Chapter one
Ariel screwed me over. But really, she isn't the one with all the blame. Jasmine, Cinderella, belle, snow white, sleeping beauty and all the other princesses are there also. The idea of having a happily ever finding the one guy that loves you unconditionally, your prince charming.
If you watch the childhood movie the little mermaid, you'd see what I mean. The prince is charming, charismatic, and lazy. Seriously Eric you say you love the girl Ariel and when you see her again, you don't think is her because she can't talk because of Ursula taking her voice to become a human.
So, you took her in, gave her a place to stay, and was about to give up until ursula came into the picture as vanessa or what ever she called herself and used Ariel's voice and brainwashed you. Did you really not notice the hair color difference.
When you get older, you realize that all the fairytales are nothing but bullshit. They say just because you find a your prince charming, you'll live happily ever after. Let me be the one to tell you that it does not happen. I learned that at a very young age. That's why I am 16 and still single, even though all guys I meet tell me I should be a super model with my looks. When you've been through what I've been through, you'd understand why I gave up on life not too long ago.
If I had a theme song... It would probably be either I'm not going to write you a love song or miss independent. It's totally true.
I was at my favorite restaurant that I eat at every Friday night, the chopped chicken, waiting for my best friend, Rachel Roth. When she finally got here she was on her phone. My guess it was her fiancée. I walked up to the hostess and told her "party for two for Kory Anders." She looked on her list and went to get another hostess. Must've been her time to get off.
I looked over to Rach, who was still blabbering away on her new iPhone 5s that her fiancée got her for a pre-engagement gift. Gosh what could they be talking about. Was she going to stay on the phone all night? She then holds a finger up at me. Yea since when has she ever needed just one minute.
"hi kory" one of the waiters said as I passed him on the way to our table. "How are you this evening?" he asked.
"I would be better if my friend would get off her phone and realize she's here to be with me." I tell him, pointing behind me at my friend. Rachel stuck her tongue out at me. " okay honey, I've got to go I'll see you at home" pause. "I don't know a few hours maybe" pause "Love you too." she pushed the end button and put her phone away in her new expensive bag, another present from her fiancée. She looked at me "I'm all yours."
Rach and I followed our hostess through yellow. The place was a mixture of espresso-colored wood, white, and gold. Miniature lamps filled lit the tables, casting a soft goldish glow. Gold was my favorite restaurant in Jump City. My favorite restaurant anywhere actually.
The fact that it was five minutes from my apartment and about ten from animal Haven, the home for abandoned and stray animals, where I worked as practically anything they needed, made it even better.
As soon as Rachel and I were settled into a table in the corner, she picked up her menu. "So what are we celebrating again?" She asked.
I took the white cloth napkin off the table and placed it on my lap. "It's been a year since I've had my heart broken. No more relapses."
"Oh, that's right" Rachel shook her head. " You're celebrating you're jaded stance on men."
"I prefer the term realistic."
"so there's no love in the world?" she asked me.
"except for you and Garfield."
"oh so there is an exception... Yay all hope in humanity is restored." she said sarcastically, leaning back in her chair and shot her arms up and behind her.
"But I'm serious Rach, there's no puzzle pieces, no you complete me, or your the woman of my dreams guy out there, and the beauty of this day and age, I don't need one."
"So why are you dressed like that " – she waved a hand at me – "if you don't have anyone to impress?"
My purple dress hugged in all the right places and showed off my legs. "One, because I run my butt off so I can pull it off. And two what am I supposed to do? Look like a slob because I don't think relationships don't last forever? I'm not itching to run off and become a nun or anything."
"yeah you'd be a great nun."
Carl walked up to us and shot me a huge toothy grin. "Kory, hey."
I returned the smile "if it isn't my favorite waiter. How are you today?"
"Good we're kinda slammed right now, so its crazy. But good." he lifted his pad of paper. " What can I get for you ladies?"
I didn't even bother with the menu anymore. I rattled off my order, then waited as Rachel placed hers.
Rach watched Carl walk away. "What about him? He's super cute and you two seem to have a vibe."
"We don't have a vibe. We have a I-come-here-all-the-time-we-say-hi thing. Besides, he's way too young, not to mention I have a strict policy against dating people I run into all the time. No guy's worth losing my favorite place to eat."
Rach rolled her eyes at me. "You're completely hopeless."
"No you're the hopeless romantic. They call it that for a reason, you know"
Rach's phone rang and she hovered her finger over the end button. "Gar's probably calling to tell me what his mom said about the flowers. I'll just be one minute"
"I knew you'd never make it." I dug through my purse until I found the envelope I was looking for. "I'll be right back" I whispered.
Making my way toward the back of the restaurant, I took in all the different kinds of people out on a Saturday night. One couple sat, smiling at each other but not saying anything, neither one eating much of his or her food.
On a date. Probably first or second.
The next table over, a woman in her late thirties to early forties had her arms folded across her chest, a scowl on her face. The guy across from her leaned in, looking frustrated and confused, saying "I'm sorry okay
Married and not speaking– well shes not speaking.
The kitchen would be a madhouse tonight, so I didn't bother heading in that direction. Brent, the head chef and owner, had done me a huge favor last week, making a special plate for one of my patients. The list of items she couldn't have had been lengthy, but he'd managed to pull it off. I'd written a thank you note and I placed it in his suggestion box outside of his office.
As I walked back to my table, I felt my heel get caught in the floor before it came off my foot making me almost fall.
"whoa" I muttered as I recovered from my almost-fall
I turned around in search of my shoe and saw a guy end over to retrieve it.
"I think you lost this." he said, tugging it loose from the crack in the floor.
"Yeah, it's kinda stuck in there and... Let's just say it wasn't my smoothest move."
He stood up, a big smile on his face. His very handsome face. His bright sky blue eyes, killer smile, and short dark hair made it hard to look away. So I didn't bother trying.
"Well..." he held up my black stiletto out to me. " Here you go."
oh that's right. I'm standing in the middle of a crowded restaurant, one foot four inches higher than the other.
"thanks." I said as I took the shoe. Balancing on my other foot, I bent my leg and attempted to slide the shoe on. Stepping into this shoe was not an option. They took a little extra work– a finger on the back– to wedge in the heel.
He reached out and put a hand on my hip to steady me. It sent my heart racing, which just goes to show you how long it had been since my last physical contact with a guy.
The shoe finally slipped into place and I put my foot down. When he didn't move his hand, I glanced at it, then back up at him.
"I didn't want you to fall." he said, one corner of his mouth lifting.
A deep stirring I haven't felt in a long time burned through my core. " I wouldn't fall."
"you see why I would worry since you tripped just a minute ago."
Between the grin he was flashing me and the heat radiations from his hand, my pulse was having trouble staying steady. I smiled back, pulling the flirty smile that was,rusty from the lack of use. "I suppose I do have that against me. Although I choose to blame the faulty flooring and not my coordination."
He took his hand off my hip and held it out to me. "I'm Richard."
I placed my small hand in his rather large one. "kory. Do you come here often?"
He laughed. " I haven't been here for a while, but I am one of the managers here."
Red alert. Liar.. No "I actually happen to know the manager, and you are not him." I then walk away.
It's a shame he's a liar, otherwise I would've been tempted.
I went back to my table and told Rach about Richard. And of course she striped to defend him.
The last time I dated a liar, let's just say he was not divorced.
Ok that was my first chapter. Disclaimer... I do not own teen Titans, the plot, I just wanted this in a teen Titan version. If you want to read the real thing, read Cinderella screwed me over. By Cindi Madsen.