Fairy Tale Confessions, page 33
There had to be more than a thousand people here tonight. I nervously chewed on my glossy lip and Prince reached over and gripped my tightly fisted hands that were resting on my lap. I relaxed as he laced his fingers through mine. It had a comforting effect that I needed more than anything in this moment.
Suddenly, the music swelled and all eyes were on the draped curtain. The minute the first model stepped out onto the runway and the audience collectively gasped, I had my first out of body experience. I floated above and watched from afar as cameras flashed wildly. The audience was enraptured over each and every model pounding down the runway. The swimsuits fit perfectly, despite varying in shapes and sizes. This was exactly what my interiors were meant for. Whoever styled the models seemed to know my line, inside and out. It was exactly what I would have chosen myself. Large, soft beach curls and barely there makeup with a nude, glossy lip. Each girl commanded the runway with a fierceness that felt as though they were inspired themselves. It was incredible.
All too soon, the show was ending. As the models took their grand finale lap, the audience stood and cheered. They were standing for my designs! I stood with them and found myself crying uncontrollably. My shoulders shook as I watched all my pieces captivate an entire mass of people. I turned to Prince and giggled maniacally through my tears, baffled by what just happened. He turned to direct his applause to me, grinning from ear to ear.
The lights dimmed and I covered my cheeks in sheer exhilaration. Prince grabbed my wrists and pulled my hands down, turning me to face him. The blue stage lighting cast a stream of light over his face. I was stunned to see his eyes watery and red around the edges. Happiness, exaltation, empathy, and even honor were showcased all in one meaningful look.
Cupping my cheeks, my breath caught at the look of undiluted pride in his face. He slid his two thumbs softly beneath my eyes and gazed at me the way a man would gaze at the woman he’s meant to spend the rest of his life with.
“Rell,” he uttered. “I’m terrified that if I can’t make you mine, it is my heart that will break.”
Without a second thought, I cupped his cheeks and pulled his lips down to mine. I slammed my eyes shut tight and willed my body to live in this very moment. Fully and completely. My heart was leading my head and I didn’t care how fragile any of it was anymore.
Our lips slid smoothly against each other’s, tongues dancing a smooth waltz. He stroked my face reverently, as if he had hold of the most precious gift known to man. The fulfillment I was experiencing with this kiss was more than I had ever felt in my entire life. Simply put, I felt cherished.
It wasn’t the moment of seeing my designs on stage fueling this passion. It was looking into Prince’s eyes and seeing myself clearly for the very first time. Never had I felt such a sense of pride and possibility. Most of all, I felt like the risk of having my heart broken by whatever this could be between us was worth it all for this moment right here.
“Prince,” I said, breaking contact. He pulled away for a second, appeared tormented and then crashed his lips on mine again. “Prince,” I said again, giggling.
He pulled back and propped his forehead on mine. Breathing heavily, he said, “Rell, I need you to know—”
“I need to say something first,” I interrupted.
His serious expression morphed into a wolfish grin. “By all means, Princess.”
I smiled and pulled back so I could look into his eyes. “Thank you.” I rubbed my thumbs along his jawline. “Thank you…for believing in me and giving me this gift. Thank you for honoring me this way.”
“It’s I who should be saying thank you. I’ve been resisting so many things in my life. But you’re the first thing that I don’t want to resist, Rell. I was convinced it wasn’t the right time for me, no matter what my father wanted. But I was wrong. I just hadn’t met you!”
“What are you rambling on about?” I smirked.
His eyes glittered with feeling. “Rell, I—”
The master of ceremonies cut into our conversation. “All right fashion fiends. Midnight is only moments away. Make your way to the north side of the estate for the fireworks display!”
My eyes shot wide. “I have to go!”
“Rell, you can’t.”
“I have to! I have no choice,” I cried and balled up the hem of my dress. I’d have to run. Midnight was here and I wouldn’t take advantage of this gift Fairy Godmother gave me.
“Rell, I need to tell you something,” Prince said, gripping my waist.
“There’s no time!” I yelled and dashed clumsily down the abandoned runway toward the backstage area where I knew the Mercedes awaited. Damn glass slippers! I paused to slip them off mid sprint and lost one behind me in the process. I saw Prince stuck behind a mob of people. He was yelling something at me but I couldn’t wait. I would not break a promise to the one woman in my life that had ever cared for me.
Fireworks erupted into the skies as I struggled to catch my breath inside the Mercedes. At the same time, water began dripping from the ceiling of the car. The drip turned into a waterfall and before I knew it, I was floating down the falls in my original torn, grey dress. I hit the water with a mighty splash and gasped for air as I breached the surface.
I guess Fairy Godmother wasn’t messing around.
As I made my way downstairs the next morning, I overheard the television blaring from the sitting room. I paused, tucking myself beside the doorway so I could catch a glimpse. Video coverage of the models in my swimwear last night was situated over the shoulder of a male newscaster as he spoke.
“Major national retailers are pressing the Prince Estate to reveal the name of the secret designer behind the swimwear line charmingly dubbed ‘Princess Pride Swimwear.’ The collection was a surprise addition to last night’s show that has everyone reeling. The Prince Family has yet to release a statement. It leads the greater Denver area to wonder…who is this mysterious Princess?”
The video switched to a full screen shot of Prince and I kissing at the show. It was a faraway shot and my face was in the shadows, but there was no doubt of the passionate exchange between the two of us.
“Who is that whore?” Winter screeched.
“Mother!” Summer whined. “I did everything right. I giggled, I touched him. I told him all about every single one of my hobbies. I even told him about my pet toad that died when I was twelve!” She flopped down onto the white sectional sofa and crossed her arms moodily.
“I told you. It doesn’t matter,” MD crooned, “Cinderella!”
I jumped as she caught me loitering in the doorway. “Yes M…Stepmother?” I replied, walking in to greet her.
She strolled toward me with that intimidating swagger she had. “We’ll need styling today. High-end casual. We have a special guest coming over this evening.”
“Who would that be?”
“Bryson Prince of course! He was quite taken by our Summer last night. I’ve invited him over for dinner,” she replied.
“Bryson Prince is coming to see Summer? But…that girl in the news,” I said, feeling a stab of possessiveness.
“Paalease! Did you see her? She was trash,” Winter snorted, flicking through the TV channels while chomping on a huge licorice rope.
“Girls, go get ready!” MD ordered. They both shuffled past me, shooting nasty glares the entire way out.
MD stepped even closer to me now, her face taught. “That girl was nothing. Bryson was just a boy trying to sow a wild oat before he commits to someone proper. Do you honestly think Frederick Prince would let his son date a nobody like her?”
“You didn’t even know her,” I argued defensively.
“If she was somebody of importance, we would know. Use your head, Cinderella! That mixer last night was for Frederick Prince to put the right girls in his son’s path. They won’t stand for a no-name floozy on his arm in society, holding him back. Summer is much better suited for him. Even his father agrees.”
“His father?” I whispered. If Frederick Prince wanted someone like Summer for his son, that certainly wasn’t me.
MD’s eyes squeezed into slits at my emotional reaction to this information. “People must know their place, Cinderella. They must know reality. Hopes and dreams only ever end in heartache.”
Her words were the nail in my coffin.
As I closed the door to my attic, a sense of melancholy fell over me. I was right back where I started: Contained to an attic in the shadows making clothing for others.
Did Prince really ever think I could be a substitute for Summer? Or was MD right? Maybe I really was just a distraction for Prince? Did I seriously get played?
A few hours later, I’d styled the Silicone Sisters and was finishing a scarf at MD’s urgent request. Van Halen was blasting in my ear buds and with every stitch I dropped, my pity party quickly turned into a rage-fest.
I glared moodily at my glass slipper. The one reminder of what a sham last night really was. I had to start putting my foot down. I had to get out from under MD’s thumb. I was done allowing people to put me in my place. They were all going to hear my voice, once and for all.
From my lap, Van Halen suddenly grew tense, his black hair standing up on his back. I turned to see what caught his attention and found MD rifling through my closet.
“Thief!” she bellowed. A silver pair of scissors caught the light just as they slide through a black one-piece swimsuit.
I ripped my ear buds out and jumped to my feet. “No!” I bent over and picked the pile of shredded pieces up off the floor. They were all the suits from last night. I didn’t even know they all had made it back into my closet. Fairy Godmother maybe?
“You stole these from the show last night!” MD towered over top of me, her crooked finger stabbed hard into my chest.
I clutched my designs protectively. “I didn’t steal them! I created them!”
“You honestly expect me to believe that, Cinderella?” She grabbed a wayward bikini top from the floor and with a mighty yank, ripped it into two. “You’re lucky I’m not turning you in. You can’t expect me to believe you have this kind of talent!”
“I don’t expect anything from you!” I screamed, breathing heavily. My eyes scanned the scraps of my life’s work splayed all around me. “You made it clear as glass last night how very little you believed in me.”
“You sound just like your father.” MD’s chin dropped.
My jaw clenched with barely contained fury. “You knew nothing of my father.”
“I knew plenty of him. He was a damn dreamer! And all that got him was six feet under. And if I need a reminder of him, all I have to do is look at your face.” She may as well have spit at me. The poignant pain behind her cloudy grey gaze was palpable.
She cracked her neck and continued. “Can you fathom what it’s like living with a constant reminder of all you’ve lost?” She harrumphed. “Idolize him all you want, Cinderella. But he’s gone and I’m all you’ve got. And if you think that Bryson Prince is interested in you, you’re more pathetic than I thought.”
I looked at her in horror as realization dawned on me. She knew it was me all along last night. Pushing past me, she slammed the French doors shut that led to the terrace. She then pulled out an old skeleton key from her pocket and turned it in the lock.
“What are you doing?” I asked as she moved toward the stairs next. Already I could feel the heat in the room increasing.
“You think you’re good enough for a Prince?” She guffawed. “You’re dreaming.”
Sensing danger, Van Halen suddenly scurried past me and out the door. Before I could realize what was happening, MD slammed the door and locked it, trapping me into my own personal sweatshop.
“No,” I whispered. “No!” I screamed. “You can’t be serious!”
I ran to both doors, shaking the knobs. Panic consumed me as beads of sweat drizzled slowly down my temples. This couldn’t be happening. This couldn’t be real. I buckled over, dropping to the floor.
“Fairy Godmother,” I blinked back tears. “It’s time for magic to be a reality again…or however you said that before.” I looked all around the room for any sign of bubbles, water, mist, brightness, anything.
I grabbed the glass slipper off my sewing desk and squeezed it to my chest. “Please. Please. Please!” I screamed the last one and felt the slipper crack in my grip along with all remaining hope in my heart.
Loud voices filled the room, waking me from a fitful sleep. When my eyes opened, I found myself on the floor and the light in the room was golden. How long had I been out? I sat up, drenched in sweat.
I glanced over to the noise coming from the videoconference screen and Van Halen’s white striped face filled the frame. He was licking the LCD screen in the sitting room downstairs and had activated the touch screen. I squinted at the action taking place behind him, certain I was hallucinating.
“As I said, Bryson,” MD continued, “Cinderella left for fashion school overseas this morning. It was an incredible last minute opportunity.”
“She really just left?” He sounded bereft.
“That girl is as selfish as the sun is warm.” She chuckled. “You’re better off without her and you know it, my dear. She is inconsequential.”
Her words cut me. Just then Summer and Winter sashayed into the room.
“Bryson, so nice of you to come see me again!” Summer said, snaking her arm around his.
“Summer?” he asked, sounding confused. “You’re the one I called security on last night.” He pulled away from her nervously.
“What?” Winter screeched, obviously excited by the prospect of her sister being less than perfect.
“You had pictures of a dead toad with you,” Prince exclaimed. “It was…alarming.”
Summer’s face turned fiery red and Winter erupted into belly-shaking cackles. “He was an important part of my life!” Summer roared which only caused Winter to laugh harder.
“Bryson, never mind any of that. You two are really very compatible—”
“Enough!” Prince shouted. “Someone had better tell me where Rell is right this second!”
“Rell? Is that what you call her?” Winter bellowed, falling over and laughing uncontrollably. “What a stupid name. She’s locked in the attic where she belongs.”
“Winter!” MD and Summer both shouted in unison. Winter’s face dropped as she realized what she just let slip.
Prince’s face turned horrified as he pushed past MD and ran out of the room. MD and Summer chased after him and before I knew it, I heard steps thundering toward me.
“Rell!” Prince shouted, banging on the door.
Before I could muster the energy to stand, a loud cracking sound echoed in the small room. The hinges splintered and the door flew open, revealing an out of breath Prince.
“My God, Rell,” he said, dropping onto his knees beside me. “It has to be a hundred degrees in here!”
The blast of cool air that accompanied him was life changing. He helped me stand and the look on his face was enough to make me sick if I wasn’t already. MD and the Silicone Sisters scampered in.
“Cinderella,” MD cajoled. “I’m surprised—”
I held my hands up to stop them in their tracks. “Save it, Mother Dearest. I’m done with the wire hangers.” She looked completely clueless by my movie reference but I couldn’t care less.
“I’m getting you out of here, Rell,” Prince placed his hand on the small of my back.
“No!” I flinched away from him, renewed energy overcome me. “I don’t need your sympathy, Prince. I’m not a charity case.”
He looked at me like I’d shot him. “Rell, I have no idea—”
“I know everything, Prince,” I groaned. A flicker of sadness cast over me as I took in his confused face, but I had to stay strong. “I know your father has expectations for you. And those don’t include me.”
“What on earth?” he cried, raking his hands through his hair in frustration.
It killed me to say it, but I had to do this. None of this was real. It was all a dream that I allowed myself to get caught up in.
“I don’t know if you were just passing time with me or if I was just a mistake. I don’t even care. Just do what you have to do. Have Summer. Have Winter and Spring too! Because the only thing I care about right now––the only thing I won’t let any of you mess with anymore…is my heart.”
I bent over and picked up the cracked glass slipper on the floor. “I told you hearts were fragile, Prince. That’s why I am going to start protecting mine right now.”
“Rell, my father just wants me to find great love like he did!”
“Don’t speak of love!” My voice cracked with heartache. I threw the slipper to the ground, feeling empowered by the shattered glass all around me. “I knew love, Prince. I heard it in my father’s voice when he talked about my mother. I saw it in his eyes when he kissed me goodnight.”
I turned back to MD. “I don’t know how you lost sight of that.” MD’s nostrils flared as I stepped closer to her, staring her down. “But I forgive you. Your heart broke when he died, and I think you lost yourself. I hope someday you can learn how to love again and teach your daughters.”
Summer scoffed. I looked to her. “Your day will come, Summer. The day when you realize how very sad your life is with all this hate in it.”
My eyes stung with the approach of tears. I turned back to Prince and was blown away by the desolate look in his eyes.
“Don’t feel sorry for me, Prince.” I clenched my hands to my chest as two tears escaped and slid down my cheeks. “I’m lucky. My dad was a great teacher so I know how to love!
“I thought I saw love with you, but it’s okay.” I smiled sadly and stretched my arms out wide, backing toward the door. “I’ve got this now. I love me! And I haven’t been able to say that for a long time.”
Prince’s expression morphed into panic as I turned to leave. “Rell—” he cried, but I cut him off again.
“I will just have to be enough.”
In only my white underwear and bra, I found myself standing inside the cave beneath the thundering falls. My special spot. I pushed the cool mist up my face and down my soaked hair, relishing in every droplet.
