Beauty and the Prince

美麗

Saying goodbye to my co-worker Roger, I sat down on the curb to wait for Amdrian. Thankfully, Roger literally lived across the street from me. Having known him from church, he’d originally gotten me the job at my work. Normally our work schedules didn’t coincide to carpool, but thankfully it had worked out this time.

Glancing at my watch, I tapped my feet impatiently. Bringing the flowers up from my lap, I took another deep whiff of the bouquet. Mixed colored roses, my absolute favorite, which I had no doubt Amdrian had found out from Mary. I hadn’t had flowers delivered by a boyfriend to work ever before, and I’d dealt with good-natured ribbing the rest of the day.

Hearing the rumble of an engine coming into the lot, I looked up to see Amdrian arriving in his convertible with the top down. Looking adorable with his hair all ruffled from the wind, he stopped in front of me.

“Need a ride?” Amdrian asked with a grin as I stood up with my stuff. Getting out of his car, Amdrian walked around it towards me.

Rolling my eyes, “How about you give me a hand here and open the door Mr. Smooth,” I replied with a smile. I was trying not to drop my stuff, since my hands were full with my purse, flowers and gifts from coworkers. Leaning forward and giving me a quick kiss on my cheek, he grabbed some of my stuff and placed it in the back. Opening the door for me, I got in and with practice smoothly put the racecar seatbelt on that had given me such problems before. Haha, mastery!

Hopping in, Amdrian started the car and headed for the freeway.

“Soooo,” I inquired over the wind whipping through the open convertible. “Where are we going?” I knew I’d told Amdrian I liked the beach, so I was curious where we were going. Traffic wasn’t too bad, and I’d had the early shift so it was only 3:00 pm. As we merged onto the freeway heading towards Long Beach, all speculation went out the window. With only a grin my way, I pleaded again with Amdrian, “C’mon, a hint, not even a tiny one?”

“Going to the beach of course,” he said with a wink. Laughing, I simply rolled my eyes and leaned back against the head rest. Taking his hand off the stick shift, he intertwined his fingers in mine. “The surprise is half the fun,” he shouted as a motorcycle zoomed past us. With only a squeeze as reply, I pretended to pout. “No fair!” he mockingly shouted, as he eyed my lips longingly. Pretending to be oblivious effect it was having him, I tried to pout even more. “You just wait young lady, I’ll get my revenge!” he mocked with a cheesy grin.

Closing my eyes, I soaked in the sun as it warmed me up after the overactive A/C at work. “Tired huh? Long day?” Amdrian asked, as he brought my interlocked fingers with his up to his mouth. Kissing each finger, I had to force myself to comprehend his question.

As soon as he stopped, my brain kicked back into gear. “Wha, yeah, well, considering I opened and only got like three hours of sleep. Though, believe me,” as Amdrian shot a sympathetic look my way, “it was worth it.” Loosening my fingers enough to brush his lower lip with my thumb, I added, “Thanks for coming. I’m glad you could make it.” Amdrian kissed my thumb and gave me a sweet smile in return. “Now,” I continued, “I think I’m gonna take a quick nap. That way I’ll stay awake and you can actually surprise me,” I grinned. With a chuckle, he placed our joined hands resting on my leg, and I closed my eyes to rest.

--

“Kat,” I heard gently whispered next to my ear. Dude, I’m gonna kick whoever’s wakin’ me up. I had the best dream that I was in the car with Amdrian, heading to the beach… My drowsy thoughts jolted into reality when suddenly lips covered mine. My eyes shot open to see Amdrian before me, his eyes open for a moment when they connected with mine. I could see them darken, before he closed his eyes and deepened the kiss. My eyes shut, and swirls of emotion swept through me as our breaths turned a little ragged with the intensity of the kiss. Breaking it off, Amdrian leaned back left into the driver’s seat. Normally, he’d always been composed, but he even he looked a little frazzled after that. Shooting me a grin as he regained his composure, “Hello, Sleeping Beauty. We’re here.”

Forcing myself to focus mentally and physically after the kiss, I looked around to see us in a parking lot of a yacht dock. Unbuckling my seatbelt and stepping out of the car, the Long Beach sign said this was a private area. I didn’t see any restaurants or public beaches. Shooting Amdrian a confused look as he came up and put his arm around me, I asked, “Uh, so… What are we doing?”

With a grin like a child bringing home their first painting to be put on the refrigerator, he simply pulled me into his arms and gave me a quick kiss on the lips. Looking into my eyes while still holding me, he said, “We’re going to Catalina on one of my friend’s yacht. We’ll have dinner on the boat, and then walk around on the island. That sound good?”

My eyes widened, “Are you serious? I love sailing!” I exclaimed.

Laughing, he released me and grabbed some gear from the trunk. With a duffel bag, he took my hand and led me to the dock. Reaching a schooner that was probably a good 25 yards, he stepped on board and placed the bag down. Holding out his hand, I maneuvered over the railing. I was never so happy for my work’s Friday Casual Jean Day. While I’d brought a change of clothes in my tote bag, I still dressed semi nicely in jeans, a red satin camisole under a black linen cropped blazer, and black dress ballet flats. Unfortunately my shoes didn’t have much traction, and as the boat gently rolled, I slammed into Amdrian. Catching me before we both fell, he righted me and chuckled. “This, is why I brought these,” he said as he pulled out a pair my tennis shoes. “Courtesy of Mary and Tatiana,” he grinned. Laughing, I didn’t know whether to be flattered or insulted that he’d anticipated my clumsiness.

Guiding me to the little built-in bench, I put the tennies on with a good-natured laugh as he went down below. Coming back up, he was joined by a man in his late 30s wearing army fatigues. Blinking, I held out my hand as he introduced himself. “Hi, I’m Mulligan, you can call me Mull for short. I’ll be your captain for the night,” he said with a grin. Excusing himself, Mull went to the edge of the boat and began to untie the ropes holding us docked.

Since we were both hungry, Mull powered up the sail boat instead of using the sails. So, we made it to Catalina in good time around 6pm with still a couple hours of light left due to summer sunsets. Amdrian had insisted on me staying up deck during the cruise, saying he had to finish some things down below. I was only too happy to comply, as I sat on the front bow of the vessel, and enjoyed the salty wind whipping through my ponytail. With a love of the ocean, I thankfully didn’t get seasick and enjoyed the motion as it rocked up and down, side to side with varying degrees.

The lowering sun cast a beautiful golden glow over the dark blueish-grey sea with its frothy tips. The hot sun with cool breeze kept it a moderate temperature, and I relaxed into the moment. Reaching the main island docking port for Catalina, Mull guided us into what he called “his home away from home.” I’d found out from Ams that they’d roomed together in college, and Mull had been in ROTC. They’d stayed in contact as Mull continued to serve. His family was well off, but he’d liked being able to fight for his country, not just as a way to pay for college. After securing the vessel, Mull excused himself with a manly handshake to Amdrian who’d come up deck, telling Ams to call him if he needed anything.

Picking up the two glasses of white wine that he’d set down, Amdrian walked over to where I’d moved to the cushioned bench on the side of the boat. Handing me one, I said, “Impressive, walking on a boat and not spilling a single drop.” Taking a drink, “Mmm, this is good. What’s for dinner?” I asked.

Handing me his glass with a secretive smile, he motioned for me to wait there. Going back down, he came up with a little wooden folding table that he setup between us that locked into the deck. Next came the tablecloth, placemats, silverware, and even two white taper candles in glass holders that he carefully lit. Simply smiling, I knew I had a giddy look on my face. Last, he came out with two steaming plates of Chinese food. “Compliments ala Chef Amdrian,” he finished with a triumphant smile. Oh, I love a man that cooks, I thought as I breathed in the wonderful aroma.

“You made this? It’s wonderful!” I exclaimed. Sitting down on the folding chair across the wooden table from me, he reached over and took my hands.

“Can I pray?” Amdrian asked. I was too speechless with joy to say anything over the whole experience so far. I simply nodded my agreement.

Bowing our heads, Amdrian said, “God, thank you for this day that we get to celebrate Kat’s birthday, the life you’ve given her. Thank you that you brought her into my life. Thank you for the food and I pray you’d bless it. In Jesus’ name, Amen.” I focused on putting my cloth napkin in my lap as I tried to blink back my tears. “Hey, what’s wrong,” Amdrian asked as he raised my chin.

“I’m, just, nothing’s wrong, it’s just, so wonderful. It seems too good to be true,” I replied. “Thank you,” I whispered.

“Wait!” Amdrian stated, “I know what it is,” he said with a conspiratorial look. “It’s cause I forgot the music right? Just a minute,” and he rushed downstairs. I couldn’t resist laughing as he came up with a little boom box. With a fake flourishment of a five-stair Maitre-D, he put in a CD and pressed play. It starting playing some jazz music. Sitting back down, we began to eat. I almost could of passed out, the food was so good. Enjoying the food and being so hungry, we comfortably ate in silence. Finishing my glass of wine, Amdrian started to reach for the bottle to pour me more.

Shaking my head, I said, “No, thank you. I try to stick to one. Not quite sure what my limit is, and I’d rather not find out,” I laughed. “Besides,” I joked, “hugging the toilet is overrated.” Laughing, he only topped his glass off instead.

“So, he began, I want to hear more about before you were a Christian,” Amdrian asked as he picked up our conversation from the phone the other day. He knew I’d become a Christian in college, and that I was the only who’d become one in my family.

“Well…” I trailed off. I wasn’t sure where to start. “What do you want to know?” I asked after blotting my mouth with the napkin and setting it down on the table.

“Well, you said you’ve never been drunk, but I know you mentioned parties. Did you just not drink?” Amdrian asked.

“No,” I replied. Thoughtfully considering my words, I dove in. “I was part of the dance team, and they had parties with alcohol. Actually, they were pretty well known for being wilder than the Greek events.” Amdrian raised his eyebrows in surprise at that statement. Chuckling, I continued, “Yeah, they definitely were. I’d have a drink or two spaced out at them, but I’d never been one interested in getting drunk. Never liked the thought of being out of control. Plus, I had so much energy that I didn’t need it to have fun. I was usually the first and last person dancing. Though, people were always surprised by the end of the night as I was the only person left dancing after they’d asked how much I drank. They usually didn’t believe me when I told them one or two,” I laughed.

Growing somber, I looked down at my hands that had begun to twist the edge of my shirt around. Looking back up, I took a deep breath and added, “However, I did plenty of things I’m not proud of without the excuse that I was drunk. Some people needed the alcohol to lose their ‘inhibitions’ they called it. I just did it because I wanted to, because I was really mad at God and wanted to do everything my way.”

Placing his glass down, Amdrian leaned on his hand and waited for me to continue.

--

A good hour and many stories later, Amdrian had a better idea of my past wild life. I hadn’t expected him to be as understanding as I’d explained the dance team’s wild parties and my involvement with my dance partner. I guess I’d been afraid that once he realized I hadn’t been the “good girl” all my life, that he’d no longer want me. I’d had one guy before lose interest when I fell off the pedestal he’d put me on after hearing my background.

We’d finished our food a while ago and had moved to the back of the boat to curl up on the cushions. Leaning into his chest, with his arms wrapped around me, I swiveled my head to look back up at him.

“Oh, Ams, there’s something I wanted to share with you,” I said with a smile as if sharing a fake conspiracy. “Do you remember Laurie?”

Looking down into my eyes, “The guy from dancing?” Ams replied.

“Yeah, that’s him. Well, I hadn’t really been telling people, but I started competing again he’s my dance partner. I’m only competing in west coast, and I didn’t want people to know yet. Last time I competed, I got so caught in the performance and trying to impress people, just kinda killed the fun of it.”

“Hmm,” was all I got in response from Ams. He rested his chin on top of my head, and I wish I had eyes back there so I could see his expression. “You practice a lot?”

“Well,” I replied, “we practice around 2-3 times a week, probably more when the competitions get close.”

“Hmm, well, I know you like to dance. It sounds fun.” I could hear a ‘but’ coming and felt myself tense up.

“It’s a big part of how I express myself,” I replied as I separated myself to turn and face him. “If I couldn’t, I’d feel like my voice was taken away. I’ve injured myself enough times and had to sit out to know what it feels like. It drove me nuts.”

His hands slid down and off my arms. Scooting to the right, he stood up and his back was to me for a moment. Crossing his arms, I could see from behind as his back expanded taking a deep breath. I heard him let out a sigh, then turn back around to face me. Holding out his hand to help me up, he put a grin on his face and asked, “How about some cake, birthday girl?”

Taking his hand, “Sure,” I replied. I forced a smile on my face, but inside I felt a little uneasy. Well, at least he knows, I thought, though I’d hope he’d be excited that I was competing and shared the secret with him.

Leading me below deck, I enjoyed the cozy quarters. Very economical, with a little bed, bathroom, tiny kitchen and fridge, you could almost live in it. Taking out of the fridge a small white cake with “Happy Birthday Kat” scrawled in it, I noticed it also had Chinese written below it. Laughing, I asked, “What’s that in Mandarin?”

With a grin, he said, “I’m glad you asked.” Taking from a side drawer a thin long box wrapped in silver paper, with a white bow, he handed it to me. “Happy Birthday.” Opening the box, I saw a beautiful silver necklace, with an elegant and dainty charm of Chinese characters: 美麗.

“It’s beautiful!” I exclaimed. Taking it out of the box, and holding it on my hand to examine it closer, I asked “What does it mean?”

Taking my hand in his, he looked in my eyes and explained, “It’s pronounced, ‘Měi lì,’ it means ‘beautiful’. Taking the necklace from my hand, he came behind me and helped me put it on. “You’re so beautiful.” His hands brushing my neck as he swept my hair out of the way, sent shivers down my body. Closing the clasp, I felt his lips touch my neck and work their way up to my ear. His hands on my waist, he pulled me to lean back against him. While it tickled for the first moment, it was having quite a different effect as he continued. Turning me around, he planted a kiss that was anything but funny. His arms holding me tight, I wound my hands around the back of his neck. Deepening the kiss, I could feel my sanity slipping as Amdrian pulled me tighter. Losing all mind control, I don’t know how long it was before I was out of breath as the kiss intensified. I felt Ams hands moving upwards underneath my shirt, and a shot of panic brought my mind back into gear.

Wrenching my mouth away, “Wait,” I panted. “Too, fast,” as I tried to gasp in air. “Not yet,” I said as I tried to rein in my swirling emotions and body’s reaction.

Burying his head in my neck, I felt Amdrian’s labored breathing. Muffled against my skin, he asked, “What’s wrong?”

Running my hands through his hair, I almost lost my train of thought. Right, boundaries, we need boundaries. Forcing myself to disentangle, I could see the confused look on his face. Sitting down on the bed, I immediately stood back up, bad idea, no bed, move away from the bed! Feeling my will power start to return, I took a deep shaky breath and explained, “I want to wait until marriage. I know I did things before, but now I want it to be a gift for my husband on the day God brings us together. And,” I gulped, “you’re way too hot.” Ams chuckled as I continued, “If I don’t stop now, I may not be able to.” Feeling a blush take over my cheeks as he gave me an intense look filled with longing that must be mirrored in my own eyes, Ams simply nodded.

Running both hands through his hair, Ams closed his eyes for a second and breathed rhythmically. Opening his eyes, he gave me a soft smile and held out his hand, “How about that walk?”

Not trusting myself with words, I nodded and took his hand in mine.

--

Chapter 12 Review Replies

Lavendar Dylan: Yay, thanks for the review, I’m so glad you’re back :D This is a pretty nice bday isn’t it? ;)
Twilight Starr - Thanks girl! Yay, he is a gentlemen isn’t he? Hope you enjoyed this update :D
Elisefy: He is indeed (group sigh) :D

Author’s Note: Where is everybody? Please drop a line and let me know if you liked it or not. Please don’t read and run ;)