Preventing a Royal Engagement
A/N: Thanks for the reviews! On with Chapter 9! =D
Chapter 9: Dining with Anton
Tinka smoothed out the ruffles of her sparkly, navy blue, cocktail dress as she nervously paced back and forth in the living room of the apartment, waiting for Anton to pick her up for their dinner date. She was not looking forward to the evening's events that were to come, but she knew it would be easier for her to get out of the arranged marriage if she went on the date, and then told her parents afterwards that it was a disaster.
Günther, who was sitting in the loveseat nearby, noticed how tense Tinka was and said, "Relax, dear sister, everything will be fine. Rocky, Logan, Deuce, and Dina have already agreed to spy on your date with Anton. I assure you, you'll be very safe."
"I know, twin brother," Tinka replied, "it's just that spending a few hours with the little goat butt called a prince is not my ideal way of spending a Sunday night."
"There is no need for that kind of language," Günther scolded. "You must behave tonight. Anton must believe you willingly agreed to spend tonight at dinner with him."
Tinka nodded just as the doorbell rang.
"Oh, the prince has arrived!" Squizza exclaimed, running out of the kitchen and into the living room.
Kashlack also exited the kitchen and followed his wife to the front door. He smiled when Squizza opened the door and found Anton standing outside it. He was dressed in a black tuxedo and matching shoes (he did not want to draw attention to himself in the restaurant by wearing his royal robes) and carried a bouquet of red roses, similar to the ones he attempted to give Tinka the day after he first met her.
"Good evening, Prince Anton," Squizza greeted, accordingly.
"Good evening Mr. and Mrs. Hessenheffer," Anton responded, politely. "Is Tinka ready?"
"She sure is," Squizza said. She turned around to face her daughter. "Tinka, Prince Anton is here."
Tinka took one last look at Günther before she took a deep breath and let it out. As casually as she could, she walked towards the door. Her parents had stepped aside, so she could be in full view for Anton.
"Tinka, you look wonderful," Anton commented, charmingly.
Tinka successfully refrained from punching Anton in the nose and replied, "As do you."
"These are for you," Anton said, handing her the roses.
"You shouldn't have," Tinka said, playfully, although she literally meant what she said.
"I'll take those for you, my dear," Squizza said, gently, as Anton handed her the roses. "Now both of you go out and have a good time."
Kashlack smiled as him and Squizza bid Anton and Tinka goodbye. They were so absorbed in watching their daughter leave with the prince that they did not notice that Günther had stood up, crept quietly towards the open window, and signaled to Deuce down below.
Deuce, whose head was sticking out of the sunroof of his cousin's limousine, nodded at Günther, and then ducked back into the limousine. He nodded again at Dina, Rocky, and Logan, before knocking on the limousine's privacy glass.
By the time Anton and Tinka had made it downstairs to Anton's limousine, the limousine carrying Tinka's friends had already driven off.
"So, what made you want to come here?" Anton asked Tinka as they were led to their table by the hostess, who was Deuce's cousin, Maria.
"Oh, I've heard great things about the food here," Tinka lied. "I just never had time to stop by here and try some."
Anton nodded as he glanced at the surroundings around him. The tablecloth-covered tables, fine china, and crystal chandeliers clearly indicated that people of extreme wealth could afford to come to the restaurant. The prince did not care; he was willing to spend every last coin in his possession to please Tinka.
Maria was obviously aware of the plan beforehand because she seated Anton and Tinka at a table where they could easily be seen by Rocky, Logan, Deuce, and Dina from their table, which was half-hidden by a plant. She handed Anton and Tinka menus, told them their waitress would be with them shortly, and returned to her station behind the podium.
"Are you interested in having an appetizer?" Anton asked, picking up a menu.
"Sounds good," Tinka answered, already reading her menu. "I would like either mozzarella sticks or garlic bread sticks. You can decide."
"And what kind of drink would you like?" Anton asked.
"Surprise me," Tinka answered, simply.
Anton nodded and continued reading his menu, giving Tinka an opportunity to look around for Rocky, Logan, Deuce, and Dina. She managed to make eye contact with Rocky and nodded in her direction.
"This leafy plant doesn't hide us completely," Deuce pointed out to his table's occupants. "Are you sure Anton won't see us over here?"
"That's not likely to happen," Dina reassured him, "and even if he does, it'll be easy to fool him into thinking we're here on a double date."
"All we have to do is keep an eye on them without drawing too much attention to ourselves," Rocky reminded the group as she reached for her glass of water.
"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I'm ready to order," Deuce said, putting down his menu. "Logan, could you get the waiter?"
Logan, without thinking, quickly raised his hand and called to a waiter nearby, "Excuse me, we're ready to order!"
The waiter quickly darted over to their table with a notepad and pen in his hands. As he proceeded to write down Deuce and Dina's orders, Rocky turned to give Logan a stern look.
"What did I say about not drawing attention to ourselves?" she questioned.
"Zam, sorry," Logan said, quietly.
Rocky quickly glanced over at Anton and Tinka's table and breathed a sigh of relief when she noticed that Anton was too busy attempting to have a lengthy conversation with Tinka to hear Logan's outburst.
Tinka looked bored as she nibbled on the bread sticks that were brought out. She would listen to Anton talk about his life back in the old country, and how he, as the heir to the throne, had a lot of responsibilities and very little freedom. Even now and then, she would make a small comment, but no more than that.
It was not until the main entrees were brought out that Tinka actually found something in common with Anton to have a conversation about.
"You know, prior to the ball, I had no idea you knew how to ballroom dance," Anton said, as their waitress placed his meal in front of him: roast beef with mixed vegetables and a baked potato. "Have long have you been ballroom dancing?"
"I've been ballroom dancing since I was a little girl back in the old country," Tinka answered, cutting her roasted chicken with a fork and knife. "Whenever I'm not busy with Shake It Up: Chicago, I take classes."
"I started when I was very young as well," Anton said. "Members of nobility, including Kasia and myself, are expected to learn how to ballroom dance. We attend many formal events that feature ballroom dancing, so it is best that we know how to."
"Do you enjoy it?" Tinka asked. She was actually curious to know Anton's perspective on dance.
"Very," Anton said with a nod of his head. "And you?"
"Yes," Tinka said, affirmatively. "I love many varieties of dance."
"You are very good with the waltz," Anton commented, alluding to the night of the ball. "Is it your favourite International Standard dance?"
"It's a nice dance," Tinka began, after swallowing the chewed-up chicken in her mouth, "but I prefer the Viennese waltz because it can be used to tell passionate love stories."
"I see," Anton said, understandingly. "I am a fan of the quickstep; it is very fast and energetic."
"What about International Latin dances?" Tinka asked, her boredom slowly fading away.
"I like the rumba," Anton answered, and then took a bite of a piece of broccoli. Once he swallowed, he added, "It is a very slow dance, which allows me to focus on technique."
"Yes, technique is very important," Tinka agreed. "I like to dance the Paso Doble; it's a very tough and aggressive dance."
"I completely agree," Anton said. "It's one of the more challenging Latin dances to learn. Do you find it difficult to dance?"
Tinka shook her head and said, "Only if you have a lousy partner."
Anton laughed and said, "Yes, a lousy partner would only add to the difficulty. I believe it is important for men, for a majority of ballroom dances, to be in control. He has to be the strong frame."
"And the woman," Tinka continued, "is the pretty picture."
"Exactly," Anton said, and smiled kindly. "Sometimes, dancers forget how important that is."
"I couldn't agree more," Tinka said, smiling genuinely at Anton for the first time since his arrival in Chicago.
"Okay, either this vegetarian lasagna that I'm eating obscured my vision, or Tinka is actually smiling at Anton," Rocky said, putting her fork down over her plate.
"Relax, Rocky," Logan said, reassuringly. "It doesn't hurt that they're getting along. It's not like Tinka is going to leave Ty for Anton."
"Yeah, all Günther and Ty said was to make sure Anton doesn't hurt Tinka or make her uncomfortable," Deuce reminded Rocky. "Tinka seems fine, so don't worry."
"Deucey's right," Dina agreed. "We'll continue to watch them until the end of the date, as we promised Günther and Ty, but it looks like we won't have to fake an emergency to get Tinka out of here."
Rocky nodded. Although she knew her friends were right, she was still concerned about Tinka. Tinka was not only her friend, but also her brother's girlfriend, and the brunette had every right to be protective. She promised Ty that nothing bad would happen to Tinka under her watch, and she was determined to keep that promise.
"Look, Anton and Tinka seem to be on good terms right now, so let's take this time to finish dinner," Dina suggested, poking a carrot with her fork. "We can check on them again when we order dessert."
Deuce and Logan nodded in agreement and returned to the task of devouring their chicken wings. Rocky took one last glance at Anton and Tinka, and then went back to eating her lasagna.
To Tinka's surprise, the topic of ballroom dancing managed to take her and Anton all the way through dinner. As the food slowly disappeared from their plates and down their throats, they talked about the different types of ballroom dances, previous ballroom competitions they have entered, and how ballroom dancing shaped their personalities and their values in life.
By the time their desserts were brought to their table, Anton and Tinka were in a deep conversation about family.
"I know you are the oldest sibling and the heir to the throne of the old country," Tinka said. "Do you ever wish you weren't?"
"Sometimes," Anton admitted. He scooped a bit of chocolate ice cream into his mouth and allowed it to melt before he continued. "Like I said before, I have a lot of responsibilities and there is so much pressure on me to do well in life, in order to prove I am worthy of becoming a fine king one day. Despite all that, I would not change anything. I accept who I am and the roles life has given me."
"That's good to hear," Tinka said, plucking the cherry off the top of her fudge sundae. "I, of course, don't know what it's like to have an older sibling, nor know what it's like to be one, because I'm a twin."
"Günther seems like a good man," Anton commented. "Do you two get along?"
"Yes, quite often," Tinka answered. "Sometimes we fight, all siblings do, but we love each other."
"And your parents?" Anton asked. "Are you close with them?"
Tinka paused for a second and took another bite of her sundae. She used the opportunity to think about her response. She was not comfortable about telling Anton about how they were pressuring her into marrying him, nor did she want to tell him about how unreasonable they were being. Despite their hatred for Ty, she knew her parents were good people, and so she decided to tell Anton about their good qualities.
"I couldn't ask for better parents," Tinka answered. "They are very loving when it comes to Günther and me, so we never craved for love or attention from them. They want the best for us and are willing to do whatever it takes to make sure we have a good life. They moved us here to Chicago from the old country to have a better life, and words cannot describe how grateful Günther and I are to them for doing that because we know it wasn't an easy thing to do."
"It is times like those that show how important family is," Anton said.
"Yes, family is very important to me," Tinka agreed. "I hope to have my own someday."
"As do I," Anton said. "Any man would be lucky to have you as his wife, Tinka."
"Thank you," Tinka said, before slipping her spoon back into her sundae.
"In fact," Anton said, putting down his spoon, "I am hoping I can be that lucky man."
Tinka had just put more of her sundae in her mouth when she heard what Anton said. The sundae nearly went down the wrong pipe, causing the blonde to cough repeatedly into one of the linen napkins on the table.
"Tinka, are you okay?" Anton asked, concerned.
After her coughing ceased, Tinka put down her napkin and said, "No, Prince Anton, I'm not."
"Tinka, there's no need to call me by my royal title, you know that," Anton reminded her, gently.
"I can call you whatever I want," Tinka said, her hostile attitude clearly noticeable. "Listen, I want to make it very clear to you that I only agreed to go out to dinner with you tonight to please my parents. They wanted me to get to know you better before I could decide whether or not to marry you. Well, I did as I was told, and nothing has changed. Forgive me, Prince Anton, when I say, and I hope this is the last time I have it say it: I refuse to marry you."
"Tinka, listen to me, I would never do anything to hurt you," Anton said, flinching at the death glare she gave him. "What can I do to prove that I truly care about you? What can I do to make you happy? What do you want?"
"One thing and one thing only," Tinka said, grabbing her purse and standing up. "I want to go home. Now."
"Zam it, Rocky!" Logan cursed, wiping whip cream off of his face. "I'm trying to enjoy dessert here."
"Forget dessert!" Rocky hissed, ignoring the fact she accidentally nudged Logan too hard while his spoonful of dessert was just inches away from his mouth. "Tinka just got up and she doesn't look so happy."
Logan, Deuce, and Dina looked to where Rocky was pointing and saw Tinka glaring at Anton as he requested the check from their waitress. The blonde had one hand on her hip, while the other clenched the strap of her purse, prepared to use it as a destructive weapon if Anton did not hurry up and take her home.
"Should we intervene?" Rocky asked, concerned.
"We should," Dina said, "but what about the check?"
"Don't worry, it's on my cousin, Maria," Deuce reassured the group. "Let's go."
Simultaneously, the four teenagers stood up and started walking briskly to Anton and Tinka's table.
While Anton waited for the waitress to return with the check, he watched Tinka, who continued to glare at him as though she wished the floor would open up and swallow him whole. He was so worried about her that he did not notice her friends approaching them from their table.
"Tinka?" Rocky said, pretending to be surprised.
Tinka's frown curved into a smile when she saw that Rocky, Logan, Deuce, and Dina had come to her rescue. "Oh, my, what a surprise to see you four here tonight!"
"Double date night," Dina explained, casually. "Deucey's cousin works here, so dinner was on her. What are you doing here?"
"Well, I was having dinner with Prince Anton, so I could get to know him better to please my parents," Tinka answered, the word 'prince' completely dripping with hatred, much to the displeasure of Anton.
"Oh, how did it go?" Rocky asked, faking interest in the subject.
"It was quite enjoyable up to a certain point," Tinka said, throwing another lethal glare towards Anton. "I have no desire for this date to continue."
"Want us to drop you off at your place?" Deuce asked, giving Tinka an opportunity to leave with them. "It's just on the way back to our places."
"That would be great, thank you," Tinka said, gratefully. She turned to give Anton a stern look and said to him, "Thank you for dinner, Prince Anton, goodnight."
Before Anton could protest, Rocky and Dina had each wrapped an arm around one of Tinka's and led her towards the door, pretending to chat amicably with her. Deuce and Logan nodded at Anton, before following the girls from behind.
And that was the end of Tinka's first, and hopefully last, date with Prince Anton Byalikov.
Chapter 9 Up! Questions? Comments? Should I continue?
Please Review! Reviews are greatly appreciated! =D
~TeenQueen661