11- Party at the Dean's house - Part II

"Did he really say that? Did I hear correctly? What's happening?" I thought.

I was shocked by what he said. "Me, stunning? He must be confused or thinking about Lola."

— What did you say? I asked, thinking I had heard it wrong.

— Yes, you truly look beautiful. I didn't say anything at the apartment because I didn't know what to say.

— So easily? What got into you? I asked, blushing with embarrassment.

— Is it so hard to believe that I complimented you? He furrowed his brow.

— Yes, I thought I misheard. I admitted.

— I can also give compliments, even though I'm not quite sure why I did that.

— Why didn't you say anything at the apartment?

— Like I told you, I couldn't say anything. It was a reaction completely out of character for me. Well, you know that I'm not shy about speaking my mind; it just comes naturally.

— I know, I'm like that too. I said, trying to understand the situation.

— No, you can be more spontaneous than me. You show much more of what you're thinking or feeling. I'm not very good at expressing my emotions, but with you, it's written all over your face.

— Am I that transparent? Goodness! I said, putting my hand on my forehead.

— Yes, it's not as bad as you think. After all, it makes it easier to know if you're happy, restless, sad, uncertain, or up to something. Dante said, smiling.

"Thank goodness Dante smiled to break that tense atmosphere that had taken over the room," I thought.

The night passed slowly but calmly. Dante talked to all the acquaintances he wanted to partner with and friends. He discussed business, how long he would stay in the city, how he met me, what I did for a living, and how long he had been taking me seriously. There came a point where I couldn't wait to go home because my legs and feet were in pain. I decided not to accompany him for the last few times because I wanted to sit down. A waiter passed by, I called him over and ordered a pineapple juice, and he was very courteous, saying he would bring it to me. In a matter of minutes, he returned with my juice in a glass.

— Is there anything else you need, miss? he asked.

— No, thank you very much. I smiled as a sign of gratitude.

He walked away to attend to other tables. I sighed and took a sip of my juice with great satisfaction because it tasted great, not too sour or too sweet.

— Looks like you're having a good time. Diana said.

I got startled, and the juice almost went up my nose. I choked, started coughing, looked up, and took a breath to calm myself down. I composed myself and looked at Diana.

— Oh my God, Kyra, are you okay? she asked, sitting beside me with a concerned look on her face.

— I am now. I said, laughing.

— How can you laugh at yourself? she asked, furrowing her brow.

— Well, nowadays, I laugh at bad jokes, and funny embarrassing situations aren't that different.

— You're so hard on yourself.

— Not really, it's a way to laugh at problems and awkward situations with good humor. But I have to say, I got a huge fright. I confessed.

— I noticed. Thankfully, you didn't scream; otherwise, I would have laughed a lot. Diana admitted.

— I believe you. But tell me, what was it like growing up with the famous Dante? I asked curiously.

— It wasn't anything special. We were two mischievous kids who loved climbing trees, playing with the animals on my father's farm, running, falling, and scraping our knees... those things. Those were good times. Oh, my father is the dean.

— One question: does your brother and father have the same name?

— Yes, the difference is that my brother has "Junior" in his name. She laughed at my question.

— Now it all makes sense.

— It must be quite a hassle for you, right?

— Why do you think that?

— I'm not a fan of parties, crowds, and the media hounding me. I know you're going through all of this, and it's not easy, but let me give you some advice: hang in there, because soon it will all become routine, and the press will forget that you're Dante's girlfriend. She winked at me.

— "I'm not sure, especially since he's quite successful with women, and it seems like they hate me and make it very clear on their faces," I said, remembering the judgmental looks at the party.

— That was to be expected. He's a good catch, handsome and successful. What woman wouldn't want that?

— I don't want that.

— What do you mean? Diana asked, startled.

— I don't want the things he has, I want love. I've never looked at people based on their accomplishments, status, money, or even their looks. Yes, I think he's handsome, super intelligent, he goes after what he wants, loves having his own space, and got tired of seeking attention from women, but without love, what's the point of everything else? I said, with a distant look in my eyes.

— You're right. I felt something good about you, and I knew you wouldn't disappoint me, Diana said, hugging me. You know, he deserves someone who loves him because he's an excellent person. We've always supported each other, cried together, and even vented about our failed relationships, but he's never let me down.

— Why didn't you two ever date? I asked without thinking.

— He's not my type, actually, I ended up falling for Dominic, one of Dante's best friends.

— Is he at the party?

— Yes, but he came with someone, Diana said, leaning on the table.

— He still doesn't know how you feel, right?

— I've never confessed because I'm afraid of being rejected.

— But if you don't try, how will you know what he feels?

— That's a good question; I can't say for sure.

— The person who came with him, do you know if they're dating?

— From what I gathered, it seems like just a fling.

— I see. Tell me about your relationship with him.

— Well, sometimes we had a lot in common because I've known him for ten years. I was 20 years old at the time. (Yes, she's the same age as Dante.)

— Did you do things together like going on outings, playing games, watching movies... anything like that?

— Not directly. When I met him, I was amazed by his beauty. I had never seen a guy with eyes as gray as his. I can't quite express what I feel. Most of the time when we talked, he made a point to annoy me, tease me, or even disrupt things in some way.

— Disrupt things? I was surprised by that statement.

— Yes, when I was in college, there were guys who would hit on me or were my friends and would come over to my house for work or just to hang out and play games. When he found out, Alexander Junior would scold me, saying I was giving the guys too much attention. I couldn't even have a boyfriend because things would get out of control at home.

— That sounds like jealousy. Have you ever tried asking him why he acted that way?

— Yes, I tried, and he said he liked getting me angry.

— I see, and how do you treat each other now?

— He even greets me, but he doesn't annoy me anymore.

— Where is he sitting? I wanted to know.

— He's over there at table 13, she said, pointing to the table.

I looked in the direction Diana was pointing, and I noticed that Dominic's eyes were indeed grayish-blue, and I had never seen eyes like that before in my life.

— You're absolutely right; he's handsome, and I've never seen eyes like that before, I confessed.

— Yes, but he's with a gorgeous redhead over there, Diana pouted.

— Di, when did you realize you liked him?

— It was when I graduated three years ago. I invited him to my graduation along with Dante and our closest friends who used to come to my house. The thing is, my best friend at the time didn't leave his side all night. That made me incredibly angry, and when I saw him getting involved with her, it was like a slap in the face. She was a redhead too, Diana said, feeling down.

— Diana, boost your morale. You're beautiful. When I first saw you, waving at Dante, I thought, "I wish I looked like her!" You're a green-eyed brunette with a beautiful face, and you shouldn't think a redhead would overshadow your beauty.

Diana pondered my words. It seemed like she didn't see herself that way. I ended up coming up with a wild plan that would only require knowing how much courage she had.

— You know, since those grayish-blue eyes haven't stopped looking in this direction since you sat here, I think it would be interesting to try something, I said, excitedly.

— What do you have in mind? Diana asked, eager.

— I'll distract the redhead, you take Dominic out of sight and confess your feelings to him, I said, excitedly.

— I don't have that kind of courage, Diana said, dampening my enthusiasm.

— Won't you even try?

— I'm afraid of being rejected.

— But if you don't try, you'll never know. Besides, in this life, we should only regret what we didn't do, not the things we did.

— How old are you again? You seem way too mature for your age, Diana said, laughing.

— Life experiences, I said, laughing.

— Alright, you've convinced me. Let's give it a try. Rejection is already guaranteed.