The Count's Princess (Completed)

My Twentieth Birthday

"Happy Birthday, Maggy."

"Thank you," I said."

"Happy Birthday, Maggy!"

"Thanks so much,"

"Happy—" right and left students and teachers were wishing me a 'Happy Birthday.' I smiled and waved and thanked them for thinking of me. I made it to my office and logged onto my computer.

"Knock, knock," I looked at my door and there stood Mr. Shelver, or, Steve, as he likes to go by. He was an English teacher and was always trying to get me to go out with him.

"Hi Steve," I said with a smile.

"So, I was thinking," he invited himself in, "you, me, a nice birthday dinner, tonight at six. What do you say?"

"I don't know," I sarcastically began, "Debby already has something planned out for me tonight."

"Debby?" Steve scrunched up his face. "You and Debby are friends?"

"Everyone's friends with Debby,"

"Yeah but—oh come on!"

"Steve, how many times must I tell you that I'm not interested?"

"A lot more."

Steve was cute. I couldn't deny that. But he was older than me by eight years. I gave myself a rule of only dating guys five years older.

"Steve, I'm still wondering why you're still single,"

"Uh, probably because I'm pining after this super hot nurse from work?"

"I'll take that as a complement."

The bell rang and Steve rolled his eyes.

"Sorry," I shrugged.

"Then tomorrow," this time I rolled my eyes. He asked me out everyday, vowing to never give up.

I went to work and tried my best to forget an anniversary I dreaded.

After school, I went to the teacher's lounge and grabbed the rest of the giant cake that the staff had gotten me. I took what was left of it from lunch and carried it to my car.

I remembered that I needed to go to the store for groceries and on the way, my aunt Caroline called me.

"Happy Birthday, Sweet Heart!" She said over the phone.

"Thanks, Caroline,"

"You're now twenty! Ahhh!" I held the phone from my ear. "Man, I'm so proud of you! Flip, by nineteen you were already out of the house, out of college, and already have a job! Oh! How much I wish your parents could see you now,"

Guilt caught in my throat. "Oh I'm sorry sweetie," Caroline said after my moment of silence.

"It's alright. Just a few more birthdays are needed I guess for me to get over the whole thing."

"No, you shouldn't have to feel this way. You need to remember that it wasn't your fault—"

"Okay! I don't want to talk about it. Thank you for calling me and wishing me a happy birthday. I'll see you at thanksgiving."

"Why did you have to move so far away? You love the beach and the forests here in California. Why did you have to move all the way to Baltimore?"

"There are beaches and forests in Baltimore, Caroline,"

"We both know they're not the same." I shrugged even though she couldn't see me.

"I'll call you later,"

"Alright, love you!"

"I love you, too!"

Maryland is my middle name. But that is not the reason I moved here. It was Baltimore, actually, something about it just rang a bell in my memory. I don't know where from but right out of college I looked for nursing positions in schools and curiously looked at Baltimore. There was a job opening so I took it. And I've grown to like the city. Although, a small town has always been my liking.

I got what I needed from the store and ran a few more errands. I got a call from Debby, and was asked when I'd be home. I told her and then she hung up on me.

Something told me that she was planning a surprise birthday party. My assumptions were correct when I unlocked my apartment door, turned on the lights, and found many friends from work. I awkwardly held groceries and the cake from earlier in my hands as everyone screamed "Happy Birthday!" Debby, trying to fit her wide hips through the crowd, gave me a hug and took some of the load from my arms.

We went to the kitchen and she helped me put things away. There was another birthday cake and a lot of homemade food on the counter. Part of me prayed that people would eat the food so that I didn't have leftovers.

"Thank you again Debby," I said, hugging my blond curly-haired friend.

She nudged me and said, "I invited Steve," I rolled my eyes. "Why don't you date him?"

"He's so much older than me,"

"But he looks like he's twenty-two. Come on, he's cute," I subconsciously looked for him and found him. He brushed some of his shaggy brown hair from his face and then laughed at whatever the guy he was talking to said.

"I like my guys with kept hair," I said. Debby shrugged and drank from her cup.

"What about you?" I said mischievously.

She shyly smiled and I giggled. "There's this guy," of course there is. "And he and I have been on two dates." She held up two fingers.

"That's awesome!"

She tilted her head. "Although, he's a little strange."

"Like how?"

"Well, he's incredibly tall, which, I don't actually mind, he's got a very romantic Italian accent, and his eyes are the most exquisite—"

"It kind of sounds like you're telling me what he looks like more than how he's strange." I held up quotations over the word 'strange.'

"I'm getting there! He's not your usual handsome."

"What does that mean?"

"Well, he's bald and has red sideburns."

Bald and red sideburns. I was impressed with myself when I immediately pictured a tall, bald man with red sideburns wearing a leather jacket and black pants. He was pale and had pointy ears and a nose with piercings.

"Does he have piercings?"

"Yeah ... . How did you guess?"

"Just seemed like a guy who would."

"And he wears leather and rides a bike,"

"I wouldn't have to see him to know that he kind of sounds like a shady character."

"But he's not! That's what's strange! He's super nice. I told him about you and he said that he had a friend for you,"

"Oh really? And when will I meet my strange, nice man?"

"Actually, when I told him I worked at the school, he said his friend just recently got a job there as a new History teacher—because Mrs. Newman just had a baby—and he starts this week."

"I didn't see him today,"

"Oh, he starts tomorrow because Tuesday is an A day and Principal Wells wanted him to get acquainted with the A day classes first then B day."

"Makes sense."

The party went on for only a few hours as people started heading home due to it being a school night. Debby helped me clean up then had to go. Steve stayed the latest and finished helping me. He asked me one last time if I wanted to go get something with him but I turned him down once again. Soon I was tucked in bed and asleep.