The next week, she came to Crown with her friends.
Rei was talking about her new manga.
Usagi looked at her with a pout.
"You still can't borrow it," Rei told her.
"But why?"
"Because you messed up everyone I've let you borrow."
"Not everyone!"
"How many times do I have to say no?"
"But you always say yes in the end if I wear you down," Usagi said honestly.
Rei scowled. "USAGI is banned from reading Rei's manga."
Diamond walked in just to hear that remark. So Usagi likes manga.
"Did you miss me?" he questioned with a wink.
"I did. You know, I had been waiting here for you all week. Now that you arrived, I can go home and shower."
"Haha! My Odango is so snarky."
"Your Odango."
"It's just a matter of time."
"It will take 1000 years."
"I can wait!"
The two continued their banter, not even noticing when Mamoru arrived with Chibiusa. "Who's that?" he asked with a frown.
"I don't know," Chibiusa told him. "I've never seen him before." The two went to play a game. Mamoru kept looking back at Usagi and this mystery man. He knew it was a risk she would be courted since she's single, but he didn't think it would be so soon.
Motoki came with their bill. Diamond put down his credit card.
"But you didn't even get anything," Usagi didn't think he should pay.
"Can I get a milkshake and fries?" he handed Motoko the card and the bill. "Now I have, Odango!"
"Oh, you're such a tool!"
"That is how you thank me?"
"Yes!"
"Well in that case, I'll take it as a compliment every time you insult me."
"Oh Lord!"
"I have her praising the Lord already. I knew I'd turn you into a believer."
Usagi rolled her eyes. The fries and shake appeared and he offered her some. She said she wasn't hungry, but then she ate half of them.
"I wonder what it looks like when you are hungry," he said with a smile.
She blushed. She had been trying to cut back, but they were so easy to eat.
Chibiusa approached. "This is what you call studying?"
Diamond looked down at the girl. "Do you normally get scolded by little girls?" he questioned.
"Just this one," Usagi sighed.
"She copied your hairstyle. Who are you, Odango Jr.?"
"As if. I'm Chibiusa, and who are you?"
"Prince Diamond," he answered with a laugh.
"Yeah, right! Are you taking me home after I finish my game?"
"I suppose I have to," Usagi retorted.
"Good because I'll be ready to go soon!" she went back to her game.
"Tell me that little girl doesn't dictate your life."
"She tries."
"Is she always so…?"
"Annoying, rude, bratty, yes she is."
"That's kind of harsh," Rei said.
"It sounded accurate to me," Diamond said under his breath.
"I don't like him," Chibiusa said to Mamoru when she reported back.
"Was he mean?"
"Not exactly. " Chibiusa couldn't describe why she didn't like him, she just didn't.
"Ready to go?" Usagi asked.
They started walking home. "What's with that Diamond boy?" Chibiusa asked her.
"What do you mean?"
"Is he your boyfriend?"
"Haha! No. He's one of Minako's friends."
"Is he her boyfriend?"
"No! Why are you so worried about who he's dating? Do you have a crush?" Usagi teased.
"Ew! No. I don't like him and neither does Mamo-chan."
That rubbed Usagi the wrong way. "You don't know him and neither does Mamoru," not that his opinion mattered.
"I know enough," Chibiusa insisted.
"Was it because he didn't just roll over for you like everyone else?"
"You're mean!" Chibiusa ran off into the house.
Usagi rolled her eyes. "What a brat!"
Diamond noticed the boy who kept eyeing Usagi while they were talking. Minako told him he was Usagi's ex-boyfriend and the girl was her cousin.
Diamond was now even more determined to get Usagi's affections. With her ex prowling around, she might not be available for long.
A couple of days later, he "happened" to be passing through when Usagi was walking to school. "How about I drive you?"
She looked over. He had a BMW. Nice! "Oh thanks."
She got in the car and he hit the gas pedal. "This is a nice car you have."
"Her name's Naoko. She's the longest relationship I've ever had."
"Haha! Well, treat her right or she'll find a better guy."
"Oh I always treat my ladies right! See you later Odango."
She got out of his car. The other girls noticed.
"Diamond drove you to school?" Rei questioned.
"He happened to be passing through."
But he lives on the other side of the city, Minako thought to herself.
Usagi went inside, thinking nothing of it. The other girls looked around nervously.
"What if they really fall for each other?" Rei said what everyone else was thinking, but no one else wanted to say.
After school, they met at Rei's jinja. They had nothing new to report on the silver man or the youma. "We still are in the dark about this," Luna said.
Usagi was ready to call the meeting early. "Should we adjourn?"
"What, why?" Makoto questioned.
"We don't have anything to discuss. We know nothing. I could be doing homework instead."
"Homework or seeing Diamond," Rei muttered.
"What did you say?" Usagi actually hadn't heard her.
"What is going on with you and Diamond?"
"Nothing. Where did that come from?"
"You two flirt like crazy!" she accused.
"And he drove you to school today," Makoto added.
"And you are supposed to marry Mamoru," Ami added.
"I do not flirt with Diamond. He flirts with me, and he flirts with every girl he sees. I'm not special. He offered me a ride and I took it. It's not like we did anything. He just talked about his car and I know I'm supposed to marry Mamoru, but he's a stupid jerk who dumped me. What do you want me to do? Kidnap him?" Usagi rambled.
The girls were silent. "We're just concerned," Makoto offered.
"I know you are, and I am too, but I can't make Mamoru love me. I just have to be patient, which means you do too!"
The meeting ended shortly after that. Usagi needed a milkshake and went to get one. She saw Motoki.
"Where are the other girls?"
"Still at Rei's. I needed a milkshake."
"One coming up!"
Mamoru saw her. "Where's your boyfriend?"
Usagi looked up. "He's not my boyfriend."
"Good!"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Did he say that out loud? "I just meant you could do better."
"Like a jerk who insults me all the time, then tells me he loves me and then says never mind, oh wait, I already tried that," her voice filled with venom.
He was digging himself in deeper. "You insulted me too, and I didn't throw a failing test grade at your head."
"Not that you would care, but I'm passing my tests now."
"That's nice to hear. Maybe you'll get into college some day." He didn't mean it exactly how it sounded, but Usagi left in a huff. She was crying so hard. Why was he such a jerk? She didn't even see Diamond until she ran straight into him.
"I'm sorry!" she blabbered. "I didn't see you."
"There's no reason to cry," he said as he pulled her into a hug. His body was warm and muscular. He clearly worked out. "Now what did your stupid ex do?"
"How did you know it was Mamoru?"
Deductive reasoning. "I saw you walking away from Crown where I know he hangs out and who else there would say something that would make you cry?"
"He's just such a jerk. He said he loved me then he said he didn't and then he got mad when he thought we were dating and then he told me I could do better when I said we weren't. Who is he to tell me whom I should date? Dating him was a mistake." Usagi wasn't sure if she meant that, but she meant it right now.
"He's just a dummy who realized what he had too late. So what if he dumped you. Why would you want to date a jerk anyway? Unless the jerk is me."
"You're such a tool."
"Can this tool at least treat you to a milkshake?"
"I already walked out on one today!"
"Then it's already made." Sure enough, when they came back, Motoko had her milkshake.
"It's a little melty. I can make you another one."
"That's okay."
"Hey, you already made me pay for it," Mamoru complained.
"Too bad," he still gave the milkshake to Usagi.
"Can I get a milkshake and fries?" Diamond smirked at Mamoru, you idiot.
Mamoru was seething, but he knew when he was down. He just wanted to get out of there, quickly. He muttered an excuse to Motoko and left.
Usagi actually did have fun with Diamond. He did some of his voice impressions. He actually did a pretty good Chibiusa. "I'm a little girl and I have pink hair, so you should do what I say!"
"Haha! That actually sounded like her."
"Don't tell her," he whispered in her ear, tickling her.
He drove her home afterwards. "I know it's soon, but can I take you to dinner on Saturday?" he asked the girl. "I'd like to get to know you better."
"I'd like that too," she said. She was done crying over Mamoru.
"Nice car!" Shingo yelled as Diamond drove off. "Who was that guy?"
"A friend of mine. Minako introduced me to him."
Usagi was all excited about having a date with Diamond. Past his playboy exterior, he was actually sweet and he was cute and he had a great car and dinner. Oh she didn't know what to wear.
She got a text from him later that night. "I got your number from Motoki. The restaurant we're going to on Saturday is a bit upscale. A black dress would be perfect."
Upscale? Her. She was used to burgers and fries. She looked in her closet. "Mom! Can I borrow a black dress?" She didn't want to ask any of her friends. She wasn't planning on telling them about her date.
Her mother, luckily, had something in Usagi's size. "Are you going out?"
"A friend invited me to dinner. It's a family owned restaurant," she fibbed.
"Oh, how nice. You'll have to tell me how the food is."
Luna was suspicious. "Are you going on a date?"
"Yes, and please don't tell the other girls yet. I'm having a hard enough time about Mamoru and Crystal Tokyo as it is."
"I won't, but if it gets serious, you'll have to tell them." Luna thought Usagi should figure out who she is and dating someone other than Mamoru might help her figure things out.
"It's just a get to know you dinner," Usagi defended.
"Well, alright."
Usagi had a pip to her step all of Friday. Her friends noticed, but she insisted all was normal.
Minako knew it was romance and she could also tell it wasn't Mamoru or else Usagi would have said so. To confirm, she went to see if Diamond was free this weekend. "We can hang out on Friday, but I have plans on Saturday," he said. Minako then suggested a sleepover on Saturday and only Usagi couldn't make it. Hmm!
They made it Friday night instead, pizza, makeup, gossiping. Usagi felt like herself again, actually, she felt better than she had in a long time. Chibiusa, of course, crashed the party and got annoyed when they talked about boys. "Ew, boys have cooties."
"You like Mamoru and he has the most cooties," Usagi insisted.
"He does not. You take that back!"
"Make me!"
Rei rolled her eyes. "Good one Usagi!"
The girls went to sleep one by one. Usagi was looking at the stars. Minako went to join her. "So what are you doing Saturday night?"
"Well…." Usagi didn't have a lie ready. Damn! "I'm going to dinner with a friend."
"Is this friend a Prince?"
Usagi blushed. "Please don't be mad."
"I'm not, and I'm not surprised, but why didn't you tell the girls?"
"Because they were already freaked out when it was just flirting."
"So now you admit you were flirting."
"Ugh. It's just, Diamond acts like a tool but underneath it he's sweet and I was so infatuated with Mamoru, but he's just proving to be a jerk."
"Follow your heart," Minako insisted. "We'll figure the rest out."
"I hope so." Usagi insisted.
Saturday came and Usagi got help from her mother on her hair. She decided to go with an up do instead of her normal odangos.
Her mother even lent her a diamond necklace. "Now don't lose it. You look great Usagi."
"Thanks Mom!"
Diamond picked her up at 6:30 but the reservation wasn't until 7:15. He assumed she'd need extra time getting ready. He arrived with lilies, and chocolates. "The chocolates are for you Mrs. Tsukino."
"Why thank you? You're …."
"They call me Diamond, but my given name is David."
"Well, hello Diamond!" He was a cutie.
He handed the flowers to Usagi. "Shall we Odango?"
"Thank you," she said as she put them in a vase, "and I'm ready."
They got in his car.
"You didn't have to do anything with your hair," he said.
"You don't like it," she frowned.
"Oh no! I do like it. I just didn't want you to think you had to change it for me. I love your odangos."
"Oh, well I wanted to do something different."
"I will love your hair no matter what you do to it."
"Even if I dyed it purple and wore it in giant spikes?"
"Even if you shaved it into a Mohawk and carved I love diamonds in the side of your head."
"You're such a jerk."
"Why thank you!" he laughed. She loved his laugh, so assured and carefree.
They got to the restaurant and it was fancy. There was a line to get in, but he was considered a VIP so they skipped it. They were seated quickly to an outside table on the balcony.
"This is gorgeous," she said as she looked at the sun setting.
"Nothing compares to you," he murmured in her ear. The waiter brought menus and explained the specials.
She looked at it. There were no prices. How would she know what things costs? She didn't want to run up the bill.
"Don't worry about a thing. Order until you are content. Also, if you get a burger, they come with bottomless duck fat fries."
"Bottomless fries!" She looked. They had gourmet burgers, all with kobe beef and she could get truffles, mushrooms and Saint André cheese or a blue cheese burger with caramelized onions or a spicy teriyaki burger with pineapple and fried onions on it.
"I recommend the mushroom burger, if you would like a burger," he said. He had been to this restaurant a few times, and he thought that was the best one.
She was surprised to see a fancy menu with burgers and fries on it but maybe she should be more adventurous. "It sounds tempting, but maybe I should try something new."
"That's what the appetizer is for." Very good point.
She decided to get the tuna tartare, whatever that was, and the truffled mushroom burger. He got calamari with the steak frites, getting filet mignon.
"How would you like your burger?" the waiter asked.
There are options? "Cooked?"
Diamond chuckled. "He means how cooked, medium, medium rare, well done."
"Oh, medium I guess."
"And your steak sir?"
"Medium rare."
"Perfect."
"I want my burger cooked," Diamond teased.
"Oh you baka. No one ever asks me how I want my burger cooked. They run a kitchen. Shouldn't they know how to cook it?"
"Haha! You're so cute, Odango."
"I don't even have my hair up like that right now."
"Nope, you're always Odango."
She blushed. The sommelier brought them each a glass of sangiovese.
"To you Odango," he said as he raised his glass.
"Why to me?"
"Because you were silly enough to agree to go out on a date with a jerk like me."
"Haha!" she said dryly.
Their appetizers came out quickly. She spooned some of the tuna onto her crostini. "It's good." There was mango, capers, mayo and a little mustard in the dish.
He bit into his calamari. "Perfect. Would you like some?" He spooned some on her plate. She thought the tentacles were weird, but they tasted really good. "What is calamari?"
"Fried squid."
Her eyes got big. "How is something so slimy and nasty so good?"
"Well, I think they cooked away the slime."
"Shut it you jerk!"
"I'm taking them back," he chided.
She popped the calamari in her mouth, too late.
He snickered.
The entrees were somehow even better. "Now this is a burger." She was so excited by it that she forgot about her fries until the burger was done. She bit into one of them, fried in duck fat, coated with garlic and Parmesan cheese and an aioli sauce to dip them in. "Now this is heaven!"
They got to know each other more. Diamond had graduated high school at 16 and was working before he went to college to save money and since he was a teacher, he could take classes at the school for free and hopefully the credits would transfer wherever he went.
"You must be smart to have graduated so early."
He shrugged. "It was more discipline than anything else. My parents died, so I was determined to save as much money as possible so I can take care of my brother."
"I'm so sorry."
"You didn't kill them, did you?" he raised an eyebrow.
She froze.
"Just kidding. My mom had cancer and my dad had a car crash. It was rough, but it made me and my brother Sapphire even closer."
"He's named after jewelry too!"
"What can I say, we're just shimmering jewels."
"Oh Heavens!"
"Shall I bring your more fries?" the waiter asked Usagi.
"Yes please, and more of that dipping sauce. I ran out with the first plate."
"Of course."
Diamond was still working on his first place. He was impressed with how much the small girl could eat. Where did all of that food go?
After another plate of fries, well two more plates of fries for Odango, they got dessert. She got the donuts and he got the flourless chocolate cake.
"This dinner was the best one I ever had."
"Was it because of me or the food?" he asked with a teasing smile.
"The food duh! Well, you were alright, I guess."
"Oh, you wound me Odango. I guess I'll have to take you out again to impress you with my charm."
"I guess you will."
He caught her lips, swiftly kissing her before she had even known she was being kissed. He managed to put his entire soul into it. Once the shock wore off, she kissed him back, her hands in his hair as he pinned her to the side of his car. His hands roamed her back, teasing her sensitive flesh as they shared the same breath. Finally, they broke for air.
Her heart was pounding and an unfamiliar feeling was making its way up her thighs. He gave her a knowing smile and kissed her again, this kiss softer and shorter but the damage was done. She was infatuated beyond belief.
"Shall we?" he ran his fingers along her face. She nodded and he drove her home.
"Good night Odango," he kissed her cheek as he saw her father looking through the window.
She went inside. "How was dinner?" her father asked.
"Delicious. The food was out of this world." She ran upstairs, changing for bed.
"Where did you go?" Chibiusa questioned.
"I went out to dinner."
"Who would go out with you?"
"Someone who prefers mature company and not a whiny little girl." Usagi put on her nightgown and washed off her makeup. She returned her mother's jewelry and dress and then she went to sleep.
She had pleasant dreams all night.
The next day, Minako invited Usagi to brunch. She had assumed all of the girls would be going and said yes, but when she got there, it was just Minako.
"It's just you and me."
"You want to hear about my date."
"Duh!"
Usagi giggled. The two girls got a table and started chatting.
"I want to know every detail."
Usagi told them, well most of them from the flowers and the chocolates for her mom to the delicious food and wine to his silly antics and the amazing kiss.
"On a scale of 1-10 how amazing was this kiss?"
"15?"
"15, that high off the charts?"
"I didn't know a kiss could do what this one did. My heart was pounding. I was dizzy. I almost overheated."
"Whoa! And how high did Mamoru get on the scale?"
"I thought he was a 10, since he was my only kiss but now maybe an 8." He could kiss but not like Diamond
"Whoa and he downgraded the ex. So you're going out again."
"Yes. We haven't decided when, but I want to see him again."
"That's so exciting." Minako was happy for her friend, although a bit peeved that she had seen him first. Of course he wanted Usagi; she was just so full of love. "Have you thought about when you're going to tell the other girls?"
Usagi had a panicked look on her face. "I don't know. Can it be never?"
"If he keeps meeting you at the Crown, people will notice."
"You're right, but I know what they'll say, especially Rei. 'You're being selfish. You're ruining the future.'"
"Maybe you're just learning what to contrast Mamoru against. Think of it as an experiment."
"For science!"
"For science!"
The girls laughed and toasted their orange juice.
Minako was already on the search for a new crush. "I've seen a couple of cuties, but no one who's really caught my attention yet."
