A Dragons Tale

Oh What A Haircut

I’m dressed in a halter top baby blue form-fitting gown and a pair of gray pumps, my hair is put in a loose braid and my makeup artists applies just enough for me too look presentable.

    “I don’t know about your date ma’am,” Charlie stands at my doorway arms crossed. If I tell him what John Mcintosh is asking of me I have no doubt he’d go over there and lose his job. The thought comforts me. “He looks unkept. Are you sure this is someone you want to present to your father? And what about Eugene?”

    “Eugene has food poisoning,” I’m quick to reply. But even I can’t help but worry that the haircut won’t be enough for Oryn. Still, he’s my only chance to try and save face at this dinner. “Will Cynthia be in attendance?”

    I divert Charlie’s attention to an even more pressing matter; my step-mother.

    Just thinking about her sends a chill down my spine.

    “She returned from London last night.”

    Great. So I’d need to deal with her too.

    Standing I take a second to appreciate my outfit in the mirror. The dress hugs the curves the uniform tends to hide, my eyes like crystals always remind me of my mom and I need a second before I can look away, “Where is he?”

        #

His hair is all sorts of spikey when I find him and cut shorter than I suggested. His bangs are gone—thankfully—and now I can see his eyes.

    His sharp features and high cheekbones are their own pleasant surprise but the golden hue of his irises takes the wind out of my chest. Clear they shone like two fallen stars why he’d hidden something so beautiful beneath messy long hair is beyond me. He’s beautiful in a way that Eugene is not, something about him just seems rougher—darker. My hand aches to reach out and touch him.

    “You clean up nice,” I comment in an attempt to keep my tone even.

    The corner of his lips pull upwards and he seems to laugh at me. “You look quite beautiful yourself.”

    The blush that takes over my cheeks almost makes me fan myself. Clearing my throat I motion to the stairs and he follows me downstairs. Someone had dressed him in a pitch-black weaved suit with a slim tie and tie bar. He looks elegant.

    “My father is expecting I bring Eugene to this dinner. I’ve had a few people go around spreading the rumor that he’s sick in bed with food poisoning.” I pause a second, before adding, “my father is an intimidating man. If at any point you feel uncomfortable or need to leave tell me and I’ll find a way for you to escape. You should be warned that once he knows your name he’ll have you thoroughly researched.”

    Another reason my social life is in shambles. Anyone who’s ever even attempted to be a friend has always been met by scrutiny from my father. He deems the people around me as potential connections to grow the business. Anyone deemed ‘worthless’ or ‘useless’ is instantly thrown out.

    “I’ll be fine,” Oryn assures. I bit my tongue to keep from mentioning all the countless people who had said they would be fine.

    “Once the dinner is over my driver will take you home and you’ll be reimbursed for all your troubles.”

    “That isn’t necessary,” Oryn stops at the front door, he places a hand on my shoulder to get me to look up at him. His serious gaze sends a flourish of emotion into my stomach. “I’m doing this because I want to. And trust me I don’t need your money.”

    “It’s not in my nature to owe people favors,” I insist.

    “Consider this the beginnings of a friendship.” His lips form a coy grin. “We reap mutual benefits.”

    A friendship.

    Something about the way he says it implies more. But maybe that’s just my wistful thinking.

    “Ma’am, sir, the car is ready,” Charlie holds the door open for us with his pleasant smile.

    “You have a deal Mr. Ásta,” I answer Oryn before marching downstairs.

        #

The drive up the winding driveway is long and excruciating.

    “Can you please stop that.” I finally beg Oryn to quit his fidgeting with the window. He’s acting like a child who has never been in a car before. He shrugs but drops his fingers.

    “So if this is your father's home, what’s with the apartment we just left?” He asks me curiously, he stares at the massive four-story mansion the car is approaching.

    “I moved out once high school started. My father and I agreed I needed to be closer to the school and more independent.” Honestly, I couldn’t survive another day locked in the same house as Cynthia and my father only cares about results, so as long as I am meeting his standards he doesn’t care where I live. “What about you, where do you live?”

    A dreamy look flies through his face, “The best place in the world.”

    The car comes to a stop right outside the walkway that leads inside my childhood home before I can ask more. Oryn exists first and he offers me his hand. As I step out of the car the apprehension in my stomach coils tightly. I stare at the massive house and try swallowing past my nerves.

    “Are you sure you’re alright?” Oryn asks me as he leads me to the door.

    “No,” I admit, “I never know what he’s thinking.”

    “I’ll be right here beside you. The entire time.” He squeezes my hand.

    I can't help smile.

    The doors are opened by two maids, the butler takes my coat and leads us both down the hall to the dining room. We stand at the door as he goes to inform my father that we have arrived.

    “Where I am from, we have a saying,” Oryn tells me as we wait. “’A dragon should never bow to another’ don’t give me that look translating to English is difficult.” He chides when I raise a quizzical brow. “It means to keep your head up, you only answer to yourself.”

    I want to point out that dragons aren’t real, but I appreciate his sentiment.

    As the door opens I straighten my spine.

    “Lia, darling, welcome home.” Cynthia comes towards me arms open wide for a hug.

    “Mother,” I greet her with a polite kiss on the cheek.

    “Have you gained weight? Look at you you’re simply swollen,” She pulls back to look me up and down. “I’ll tell the chef to cut back on your servings tonight. Oh! Who’s this?” The malicious green of her gaze zeros in on Oryn as if she’s just found a new toy for her pet cat to play with.

    “Mother this is Oryn Ásta.”

    “Pleasure to meet you, ma’am,” Oryn’s nervous smile is cute.

    WAIT. I did not just think that. You have a boyfriend Aurelia, get a grip.

    “W-we go to school together, lately we’ve been running into each other a lot. He’s my friend, and since Eugene is sick at home I asked him to come with me.” I try to calm my tone, Oryn sends a look from the corner of his eye.

    He’s laughing at me again.

    “Gia, come say hello to your sister and her…date.” Cynthia studies Oryn speculatively, in particular, she studies the space between us. I’m quick to step around her to find my step-sister.

    Giannina looks simply miserable. Someone had stuffed the thirteen-year-old into a white dress that reaches her knees the entire thing was covered in bows of every size. Her auburn strands had been coiled into ringlets her sapphire eyes fidget from Oryn to me and back to Oryn.

    “Are you cheating on Eugene?” She whispers into my ear when I pull her into a hug.

    “Long time no see Gia.” I laugh.

    The petite girl was a carbon copy of her mother in every way except for her height and her personality. 

    “He’s hot.” She adds when Cynthia sparks a conversation with Oryn. “Like super hot. If you don’t want him can I have him.”

    “He’s older than you, besides I don’t think he has a thing for children.” She scowls at my remark and I laugh again. “Who did this to you?”

    “Mother says this is all the rave in London. I went through all my sources online and this is so not it.” She crosses her arms with a cute huff. “She’s holding all my good clothes hostage, so for tonight I’m dressed like some unfashionable six year old.”

    Giannina had come into my life the night of our parent's wedding. She was seven and cried the entire night. After I rescued her from some of her terrorizing cousins she stuck to me like glue. And despite her mother's best intentions the glue still holds strong.

    “If you see her taking any pictures you have to promise to shoot me.” She begs. “No wait I can’t have that be the last the world hears of me. I have a USB drive at the bottom of my sock drawer—”

    “Aurelia.” My blood runs cold. “No greeting for your father?”

    He enters the room from the other door, his dark gaze leveling me. His hair is graying now but at one point it had been the same shade of ebony as mine. I feel Gia give my arm a tight squeeze as I go around her to greet the man who has kept me alive these past sixteen years.

    He’s as cold as ever as I offer my hand for a firm shake. He studies my appearance and seems almost pleased.

    Almost.

    My father is never happy with anything. I could say I found the cure for cancer and he’d still ask me why I hadn’t found it sooner.

    “Where is Eugene.”

    “Sick.” Short and clipped, these are our usual conversations. He wants facts when he asks, straight and simple. No pleasantries. “I’ve brought Oryn Ásta.”

    “Ásta? Is that a family name?”

    “It is sir,” Oryn comes to stand by my side. A coy emotion dancing in his golden eyes."

    I’ve never heard of it.” The way he studies Oryn makes my skin crawl. Clearing my throat I step between the two.

    “You called me for dinner, let's eat.”