Loving The Corporate Prince Ch. 08

Copyright © 2021 by M.J. Moréo

All rights reserved. This book or any portion of, may not be reproduced, used, or distributed in any manner without prior written permission of the publisher or author, except in the case of brief quotations for critical reviews and other non-commercial uses.

Trigger Warning:

This book contains scenes that may trigger dysphoria including transphobia and penetrative intercourse (not at the same time). This book contains kink scenes including limb restriction and more. If these are themes you are not prepared to handle, please do not continue. Always read and play responsibly!

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⟡ CHAPTER EIGHT ⟡

DUSTIN

Dustin hadn't been nervous to sit in class with a cute guy since middle school, but as he entered the building of the community college he couldn't keep his gut from twisting into anxious knots.

'What if the professor calls on me and I don't know the answer to his question and I look like a fucking idiot in front of River?'

'What if I fall out of my chair or something stupid?'

'What if someone gives me shit and I don't have a good comeback?'

'What if I pass gas when it's really silent?'

Dustin entered the class, thankful River hadn't already arrived. He sat in his seat at the back, kiddy corner from Stephanie.

"Well hey there stranger, how was the rest of your weekend?" Stephanie said, pushing her blonde hair aside. Dustin's face turned pink in response. "That good huh? Spill the beans."

"What beans? There's no beans to spill here."

"Did you and River get to hang out some more?"

Silence couldn't stop Stephanie's all-knowing gaze as Dustin did his best to hide his smile though he couldn't, because it clearly reached his eyes. Just then, the door to the classroom swung open and an incredibly gorgeous and alluring dark-haired man entered with his leather jacket.

River spotted Dustin and Stephanie. His tired eyes lit up as he moved the back of the glass. Dustin couldn't help but note how exhausted the poor guy looked, but it was quickly replaced with his own excitement to see his new... Whatever they were to each other.

"Howdy folks," River said. "Why do you two look like you're full of secrets?"

"I think you may be the one full of secrets here," Stephanie smiled.

"Whatever do you mean?"

"Dustin told me you two hung out some more over the weekend,"

"Nope. No I didn't. I didn't say anything. Leave me out of this. I'm going to bed." Dustin said before laying his head on his desk and wrapping his arms around his skull, causing River and Stephanie to burst out laughing.

"Sooooo what if we did?"

"Nothing..." Stephanie chirped. "I'm just so glad you two are... Getting along."

The door flung open again and Mr. Hope entered, signaling to the now filled class that it was time to start. Dustin sat upright once again and did his absolute best not glancing at River every thirty seconds, but he had truly never met someone who made his guts flutter the way this man did. He couldn't help but let his mind drift and heart swell at the idea that River might actually like him back for more than just his looks. As he stared, his eyes fluttered to River's notes.

'He got his assignment done. I know he was worried about it. That's more than I can say for myself.' Dustin thought, gazing over his own incomplete paper. 'Well my assignment is done for the most part,'

Once again, Dustin found himself falling into the trap of Mr. Hope's voice humming evenly in the background. The lights dimmed and the projection glowed in front of the students. River took notes diligently as Dustin's mind drifted across his doodles, he needed to wake up. In his best effort to stay alert, Dustin pulled his phone out and texted the man next to him, signaling to River to check his phone.

'What are you doing tonight?'

'Homework then work-work, hbu?'

'Do you have time for dinner?'

Dustin watched River glance at his phone. The expression the question brought to River's face was one that Dustin could see over and over again for the rest of his life. The pure, elated smile that spread across his cheeks was infectious and caused Dustin's own lips to curve.

'I have the time. Don't have the $ tho,'

'My treat <3'

':/ I can't accept that, you already gave me a meal... AND you bought me that bottle of water.'

'Omg River I literally forgot about that THAT'S how much of not a big deal at all it is. Pleaaaaase?'

'...Fine but this is the last time. Seriously. Next time is on me, it just might be a minute for me to save up.'

'YAY!!! Thank you :]'

'No, I insist... Thank you XD'

'No I INSIST... Thank YOU lmfao where should we go? You know LS more than me.'

'I guess that depends, do you like fancy + expensive or cheap + delicious?'

'Oooh I mean if this is our first date I want it to be good so... What do you think?'

Dustin could see River blush, even in the dark of the class. River looked up from his phone, gazing deeply into Dustin's eyes. This time River didn't smile. In fact, it was the opposite. The expression that kissed his features was one of great weight and seriousness. His eyes nearly glossed over, giving them a gorgeous sheen that was impossible for Dustin to look away from.

'You want to date me?'

'Are you kidding? That's all I've wanted since the first day I saw you. Do you want to date me back?'

Again, River looked up from his phone at Dustin. This time, his cheeks creased where his kissable lips widened into a smile. Dustin's heart expanded when River's mouth moved, silently mouthing the word yes at him.

'Yes. Absolutely. How did I get so lucky?'

'Must be written in the stars somewhere ;]'

✧

Dustin watched out his window as River pulled his car into the driveway. Checking the mirror one last time, sniffing his pits and clearing his teeth, Dustin grabbed his keys and bolted out of his apartment. He jumped down the stairs five-at-a-time and somehow, he made it out the door before River could even get out of his car.

"Dude, how did you get down here so quickly?" River laughed as he allowed Dustin to wrap his toned arms around him.

Dustin was so warm and smelled like a fresh shower and cologne, but more than his erotic physical presence, River felt like somehow they were missing pieces of each other's puzzles, fitting perfectly together when they collided.

"S'my super powers," Dustin mumbled, kissing the top of River's dark hair. "Plus I was really excited about our date, so it made me extra super fast."

"I'm really excited too," River smiled as Dustin finally released him from his grip.

"So where are we headed?"

"I thought we could go to Triple S, it'll really initiate you into townie life."

"Triple S? I haven't seen that place around,"

"It's downtown. Usually, the community college transplants don't hear about it just because it's mostly a townie hangout anyway... I am kind of surprised you haven't seen it though, you live pretty close." River said as he nodded toward the sidewalk and the two men headed toward the bar.

"So... How do you feel about holding hands in public?" asked Dustin.

"I don't know, I've never done it aside from at the park that one time... With you. I liked that. How about you?"

"I guess I've never really done it either, except that time, but I really want to right now."

River smiled and gestured his hand toward Dustin, who took it gladly. Before they knew it, they had reached the single road, decorated with small local businesses on either side.

'Oh... This is downtown...' Dustin thought, never having seen such a small downtown in his life.

The men approached a business with a large, tinted window in front and classic neon beer signs. The entrance felt nearly impossible to find, unless you already knew where it was, as it sat a bit farther back than the rest of the business entrances. It looked more like a fire exit than a front door.

The small, hand-painted sign above the tinted window read 'TRIPLE S' in big black letters who's paint looked like it started chipping off 30 years prior. Underneath, in bright green letters the sign read, 'Spirits, Spirits, Spirits!' This was definitely not a place Dustin would have gone in, had he not been instructed otherwise. The place looked fairly intimidating. Dustin's gut twisted into nerves when River opened the door for him and gestured him inside.

Instantly, the bar transported them into the late-late evening - or at least it felt that way. The thick wood booths had any number of carvings and drawings on them from the endless drunk nights spent there. Peanut shells lay strewn about the tile floor underneath the booths and scattered along the bar were a few middle-aged folks with their drink of choice in hand, watching whatever played on the myriad of TV screens above their heads.

The bar smelled like cigarette smoke, but not the fresh kind. The kind that's in the walls and carpet. The kind that never really comes out of the walls and carpet, even though smoking hasn't been allowed inside for years and years.

River smiled at Dustin, tilting his head toward a secluded booth near the middle of the bar.

"River! Be right with ya buddy!" The bartender yelled as they sat together.

"I know it doesn't look like much right now, but trust me, this is the place to be in the evenings. Plus they've got the best pizza in town... Maybe ever." River said, blushing as he sat across the blonde.

"I don't know what you mean about not much. I've never been to a place like this. It feels like this is what bars were like before clubs and stuff became a thing. Just being here makes me feel cool," Dustin laughed.

"You've never been to a dive bar?"

"I guess not. I didn't really start going out much until my best friend Cas came out of the closet and wanted to go out clubbing to meet some cute ladies."

"That's as good a reason as any," River laughed. "I guess I've never really been to a club so in a way, we're kind of in the same boat."

The bartender approached the table, taking the men's orders cheerfully before introducing himself to Dustin and leaving swiftly.

"He seemed really nice. How do you guys know each other?" Dustin asked.

"Oh, Jake? I mostly know him from my partying days and small-town stuff. His younger brother was in my class," River laughed.

"Hm, partying days. I wish I could have seen those."

"Ohhh no ya don't. They weren't as cute as most peoples' partying days."

"I see," Dustin began. "Is that why I've never seen you have a beer?"

"It's one of many reasons..." River's sentence drifted off, leaving an awkward pause floating between the two.

"I won't push it, but regardless - I won't judge you. Probably the opposite. I like you so much, I just want to know everything there is to know about you."

River giggled.

"Trust me, you already know me so much more than anyone else has ever cared too."

"It's my honor." Dustin smiled, reaching his hand across the table to hold River's once again.

"How about you?" River began. "I want to know everything there is to know about you too. Do you have any siblings? What do your parents do? What's your major?"

Dustin smiled at the attention he received from the dark haired man across the table. He never realized it, but aside from Cas and his dad, no one had ever really given him this kind of attention either. The mental attention. The kind that says I care enough about you to hear you. To give your information space in my brain.

"Um, well, no. I don't have any siblings but I do have Cas. We grew up together and our parents are pretty close. She actually works for my dad so she's always around. Do you have any siblings?"

"Yeah, I do. Two sisters and a brother. None of us really get along though..." River said.

"How about your parents? Do you get along with them?"

"Nah, Dad's not in the picture and Mom hates my guts. How about you? Are you close with your parents?"

"River, I'm sorry. That sounds awful."

"It's okay... I'm learning to get over it, yknow? I've pretty much always been on my own so sometimes it doesn't feel like there's much to miss..."

Dustin squeezed Rivers hand and he could tell River was avoiding his gaze. He suddenly had a bit more insight as to why he felt so incredibly seen by the man - because he knew how it felt to not be. River cleared his throat, cutting the silence.

"H-how about you? You never told me about your parents."

"Oh, I get along with my dad great. He's one of my favorite people. He was born and raised in Paris, and emigrated here in his like 20's or something and he started a company so that sucks up basically all his time and yeah, we don't get to see each other much either."

River gave Dustin an empathetic expression.

"What about your mom?"

"She's dead."

"Oh my God. Dustin I'm so sorry - here I am bitching about my parent problems when..."

"No - no! It's OK! It happened a very, very long time ago and as much as I hate to admit it - I think in a way, it made my dad and I value each other's presence so much more, you know?"

River nodded.

"I really like that about you,"

"Like what?"

"You have a great way of looking at things,"

Dustin blushed.

"No ones ever given me a compliment like that before,"

The two stared at each other in the bar for what felt like years and no time at all.

Their penetrating gaze burned away the surroundings and somehow and even with the small conversation the two shared, they both felt more seen by each other than they ever had by anyone before.

"Here ya go, fellas. Can I grab ya anything else?" Jake said through this two foot beard as he dropped the pizza pleasantly on the table.

The two men smiled and gave him their thanks as they began their meal.

"Listen, I know you probably don't want to talk about it but," River began, slurping a long piece of warm melted cheese through his teeth. "I'm here for you. If things get tough. You can talk to me."

"Thanks... You too, Riv." Dustin smiled. "Uh, so... What exactly are you going to school for?"

"Creative writing," River said. Part of him was nervous about telling Dustin that he was dumping his money into a degree that so many people thought was useless, but the other part of him was proud and excited to tell Dustin. "I know, a lot of people think it's... Whatever but..."

River took long pauses between his words, trying his best to gauge Dustin's reaction. He just sat there with an eager smile on his face, listening like there was no other noise in the world, ready to take in the rest of River's story.

"I went through a weird time after top surgery... I had always needed it but part of me had no hope of it ever happening. So when it did finally happen, I felt like... I had all I've ever wanted. Like what happens after that? What do you do when you've got all you've ever wanted?

So I worked and worked and worked, partly to get away from my thoughts, but hating my job so much actually made me realize that the one thing I need in this world - after surgery - is to write. I want my stories to help others the way that stories have helped me. And even if I don't make a ton of money - or any - doing it, at least I can say I gave it my all.

So I saved my money so I could start taking a few classes and hopefully not end up in a ton of debt. I guess in a way, I still have no clue what the hell I'm doing." River laughed. "How about you?"

Dustin's eyes brimmed with salty tears for reasons he couldn't even comprehend.

"Are you OK?"

"Yes," Dustin whispered. "When I came to this town - when I made the decision to go back to school - I never ever expected to meet someone who inspires me the way you do. I worked for my dad my whole life, which isn't awful by any means - in fact, it's the opposite, but something inside me knew it wasn't right, not for me at least. I just want to find my own way...

One of the few things that makes me happy is photography. I guess we're kind of the same in the way that I still have no idea where to go with that but that's why I'm in school. I'm hoping it will show me my options and hey, knowing I'm not the only late bloomer in class definitely helps."

"I've always hated the idea of society telling us when we have to have our shit figured out. Or who we should be... Or love or how we should do it."

"Me too! God! I'm so sick of being told what to do! Like if I'm not hurting anyone, who cares!?"

"Exactly! Like if I want to spend my money, going for my dream and becoming an author, what's it to you?"

"Yes! Part of me is so afraid that if I turn my passion into my job, I'll hate it. Some people have hobbies, I mean isn't that good enough sometimes?"

"It absolutely is!"

"And so what if I don't become a multimillionaire like my dad! Money isn't everything."

River choked on his water.

"OK, you say multimillionaire and if anyone else had said that I'd think it was a joke, yet you don't seem to be kidding."

Dustin gave River a dopey smile that said, oops, more than anything else.

"You're... you're kidding though right?" River asked, his eyes growing wider than the moon.

"No," Dustin said with a sigh. "No. I'm not kidding."

"Wait... I... What?"

Dustin couldn't tell exactly what River was thinking because his face went blank and his mouth went silent.

"Are you okay?" asked Dustin.

"Yeah, I mean... Wow, everything makes so much sense now."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, the house, the car, the fancy clothes, expensive watch..."

"Is this weird for you?"

"No! I mean... I guess I don't know. I've never really met a multimillionaire before let alone..." River's face turned so bright red that Dustin could practically feel the heat from across the table.

"Let alone have steaming hot sex with one?" Dustin breathed in a low breath so only the two could hear.

"I was gonna say go on a date with one!" River laughed, playfully thwacking Dustin's hand as the two giggled immaturely together.

"Look, I know this will probably change things for you and I completely understand if you want to quit trying to date,"

"Well I'm not going to lie to you and say that this doesn't change things in my mind because it might. I mean, if anything I want you to pay for this meal even less because I wouldn't want to give you the impression I'm using you for your money or anything -"

"No, no! I wouldn't think that. I mean you've known me for how long before I even told you? How about this? If I do start to feel like that, I promise I'll tell you."

River smiled as Dustin held out his pinky, the same way he did when they had first gotten together. His body flushed at the thought, and he wrapped his pinky around Dustin's.

"Well if you pinky promise,"

The two continued their meal, learning everything they could about each other between bite fulls of pizza. Giggles and gasps floated from their booth to the ears of the older townies, who sat at the bar, nursing their own drinks silently. Eventually, the two finished their food and the bartender brought the men their bill after Dustin urged him to put it all on his card.

"Hey now, we already agreed I'd pay. I'm not going back on my word," Dustin smiled, his pearly whites shining even through the dimness of the bar.

"Ok," River began, checking the clock on his phone. "I've still got a few hours before work so... Do you want to continue this date elsewhere?"

✧

RIVER

"River? Are you okay?"

"I'm okay! I'll be in there in a second!"

My heart throbbed as the cool air whisked past my skin. I stood in Dustin's bathroom, stripping off each layer of clothing I had on, one by one. All the blood in my body rushed south as I pulled my underwear down to the floor and stared at myself in Dustin's bathroom mirror.

The older I got, the more OK I became with my body. All the lumps in places I hadn't loved, like my hips and the area just below my belly button, didn't seem to bother me all that much anymore. It wasn't for a lack of trying, but when I saw the very same lumps on Dustin's gorgeous physique and admired them so much, suddenly mine didn't seem so awful. In fact, they didn't seem awful at all. They seemed the opposite.