Her parents, though still together, functioned as merely an arrangement of two companies, so to speak.  Two families that came together for the greater good of the future of their lives.  She had often wondered if her parents had ever loved one another and cherished old photos of them in the late sixties when her mother was a beautiful young woman, bursting with energy and her father was a handsome, perfect student, heading the business department at Harvard.  They looked truly happy to be with one another in those photos and not forced and tired like the ones taken recently.

It was something that she was afraid of, deathly afraid of, and even though she was usually pretty good about suppressing her worry, that afternoon it haunted her.  She looked at Justin and wondered about their future.  She knew there was one, but wondered how long it would last.

Would she turn fifty and find affection in a young landscaping boy, and drink herself a bottle of expensive white wine every night just to put her to sleep?

Would she only come home four times a year, for as short as time as possible and obsess herself with whatever work she had?

She had been silent during dinner and felt bad that she hadn’t called her mother to invite her to join them.  She knew her mom probably didn’t think twice about it but as she watched Justin playfully kid around with his friends and his bodyguards she wished her mom could be there to see how happy she was, even though at that moment she was miserable.  Her mother had annoyed her all her life and betrayed her trust by always caring more about who her daughter was dating than her actual daughter.

But she was starting to understand it.  Her mother didn’t want her to be alone. 

She could remember being young and even though her mom was very much she same fifteen years ago, she could remember sitting out on the veranda facing the lake and just sitting there in the big rocking chairs, watching the breeze ripple the smooth water and hearing the birds sing to one another and being frightened every time a bee came by to browse her lemonade.

Before the depression that hit her at dinner, Blue Nada had been ok.  They had spent a couple hours trying on clothes and then she finally bought way too much, but she was given a lot, too.  Justin made comments on how much she was buying but she didn’t care.  He annoyed her to no end and had accumulated some arrogance after her met her mom, like he knew her whole life story better than she did.  On the way to pick up Trace and to the restaurant he had been on the phone with random people and pretty much ignored her.  She was thankful for the loneliness.

But then, after dinner and after she had met some of Trace’s and Justin’s friends who had accompanied them to dinner, they all planned to come back to the hotel to hang out since Justin had another early morning.  They had all piled into the SUV like sardines and she had been pushed up against a window with Justin beside her.  He had grabbed her hand, put his arm around her shoulders and leaned down to whisper, “what’s wrong?”

She had shook her head in response and he had looked at her hard, hurt and almost angry.  Before he said anything else, someone had gotten his attention and when they had gotten back to the Trump she had complained of a headache and gone straight to their room.  Justin had tried to follow her but she had pulled Trace aside and told him to keep Justin occupied for a little bit because she wanted to be alone.  He didn’t ask questions and quickly engaged Justin in a conversation as she slipped away.

That was at eight and now, now it was almost eleven. She sniffed, rolled off the bed, from where she had been watching a special on peoples of Indonesia on the Discovery Channel.  She quickly picked up the two tissues that she had used and thrown to the floor and cursed herself for being so childish and emotional. 

Her body was tired and her eyes ached from the hard crying she had done about an hour before.  She decided she should just go to sleep.  He had his own key and figured she’d go ahead and turn out all the lights.  On her way to the outer room and foyer, she was stopped.  The door to their room opened, and the one person she had at first wanted to leave her alone, and then shortly after missed more than her heart could stand, was right there, staring at her as he softly shut the door.

“Hey…” She said hoarsely. 

He didn’t respond but just stepped towards her.  The look on his face was indescribable and she hated not being able to read his emotions.  When he was close enough for her to touch she couldn’t help herself and latched onto him.  She squeezed his middle and buried her cheek into his shoulder.  A breath she had been holding all day, was expelled and she finally relaxed.

His body was stiff and when his arms finally came around her he shook her a little and made her look up at him.  “God baby, what’s going on?”  His eyes searched hers.  “You’re freaking me out.”

“Nothing…” She bowed her head and stared at the shirt he was wearing.

“That’s bull shit Darcy.” He said harshly, but not letting her go.  “Ever since I found out you were a rich girl you’ve-“

“I’m NOT a rich girl!”  She yelled and pushed him away.  She didn’t know why this was bothering her so much but it really was.  It was like she finally had something or someone to physically take out all her anxiety and worry on and even though it was completely unfair to him, she couldn’t keep herself from dishing it out.  She rolled her eyes and said, “My family has a little bit of money.  Ok?  So we’re rich.  That’s all.  There are a lot of people especially in LA and New York that are rich.  I mean, God, you’re rich Justin.  What’s the big deal?”

“Shhh, calm down…” He said.  He marched to her and grabbed her arm, making her follow him to the couch.  He sat her down and she went willingly, looking up at him as he said, “You’re the one that’s made it out to be a big deal.  And you’re the one that’s kept it a secret.”

“Look I didn’t…”

“Can I talk, please?”  He sat down beside her and turned to her, looking at her dead on.  “I found it weird that you were so nervous about me meeting your parents.  But it makes since now.  Your dad at the trump, going overseas, your mom and her dog and her driver.  Fuck, the Rolls-Royce.  Your brothers holy shit condo and, your hot little rental car…”  He started to smile and looked at her sweetly, “It’s ok if you’re wealthy.”

“I just…” She sighed and ran her hand through her hair.  “My whole life I’ve dated people because of the fact that I’m part of the blue blooded class and I hate it Justin.  I absolutely, fucking hate it.  I don’t want to date a guy that likes me for money but I also don’t want to spend my life alone.  I wanna be with you and I want you to like me for me and not because of who my daddy is.”

“I don’t know your dad. Who is your dad?  Is he some king of some small, rich country?”

She pushed at him, again, this time playfully. “No.  I’m not a princess.”

“You’re my princess.” He said, pulling her against him and then leaning back against the side of the couch.  It felt good to be against him and she quickly found herself lying on top of him, facing him with their front pressed into one another. 

She toyed with the shirt line underneath his neck and said to him, “He’s into real estate, I think.  I mean, I really don’t know what my dad does exactly. His name is Jackson Height.  He owns property here in New York, SoCal, and in the French Rivera and a couple other places around the world.”

“Big Pimpin’,” he said, rubbing her back.

“Please don’t pick on me.  You picked on me all day and I hated it.”

“I’m not.  Girl, you think I care?” He laughed.  “I mean look, you got me because you’re sweet and you’re genuine when you’re with me, you’re sexy and beautiful and-and…”  He dipped forward and kissed her forehead.  “When I first met you I, I can’t explain it, but I liked you so much right away.  And as time has gone on I-I’ve gotten to know you…” He took a deep breath and when she looked at him she knew.  She knew exactly what he was thinking.

She gulped.  “And I really, I really…”

“You don’t have to say it.”  She cut him off short, not ready to hear those words, not ready to say them back.  He looked stunned for a moment and then suddenly snapped out of it, like he had been asleep all that time and suddenly come back into reality.

His mouth twitched into a smile and he whispered, “…how about I tell you a secret, too?”

“What?”

“You’re the girl of my dreams.”

She laughed and turned her face into his chest, chuckling into it as she said, “Oh my god, you are cheesy…”

“But you are…”  He poked at her sides and when she looked up, he was smiling at her.  “And I don’t care about where you came from or what your last name is.  All I care about is that you’re my Darcy and that you stay that way.”

“Really?” She asked seriously. 

“Yeah…” He nodded and cupped her face in his hand, straining his neck up so he could kiss her.  Before his lips touched hers he asked softly, “Are you really mine?”

She didn’t say anything but answered him with a deep kiss, pushing her body fully into his and holding onto him as he rolled them over on the couch.  She didn’t know how long they stayed there, but knew they were there fore a while, just kissing, nothing more. 

And as his lips moved against her she knew she really was his, and nothing was going to change that.  The fear she had was pushed away and she knew, as long as he was with her, as long as he was honest with her and talked with her and loved her, like he was so good at doing, they would be ok.