A Model Romance Ch. 01

Lame, I thought to myself as the last response to my group text came in. It was my first day off in a week from the hotel I manage, unfortunately on a Tuesday, and every one of the usual suspects was unavailable to go to the parks with me. Given that Disney World was down the street, we all had annual passes, but lately my days off hadn't aligned with any of my friends, so I hadn't gone in a bit.

It occurred to me that I could go alone, but I'd been hoping to have some time with my friends after the grueling week I'd just spent at work. It was the last spring break week, so naturally running a hotel in Orlando got rough around this time every year. Now I had a bit of break in the intensity before the summer started and I intended to enjoy myself. Fuck it, I thought, I'll go by myself. Better than playing video games all day.

I got dressed and looked at myself in the mirror. I was wearing a simple black t-shirt and "athleisure" style gym shorts. It was starting to get hotter in central Florida as the summer months approached, so I didn't figure I'd need anything else. Looking around for my car keys, I spotted them on the end of my kitchen counter and grabbed them before heading out of my apartment.

The drive, parking, and transportation to the front gate took almost an hour. I walked up to the entrance around eleven in the morning, the Magic Kingdom already packed full of people, although maybe not as many as had been here a week ago. The sounds of families and general merriment floated around me as I scanned my ticket and walked past the busy cast members. Joining a mass of people, I passed through the tunnel under the railroad and stepped out onto Main Street. I noticed her immediately.

A young woman, maybe in her mid-twenties, was standing off to the side, a stark contrast to the smiling families and overexcited kids running about. She looked distressed, although it did absolutely nothing to take away from her obvious beauty. She had lightly tanned skin and light brown hair, with big, beautiful blue eyes and full lips. Her clothes were festive, a black top that showed off a good deal of her generous cleavage while hugging her body tightly and a short red skirt with big white polka dots. Capping off the Minnie-inspired ensemble was a polka dot backpack purse and a pair of ears with a skirt-matching bow on her headband. Her legs were the stuff of daydreams, leading up to obviously flaring hips under her Minnie skirt.

Her eyes kept darting around the entrance, scanning the crowds, before dropping back to her phone. She looked very upset, almost on the verge of tears. I wasn't one to ignore a damsel in distress, so I wandered over to her. As I approached, her gaze met mine and she quickly looked away and tried to school her features into looking less upset. I offered her a warm smile when she looked back, hoping I was coming off as concerned and not creepy.

"Are you okay?" I asked her gently, just loud enough to carry through the music and crowds.

Her face turned directly towards mine, and I thought maybe she would reject my attempt to make sure she was alright. I'd have understood, of course, I'm sure a woman like her got plenty of unwanted attention from men, and in her vulnerable state would likely be on guard. But then she put on a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, a hint of lip gloss shimmering in the sun, and nodded. "Yeah, I just... I'm okay."

The lie was almost convincing, but I could see the tremble in her hand as she clutched her phone. "Look, I know this is random, but you seem like you could use some company. I'm not here to hit on you or anything," I assured her, "just to make sure you're not stuck out here alone or dealing with something rough by yourself."

Her eyes searched my face as if looking for a hidden motive. I guess my look of sincerity passed her test, because she appeared to let her guard down just a bit. "I got stood up, I think," she finally murmured, her voice cracking a bit. "My boyfriend was supposed to meet me here a half hour ago and he's not answering texts or calls. This is the third time in two weeks. I guess I know how to pick them, right?"

"That sucks," I said, genuinely feeling bad for her. "I won't tell you what I think of a person like that, but maybe I can keep you company for a bit? The Happiest Place on Earth isn't the place to be upset and alone. I'm Charlie, by the way."

She looked me over again. "Anna. You're not just here to hit on me, right? 'Cause I'm not in the mood for dealing with a 'nice guy,' if you know what I mean. What are you doing by yourself here anyway? Your girlfriend ditch you too?" She laughed sourly.

"No girlfriend, just a bunch of lame friends with better things to do like 'working at their jobs' and 'taking care of their kids,'" I said jokingly, emphasizing my sarcasm with air quotes. "Although to be fair to them, they did tell me they couldn't make it and I decided to come alone, which is why I also wouldn't mind some company."

"You live in the area too, then?" she asked.

"Yeah, moved here from South Florida after college," I said.

She seemed to warm up to me a bit more. "Alright, sure, I could use some company. On one condition?" she asked, looking at me directly.

"What's that?" I asked.

"You have to help me take some pictures, and you can't be mad at me if I stop for photos a lot. I'm an influencer model, no judgement please, and unfortunately that means every day that I'm here is partially a workday."

"How could I judge someone who makes a living going to Disney World," I laughed, "and I know my way around a camera, I actually minored in photography, so you're in luck." I held out my hand, shifting myself as though ready to get moving. She took it tentatively, and through her warm skin I could feel a delicate tremble that hadn't quite faded. Once we started walking, she withdrew her hand and fumbled around in her backpack and pulled out a small gimbal handle for her phone camera.

We started our impromptu adventure with a stroll down Main Street. Scents of fresh cookies and sweets wafted about, while a barbershop quartet serenaded the crowd a little way away from us. The carefully crafted environment seemed to lift her mood, and she began to open up a bit more.

"So how long have you been doing the Disney influencer thing?" I asked. I'd been here enough to have seen some of the more famous ones that I recognized doing their thing, but I hadn't seen her content.

"Almost two years?" she guessed, "It started as a hobby, but I got really popular really quickly and it was only a couple months before I quit my job and did this full time. I don't want to sound full of myself, but it was clear that my looks helped build my following, so I leaned into that. Now I do some non-Disney modeling too, but this is still my main source of new followers."

As we approached the central plaza with the castle behind it, she turned to me, eyes sparkling. "Could you take some pictures of me here?" she asked, her voice hopeful. "Castle shots always play well as long you've got a cute outfit on." I nodded, more than happy to help. She handed me her phone on the gimbal. As I snapped, she struck a series of poses, each one more tastefully sexy than the last. Her body moved with the confidence of a woman who knew her angles, her hips swaying as she leaned against the wall, her hand on her hip, and her head tilted just so. Her red skirt fluttered with every move she made, revealing ever more of her toned thighs.

Just as I was about to take a final shot, her phone rang, the sound piercing through the magic of the moment. She came over to me and checked the screen, and I could see the anger flare up in her eyes. "It's him," she spat, her grip tightening around the screen. I nodded and handed her the phone and then stepped back, giving her space as she answered with a curt, "What?"

I couldn't make out what he was saying, nor was I trying to eavesdrop, but given her raised voice I was able to make out her half of the conversation. "You're kidding me. Again?" she hissed. Her eyes narrowed as she listened to his response. "Don't give me that bullshit again, Colin," she said, lowering her voice as she said bullshit. This was Disney, after all.

"This is the third time! The third time in two weeks that you've stood me up, no text, no calls!" she nearly shouted. A brief pause followed. "Don't 'baby' me! You're always 'sorry' and something always 'comes up!'" she said, her voice dripping with venom. "No. No. No, this is it, Colin, I mean it. We're done. Don't contact me again, we're done!" She slammed her thumb down aggressively on the end call button. The silence that followed was deafening.

Looking exhausted, she walked over to me. "So, um... how much of that did you hear?"

"All of it?" I responded tentatively, "but don't worry, I think there might be a few people in Frontierland who missed at least part of it," I added jokingly, hoping to lighten the mood. For a second, she just stared at me. Then she laughed, if a tiny bit maniacally.

"Alright, you got me, I was really fucking angry though. He's such a dick, good riddance. You know he didn't even make the effort to try to sound apologetic with his fake excuses?" she asked. I watched her scroll on her phone and block his number.

"Still, I'm sorry," I said. A breakup was still a breakup, even if one party deserved it.

"Don't be," she said sadly. "We were only together for a few months, and if I'm being honest, I was kind of over him already, but it would have been nice if he could have just not been a dick about it and we could have just gone our separate ways. Plus, this is going to suck for work, he was my regular photographer, but I won't be able to work with him again."

"Oof, that really sucks," I said, feeling for her. "My first girlfriend worked at the ice cream shop down the road from my house growing up that I'd hung out by for years. It's not the same, obviously, but I could never go back there again after we split. Had to ride my bike a couple miles away to meet friends instead."

"How would you ever live without ice cream, such a tragedy," she said, blue eyes twinkling as she feigned support for me.

"Exactly, you get it. That reminds me, follow me," I said. I led her over to the ice cream cart on the side of the plaza. When she saw where I was taking her, she laughed, a magical sound. In that moment, my sole mission became to earn more laughs from her. I bought us a couple ice cream bars in the shape of the Mouse himself and handed one to her.

She smiled at me, staring for a little while too long. "You're sweet, Charlie," she said. "Thanks."

"No problem. Now, allow me to take your mind off your breakup, and let's have some fun. I've got your back today." I said sincerely. For a moment, she looked actually happy, and she looked even more gorgeous than I had already thought up to that point. I looked at her as she smiled at me and then took a lick of her ice cream, her tongue caressing the frozen treat as she ate. I had to look away from the mildly suggestive display, because despite being with a beautiful girl today, I wanted to respect her boundaries and not make her day worse with any unwanted advances.

"Where to, Prince Charming?" she asked. Not a nickname I'd have wanted, but Anna could call me whatever she desired.

"How about Space Mountain?" I suggested. "Start in Tomorrowland?"

"Works for me." She said.

"Let's go then," I said, and extended my hand. This time she held it and let me lead.

We spent the afternoon relaxing in each other's company on rides and rollercoasters, talking and joking and sharing stories, and occasionally taking more photos. Anna's laugh was infectious, a sweet melody that echoed throughout the park. As the hours ticked by, the lines between friendship and something else began to blur ever so slightly. The way her hand found mine as we chatted, the way she leaned into me as we walked, it was totally natural, as though we'd known each other our whole lives.

"That was awesome," she laughed as we got off the newest coaster, Tron. I agreed, and as I did so, my stomach rumbled.

"Dinner?" I asked. "Burgers at Ray's?"

"Deal," she replied. Once again, she leaned into me as we strolled to the restaurant. We walked in and ordered. Once we had our food we sat down to eat. "Alright Charlie, lightning round. Favorite ride in the park, go," she said.

"The Jungle Cruise, hands down," I replied with a grin. "I'm a sucker for the dad jokes. They never fail to make me laugh, even if I've heard them before. Yours?"

Anna's eyes lit up with excitement. "Big Thunder Mountain Railroad," she said without hesitation. "There's something about that wild west theme and the rush of the roller coaster that gets my heart racing."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" I responded with a smirk. "Let's go there next and ride the wildest ride in the wilderness."

"Sounds good to me. Here's another one. Favorite park?" she asked.

"With people? Epcot. But drinking around the world would be depressing if I was solo, so if I'm alone, either here or Hollywood Studios," I responded.

"A man after my own heart. You know, I should have asked you earlier, but why do you like to come alone? I do too, so no judgement, just asking. I know you said your friends couldn't join, but you still came. What is it about here for you?" she asked curiously.

"I come here on most of my days off," I said, "although usually at least one friend joins me, sometimes there are a bunch of us. Nobody was around today when I messaged the group text and I had nothing else to do, so I figured I'd come anyway. I love these parks, even flying solo. They're my happy place, I suppose -- my parents used to bring me here like twice a year growing up, so maybe part of it is nostalgia? Still, I do prefer having company, I was going to text again and see if anybody wanted to join me this evening, but I didn't ask since I made an awesome new friend."

She blushed. "Aww, thanks," she said. "I'm glad I met you too. I probably would have just gone home if you hadn't asked me to hang out. May have even forgiven Colin, but not being alone made me want to stand up for myself."

"Glad I could help?" I said tentatively, knowing it was a complicated issue for her.

"Definitely," she replied.

We finished our meal and walked across the park to the line for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, stopping to get more pictures at night in front of the Haunted Mansion. After the last snap, she asked how they came out. "You look beautiful," I told her honestly. She didn't say anything, but I was pretty sure I detected a slight blush when I complimented her.

The rollercoaster was a blast, the wind in our hair letting us feel totally unburdened with real life, if just for a moment. We stumbled out of the ride, holding hands again as if it was the most natural thing in the world. With the adrenaline still in my veins, I resolved to do something I had wanted to do all day.

"You know," I began, my heart racing just a little faster than it had on the coaster. "I'm sorry that your day didn't go as planned. But I've had a great time with you."

Anna's eyes searched mine, the doubt from earlier in the day replaced by a soft warmth. "Thank you," she said, her voice a little hoarse from the screams of excitement. "You really saved my day."

"Well, the night is still young," I replied, taking a step closer to her. "How about we keep this magic going a little longer and grab some drinks after the park?"

Anna looked up at me, a flicker of surprise crossing her face. "You mean, like a date?" she asked, her grip on my hand tightening slightly. For a second, I worried that I'd overstepped and ruined our day together.

"Um, yeah," I said, feeling the heat rising to my cheeks. "I just don't want to miss the chance to spend more time with someone as amazing as you. If it's too soon, I get it, but I had to ask."

Anna bit her lip, looking thoughtful. "I had a pretty shitty morning," she admitted, "but being here with you has been... surprisingly nice, despite everything." She paused, her eyes sparkling with a hint of mischief. "Okay, let's do it. But only if you promise to keep being awesome and not turn into a frog or anything. I'm tired of dating frogs."

We laughed at her Disney joke, the tension between us dissipating like the final firework of the night. "Why, wouldn't you want to kiss me back into a prince?"

Her cheeks flushed a deeper shade of pink, but she didn't pull away. "You're already pretty charming, I'm not sure you need a kiss" she said with a playful smile.

"We'll see about that," I said flirtatiously. "How about we take the monorail over to the Polynesian, get drinks at the bar, and watch the fireworks from across the lake?"

"Sounds good to me," she said, smiling.

The monorail ride was filled with easy banter. The gentle sway of the train and the soft glow of the lights outside left a warm, intimate atmosphere inside the cabin. Her hand remained in mine, and every time our fingers entwined, it sent a jolt of electricity up my arm.

At the Polynesian, we found a quiet spot at the bar overlooking the lagoon. The bartender, a friendly guy with a Hawaiian shirt, greeted us with a smile. "Two piña coladas, please," I said, flashing him a grin. He nodded and went to work on the drinks, shaking a concoction that made me feel like we were on a beach rather than in the middle of a theme park resort.

The sound of the waves lapping against the shore of the lagoon and the distant laughter from the hotel pool only added to the romantic ambiance. Anna took a tentative sip of her drink, the cool sweetness seeming to chase away some of the remaining heat from the day. She leaned closer to me, and the scent of coconut and her perfume filled my nostrils, making me want to lean in even more.

"So, what's your favorite Disney movie?" she asked, breaking the comfortable silence.

I smirked. "Does Star Wars count?"

Her eyes rolled playfully. "Nerd," she teased.

"Hey, the force is strong in this one," I shot back, sipping my drink and watching the way her full, glossed lips wrapped around the straw. "I almost went to Hollywood Studios today," I said. "I'm beyond happy that I didn't."

Her laugh was like music to my ears, light and airy, and it made me feel like I could conquer the world. "And why is that?" she asked, her eyes dancing with mirth as she pretended not to understand my attempt to be smooth.

"Because while I'm sure there are plenty of other damsels in distress who could have used my help there," I replied, playing along with her teasing tone, "you're definitely the most gorgeous one I've ever had the pleasure of saving."

Her laughter grew louder, the sound tinkling through the air like wind chimes. "Smooth," she said, a twinkle in her eye. "But seriously, what's your favorite? No Star Wars, no Marvel. Disney-branded films only."

"Fine, the Lion King," I responded. "Yours?"

"Cinderella. The new one, live action. And by the way, nerd, if Star Wars was allowed, the answer would obviously have been the Empire Strikes Back, so you were wrong anyway."

"Now who's the nerd?" I retorted. Her eyes twinkled as she smirked at me.

The fireworks began to light up the sky, a dazzling display of color and light reflecting off the lagoon. The sound of the explosions in the distance mingled with the serene tranquility of our spot. Anna leaned into me, her hand still in mine, and as the next burst of color filled the sky, she leaned her head on my shoulder. The warmth of her body and the softness of her hair against my skin sent a shiver down my spine. We watched in silence, the colors painting the sky like a canvas.

Her closeness was intoxicating, and I could feel the energy between us shift as the night grew darker and the fireworks grew more intense. My heart thudded in my chest, a rhythm that seemed to sync with the bursts of light above us. The sweet scent of her perfume mingled with the tropical aromas of the resort, creating an intoxicating bouquet that filled my senses.