The Fairytale

Months later, at a booming party, I wound up dancing next to one hell of a hot guy. I could tell he found me hot too because he motioned for me to follow him.

I followed him to the brighter, less noisy kitchen where a large array of different types of booze were lined up on the counter.

"Can I mix you something?" he asked taking a couple of cup from the stack next to the sink.
"Rum and coke." I said resting my elbows on the counter, observing his slick movements. He made us each a rum and coke before handing me my cup.
"Cheers." he said raising his cup.
"Cheers."

"I don't think I've seen you at any of the parties before." he said.
"I don't usually party in this part of town." I replied, I sipped my drink, he stared intently, "My friend Adelina brought me along." I pause, "Her cousin lives here, Carter, I think his name is."
"Yeah," this guy nods, "Awfully rough place to hang around you know."
"Trust me, you grow up like I did, and you can handle the rough parts of town." I shrugged, he sipped his drink.

"What's your name?"
"Daria, yours?"
"Dustin."

"Are you-" we said simultaneously.
"Haha, the prince." I finished.
"Guilty," he said, his eyes running up and down my body vigorously, "Wow."
"Small world?"
"No, I mean yes," he seemed way to stunned for such a casual coincidence, "People told me you were hot but I thought they meant you weren't hunched back with buck-teeth."
"Umm thanks." I laugh, "You certainly look much better than the last time I saw you."
"Yeah? When was that?"
"My sixteenth birthday, we were sorta forced to dance together, your parents bought me a car."
"Right." he said with an exaggerated nod.
"You looked so nerdy compared to now."
"And you've certainly blossomed." he said awkwardly, "For the record, I think the car they gave you wasn't exactly bought so much as hustled."
"I figured as much." I snickered, "I have to say, your dancing abilities have really improved."
"Awe man, can we top talking about how awkward of an eighteen year old I was?"
"Ohh-kay."

"Shit Daria! There you are!" Adelina exclaimed, "We HAVE to leave."
"Alright," I said as she yanked on my arm, "See ya around Dustin."
"Likewise Daria." he called after me.

It was a week later when Adelina passed me the phone saying some guy wanted to talk to me.
"Hello?"
"Hey Daria, it's Dustin."
"Oh hey, what's up?"
"Nothing much, how about you? Whatcha up to tonight?"
"Just watching some TV." I said casually.
"Great, so I guess you won't mind going out with me tonight." I stared dumbly at the phone for a few moments.
"Like a date?"
"Yeah, like a date if you want to put a title on it."
"Uhh."
"C'mon, we'll go out dance, have a few drinks."
"I can't." Those two words got me a fucked up stare from Adelina, followed by an elbow in the ribs.
"Oh, and why's that?"
"I have an eight AM class tomorrow."
"Oh," he pauses, "How about coffee and a slice of pie?" Adelina still had that look on her face and I knew she'd never let me hear the end of it if I didn't go.
"Make it cake and you can pick me up in half an hour."
"Deal."

I hung up the phone and turned to Adelina and Mimi.
"Goddamn you guys, now I have to get dressed again."
"Nah, don't bother," Adelina yawned, "I'm sure he'll love your Royam University sweats."
"Ya think?" I asked as I struck a pose.

"Who was the guy?" Mimi questioned.
"Dustin."
"Dustin! As in Adriano's son Dustin? AKA Prince Dustin?!" she exclaimed.
"Yeah." I mumbled.
"Who? What? Where now?" Adelina asked glancing between Mimi and I, "Prince? What kind of ego does this guy have?"
"The guy I was talking to at the party," I explained, "His parents are friends with my parents and its complicated."
"And the prince thing?"
"Its an old, old nick name." Mimi said quickly.
"Right." Adelina replied, nodding slowly.

At the coffee shop down the street, Dustin and I had a quiet corner to ourselves where we sipped our coffees in over stuffed chairs.
"You know," Dustin said, "Our parents had this pre-arranged marriage thing between us, they made when we were born." he laughed.
"Yeah, I know." I paused, "I was never sure if they were serious about it though."
"Yeah, I think it was more of a highly suggested marriage option." he mumbled into his coffee.
"Yeah." I laughed, "I don't think my parents were even sure how serious your father was."
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah, I think as precautionary my mom tried to sell the idea to me at an early age."
"What do you mean?"
"Like every time we'd watch one of those Disney princess movies like Cinderella or Snow White she'd say one day you'll get married to a prince just like in the movies, Prince Dustin."
"Haha, wow." he chuckled, "Now I don't actually remember this but I'm told we went to pre-k together and my dad would joke with me saying that one day I'd marry that pretty Daria girl. I'd always say no because I was in this girls are icky phase."
"Awe."
"Yeah, yeah."

"So, like, have you had boyfriends?" he asked, "Or was it forbidden to be with anyone but me?"
"No, no, I've had a few boyfriends, how about you, any girlfriends?"
"Yeah," he nods, "I know this is umm, intrusive, but are you a virgin?"
"Wow you're really upfront." I laughed nervously, "Do you think I am?"
"Well on normal circumstances no, but considering our families."
"Well, I'm not." I say carelessly, "You?"
"No, I was a late bloomer, but yeah, I've done the big IT."
"Glad to hear it." I laughed, "Because twenty-two and no sex ain't healthy."
"True."

"Where'd you go for coffee? Brazil?" Adelina asked when I finally got back to the apartment around one AM.
"We lost track of time."
"Doing what?" Mimi asked wit ha perverted wink.
"Not that." I rolled my eyes, "We started talking and couldn't stop."