Loving The Corporate Prince Ch. 15-16

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 FIFTEEN ⟡

DUSTIN

"Good morning!" Mr. Elliot chimed from the front seat of the blacked-out SUV.

"Morning Mr. Elliot," Dustin and River spoke in unison, making them blush but before either could poke fun at each other for it, River handed Mr. Elliot a steaming cup of coffee.

"What on Earth is this, Mr. Foster?"

"I wanted to thank you for all the rides. It's not much but a cup of coffee always makes my day a little better..." River shrugged as Mr. Elliot raised his eyebrows at Dustin in a way that said, 'well this is new.' or 'You never bring me coffee.'

"Well thank you very much Mr. Foster,"

"Oh, I wasn't sure how much cream and sugar you take so I stole these packets from Dustin's kitchen." River laughed, placing an inexact amount of cream cups and sugar packets into the front cupholder for Mr. Elliot.

"Yeah, by stole he means he asked very politely." Dustin chuckled.

"Well, I truly do appreciate the thought, that's very kind of you... Eh... Onto business,"

Mr. Elliot began, mixing his cream and sugar into his fresh coffee. "Are we to pick up Mx. Cas on the way to Mx. Lynks or will we be meeting Mx. Cas at the studio?"

"Actually, Cas isn't coming today..."

"Is everything OK?" River asked, resting his hand on Dustin's slender thigh.

"Yeah, I think Cas just needed a day alone before the big party, you know?" River nodded and what felt like no time at all, they had arrived at the incredibly intimidating studio of Mx. Lynks.

RIVER

A few large stone steps lead to large, intricately designed, fully black doors. Dustin gave me a quick run-down on Mx. Lynks and their accomplishments, how they know each other, and that I shouldn't be intimidated by them because they're one of the few people in this city who gets Dustin.

Like him and Cas, Lynks kind of grew up with them, only they were born and raised in France and emigrated here when they were in their late teens.

Naturally, Marius took Lynks under his wing because of the French bond they shared and even though Dustin and Lynks are years apart in age, they've been friends ever since, both giving one another special treatment whenever they were in one another's establishments.

"Don't be intimidated, OK?" Dustin began with his hand on the small of my back.

"Lynks will love you."

The large black door opened with a woosh and we stepped inside, leaving Mr. Elliot in the car to do whatever he does in-between giving Dustin rides. Once in the building, the corridor felt incredibly empty.

The walls were gray and concrete, only a slightly lighter gray than the dark gray of the floors. There was a pop of bright green in the corner where the potted plant sat, but other than that, there was nothing in the corridor.

We walked down the large hallway with our shoes clicking against the cold floor, not saying a word. My gut twisted at the incredible silence, but eased when we turned the corner to a much warmer studio and the noise of shuffling. To the left, sat a small kitchenette with the comforting whirr of brewing coffee. Lights hung from above, illuminating the two large tables.

One, which was clearly a work space, filled with fabrics, sketches, books, and other fashion material that I would have no idea what it was. At the other end of the room and by a large window were two, full-length triple mirrors, just the sight of them made my stomach turn. The other table, by the kitchenette, was empty, save for the person sitting at it.

"Ah!" The person exclaimed, standing from their seat and approaching us with a wide smile and open arms. They moved to Dustin, wrapping their arms around one another's waist and kissing each other's cheeks.

"Bonjour, bonjour, bonjour! I can't believe it's been so long, never do that again to me. You must be River!" They said, approaching me with the same warm air they had approached Dustin with, arms wide open and a large smile, a hug, and two cheek kisses.

"River, this is Mx. Lynks. Lynks, River..."

"It's so nice to meet you. Your studio is beautiful."

"Oh, merci. So sweet, you are! And please, with the honorifics - please call me Lynks. Especially when Monsieur Elliot is around, I like to poke fun at his old-time ways," they laughed, winking at me and causing a nervous giggle to escape my lips. Their warm grasp lingered on my shoulder longer than I was used to as they beamed at me.

They were about my height but much more slender. Their chestnut hair was cut into almost the same cut mine was, but where as mine was an undercut with elongated sideburns, theirs was more of an asymmetrical bob and a bit longer all the way around.

Still, their hair was cropped short in the back, with the shorter side tucked neatly behind their ear while the longer side flowed freely, shaping their large, dark, and beautiful features.

They wore a fashionable, extremely large and loose black mesh crop top that tapered at the neck and became a turtle neck, with a skin-tight, plain black tank top underneath it. Their shoulders to their hips formed a perfect triangle that anyone would envy. Their black tank top was tucked neatly into wide-leg plain black pants that cut off at the ankle with high heels.

To say they looked like fashion and very expensive was a severe understatement.

"Right off the gate I can see your sense of style and considering it is very similar to mine, I have to say I think you have great taste!" They laughed ushering us toward their empty table by the kitchenette.

"Oh, thank you!" I blushed, unsure of how to act. "I really love your outfit."

"You do? You don't think this mesh top is too...Eh... Out of my age range?" They said.

"Hey, no such thing..."

'Don't be awkward, don't be awkward, don't be awkward!'

I inhaled sharply when Dustin rested his hand on my shoulder and squeezed it lovingly as we all sat together at the large table. They pulled out what looked like a large iPad before gasping.

"Oh! I made fresh coffee and forget to offer you some! Would you like a cup?"

Both Dustin and I agreed because it was early and didn't want to be rude. As we drank from our warm cups, the initial tension of a first meeting settled and the room became comfortable between small talk. Dustin told Lynks what he thought I would look best in and they fiddled around on their iPad, either taking notes or making sketches, I wasn't quite sure.

"Well why don't we ask River what he'd like to wear?"

"Um," I said, nervously rubbing the back of my neck the way I had caught Dustin doing so many times before. "I-I don't really know I guess... I've never really gone to anything like this before so I don't know what's appropriate. I trust you both."

"Well, I sense you love black, as do I, so I have a few things that may work unless your beau has any objections." Dustin shook his head and soon, we were standing in front of the 3-way mirrors while Lynks took a few of my measurements. "Before I run and grab some things to try on, do you have any... Eh..."

Lynks waved their hand in the air in circles as the universal, "what's the word?" sign.

"Eh... Parts you prefer to accentuate or parts you are uncomfortable with? I think you have a fantastic physique but at the end of the day we would prefer you to love your outfit, yes?"

"Agreed!" Dustin chimed in.

My heart accelerated momentarily as I stared at my own body in the mirror. Usually, I spent most of my time away from mirrors, having gone through a phase where I was simply unable to look at my own reflection without being able to have an attack. 'Is this what people see? Or is this image distorted somehow?' I would think.

Eventually, I became OK with my appearance, but the more I altered it, the more it became an obsession. It was like it was all that mattered. Eventually, I decided to stay away from mirrors altogether unless I could help it. It was kind of a symbolic gesture like I could finally be free from this idea that had gripped me for so long suddenly didn't matter at all.

Now, I stood in front of one with two other incredibly good-looking people and my heart raced, not because of my faults, but because I somehow, felt almost equal to them.

'Is this what love feels like? Is this what respect feels like? Self-love? Self-respect?

Did Dustin give me that even though I had no idea I needed it?'

"Well... I've always been insecure about um..." I paused.

"It's OK, Riv." Dustin began. "Do you want to know what I told Lynks the first time they fitted me?"

I nodded.

"Well, I've always hated my hips. I've never felt like my shoulders were broad enough, like I didn't have the same hot Dorito torso of a male model." Dustin laughed. "And I don't. I'm kinda scrawny."

"Oh, Dustin!" Lynks laughed. "You know River and I won't sit here and simply allow you to poo-poo yourself this way. What he is getting at, River, is that I was able to tailor his shirts in a way that accentuated his favorite parts so he could learn to see how damn handsome he is. Our clothes shapes are not necessarily a one-size fits all. We all have different bodies, no? But very small tweaks, here and there, make an amazing difference where it matters. Up here." They said, tapping my head.

I laughed.

"I have the same exact problem." I whispered. "I've always hated my hips but I always thought it was because I'm t-"

Suddenly, Mr. Elliot rushed into the room, gasping for breath.

"Monsieur Elliot!" Lynks gasped with a smile, motioning to him with their arms wide and giving him the same warm welcome they gave us.

"Mr. Garnier, Mr. Foster... I wanted to let you know ahead of time that some paparazzi have arrived. I've managed to stall momentarily. I told them it would be many, many hours before you finished up here so hopefully we'll be able to leave before they get back but you know... The sneaky ones will wait..."

"Shit," Dustin sighed.

"Paparazzi follow you around?" I laughed. "Jeez, you really are famous, huh?"

Mr. Elliot and Lynks exchanged curious looks that said, 'this kid really has no idea who he's dealing with...'

Lynks cleared their throat.

"Well, we are in luck. Let me run and grab a few things and I think we may actually be able to get this done fairly quickly." Lynks left the room.

"You know," I began. "We really don't have to do all this, Dustin. I can just wear this, it's no big deal."

"I know we don't have to do anything, but I want to do this for you, River. Remember? This is part of my present to you..."

"Yeah but-"

"Nope."

"Well-"

"Shhhh. Let me do this, OK? It makes me happy."

"Ugh, I can't argue with that now can I?" I laughed.

"Something I've learned over time, Mr. Foster!"

Lynks arrived with a few clothes and shoes in hand and ushered me to the large changing room in the corner. They handed me a first pair of pants and shirt with shoes and said that they'd probably fit best.

As I changed I couldn't help but hear the murmuring in the studio between the three, long-time companions.

"Dustin, I must say," Lynks began. "I have truly never seen you happier."

"I second that Mr. Garnier." said Mr. Elliot.

"Thanks," Dustin chuckled. "Being with him has made me realize that all those other times I thought I was in love..." Dustin's chuckle turned into a full-blown laugh. "God, I had no idea."

"Well, you know how hard it is for us to watch you go through people just to feel like you are being taken advantage of and most times, either Monsieur Elliot or Cas or myself... We don't keep our mouths shut about it but something here is just... Right. I can feel it!"

I inhaled before sliding back the curtain with a sshhhkk!

I emerged into the room slowly and cautiously. The three were gathered around the table by the kitchenette, and once they had noticed me, they all turned. The smile that crossed Lynks face was one of great satisfaction as they approached me with wide, open arms.

"I knew it! Ah! You look fantastique!"

They moved me in front of the mirror and slid their hands across my shoulders, smoothing out any wrinkled fabric and as I looked at my own reflection, I couldn't help but beam at how grown up I looked.

Lynks put me in an all-black, button-down with a band collar. On the collar, sat an intricate, hand-embroidered, gold floral design that wrapped around the neck but not all the way to the back.

They rolled up my sleeves, just below my elbow and slid a plain black belt around my waist. My dress pants weren't out of the ordinary, but fit better than any pants I had ever worn and I was amazed that an outfit that was so, relatively simple and similar to something I would wear, felt so different.

"You need something gold on your wrist," Lynks said before moving to their studio table and rummaging around. I looked over at Dustin, who hadn't moved. He sat, with his eyes wide, wider than I had ever seen. His cheeks were flushed and his mouth sat agape.

When our eyes met, Dustin clamped his mouth shut and cleared his throat. His already flushed cheeks turned pinker.

"What do you think?" I asked.

"You look..." Dustin inhaled deeply. "Amazing."

My heart thumped and I didn't realize how hard I had been biting the inside of my cheek until Lynks approached me with a wide cuff, gold band bracelet and slipped it on my wrist.

"That's it. That is the missing piece, yes. Very sexy." They said, looking through the mirror at the outfit. Soon enough, Dustin was behind me and Mr. Elliot sat at the large window, gazing out cautiously between checking his watch.

"I think I shall take in the under arms, very, very, slightly..." Lynks said, pinching the fabric back underneath my arms. "Mm. Yes, I'll come by early tomorrow and drop it off but other than that, how are we liking it?"

"I love it! Thank you so much Lynx. You're amazing. I've never felt so..."

I had no words. Instead, I stood in place. My jaw clenched as my body filled with emotion.

"Um... I..."

"You look magnifique. Dustin is lucky to have you."

"Thank you," I whispered.

"Unfortunately, folks, it seems the paparazzi are trickling back or perhaps they never left..." said Mr. Elliot, now with urgency in his voice.

Lynx and Dustin ushered me back to the changing room where I put my own clothes back on before emerging with the formal clothes in hand. I could instantly sense Mr. Elliot and Dustin's anxiousness, waiting to leave.

We said our goodbyes and quickly exited back down the empty hall that I had originally been so intimidated by. Dustin had his hand on my back and before we exited, he and Mr. Elliot gave me a few instructions that made my heart jump.

"Mr. Elliot is going to be by you on one side, I'll be on the other. There's going to be a lot of light and noise. People are going to be screaming things at us, just to get a reaction OK? So try your best to not react or engage either way. Ugh, I'm so sorry you have to deal with this River, I really thought I could sneak back into the city without being noticed..."

"He'll be OK, Mr. Garnier. Mr. Foster has great strength. Try not to freak him out, Sir. Let's take a deep breath and make our way straight to the car."

I had to admit that my anxiety was rising between their conversation, but Mr. Elliot's confidence in me helped me keep my head up, despite the fact that I had no clue what was coming. My expectations at that moment were that two to five guys with cameras would be standing outside the door asking Dustin where he had been.

What I got was completely different.

The three of us exhaled, and Mr. Elliot opened the large, black door.

We were hit with a wall of noise and people. There were so many folks outside that I couldn't see the sidewalk whatsoever. They weren't off to the sides of the door, keeping their distance. Mr. Elliot in that moment, became a big, dark machine. He moved forward with one goal in mind. Get to the car. He barrelled through the wall of people with one arm around me and the other in front of him, shielding our faces from the light while simultaneously, pushing ahead.

There's no way I could tell how many people stood between us and the car but it felt like the amount that could fill up a lecture hall. There's no way I could think about anything other than moving my feet and making sure, somehow, that Dustin was OK. I looked at him by my side and his brow was furrowed with conviction as he moved forward with the same strength that Mr. Elliot had.

We got to the SUV and hopped in as fast as we could. It wasn't until Mr. Elliot drove us away, that I had realized I was hardly taking a breath that whole time. Dustin and I exhaled deeply and after a moment of silence, the words that were being screamed at me finally sank into my brain.

"River! What do you hope to gain by your association with the Garnier family?"

"Are you getting free healthcare?"

"How long have you been together?"

"Sources say you're hiding something from the Garnier family!"

"Dustin, what is your major at Lake Stanfield Community College? Did you pass all your classes? Is this a midlife crisis?"

"How long have you been back in New York?"

"How serious is your relationship?"

"How does Giovanni feel about your new relationship?"

"Wow..." I began. "I had no idea..."

"I'm so sorry, are you OK?" Dustin asked.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm OK. Are you? You don't need to apologize, it's not your fault. That... I mean, that's... That's ridiculous. Seriously, I had no clue that... That... Well all that."

Dustin chuckled in response and I could sense his stress.

"H-how did they know all that stuff?"

Dustin shrugged.

"Sometimes people close to us give them info for a few bucks. Sometimes they do their own digging and find stuff out and sometimes they connect the dots themselves and our reactions give them away..."

It suddenly became very clear to me how Dustin could have gone his whole life not fully being able to trust someone getting close to him or their motives.

"That's terrifying," I said with my voice lower than intended. I let my hand sneak to Dustin's thigh and squeeze it comfortingly, the way he had done with me minutes before in the studio. "You know I would never do something like that, right?"

Dustin nodded and smiled a small smile. I knew he was still bothered by something, but I couldn't push it. I just had to wait and hope that he would come to me when he was ready.

⟡ CHAPTER SIXTEEN ⟡

DUSTIN

"Alright, what's going on with you?" Cas whispered to Dustin as River changed into his outfit. "You know he's gonna be fine at the party right?"

"Yeah, I know he's going to be fine..."

"Then what's up?" said Cas.

Dustin sighed with his arms crossed and his brow furrowed.

"I've been in my head ever since yesterday when we left Mx. Lynks' studio. There were a bunch of paparazzi out there,"

"Oh, God. I'm so sorry. That must have been so weird for him,"

"I think it made him really see the level at which people focus on us but..."

"But what?" said Cas.

"One of the paparazzi shouted something and I feel awful because I haven't been able to get it out of my head."

"And that is?"

"One of them said, 'sources say you're hiding some big info from the Garnier family.' I know what you're going to say, that paps just mess with your head to start shit and get any information they can... But..." Dustin released a heavy sigh. "It's just been bothering me. What could he be hiding? I can't stop thinking... What if he is?"