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Liam's POV:
I was at a formal dance that my town had put on every year around Christmas time. Every guy here, including myself, had to wear a white mask that completely covered our faces and black tuxes. I thought that wearing the mask made me look like Michael Myers from the Halloween movies, but somehow, the other guys got girls to go home with them.
This was my third year doing this and I had never gotten a girl to come home with me. I actually wanted to take them out on a date first, but once I mention that, the girl loses all interest in me. It's like all these girls wanted a one-night stand. I wanted to find someone that I could possibly start a relationship with.
The music started and it was time to find the girl I was supposed to try to take home. All the girls here were absolutely gorgeous, but my eyes fell upon the girl in a short black dress. None of the other guys were heading in her direction, so I made her way towards her. Once I reached her, she smiled widely.
"Why hello good sir," she said before giggling.
I wish she could have seen me smile, because that's what I was doing. All I could do was talk with my eyes or literally talk to her.
"Your eyes are really pretty," she told me.
I hadn't realized she was staring at them.
"Uh, thanks. Your eyes are really pretty too."
She blushed and I held out my hand for hers.
"Would you like to dance, love?"
The girl nodded and she took my hand. I gently pulled her to the middle of the room. She put one hand on my shoulder and my other hand was on her waist.
"So what's your name, love?" I asked as we slowly began to dance to the soft classical music.
"My name is Jocelyn. And what's your name, brown eyes?"
I spun her in a circle before answering.
"My name is Liam..."
I heard the girl gasp.
"So you're the one! The one I've been looking for for the past two years!"
I was confused. She was looking for me?
"What do you mean you were looking for me?"
I watched as Jocelyn looked over both of her shoulders before telling me to follow her. We went up a spiral staircase and into a room that must have been one of the owner's bedrooms.
"Sit down, Liam."
I did as I was told and waited for Jocelyn to speak again.
"You're the only guy here that...how do I say this? You're the only guy here who actually wants to get to know us girls instead of taking us home and sleeping with us. All of us really appreciate that..."
All the girls did? Boy I was wrong that they only wanted one-night stands.
"And I've finally found you. I just wish I could see your face..."
She reached out for my mask and I didn't back away; I wanted her to see me. I wanted her to see what I looked like. She took the mask off my face and her mouth dropped open.
"Why would they want to hide a handsome face like yours?"
She dropped the mask to the floor and took my face in her hands. I shrugged.
"I guess to make it all a mystery..."
She traced my lips with her thumbs and to be honest, it felt nice. I shut my eyes as she slowly ran her fingers through my hair.
"Jocelyn?"
My eyes stayed closed when she removed her hands from my hair.
"Yeah?"
"I have a question..." I slowly opened my eyes, "and you don't have to answer if you feel like I shouldn't be asking it."
She smiled and sat beside me.
"Ask away, Liam."
Jocelyn just stared at me and her eyes made it hard for me to concentrate.
"Uh...so if I'm really the only respectable guy here...why do the girls say no to when I ask them out to dinner?"
Jocelyn looked away from me then and sighed.
"Heh, wow. I didn't think you'd ask that..."
She still didn't look at me.
"I get it. I'm probably not as smooth as the other guys. I mean, they get you girls to go home with them. What do I get? A long walk home alone. And I guess it'll be my third year of doing this."
She finally looked at me.
"Liam...don't say that..."
I stood up and headed for the door.
"It's fine Jocelyn. I'm used to being rejected. Don't be surprised if I'm not here for the dance next year..."
I opened the door, ready to take the long and lonely walk home, but Jocelyn got up and closed the door. What she did next surprised me; her lips were pressed to mine.
"Please don't go..." she whispered.
I was absolutely shocked by what she did.
"I'll answer your question...just please don't leave."
So I returned to where I was sitting earlier and Jocelyn sighed.
"Liam...the girls...they want to go out to dinner with you. Honestly, they do. It's just...you're kind of being a rebel and going against the rules--"
"But these one-night stands are ruining the self-confidence of you girls! I won't stand for it! I feel like this whole dance was made to disrespect you. It's pretty much saying 'come here to sell your body to a guy you'll probably never see again.' How can you let yourself do this?"
"We're not selling our bodies, Liam..."
I ran my hand through my hair a few times.
"You had to give money to be able to attend this dance...right?"
Jocelyn's eyes widened as she nodded.
"I guess I never thought of it that way."
I sighed.
"Of course. None of you girls see it that way. You're blindsided by the glamour of this place and the guys you dance with. In fact, I should stop coming here. I'm promoting this as a good thing each year I come here. It's a horrible thing and I'm disgusted by it."
This time she sighed.
"So I guess...with all that's happened tonight...you don't want a dinner date?"
I looked at her and tilted my head.
"You'd still want to go out with me?" Jocelyn nodded and smiled.
"Of course. I told you, I've been lookig for you for two years. I'm not going to pass up this opportunity."
I couldn't have been more happy than in that moment...well, I guess you could say I was more happy when she agreed to be my girlfriend after three more dinner dates. I'm so glad that Jocelyn was the one I walked up to that night.
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Sorry for the long wait
(NOT TAKING ANY REQUESTS RIGHT NOW)
-Ari Horan
