The Butterfly and the Bee

The Butterfly and the Bee

Tonight was the night that Anne proves herself capable of attracting men, looking sexy, and walking in six inch heels. Even though entering the prom venue seemed wrong without her best friend, Shadya, still she was determined to the mission (the first kiss).

Shadya was raised by her single and strong mom that apposed a night out for Shadya and considered the graduation ceremony as “a good enough celebration”. Shadya cried herself to sleep that night even though she sounded careless while on the phone with Anne earlier. She felt that crying would expose her weakness to others, and deep down she wasn’t even able to trust her best friend enough to show her weakness. Anne knew how Shadya really felt, but she preferred to mock the prom bash saying that she wanted to go home and leave this lame party, in order to ease Shadya’s thoughts and maybe make her less sad and lonely (it didn’t really help).

Anne caught more attention than she had anticipated. The weirdest thing about that night was the way Ahmed was talking to her. He used a deep tone and lame catch lines as he winked. As Anne felt weirder with Ahmed’s attitude towards her, prince charming, Tarek, walked across and said Anne’s favorite word since the day before Christmas: “Hey!” Thanks to all those nights training in front of her bathroom mirror, Anne replied gracefully saying: “Hi!” Then, Tarek said the most unexpected, most exciting, and most exhilarating, complete sentence in Anne’s life: “Dance with me…”

As the D.J played Engelbert Humperdinck’s hit slow song “How I love” (a song you would hear at every wedding and during every slow dance at that time) Tarek and Anne danced… During their dance Tarek finally popped the question “Do you want to go for a ride with me?” Anne imagined balloons and sprinkles dropping from the ceiling as Toni Baroud (an enthusiastic Lebanese anchor) yelled: “Wel3eeettt….Shar2aaattt” which means “It’s on fire…” After 30 long seconds of trying to keep it together, she replied: “yeah…sure!”

There they were, sitting in the car overlooking the sea, and taking awkward long sighs, when suddenly Anne remembers that Tarek has a girlfriend. Anne felt confused and upset, she didn’t want to be the other girl, and she didn’t want to ask him and seem like she cares, and so she pretended that her leg hurts and then said: “it hurts so much, even though it’s just a little twitch; I can’t imagine how painful it must be to break your leg!” 

Tarek:” Yes, indeed!”

Anne: “which reminds me of that poor girl from school...what’s her name?”

Tarek: “who?”

Anne: “You know that odd looking four eyed girl, with braces and black hair…I think her name is Sumaya…or Suraya…something like that…” Anne knew her name was Rana, but she wanted to sound as careless as possible.

Tarek: “I don’t know which one you’re talking about”

Anne: “Sure you do, you were standing with her during recess the other day...”

Tarek: “Me?? I don’t think so!”

 Anne: “Well, yeah …I mean I don’t remember exactly...But am sure it was you…you were wearing blue shoes and a brown belt…I even heard someone say she was your girlfriend”

Then Tarek posed for a few seconds and said:”oh! You mean Rana?

Anne (carelessly): “Rana, Suraya, Souad…It’s all the same!”

Tarek (confused): “Well, she is not my girlfriend…but anyway what does that have to do with breaking you’re leg?”

Anne felt a deep sense of victory and satisfaction, and then said in a sarcastic, careless tone: “Never mind…were not going to sit here and talk about Sumaya all night”.

Tarek then laughed and said: “you’re unbelievable…you’re so funny!”

The shy Anne, smiled and said thank you, and then the next best thing happened.

Tarek held Anne’s hand, and used his other hand to softly touch her face as he came closer …and closer …and closer…and there it was…Anne’s first kiss! You know those scenes from romantic chick-flicks where the girl feels butterflies in her stomach as she kisses the man of her dreams, embraced between his strong arms as their lips move in perfect harmony? This was nothing like that! The seat-belt was choking her, there was too much saliva, and she couldn’t feel a single butterfly not even a bee!

PS: The characters and events of this blog are totally fictional but could be inspired by true events. In this blog I will write about the adventures of Anne’s (the virgin-hooker) dating life while she is struggling between traditions and desires. 

Tune in for the next adventure…

 

Suzanne El Wattar