari. It's so good to finally meet you."
Well shit. She hadn't meant to say that last part out loud. Thankfully, his smile broadened and he nodded.
"I've seen you at the Met Gala. But we didn't get the chance to officially meet. You are like the sun, so many people orbiting you, trying to catch your light. It's understandable. You are radiant, Ari."
Ariana blushed at his compliment. She angled her head down and looked up at him through her lashes. She knew it would widen her eyes in a most appealing way.
"Elon, now you're making me wish I met you sooner."
"I can't change the past, but I can make up for it in the present."
Damn. No wonder he has so many kids. She thought he was going to be an awkward engineer type but he was charming and surprisingly smooth. Add to that a brilliant mind and successful and tall and handsome and rich! She didn't want kids but even she wanted him in her bloodline... so to speak.
Elon welcomed her forward to the factory with an outstretched left hand. His right still gripping hers. Ariana hoped he'd never let go. She could still feel the tingling where skin met skin. Fuck, is this what it feels like to meet someone at your level?! Why had it taken her so long to figure it out? She decided to take his advice, don't worry about the past, make the most of it now. This bad idea just got a whole lot sweeter.
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The factory was much more interesting than Ariana had expected. She mainly just wanted to see him in his element. Getting the opportunity to hear him talk about his passions. He seemed to have both inexhaustible enthusiasm and knowledge. Every question she asked he jumped on, expounding far beyond her comprehension.
Sometimes she could tell he was trying to explain things simply. The difference was awkward but endearing. After a mile-a-minute detailed description of the battery pack he noticed her lost expression. He stuttered through a simplified explanation. Gave her an apologetic smile. She laughed and his smile broadened.
He was definitely an awkward engineer after all. But no, that wasn't quite right. He was complex, the combination of so many things, changing based on the situation. She was reminded of her stage persona versus her private persona, both part of her. Not merely the sum of parts.
She was standing a bit too close to him, a deliberate choice. She had noticed him checking her out. As brilliant as he was, he was not very subtle. She thanked her lucky stars again. She didn't want to waste time. Playing coy was fine for long term prospects but this was just supposed to be a simple affair.
Elon's hand was resting on the auto frame and she delicately placed hers on top. Felt the tingling of energy pass between them. He leaned towards her almost imperceptibly. He was about to speak when something caught his eye behind her. He looked up and Ariana saw a shadow cross his eyes. The pretty blue/gray turning dark and ominous. The change sent a chill down her spine. He rolled his shoulders back and stood tall. His jaw set as he bared his teeth. She turned to try to find the source for his change. Saw a guy working on the assembly line, who was obviously goofing around and not actually working.
"Please excuse me." He murmured but before she could reply he was already marching off towards the offender.
Workers either scattered or ducked their heads and feverishly picked up the pace when they saw him coming. All except for the oblivious guy in Elon's sights. The guy turned at the last minute and seemed to shrink when he saw his CEO bearing down on him. From this distance, Ariana couldn't hear what was said. Elon towered over his employee as he spoke to him. The guy looked close to tears as Elon whirled away and stalked back to where Ariana was waiting.
When Elon reached her, his eyes were still dark, nostrils flared and his hands balled into fists. He looked at her and a thrill ran through her body. He was intimidating. There was a dangerous side to him...and it was so fucking hot. She hated that she liked it. She really shouldn't like that.
Elon seemed to realize that he was still in fight mode. Slowly he blinked and took a few deep breaths.
"I'm sorry about that."
She shrugged. "It's okay. You've got a business to run."
He nodded but remained quiet. His posture was still rigid, the muscles standing out on his arms as he clenched and unclenched his fists.
Ariana decided to take a chance. She approached him and looked up into his handsome face as she whispered, "I'm really hungry. Do you want to go get something to eat?" As she spoke she pressed a little closer than necessary. Really wasn't necessary to whisper either, but it created the desired effect of having him bend to her again.
Elon visibly calmed, his jaw softening to a smile. The fist that seemed ready to punch a wall now open and cradling her elbow. So soft and gentle you could hardly believe he was the same man. His pretty eyes searched her face as though looking for answers to unspoken questions.
"I would really like that." He murmured.
"Good." She beamed at him.
"Where would you like to go?" He asked.
"Hmm, I want something casual, but also something unique and new."
Elon nodded and extended his arm. "Follow me."
Ariana took his arm and followed.