fallenmuses

[fallenmuses]

leon smiles into the kiss and melts into her touch while still maintaining the balance of the two beers poured into tall glasses. "fuck, you were so good," he whispers against her face, eyes hypnotized by the glowing look on her face. the blond kisses her one more time before offering her the glass of beer. he takes a sip from his own. "i'm super proud of you. you killed it!" his smile widens, "i seriously had a great time, everyone seemed to have a great time too," he nods his head as he takes a seat on a couch against the opposite wall. he takes another sip of his beer and runs his fingers through his curls, "how did you feel up there?" he wonders, "did you have fun?" there's no doubt in his mind that she did.

webster hall was a big deal for salem. she'd been to various shows here throughout the years and hoped that one day she could play a show of her own. she was ready to get back into the music scene after taking some time away and had no idea how great the turn out would be for this random one off show of hers. her eyes skimmed through the sea of people as she peeked from backstage at the audience, almost immediately spotting leon. a few moments later she was on stage back in the swing of things like no time passed at all. after thanking everyone and leaving the stage she hurried to her dressing room to change. a few moments later she heard three knocks at the door, a smile stretched across her face at the sight of her boyfriend. he looked extra good tonight. "i hope it's a drink." she responded before wrapping her arms around his neck and planting a kiss on his lips. god she loved him. "so...how was it?" her tone a bit nervous.

[fallenmuses]

it's salem's first show in who knows how long. of course leon got the first ticket and sat in the front row, a little to the left because he didn't want her to feel super self-conscious about him. he's just so happy for her. his girl is doing what she loves and she's not only great at it, she also looks super hot. when the show's over, leon is the first person to stand up and clap his hands, making noise, cheering for her.

he figures salem might need a few minutes to come back down from the high. or at least to put on some pants or whatever. leon hangs by the bar, orders two beers and quietly slides in backstage. no one seems to notice him, or no one seems to care. he finds her dressing room, the door's closed. so, he knocks three times. "i've got something for you, my brilliant star," he grins at the cheesy nickname, but he's so excited for her. he can't wait to plant the most passionate kiss on her lips and tell her that it was absolutely amazing. because she is, in fact, absolutely stellar.

@saturnmusings

[fallenmuses]

leon can't relate to her. he's not a nepo baby. no one in his family is in the music industry, they barely sing, out of key. "well..." he starts as he sees her light the joint, "i know you go even further than that. i believe in you, sal," he smiles at her and takes the joint, immediately bringing it to his lips and taking a drag. nodding his head, the blond feels his heart rate go up as she sings linger to him. is this the moment he should make a move? leon quirks an eyebrow when she blushes as she asks if he's into anyone. "i might," he sighs softly. "give me that," he grins and picks the guitar from her hands. grabbing a capo and putting it on the second fret, the man is quick to play the chords to wonderwall, looking at salem, the joint hanging from his lips. "maybe... you're gonna be the one that saves me..." he sings, also blushing. they've always played songs to each other, but it was always silly and tonight the whole thing seems more... intimate. he stops playing and offers the joint back to her. "are you?" he asks in response, "into anyone?" if she says yes, maybe he'll make a move. if she says no, his heart will break.

salem shrugged at his question, she wasn't sure why she was so insecure about her music in general but songwriting was more personal to her. she didn't believe her experiences should be up for critique by anyone, a good chunk of her life was already picked apart on tv. "a big part of it is feeling like i wont get taken seriously because of my dad. all that nepo baby shit just means i gotta go the extra mile to prove myself." salem knew she was privileged to live the life she does but it always felt like some sort of weird restraint at the same time. "you just have spare joints laying around for me? i feel so special." she teased as he retrieved it from the drawer. getting high and making music with leon was the perfect way to spend this night. as she lit the joint and inhaled it she thought about how happy she was that he was permanently living in brooklyn. "an infatuation song?" she replied while exhaling and passing the joint to him. was there some girl he had feelings for that he couldn't act on? was it someone they mutually knew? she felt a little jealous at the thought of it. "like maybe wonderwall by oasis? or linger by the cranberries?" salem picked the guitar back up and started strumming the latter as she hummed the chorus. "you know i'm such a fool for you...you've got me wrapped around your finger...." continuing to strum she looked up at leon curiously. "so, is there someone you have feelings for?"

[fallenmuses]

"why?" he asks as he sits up and leans on his elbows to hold up his weight. there's no doubt in leon's mind that salem's a talented songwriter. the way she works with melodies in such a unique way, he envies that superpower she has. "ohh, now you're talking," he grins and turns to his nightstand, opens a drawer and picks a perfectly rolled joint from inside, and a lighter. "i forgot i had this," he says with a chuckle before sitting up straight. suddenly, his face feels hot. is he blushing? is he weird he has weed just lying around common places? "you wanna do the honors?" the blond offers the joint to salem. it's fine. she knows he's a stoner. and sometimes he wishes he wasn't. but where would that anxiety fade away to? and even though right now he doesn't feel anxious, getting high with salem is always a fun time. "we should write something... not a love song but like, an infatuation song. does that make sense? like, the part when you're crushing hard. but you're not really sure what to do with those feelings? because maybe they're unrequited?" he wonders why he suggests that with those specific words. is he hinting at something? yeah, it's basically what he feels towards the girl in front of him. maybe he needs confirmation that she feels the same. he's been getting these hunches that maybe salem likes him back. but he's not one hundred percent sure.

salem had been at leon's place a lot recently. she loved that he lived close to her in brooklyn and considering that he was one of her best friends they pretty much spent a lot of their free time together. sitting on his bed, she strummed her new song she'd been working on with leon's guitar in hand. his opinion meant a lot to her and when he complimented the song salem couldn't help but blush a little, her crush on him had grown stronger the past couple of months and after drew that terrified her. "you really think so? i've been super insecure about songwriting so..." she trailed off as she placed the guitar down beside her. writing and releasing her own music was still something she wasn't one hundred percent confident in but the reassurance was nice. a laugh escaped her lips at leon's comment. "you wont get credit for this one but maybe we could write something together." she suggested. salem would never admit that he inspired a couple of songs written in her journal but leon was definitely playing the part of a muse for her. "we could get really drunk or do a lot of drugs and just create a bunch of shit together. that's how david bowie and queen ended up making under pressure anyways."

[fallenmuses]

leon lays on his bed as salem plays a song on his guitar. they're in the apartment he's renting in brooklyn. he moved here around one or two years ago, he'd say. the room is big enough to have set up a desk and a pair of monitors, a midi keyboard, and his guitar and bass stacked up on the side. a small acoustic treatment makes it easy for him to record vocals and riffs he comes up with in the middle of the night before going to sleep. living alone has its perks. no roommates to complain about the noise and all of that. "that's really good, sal," he smiles, "you should definitely release that at some point. and give me credit for it," he chuckles as he teases. he and salem have been hanging out for years now. after the whole shitshow that was drew in her life, after the tour with his band, leon knows that she's his favorite person. he wouldn't want it any other way. and for the first time ever, they're both single at the same time. he would be lying if he said he hasn't grown attracted to her in the past few months. her voice, her mind, her kindness and sassiness and the way she tilts her head when he says something stupid. all of these little things add up to the electricity he feels when they're together.

@saturnmusings

[fallenmuses]

damn. okay. "alright." it pains leon to nod his head with a smile. he's definitely an ass man and he got excited about touching hers. but it's fine. they walk inside, hand in hand, making a beeline to the kitchen. the hellos she exchanges with other people -maybe other artists and musicians- don't go unnoticed. "you're popular, aren't you?" he grins as he leans his head over her shoulder, staring at the half-empty bottles of alcohol. her question makes him chuckle. "i'm a beer kinda guy," he pulls away only slightly to reach for a bottle on the corner, "but i can make a mojito like a motherfucker." he might not be well-versed in the hard liquors world, but even he knows that if he pours way more rum than lime juice, it'll knock someone out. there are people eyeing him, judging him, he can feel that. salem mentions throwing punches and his gut wrenches. he's not a violent guy, not really. but now that someone's basically given him permission to fight, he might not waste it. "if i end up with a black eye, will you ice it for me?" he asks softly, his gaze focused on the glasses in front of him. white rum, lime juice, mint, ice, sugar. the man shakes the contents with a spoon and then takes a sip. yup, it is definitely strong. "this any good?" he offers the glass to salem.

"cactus, got it. but the hands stay above the waist." salem said with a giggle while grabbing his hand. she had no idea why she was a bit nervous. drew cheated on her twice that she knew of but she never had it in her mind to intentionally make him jealous or piss him off. maybe she was really getting tired of his shit. on the plus side of it all though leon was cute enough, really cute actually, and talented enough to make drew jealous. he was the perfect person for job and it was a bonus that he was charming as well. as the two went inside and made their way through the party hand in hand she noticed a couple of drew's friends eying them. no one would have the balls to address her directly about it though. salem exchanged a few hellos to people she knew as they entered the kitchen. "whats the strongest drink you can make me?" she asked while leaning into leon a little too close but in her defense the music was blaring. "also...some of drew's friends are right over there. i'm sure word will get to him but im not anticipating him popping back up. but you better be prepared to throw a punch or two just in case." she teased while lifting a half empty bottle of tequila.

[fallenmuses]

leon nods at salem's words. he likes how vulnerable she's being. he feels safe around her. he likes how much of a judgment-free zone they've created in just an hour. "but you weren't," leon offers as a continuation of her story. how drew thought she was flirting with someone else. at the mention of him being honest, the blond shrugs, "part of being a creative, i guess. i think you are too, you know? honest. it takes guts to say shit out loud sometimes," he tells her as he stomps on whatever's left of the smashed cigarette. the mention of a drink and also the opportunity to make the asshole jealous, it made leon excited. "cool. we should get a safe word just in case i get too handsy," he half-jokes. he's been that fake love interest before. girls wanting him to pretend he's with them -either to have some guy back off, or just make someone else jealous. the blond doesn't mind much. besides, who is he to deny the beauty of the woman in front of him? "it's cactus," he decides before standing up. "safe word." a hand extended to help salem up, his trademark smile, he wants to let her know he's up for it. "shall we?"

"oh?" salem responded a bit taken back before letting out a small chuckle. "i'm sure they can't be that bad. it could be worse...they could be fighting constantly." she let out a small sigh while running her fingers through her long dark hair. "where are you crashing at? my place is in brooklyn but I stay at my parents in soho from time to time when they're away." salem had no idea why but she wanted to invite him to stay the night with her. after leon mentioned drew she realized that he'd left her alone at the party and she didn't even think to go and chase after him like she normally would. "i was here with drew. then he got mad and thought i was flirting with some guy so now i guess i'm here with you." she looked over at him and flashed a small smile. the two lock eyes for a moment before salem looks away, nodding at his statement about her boyfriend. "the sad part is i can't remember a time where he wasn't like that. when we first started dating things were great and just got progressively worse honestly...." she had no idea why she was spilling all of this to leon. the topic of her relationship usually didn't come up, at least not to her face. she let out a chuckle at his last statement. "well, you're more honest than most of the people who do know me personally so I appreciate that." salem stood up in response to his question. "I need a drink really fucking bad actually." she glanced at her phone, not a single notification from drew. abandoning her at some random party and not checking in was the asshole behavior leon was talking about. "you can help me make him jealous." she teased.

[fallenmuses]

"wow, that's a life right there," leon smiles. "it sounds adrenalinic." he might not know the details, but there sure is a story right there, and he wonders if he'll get to hear it. he knows the less he presses, the more likely others will keep talking. so he listens. and he decides he likes the teasing and small banter they're having. "the band? oh, just dylan. but i'm sure he and sj are fucking somewhere inside the house," the blond laughs and dismisses his comment with a hand. he really is high. what kind of strain was that? "sj is his girlfriend. for real, those two can be pretty inappropriate anywhere." he doesn't know why he can't stop talking about it. "anyway, the rest of them are probably back at the place we're crashing at." he and his band were in town only for the month, recording their first album. tour starts next week. the blond stays quiet for a moment, he looks up at the stars and then back at salem. "you're here with drew," leon says. that's the guy that invited him and his band to the party. "i don't wanna be a dick or whatever, but that dude looks like an asshole." he didn't like the way he was treating salem. or most girls around him. growing up with a young single mother taught him a lot about feminism. "good thing i don't know you enough so i can objectively state what i see." he doesn't feel obligated to lie. "do you want a drink?"

salem couldn't help but laugh. she liked seeing leon become relaxed as they spoke. the two teasing one another made her feel like she was talking to an old friend. "no, i didn't do normal school like most people did. i was basically home-schooled my entire life. we lived between here and new orleans, which is where i was actually born and my dad as well, so my parents just decided homeschooling was easier." she wasn't sure why it was getting easier to open up to leon. maybe it was because of the high or maybe he just made her feel at ease. he wasn't prying too much about her family and she appreciated that. "after i finished high school, early by the way, they never pressured me about going. they did pretty well without it and my dad let me just go on the road with him." she put the joint out while the other spoke. his response surprised her a bit. salem assumed most music groups had a set plan in motion, or at least that was how her dad and his band always operated. "cute." salem said with a playful eye roll. fuck, he was actually really charming. she forgot where they were for a moment. "im assuming you came with the band? where's everyone else at?" quickly snapping out of her thoughts.

[fallenmuses]

leon nods his head at her words. she has a point. sometimes he can be so susceptible to criticism. the wrong lyric, the wrong melody. the wrong mix. he starts feeling the high get to his eyes, making them only ever-so-slightly smaller. "i mean. first two years were something like that," his giggly smile makes him feel more relaxed around her. "you didn't go to college?" he asks back. there's nothing in her that reads daughter of a famous rockstar. leon isn't someone who knows all the families of all musicians. he didn't realize lily collins was the daughter of phil collins till a few months ago. "um..." he sits there thinking. has the band talked about specific long-term goals? not really. does he picture himself in artists from teddy for the rest of his life? that's something he hadn't even thought about before. "i don't know. sometimes me and dylan, that's the bassist, talk about it. but it's not a conversation we've had, you know?" he rants for a bit before taking the cigarette out of his mouth with an awkward chuckle, "oh shit, really?" his question is playful before tossing the cigarette on the ground and stomping his foot on it. "thanks for telling me." his smile grows on his face as he turns to see salem's reaction. leon has always been kind of a whore. he can't help it. he's just a flirty person by nature.

salem understood that part. she never performed on stage but being subjected to public scrutiny since she was a child as a result of her family reality show was a lot on her. "yeah but everyone's a critic it's really about drowning out the bullshit. you just really need that one person to like it and soon word will travel. i think smaller shows are more intimate." she inhaled the smoke for a moment while listening to leon. she couldn't imagine a life without music around. waking up to her dad playing guitar and her daily piano lessons were core moments in her childhood. "college?" she exhales., a bit surprised that he was a graduate. most musicians she came across skipped over college all together. "i'm kinda jealous. did you enjoy it? was it cliche like how all the movies depict it with big parties and going to class violently hungover?" salem teased. she never went to school in the conventional way because of her upbringing. "three years is a long time. are you guys trying to make it big or figure everything out along the way?" she asked curiously while fixating her gaze on him. talking to leon was nice. "smoking is a nasty habit." she chuckled before giving him a playful nudge.

[fallenmuses]

she starts talking and he thinks she's fascinating. being on the road with your dad? the glamour of music? who is she? "smaller shows are great, but also terrifying if you're playing," leon chuckles, "mainly because you can see everybody's faces reacting in real-time." it's not that he has stage fright or whatever. if anything, he becomes someone else on stage. he likes it, because he feels free in that moment. and now, talking to salem, he also feels a bit more free. which is a relief because he really didn't know what to expect when he was invited to the party. "songwriting is a whole-ass journey. but if you've been around music for so long, i'm sure it won't be as complicated. my mom wasn't big on music, so there wasn't a lot of it when i was growing up," the blond shrugs his shoulders. "um... second year of college, and we graduated last year, so... i wanna say three years?" artists from teddy is his first official band. this is the longest he's been in the same band with songs he's written and co-written. he likes it. he likes his friends and he likes the music they play. leon plucks a cigarette from the pack in the pocket of his jacket, "do you smoke?" he wonders before placing the stick between his teeth. he knows a lot of people hate the smell, so he doesn't want to light it yet.

she looked over at him noticing his smile at the compliment. he was cute and kinda brooding but not obnoxious or cocky like a lot of the musicians she typically came across. but that was more so drew's circle anyways. "i...grew up around music so i have a real appreciation for it." salem was usually hesitant about talking about her dad and once people found out who he was there was always a shift in the conversation. "but that's why i love going to the smaller shows so much because there's no glamour around it you know? you can really just focus on the music." his question about her being a musician stumped her for a moment. "kinda? i do sing and i play piano and guitar. i just started song writing like a year go when i was on the road with my dad and--." she stopped speaking once she realized she was revealing too much. "anyways how long has your band been together?" quickly changing the subject while the other passed the joint back to her.

[fallenmuses]

"yeah," leon says with a nod of his head. his band had a set that people seemed to like, which was cool. so why is he feeling so bummed out? and when salem starts complimenting their song -his song- and she sings a bit of it softly, the blond smiles. his shoes are stuck to the cement as they're both sat down on the steps, the rest of the party unfolding somewhere else before them. "that's cool. that you remember that," he smiles softly. he's always strived for memorable, catchy pop lyrics. even inside that whole indie rock genre. because, what else can people hold on to? "your voice is nice. are you a musician too?" he asks as he receives the joint. placing it between his lips, leon inhales before closing his eyes and imagining for a moment that he's a balloon. he always pictures that. and he always floats away. but tonight, the presence of the woman sitting next to him is enough to want to stay grounded. he doesn't want to assume anything about salem and her clearly toxic boyfriend. he played at the show too, and she didn't. that didn't necessarily mean she wasn't an artist herself.

"none taken." she replied with a slight shrug. salem shifted her gaze up to him as he introduced himself, immediately recognizing him from the show. "actually I am..." trailing off for a moment she looked around to see if her boyfriend was in sight before focusing her attention back to leon. "I wouldn't mind the company." she says quietly before sitting down on some nearby steps and lighting the joint. he was nice enough to check on her, the least she could do is get high with him. "I recognize you by the way. you played in the show earlier right?" salem says while exhaling the smoke. she'd never seen leon around the underground scene in new york before. it was nice to see an unfamiliar face, it meant less ties to drew. "you guys were great. I loved that one song that was like 'no matter where I go i'm always gonna want you back'. " she sang while passing the joint to the other.

[fallenmuses]

"i would not like to see that," he chuckles softly, already feeling embarrassed, "no offense." leon's social skills are better on stage rather than off it but there's something about the woman that makes him stay. her name, maybe. "hey, i'm leon," he nods his head awkwardly before catching a glimpse of a joint in her hand. he bites his lower lip and takes a step closer, "you getting high then?" he wonders with the smallest smile on his lips. he really needs it. "can i join you?" his eyes catch her and for a brief moment, his heart stops. those beautiful brown eyes are magnetic and he clears his throat before looking down at his shoes.

the last thing salem wanted to do tonight was go to another house party with drew. they fought briefly at the show when he suspected she was flirting with another guy and despite his history of cheating on her drew was always fiercely possessive of salem. somehow though she ended up with him at a mutual friends house party. after a couple of drinks and conversation with random party goers salem was abruptly pulled away by her boyfriend. "great, another fight." she thought to herself as the two argued on the way outside. the couple had a heated exchange about how jealous he was and drew stormed off abandoning her outside. "fucking perfect!" salem said under her breath while quickly wiping tears away from her face. she glanced over at the guy a few feet away, a bit embarrassed he just witnessed all of that. "sorry about that." she hated that she was always apologizing about something. "i'm fine, you should see us on a bad day." a defeated laugh escaping her lips as she shuffled through her bag for a joint she had stashed. "i'm salem by the way."

[fallenmuses]

after the show, leon and his band were invited to this party at a luxurious house in the upper east side. he's only been in nyc for a few weeks. after a ride in a car where he barely recognizes his bassist kissing a girl's neck, the blond sees the mansion through the window. we're here, someone says and he steps out of the vehicle. he moves like a zombie through the crowd. he should be oh-so-happy. something in his brain rots his mood. ever since he arrived, ever since he graduated berklee with his friends. something feels off. leon wanders through the halls until he finds a kitchen with all kinds of alcohol. he might as well get drunk. his hands move out of inertia and he gets a glass of tequila. he walks outside and watches a couple fight. wasn't that guy in one of the bands? "hey, you okay?" the blond asks the woman that's been left behind by a raging dude. leon couldn't possibly know who this woman would become to him.

@saturnmusings

[fallenmuses]

"not when it comes to you i don't," he smirks against her neck. she tastes so good. her folds feel so good when she rolls her hips against his fingers, making it easy for him to penetrate her with his digits. rings adding to the sensation. the hands on his hair drive him wild, and the small whisper against his ear makes him rock hard. "show me," he breathes against her skin before trailing his lips back to her mouth. kissing her lips, tugging onto her lower one. it's always filthy with them. messy and sloppy and amazing. his index moves in a circular motion inside her walls, feeling a spongy spot and rubbing it gently. he knows that makes her crazy.

salem giggled as he grabbed her hand and the two headed for the studio. not a moment sooner they were entering the room, leon quickly closing the door behind them. “you don’t waste any time huh?” she said sarcastically as he pinned her against the wall and proceeded to kiss along her kneck. she felt herself start to get wetter as he put his hand down her panties. “mmm…you get me wet so easily...” she replied softly and it was true. anytime the two were out in public all he had to do was look at her a certain way and she was immediately turned on, ready to be his whenever they were. salem rolled her hips towards him as his fingers rubbed between her folds. she was hungry for leon, every part of her body craved him. “i want you to fuck me so bad baby….” she whispered into his ear as her hands ran through his blonde hair.

[fallenmuses]

leon lets out a low hum of satisfaction when she touches him where he needs her most. "all day, huh?" the blond smirks as he palms her ass before pulling away from the embrace. he looks for something in his pocket, quickly fishing out a couple of keys in a keychain that also has a bottle opener. it comes in handy when beer is offered to him. "we can lock ourselves in the studio," he grins before quickly grabbing her hand and basically dragging her out of the rehearsal room, making their way to the studio that's at the end of the hall. they're animals. primitive urges come up whenever they're alone. maybe they're both sex addicts. but it doesn't matter. all he wants is to have his pretty angel moaning out his name. as soon as they get to the studio, leon locks the door behind them and pins salem against it. he kisses her neck, not wasting any time in hiking up her skirt and pushing a hand down her panties. "you're so wet for me, sal," he smirks against her skin.

salem smirked as he squeezed her ass feeling herself getting more turned on. everything about leon drove her absolutely crazy and she wasn't sure how he was still able to always get her so weak in the knees for him. "it's okay, i have a couple of ways you can make it up to me." she said with a smirk while her hand trailed down his leg, feeling his cock through his pants. realizing he was rock hard and she knew he could take her right now by simply lifting her skirt and having his way with her. after scanning the room a bit she shrugged at his question. "just take me somewhere a little more private....preferably with a door." salem said with a chuckle. she didn't wanna risk anyone walking in on them but she wanted him badly. "i've been dying for you to fuck me all day." she whispered in his ear while starting to tease his cock.

[fallenmuses]

as his girl kisses him, leon forgets where he is. her lips are intoxicating and it's a fast reflex to put his hands on her ass. "thank you," he smirks as she pulls away briefly. he loves the validation from salem. she's got good taste. clearly. "yes," the man replies. "i'm sorry it ran longer than we thought. but we had to get the new song rehearsed before the show tomorrow," he explains before squeezing her ass. leaning into her ear, the blond whispers, "where do you wanna fuck?" there's a mischievous grin on his lips. he can't get enough of her. even after all these years. this is the longest relationship he's ever been in, and he can't lie that it's fucking wonderful. he used to long for a partner, and now that he has sal in his life, it feels more complete and exciting.

salem zoomed in a bit on leon as he spoke and let out a small laugh. "and don't forget to mention all the songs are written about me," she teased. after saying goodbye to the band she walked up to leon and smiled before playfully rolling her eyes at his comment. "the sexiest front man? well..." she kissed him deeply while placing one hand on his face, pulling away for a second. "definitely the sexiest." salem murmured before kissing him once more. "now that you're done with practice do i have you all to myself finally?"

[fallenmuses]

"i want the world to know," leon speaks into the mic, looking directly at the camera and the gorgeous woman behind it, "i want everyone to know that i have a gig coming up and i'm excited to play some new songs," he smiles. the drummer stops when the song ends. leon's backing band fistbumps him and says goodbye to salem. they are alone in the rehearsal room and there's a smirk on leon's lips as he plays a small chord progression on his guitar. "so... what do you think of the set? am i the sexiest frontman you've ever seen?" he teases.

"hi loverboy!" salem replied with a smile as she continued to film leon. she was always excited to watch him perform, even if it was just a rehearsal. something about him being on stage made her heart full. "say something to the camera, what do you want the whole world to know right now?" she asked with a smirk.