PROLOGUE — 2 0 1 5
𝕲𝖎𝖆 P O V
𝕲𝖊𝖔𝖗𝖌𝖊𝖙𝖔𝖜𝖓 𝖀𝖓𝖎𝖛𝖊𝖗𝖘𝖎𝖙𝖞 𝕮𝖆𝖒𝖕𝖚𝖘
𝖂𝖆𝖘𝖍𝖎𝖓𝖌𝖙𝖔𝖓, 𝕯.𝕮.
SEPTEMBER 24TH
"Enjoying the party?" Brielle asked me as I sat on the couch with a cup of untouched water in my hand.
I rolled my eyes and placed the cup on the floor.
"No." I answered.
"Why not?" Brielle asked.
"Cause I don't want to be here." I replied.
"I'm sorry that I forced to come but can you please just loosen up a little bit for me." Brielle said with a pout.
I rolled my eyes.
"I'll loosen up by the snack table." I said, getting up and walking over to the snack table. "What the hell are those?" I asked as I hold up the bowl and sniffed it before putting it down and settling for a bag of chips.
As the party went on, I talked to a lot of people I'd recognized from some of my classes and their friends. I was actually having a really good time.
I was talking to Kelly, a sweet girl that I had met at the library after falling asleep when I was supposed to be studying.
She had brought a friend with her who didn't seem so interested in our conversation, and who would only butt in to talk about the boys that were around.
"Oh my gosh, Kells, look!"
She interrupted our talk and pointed towards a small crowd in the middle of the dance floor, "it's that guy I told you about!"
"Which one, Rach?" Kelly asked as we both looked where she was pointing. Hussein bin Abdullah was laughing and joking with a few people.
"Isn't he gorgeous? He's in my accounting class." Rachel answered.
Suddenly Hussein looked our way. We looked away quickly.
"Oh my God, that was so close. He probably thinks we're stalkers now." Rachel said as I rolled my eyes.
"Okay, I'm going for some food. Bye." I said and walked away.
I was headed off the dance floor when Hussein walked up in front of me and blocked my way.
"Hello." Hussein said.
"Hello, Your Royal Highness." I said as I kept my head down in a way to show him respect.
"You know who I am?" He asked, shocked.
"I think it would be disrespectful not to know the future monarch of my country." I answered.
"You're Jordanian?" He asked.
"Italian and Jordanian, Your Royal Highness." I replied.
"Amazing, I haven't ran into a lot of Jordanians here." He said.
"Of course, you wouldn't, sir." I said.
"Please call me, Hussein." He said.
"Gia." I said.
"Gia, God's gracious gift." He said.
"Huh?" I asked.
"Your name means God's gracious gift." He answered.
"Oh, and here I thought my parents were being basic with my name." I said.
"Want to dance?" He asked me.
"Oh, uh..."
"Come on, I promise I won't bite." He said as he gave me a pleading look.
"Okay, fine." I said as he lead me towards the center of the dance floor and started dancing with me.
"Gia, I know this may sound too straightforward but I would like to get to know you better." Hussein said as he pulled me closer.
— — — —
OCTOBER 24TH
"Hey, Hussein." I said as I walked into his apartment bedroom and took a sit on his bed.
He hesitated for a moment, "Gia, I've been thinking about this a lot." He said.
"About what?" I asked as I pulled out my textbooks from my book bag.
He took a deep breath, "Now, please consider this before you say no." I sat up in bed, curious as to what he was going to ask me, "I think we should go on a date." He said.
My heart sped up and I felt the blood rush to my face.
Did he really just ask me that?
"A date?" I repeated, just make sure I heard him correctly.
He grinned.
"Yes. Tonight? I can pick you up at 6." He answered.
Wow. I was shocked and yet excited, "Yes, tonight at six." I said after I found my voice.
"Now let's help you study for your exam." Hussein said.
— — — —
NOVEMBER 1ST
"You wait on a date with the Crown Prince of Jordan." Gia's mother, Alida said as soon as Gia returned home for a quick visit.
"How do you know that?" Gia asked her mother with a side eye.
"Gia, you really think I would let you attend Georgetown without some type of security." Alida answered.
"That's an invasion of my privacy." Gia said.
"Gia, you're a member of a very powerful family. Trust me, I'm doing this for your protection and dating the Crown Prince of Jordan is putting another target on your back." Alida said.
"I'm not dating him. It was just a date and nothing more." Gia said.
"Do you like him?" Alida asked.
"He's just a friend." Gia answered.
"So you kiss your friends now?" Alida asked.
Gia stared at her mother in shock.
"Oh, God! Ma! Stop being so nosey!" Gia exclaimed running up to her room.
"Gia!" Alida shouted after her with a laugh.
— — — —
"So, Gia, I heard you have a boyfriend." Aubriella asked entering my bedroom.
"Oh, Ma and her big mouth. Aubriella, I don't have a boyfriend." I answered as I put my phone and sat up to face my older sister.
"But Hussein is a gorgeous guy and you two would be a perfect couple." Aubriella said as she took a seat on my bed.
"We're just friends." I said.
"That kissed." Aubriella said.
"It was just a friendly kiss." I said.
"Friendly, my ass. Gia, do you have any kind of feelings for Hussein?" She asked.
"Aubriella, nothing can happen between Hussein and I, okay." I answered.
"And why is that?" She asked.
"He's a prince." I answered.
"And?" She asked.
"I wouldn't fit into his world." I replied.
"Gia, you're a Ghosheh. You're royalty, just without a country to rule." She said. "Plus, we have ties to Italian royalty." She added.
"That no longer exist." I said.
"But the titles do." She said.
"Whatever." I said.
"So, tell me what was it like going on a date with the Crown Prince of Jordan?" She asked with a huge grin on her face.
I beamed back at her happily. "It was incredible!" I said as I began at the beginning detailing that night with Hussein.
I didn't leave out anything. We both sat cross-legged on her bed as I spoke.
"Oh wow, that night sounded so perfect. He clearly has feelings for you, Gia." She said.
"Really?" I asked.
"Yes, who knows you might just become Crown Princess of Jordan in the future." She answered.
"I don't see that happening, Aubriella." I said.
"I'm older so I'm always right." She said.
"Sure." I said.
"Girls, dinner is ready!" Alida said over the intercom.