Loving The Corporate Prince Ch. 04-05

'A little playful contact every now and again isn't the worst. I mean, maybe there is a chance.'

"Wait, what's the question again?" Kristen laughed, drunkenly leaning her head on my shoulder as the group's laughter boomed through the home.

"Holy shit!" Gil screamed as tears flooded his cheeks from laughing so hard. "We been waitin' this whole fuckin' time an' she went and fell asleep!"

Our tiny group sitting at the dining room table practically forgot about all the other folks at the party and the fact that there was a bonfire happening outside until someone yelled in.

"Aye! Quit yer FUCKIN' squawking in there!"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP, RONNIE!" Stephanie screamed.

Everyone at the table, and outside, erupted into a fit of drunken laughter, except for Dustin, who was completely and utterly shocked at Stephanie's sudden and hilariously aggressive outburst.

"Jesus Stephanie, I feel like I don't even know you anymore." He giggled.

'Holy shit, if I could hear that laugh every day until I died I'll be a happy man.'

"Oh God, I'm so sorry Dustin. That's my older brother Ronnie, we talk to each other like that but I swear we're both OK with it. Kristen sweetie, what have you never done?"

The group all held up 5 fingers now, in preparation to move the game along.

"Oh! OK, I got one. Never have I ever... No, wait. I have done that."

The group groaned.

"Take your time Kristen, I'm going to get more drinks." I offered. "Who needs more?"

Like a wave of rocks pelting me, I was met with a slew of 'me's!' before I rose from my seat and headed to the kitchen.

"Hey," I heard behind me. "Let me help you."

I turned around, and of course Dustin, with his golden heart and golden hair followed me, smiling a big, handsome, dopey drunk smile with his glossy eyes.

"Y-yeah, sure."

We worked quietly, gathering all the drinks, and my heart pounded like a jackhammer.

'Fuck, fuck, fuck. Do I try to be friends with him? Do I even have the time for new people and friends? What if he hates trans people? What if he's disgusted with me and breaks my heart? What if he distracts me from school and then ends up breaking my heart? Just be friends. I can be just friends with someone who I'm crushing on a little right? I can control myself. This won't get too out of hand.'

"So... River," Dustin's voice was barely above a whisper. "Can I azk you a queshin?"

"Of course."

"I-I know I made a pree bad firzt impression..."

My heart melted more as he rubbed the back of his neck, bashfully and his face burned. If it was possible for cartoon hearts to grow where my eyes were at that moment, they would have.

"I wiz juss wondering, I guezz, if it would be pozzible for uz to be friends? You know, I'm new around here and I -"

"Yes!"

'Shit.'

"Really? Even after -"

"Hey, I already told ya I forgive ya for that. Haven't changed my mind. Besides, what would this world be without forgiveness, right?"

I smiled gently at him, doing my absolute best to not look so fucking eager to simply be around him. To be close to him. We both stood at the counter, dangerously close to one another. My eyes flicked to his lips, which I instantly regretted because I knew he saw it.

"You're right," Dustin cleared his throat. "For some reason, I get the impreshin that you like... Hate everyone, whish is great if dats true, 'cause... You know, so do I."

I couldn't help but smile and laugh with him.

"I've been told that I can be a little cold, which is funny because I think I'm pretty nice-ish."

"Mm. Tough 'xterior but squishy on the inside?"

"Exactly," My hand brushed his as I reached for a spoon to stir Kristen's drink. Goosebumps slithered up my neck.

"I'm da opposite. Squooshy 'n friendly on the outside but on the inside? S'like a Arctic cave... Cold. Empty... Lifeless."

I couldn't help but laugh again.

'Please, please, please, stop making me like you so much.'

"You're not too bad, are ya Dustin? I'm glad we're friends."

"WHERE'S OUR DRINKS, DRINKS BOYS?" Gil yelled from the dining room. Together, Dustin and I rolled our eyes, smiled, and grabbed the drinks.

"Hey, before we head back out there, d-do you have a ride home?" I asked. "B-because I noticed that you came alone and since Gil is staying the night..."

Dustin's smile was so incredibly gentle.

"I'd love that."

"Ohhhhh DRINK BOYS!"

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"Dusztin!" Stephanie cried. "You're just sooooo sweet, and - and - and you sdeserve all's the happinesst in the world. You're suchj a good PErSON. You have sush a good heart, oK? I can tell, I'm rilly good at stuffs like this. I kin read people really good. I know we sdon't know eash other that well but I feel like we were juss mint to be best friends."

Tears streamed down her rosy cheeks while she leaned on Dustin's shoulder, Gil passed out on the couch. I sat at the table with Dustin and Stephanie, too sober for my own happiness, watching them cry and hug each other and tell one another how amazing they are.

The party had died down, the booze was drying up, and people were passing out.

"It's getting really late, are you going to be ready to go soon Dustin?"

He nodded with a dopey and drunk smile on his face.

"Ok, I'm gonna run to the bathroom first, then we can head out."

I ran to the bathroom and when I returned, Dustin and Stephanie were standing at the door with a now wide awake Gil. I could sense the energy in the room had shifted and the tension was palpable as I could see Stephanie seething at Gil.

"You guys alright?" I asked.

"All good!" Dustin cheered. "Are's you sure you're sgood to drive?"

I couldn't help but laugh at Dustin's response.

"I'm good, I haven't been drinking, remember?" I moved toward the tense group and began ushering Dustin through the door.

"WHA? Shoo haven't been dzrinking!? I couldn't even TELL!" Dustin's warm, tall body leaned against mine as we moved out the door.

"OK, bye guys! See you tomorrow!"

Together, Dustin and I left Stephanie's home as we entered Gil's lifted truck. It felt like somehow, the tension was left behind in the small home.

✧

"Mm, soooo... This is me." Dustin smiled as I pulled up to the large home.

'I had always thought this place was someone's mansion or a bed n' breakfast.' I thought, gazing out the windshield.

I looked over and saw Dustin's head laying against the lightly fogged, passenger side window. His eyelids drooped slowly before snapping back open and I could tell he was fading in and out.

All my drunk nights have taught me not to leave someone this fucked up alone.

"Hey! D'you wanna come up and have some zdrinks?" Dustin smiled at me, his face was pink from the drink.

'Holy shit, he's soooo cute.'

"By drinks, do you mean water?"

"If dash watchoo like to drink then YES!"

"Okay but only because I don't feel right about leaving you alone as drunk as you are."

"S'cuse me, I'm not even that drunk."

I pulled the truck into the driveway before making my way around to the passenger side door to help Dustin out. The second I opened the door, Dustin must have forgotten he was in a lifted vehicle because he misstepped and spilled into my arms.

"Holy shit! A-are you okay?" I asked, hardly concerned because of the loud cackles erupting from Dustin's mouth.

This was the closest we had ever been. One of his muscular arms was wrapped around my shoulders while the other was wrapped around my waist. I held him up with my arms fully around his torso and I could feel every inch of the toned muscles underneath. His expensive cologne filled my senses once again as I looked down into his bright blue eyes.

I wondered if the breath caught in my throat was audible, because the alluring man in my arms suddenly straighted himself up and cleared his throat, doing his best to present like he was sober but still stumbling.

"I'm fine, I'm sho sorry I falled like that. I zddin't mean to enter yer bubble,"

We entered the mansion through the backdoor and walked up a yellow lit set of stairs, all the way to the top of the building.

"You can enter my bubble any time you like," I winked as Dustin's face burned once again while he giggled uncontrollably.

'Can this man be any cuter?'

Just the entrance was nicer than my whole apartment and I could already tell the difference between our landlords. One of them, clearly, realized their tenants had money and wanted to retain that money while the other, realized their tenants were on the other end of the scale, not caring if they stayed or went, not caring if the rickety home was fixed or broken.

Dustin fumbled with his keys for what felt like forever before we finally entered his home.

'Holy shit,'

"I-is your roommate home tonight?" I asked.

"Roommate? I don't have a roommate?"

"Wait - so you live here on your own?"

The apartment had multiple rooms and easily took up the entire top floor of the large home. Just the livingroom alone was about the size of my apartment, let alone with his immaculate kitchen that was fully furnished with brand new stainless steel appliances. There were two, black leather couches surrounding the glass coffee table in front of the large, flatscreen tv that was mounted in the living room.

On the walls hung extremely large, full color photographs and unique frames - some of people, some of places, but in a way they all matched. There was one in particular that was of a hand, in front of a large window. The hand was dark against the back lighting and out of focus.

"Suuure do, miszter."

Dustin flopped on one of his couches on his back, groaning with his arm hovering over his eyes.

"That's a really, really cool picture." I said, pointing to the framed photo on the wall.

"You think so?" Dustin beamed, sitting upright again. "I took it myself. S'my hand!"

"No way! Are they all yours?"

"Yep! I know s'seems jjnda... I dunno, full maself to have my own pichures up but it makes me feel ad home, yknow?"

Dustin flopped back with a loud groan.

"You feeling ok?" I asked, sitting next to him.

"Nooooooo, so drunk."

"Just a minute ago you said you weren't that drunk!"

"I didn't know what I was saying, cause... Drunk,"

Dustin's arm raised over his head caused his shirt to be pulled up just a little, leaving a peek of skin around his belly peeking through. A vein ran up his hard abdomen around the light, peach fuzz happy trail, making my knees weak. I wanted him. Badly.

'So much for no distractions,'

In a way, I was thankful for him being under the influence. It was the perfect barrier between us. If he was sober and showed me he wanted me, there's no way I could control my own want for him at that moment.

I asked him where the bathroom was and made my way to yet another, ridiculously large room that was easily double the size of the bathroom in my own apartment. I searched around for some ibuprofen for him, a trash can, and an ice cold washcloth and reentered the living room to find Dustin, passed out on his back.

If there was anything my low budget, high school health classes taught me it was to never, ever leave a drunk person passed out on their back because they would surely choke on their vomit and die. I remember them pounding that into our heads so much that, even as many times as my friends and I had been black out, it's still the one thing I really remember.

So, I sat next to Dustin and gently nudged him awake.

"Hey," my voice was light. "Dustin."

"Mmm,"

"Can you get up for me? I brought you somethin,"

He inhaled deeply before propping himself up on his elbows as I handed him his ibuprofen and set the trash down. I moved to his kitchen, looking through what felt like hundreds of cabinets before finding the glasses and filling a cup of water for him.

"What's dis for?"

"It's to help prevent your hangover tomorrow," I watched as he gulped down the pills. "Can you roll on to your belly for me?"

He did so without question, probably still too drunk to care.

"This is gonna be really cold okay? But I promise, it will feel good eventually."

"Mmkay River, I trust you."

"1... 2... 3!" I laid the washcloth along the back of his neck as he yelped and giggled. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

"No, s'okay, yer right. Feels good." His head lolled as I rubbed the back of his neck. His broad shoulders adjusted under his shirt, causing erotic images to flash through my mind. I imagined how they would move and ripple as his hips thrust...

"River?" Dustin looked back with his beautiful eyes glossier than ever.

"Yeah? You okay?"

"Yeah... Juss... Thank you."

"For what?"

"Takin' care of me... No one's ever done this before, let alone someone who's so hot who I like so much..."

"You don't need to thank me, Dustin. This is what friends are for... Wait - did you say, s-someone so hot?"

"Shyeah I did! Yer soooooooo fricken sexy, River... Like... Like holy shit,"

For one of the first times tonight, it was my turn for my face to burn.

"I-I... You're sexy too..."

'God, why do I have to be so awkward?'

"Like... Like I want you to do unspeakable things to my body."

I couldn't help but release a loud laugh.

"Why don't we talk about all this tomorrow?"

"Why? Zit cause I'm annoying?"

"No, Dustin, no. You are not annoying at all. It's just that you're very, very drunk and I want you to feel as good as you can and get all the rest you need."

"Mmkay..." Dustin's head finally hit the pillow on the end of his couch. I pulled the blanket off the back and covered him. I thought he had finally fallen asleep when he spoke one last time.

"River?"

"Hmm?"

"Gotta tell you somethin'."

"What's that?"

"Um...I...I know you're trans."

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