Mia
I think I'm losing my mind, because I think that I actually enjoyed dancing with Prince Michael Moscovitz of Monaco. But that can't be possible because he's an annoying, arrogant little jerk that thinks I'm a hoity-toity princess with a stick up my butt to help improve my posture.
I touched the part of my ear he had kissed and felt the goosebumps run up my arm once again. If he was just kissing my ear, imagine how it would feel when he kissed me on the lips.
Wait, why am I saying when? Michael's never gonna kiss me! First of all, we hate each other, and second of all, I HAVE A BOYFRIEND! A perfectly nice, normal, sweet boyfriend who cares for me and doesn't think that I'm high maintenance. Trouble is, I just don't like this boyfriend of mine.
I wanted to be back on that dance floor, dancing with him, letting my body speak for me in ways that I knew I could never put into words. I wanted to be enveloped in his scent all over again. I wanted to get lost in his dark eyes, I wanted to run my hands through his hair. I wanted…I wanted…
Okay, I should stop now before I go completely crazy.
Like I said before: Prince Michael is dangerous.
"Okay, your gown is on your bed, Paolo's coming at five, the florists are downstairs, and the chefs are working in the kitchen. Is there anything else that I've forgotten?" Julia asked distractedly.
I shrugged, not looking up from my salad. "I'm not the assistant, you are."
She growled in frustration. "You're not helping!" she screamed as she stormed off to go check on something, even though I was pretty sure she had all the bases covered.
Prince Michael's welcome ball was that evening and the entire palace staff was running around for last minute preparations. From what I could tell, the ballroom looked magnificent, but I had only been in this business for a year or so, so my experience was limited.
I was eating lunch in the gardens by myself for once. Grandmère was helping with the preparations and father was tending to some foreign matter that didn't involve me. I didn't know where Prince Michael was and that helped to calm me a great deal. I had been avoiding him for the past couple of days and I could only assume he was doing the same to me.
Last night, I reluctantly told Tina what happened at GiGi's and her scream was still echoing in my head.
"Oh my God, Prince Michael KISSED YOU?"
Slowly bringing the phone back to my ear, I said, "Not really. He just sorta…brushed his lips against my ear."
"Oh my God, HE KISSED YOUR EAR!"
"Tina, calm down," I pleaded. "I don't want the entire country to hear about it."
"Tell me everything!"
"I already did. Look, it was probably a mistake, alright? There was no way that he would have wanted to kiss me, much less dance with me. I was the only person he knew there."
Tina made a sort of clucking noise with her tongue and said, "Mia, you are so naïve. He was obviously caught up in the moment!"
I didn't want to talk about it anymore, so I changed the subject. "You're coming tonight, right?"
"I wouldn't miss Prince Michael for the world!" she squealed.
I brought my mind back to where I was and sighed. I couldn't avoid him tonight, seeing as how I was his escort. Maybe I could fake illness? But Grandmère would see through that. There was no getting out of it.
And to add to my worries, Kenny was going to be there, so I would probably be spending the night trying to make sure he and Michael didn't get into a fight.
Yeah, I'm not looking forward to this.
Michael"Okay, so let me get this straight. Princess Amelia took you to an underage nightclub and the two of you danced," Lilly said slowly. "What kind of dancing was this?"
I sighed. What had prompted me to ask my sister for advice concerning my growing fondness of the Princess of Genovia? Whatever it was, I was never going to listen to it again.
"It was…I don't know, it was dancing. How else can I describe it?"
"Were you bumping and grinding, or were you just sort of swaying?"
"We were swaying."
"How close were you?"
"We were…close…" I said rather vaguely. I didn't want my sister to know that a toothpick couldn't have squeezed its way between us.
"You like her, don't you?" she asked shrewdly.
"Maybe…" I trailed off. "I've gotta go Lilly, the ball's starting in an hour."
"Alright, but I want you to give me details, okay?"
"Right," I replied and hung up. What I really didn't want to tell her was that I really did like Princess Mia in a very kiss-her-like-there's-no-tomorrow sort of way. I'm pretty sure if the song hadn't ended when it did, I would have kissed her and that would have made this situation entirely more awkward.
I lowered myself into the bathtub of steaming water, rested my head against the edge and sighed. Unfortunately, my relaxation was interrupted by thoughts of, what else? Mia.
Was she affected by me as much as I was affected by her? Did her skin tingle at my touch? Did the scent of my hair send her senses into overdrive and numb her brain? Did my eyes make her stop, as if I were reading her mind, her mood, her feelings? Did my heart beat against her chest, making her own heart beat faster and faster, all the blood rushing to her head? If she did, then she only felt a fraction of what I was feeling. When we got back to the palace, it took a thirty minute cold shower to rid my body of the lingering sensations.
Tonight was the ball being held in my honor and she was supposed to accompany me. I don't know how that was going to be because for the past forty-eight hours, we've been kind of ignoring each other. It might be awkward, but I was gonna do my best to keep the atmosphere light and fluffy. But I'm not promising anything when we dance.
I was pacing near the entrance of the ballroom. Mia and I were supposed to make a grand entrance and Alfred was going to announce us and everyone was supposed to clap and then Prince Philippe would say something about how it was an honor that I was spending my time in Genovia and I would say that the pleasure was all mine, yadda yadda yadda… Where was Mia?
My question was soon answered when I heard a throat being cleared behind me. I turned around and my knees immediately went weak.
She was absolutely breathtaking. Her gown was a shimmer-y dark forest green with thin straps and an A-line skirt. The bodice was embroidered with patterns of curling ribbons and sparkling beads. The skirt parted in the front to reveal a pale green silk sheet.
"You look beautiful," I whispered hoarsely.
She looked pleasantly surprised by the compliment and smiled cautiously. "What, you're not gonna ask me how many times I changed dresses before I decided on this one?"
The tension suddenly disappeared and I smiled at her, remembering our disastrous first encounter. I smirked and said, "I'll just assume you got it right the first time."
I offered her my arm and she took it as we turned to face the entrance to the ballroom. Then the two guards standing next to the doors pushed them open and Alfred declared in a big, booming voice to the Chanel clad crowd, "Announcing Prince Michael Marcel Montague Moscovitz of Monaco and Princess Amelia Mignonette Grimaldi Thermopolis Renaldo of Genovia."
We walked into the glittering ballroom decorated with lights and silk ribbons tied all along the handsomely decorated walls. Cascading flowers were placed on every conceivable surface of the room and everyone in the orchestra was dressed in identical tuxedoes and black-and-white dresses.
"Wow, your family really went all out," I muttered to her through the side of my mouth.
"What did you expect?" she asked in reply to my statement. "They make more of an effort if you're not in the family."
I chuckled and immediately a portly man with thinning hair approached us. "Oh, hello, Sir Demby," Mia greeted with a practiced smile. "Michael, this is Sir Patrick Demby, Duke of Worthington."
We shook hands and soon there was a receiving line for the two of us. Mia introduced all of us and at the very end of the line was Kenny and Mia's friend, Tina. When the two girls spotted each other, though, they emitted girlish squeals and threw their arms around each other. I watched the exchange in amusement, but couldn't help feeling slightly annoyed at Kenny's glare.
"Look," he said in an undertone while the girls began chatting at a ferociously fast pace, "just because you're Mia's date tonight doesn't mean a thing, okay? She's my girlfriend."
"Well congratulations," I said genially. "I hope that will remain the case after tonight."
Mia"Oh my gosh, he's even cuter in real life! The tabloids really do him no justice," giggled Tina in a conspiratorial whisper.
I giggled too as we both made our way through the crowds. "Is your family here?" I asked.
"Nah, mom didn't want to go and dad thought it'd be pointless without her."
"How come they're letting you come, then?"
"I begged and pleaded."
"That always works," I said with a grin. "Well, anyways, you look absolutely lovely!"
"You should talk," Tina replied airily as she waggled her eyebrows. "He can hardly take his eyes off you."
I snorted. "Well Kenny spends half his time staring at me anyways, I'm hardly surprised."
She chuckled wisely. "I wasn't talking about Kenny, love."
I turned in the direction she pointed and glanced at Prince Michael. When he found me watching him, he gave me a soft smile and a small wave. I waved back and turned to Tina.
"I think he likes you," she declared conversationally.
"Well I think differently," I said lightly, but shaking a little. "He's probably got a girlfriend back at home who's got size six shoes and enough of a chest to keep a strapless gown up."
"You really don't give yourself enough credit."
A minute later, the subject of our conversation walked up to me and bowed deeply. "May I have this dance?"
I curtsied in response and allowed him to take me onto the dance floor. I glanced over my shoulder and twinkled my fingers at Tina who gave me a huge theatrical wink and a double thumbs-up.
We took our position on the floor and I felt the familiar butterflies beating their wings rapidly against the walls of my stomach. His hand on my waist warmed my entire midsection, and my hand just seemed to fit simply and perfectly in his.
"You really do look lovely, you know," he said in a perfectly serious voice. I could really tell he meant it, just by the reassurance flashing in his gorgeous, chocolate-y brown eyes.
"Thank you," I said graciously. "You look amazing yourself."
He grinned. "Yeah, well we're turning heads everywhere. I'm thinking we could get away with anything right now."
I bit my lip at the mischievous glint in his eyes. "What exactly do you have in mind?"
"It involves us ditching the rest of tonight and stuffing our faces with mint chocolate chip ice cream in the kitchens while still in our ballroom best."
His laughter was infectious. "I'm in."
I hadn't noticed him pulling me gradually closer to him, but I vaguely registered in the back of my mind that it didn't bother me. I was pressed against him, not as closely as we had been the day before, but we weren't exactly leaving room for the Holy Spirit. He seemed to realize how the atmosphere had suddenly changed between us. "Mia, about the other day—"
"No, you don't have to explain anything," I interrupted quickly. I knew he was going to explain away the situation as something we both hadn't seen coming and it would perhaps be better if we pretended it didn't happen at all. But the thing was, it meant so much to me. When Michael was holding me, I felt like he wanted me for me, not for my money or for my title like Kenny. I didn't want him to tell me that it meant nothing to him because it meant the world to me, no matter how much I wanted to deny it.
His eyebrows knit together. "No, Mia, I really—"
He was interrupted by a loud cough and a tap on the shoulder. Reluctantly, he stepped aside to reveal a fuming, red-faced Kenny. He stiffly bowed to me and walked away.
"Your Highness," Kenny bowed and kissed my hand. "Would you do me the honor of dancing with me?"
I rolled when he wasn't looking and graced him with a wide smile when he was. "Of course, Kenny."
He placed his hand on my waist and took my gloved hand in his. Unlike Michael, I was completely uncomfortable in his arms and winced every so often as he trod on my already sore and blistered feet. Six minutes into the dance, he brought me closer and I reluctantly allowed him to do so. "Your Highness, you look absolutely beautiful," he whispered in my ear. I winced at his hot breath.
"Thank you, Kenny," I said, trying to keep the weariness in my voice to a minimum.
"About the other night," he began, but I interrupted him.
"No, Kenny, we don't have to talk about this."
"But I want to," he insisted. "I told you I loved you, but you just hung up. I know what this means."
Suddenly, a bubble of hope swelled inside me. Was he doing what I think he was doing? With any luck, he would.
"You're obviously not sure how to say that you love me," he said in an annoyingly patronizing voice.
My voice was paralyzed with shock. He took advantage of my silence to continue his insane insights. "I understand, Mia, completely. I just want you to know that I'm patient. I'll wait for you, but right now you don't have to say anything. I know how you feel." And after he said that, he kissed me with the ferocity of leopard ripping it's fallen prey to shreds.
I froze, completely at a loss of what to do. After a while, I was aware of the stares of scandalized foreign dignitaries and amused friends. Seconds lapsed into minutes and I couldn't allow him to continue. I forcefully pushed him away and said sternly, "Kenny, I don't love you and I don't think I ever will. It's over between us." And with those last dramatic words, I turned on my heel and stalked away.
Michael
I was dying to yell, "JERRY! JERRY! JERRY!"
But I refrained.
Watching Kenny stand there, red-faced and alone in a crowd of other slack-jawed spectators dressed in their evening formal wear brought me a sense of vindictive satisfaction I didn't know I was capable of.
After Mia stormed off into the crowd, her friend Tina scurried after her, grabbing a box of tissues on the way out of the ballroom. While I was watching their progress, I felt something very solid and cold connect to the side of my face with the force of a jumbo jet.
"I told you to stay away from her!" An enraged Kenny roared, his face a vivid purple color. "You ruined something special, you ASSHOLE!"
I staggered a little bit, surprised that a wimp like Kenny could pack such a big punch, and before I knew it, his fist met my face again. A deafening crunch seemed to echo across the ballroom, and it was then when I realized that the orchestra stopped playing and everyone else had stopped talking.
In the corner of my eye, his fist was coming toward me again, but I stopped it with my hand. I wasn't gonna let a little reject like Kenny beat me up, but that didn't mean I was gonna fight back. I would just being showing the entire Genovian court that I was as much a jackass as he was. And besides, this was a new suit; Sebastiano would not approve if I got blood all over it.
He jumped on top of me and started raining punches on every part of my body he could reach. My resolve to refrain from hitting him back was slowly ebbing away, but thankfully two security members pulled him off of me and held his arms back. However, Kenny wasn't finished.
"What now, tough guy? Aren't you gonna fight back? Come on, punk! Show me what you got!" he screamed. "Hit me, I'm right here!"
I shook my head. "Dude, go home, alright? Just go home. You need to calm down."
He tried to launch himself at me, but he couldn't escape from the stranglehold the security guards had on him. "You son of a bitch! You lied to her and now she thinks she doesn't love me!"
There were so many things I could have said to him at that moment, but I just walked away with my head thrown back, trying to stem the flow of blood streaming from my swollen nose. Several servants ran up to me and led me away to administer some first aid while the scuffling and the shouting from behind was obviously Kenny being led away by force.
While Julia was icing my nose, muttering about reckless boys, a voice in the back of my head was rejoicing. Mia broke up with Kenny. What did that mean for me?
A/N- I love the response from the last chapter! It really motivated me to write this one quickly, but I have to say, this chapter was (pardon my French) a bitch to write. I'm probably gonna go back and edit this one like heck.
Anyways, no matter how horrible this chapter is, please review!