I want to be the face you see when you close your eyes
I want to be the touch you need every single night
I want to be your fantasy, and be your reality
And everything between
I want you to need me, like the air you breathe
I want you to feel me in everything
I want you to see me in your every dream
(Celine Dion – "I Want You To Need Me")
Riley
"Riles, Table Three is ready to order dessert."
"Be right there, Daniel. Thanks!" Riley piled a large order of drinks from the bar onto a tray and carried them over to a waiting party on the other side. She collected their empty glasses from the previous round and brought them back to the counter, setting the tray down momentarily to rush over to Table Three to take their order, which consisted of two classic sundaes, a slice of cherry pie, and a slice of chocolate cake.
"Riley!" An irritated voice floated through the air, and her eyes landed on a short, scowling man in a worn gray suit, standing near the bar. He gestured toward the tray sitting at the end of the counter. "These dishes won't wash themselves. Get back there and take care of them!"
"Rick, I..." She started to protest but was cut off as the kitchen door opened to reveal a much, much taller man in cooking attire.
The man towered over Rick with his six-foot-seven form and glared down at him, causing him to step back. "Riley has customers to take care of. Do you really think she can do that and wash all these dishes during the rush?" When he received no answer, he picked up the tray and handed it to him. "Good. Now how about giving the team a hand and wash these dishes yourself?" As Rick hurried into the kitchen, the man turned to Riley with a smirk on his face. "You good?"
"I'm fine. Thanks, Carl..." She shook her head in amusement at her overprotective brother figure. "You know you're going to get fired one day."
"Worth it."
She looked past him into the kitchen. "You really think he'll wash dishes?"
"Doubt it. I'm sure he just dumped them in the sink and left them for me and Adam to do." Carl chuckled as he reached for the tag from Table Three. "I'll have this out in a few." He returned to the kitchen and the night continued without further incident.
As the night wore on, the late evening customers began to trickle in, many of them regulars who had their own favorite places to sit down and relax. Riley's eyes moved from customer to customer as they all settled in with their orders. After working at the Spicy Apple Bar and Grill for so long, she could tell her usual customers apart from the new ones. Instead of by name, she usually knew them by their food orders.
To her right, sitting comfortably at one of the bar stools and watching the baseball game highlights on the big screen was Classic Burger with Everything. He was a passionate Yankees fan in the spring and summer seasons, and come fall and winter, it switched to the Rangers.
Nearby, sat Chili Dog with Chili Cheese Fries. She was a graduate psychology student at NYU and was hoping to finish her studies within another year. The dark circles under her eyes revealed her constant lack of sleep, and she never had less than four books at her table when she came to study during the quiet evening hours. Her order was her comfort food as she plowed through every assignment, slowly getting closer to her goals.
Then there was Bacon Club Sandwich (with Extra Bacon), sitting about two booths away, typing furiously away at her phone. She was part of some interactive story fandom and had at least four fictional husbands and two wives. And was it six? Maybe it was eight different children with them... She couldn't remember them all, but she was always graced with new "family photo" screenshots every time she came in.
House Salad No Dressing. Carl swore he was going to force a burger down the man's throat one day if he got any thinner. The man was constantly busy at his laptop, mumbling as he read and responded to emails from work. His job was clearly more than the average eight-hour workday, and it was easy to see that it was literally his life.
"Is it that time yet?" Carl's voice floated behind her as he smirked from the order window.
"If he's even coming back." Her eyes slowly moved toward one more booth across from the bar, which currently sat vacant.
"Oh, he'll be back." His face disappeared from the window before reappearing in the door of the kitchen. He folded his arms as he leaned against the doorway and watched her walk behind the bar. "Curious as to when you'll make a move."
"Not happening, Carl."
"It doesn't have to be a date-date, you know... You could just have a drink with him..." Daniel grinned slyly as he passed by her, carrying a tray of dirty dishes towards the kitchen.
"You can shut it too, Daniel." She rolled her eyes, hiding a smile as she focused on wiping the bar counter in front of her. They were talking about Apple Crisp. Every night for the last two weeks, he'd come in shortly before closing and order the apple crisp with a large coffee. She figured he wasn't from around the area, as he had spoken to her with a strange accent that she couldn't place. Anything else about him was a mystery, and she could only guess what he might have been up to during the late evening hours.
He'd usually been drinking somewhere, she could tell. Maybe a club or another bar somewhere nearby. He normally came in with the faint scent of designer cologne on his clothes and some kind of fruity cocktail lingering on his breath as he talked, but he was always very friendly and upbeat whenever she approached his table. Somehow his presence had become the highlight of her evenings, despite his mysterious air.
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Bacon Club had started to wave her over for another "family moment." Never a dull moment on the evening rush, that was for sure. She glanced towards the door once more to see if he had made his entrance yet, then began to make her rounds again.
Maxwell
She was working again tonight. The rest of the bar melted away as he paused momentarily at the door to watch her shift back and forth between tables as if she were performing a choreographed dance. He couldn't explain it, but coming to this particular bar after a long night of drinking and dancing was the highlight of his evenings. Ordinarily, he would have taken a date back to his hotel for the night, but he felt content simply sitting in his usual booth across from the bar, sitting near her.
Two weeks. Two weeks he had been hiding out in New York. Some would have said it would be out of character for him not to be surrounded by ladies, and maybe he would have agreed with them. Back home, he was the casanova, the playboy, the ladies man. Never was there an event or a party where he wasn't without a woman hanging onto each arm. Never did those events end where he didn't end up with a random hookup. And never once did he care about what anyone would think of him in the morning. Until now. Until he stumbled into this random bar one rainy Friday evening on his first night in New York. Until he first laid eyes on... her.
She had been the first one to greet him as soon as he walked in the door. Her bright smile immediately captivated him as she gestured toward an empty booth near the bar. Funny enough, the special that evening was apple crisp, and even though he had sampled the dish many times back home, it was the most amazing thing he had tasted out here. So much so that he returned every night after club hopping just to sit and enjoy it. That, and, well... to see if she was working.
Even in that frumpy waitress uniform they made her dress up in, she still looked like a goddess. His eyes followed her as she effortlessly glided across the room. As she neared the bar with an empty tray, a man he recognized as the cook came out of the kitchen and took the tray from her. The man was tall and towered over everyone. He could give the King's Guard a run for their money. He watched him whisper something to her before returning to the kitchen, and to his surprise, she punched him in the shoulder, to which he responded by laughing at her. Those two had the oddest working relationship, though they seemed close. Nearby the other waiter was moving back and forth between the other side of the room and the bar. He also seemed to have a great relationship with everyone. In fact, everyone seemed to be friendly here with the exception of the manager, whom he had observed yelling at the wait staff on most nights over trivial matters. Mercifully, it seemed he was out of sight at the moment.
His eyes locked on hers as she made her way towards his table, greeting him warmly with that alluring smile of hers. "Welcome back," she said, with her pen poised above her notepad. "The usual? We got a fresh batch baking in the oven as we speak." He smiled and nodded in response, and she gave a wink that sent a pleasant chill down his spine. "I'll be out with it soon. I'll see if I can sneak in some extra vanilla bean for you."
She turned gracefully, heading back toward the kitchen, and he watched her every step until she disappeared from his view. He really wanted to strike up a longer conversation with her, rather than the few meager lines they shared in between his orders and going in and out of the bar. Would she share common interests with him, and more importantly, would she even be interested in anything he had to say?
His thoughts were interrupted by the sudden ring of his cell phone. He glanced down to see the image of Shrek's grumpy face gracing his phone display and shook his head. It was only a matter of time. He couldn't hide forever. He put the phone to his ear. "Hi, Drake."
"You've got some explaining to do, Beaumont!"
Crap, did he find out he knew the truth about Savannah's whereabouts already?! "Uhh, Drake, buddy, listen... I can explain..."
"Your brother is over here about to have a conniption."
He sunk back into his seat, breathing a silent sigh of relief. Oh thank god... "How is that new?"
"It's not, but still... just when I thought his eyebrow couldn't get any lower past his nose... where are you?"
"I knew you missed me!"
"Don't push it." He could practically hear Drake's eyes roll all the way from Cordonia. "I'm just checking in. You've been M.I.A. lately. Adelaide isn't holding you hostage in one of her sex dungeons, is she?"
"If that happened, I'd probably kill myself just so she couldn't get the satisfaction."
"Somehow I wouldn't put it past her to still give you a go before she got rid of the body."
He shuddered as Drake let out a twisted chuckle. "Ugh, can we please talk about anything else besides Cordonia's biggest cougar?"
"You mean get to the part where you tell me where the hell you are?"
He looked back at the kitchen doorway. She had yet to return to the dining area. "Soooo, remember how we talked about pulling together a bachelor party for Aidan?"
"I don't like this already..."
"Here me out... New York!"
"...and why would we want to go all the way to New York?"
"Oh come on, Drake, it's perfect! The food, the nightlife, endless sightseeing, and no one around here knows our country even exists. The paparazzi will pass Aidan by without a second glance!"
There was a pause as Drake seemed to mull over his idea. "I can't believe I'm about to say this, but that sounds like it might actually work."
"Have I ever steered you wrong?" Silence. "Uh... Drake?"
"Aidan has to handle a few things at court first before we take off. We'll be there in a day or two."
"Awesommmme! See you!" He shoved the phone back into his pocket and glanced at the kitchen door again as he unconsciously began drumming his fingers restlessly over the table top, humming to the random beat that he was creating in his head. He began slowing down as heads began to turn toward him, some appearing to look annoyed. "O-kay..." These patrons obviously had no appreciation for a good beat.
Still, he was feeling a little restless. After all, he was technically supposed to have been finding a suitor to represent his house for the upcoming social season. This last month had been nothing but a whirlwind, what with him traveling to France to get Savannah settled without anyone knowing, and then taking on the humiliation of the financial ruin of their house being known to whatever potential suitors had been left out there. His brother, Bertrand, had been counting on him, and he unfortunately came up empty. The few prospects he met up with either laughed in his face or simply shut the door before he could even get a word out. After multiple rejections and soon running out of available options, he could feel himself slowly filling with dread at the thought of returning home empty-handed. It didn't help that Bertrand had called to chew him out for being... well, just himself. He had to get away. And that's how he found himself in New York shortly after.
He slowly sipped at the complimentary water he had been given earlier. By now, the ice had almost melted. He moved around the salt and pepper shakers, and folded a few of the napkins into small origami animals. Anything to keep his hands busy. Maybe a game on his phone? He reached into his pocket and his eyes lit up. Bingo! He always kept string in his pockets. He pulled out the colorful strands and proceeded to start weaving them together.
Riley
He looked like he had a lot on his mind tonight. She observed him quietly from the serving window of the kitchen, just out of view from the patrons, as she waited the last few minutes for the apple crisp to finish baking. His usual cheerful demeanor had been replaced by an array of mixed emotions, none of them appearing happy.
"You know..." Carl said, sidling up beside her, wiping his hands on his apron. "That apple crisp could easily be split two ways."
"Very funny."
"I'm not kidding. You haven't had your last break yet. Why not do something about it?"
"I don't know, Carl... what if he already has a girlfriend?"
"Or maybe... a boyfriend?" Daniel grinned, taking a brief look himself out the serving window before Carl gave him an elbow to the ribs.
"Back off, Dan. Riley saw him first."
"She better hurry up then..." He laughed as they both turned and gave him a look. "I'm kidding! But seriously, Riles, that man is hot. You need to make a move, like, yesterday."
"That man is single, no question," Carl said, opening up one of the ovens and pulling out the apple crisp. "No taken man is going to spend his nights alone at some bar, and if he does, that relationship is on its way out the door."
"Okay, say you're right, and he is single. Say I do use my break to sit down with him and share dessert. There's still one problem left here. Rick. He'll throw a fit if he sees me..." She stared back out the window.
"Problem solved!" Carl said, evenly slicing out portions of the dessert. "Rick cut out early. Said something about a date tonight."
She turned and quirked an eyebrow at him. "With who? His right hand?"
"Assuming his right hand has anything to grab hold of in the first place..." Daniel quipped as he set up his next tray to bring out to the dining room.
"Yeah, eww, let's get off this train before we get any further."
"Good idea. Any other excuses to make?" Carl handed her the plate of fresh apple crisp, with a noticeably much larger portion than normal. He then reached into the utensil bin and pulled out two spoons. "Your move."
Maxwell
He looked up as he heard her softly approach from his side, tray in hand. "Sorry it took so long," she said. "It still had a few more moments to bake."
"I don't mind," he said, smiling as she set the plate down.
"What's that you're working on?" Her eyes fell on the bracelet in his hands that he had nearly completed in the short time he had been there.
"Something I do to pass the time, I guess..." He shrugged as he studied the woven piece in his hands. "They remind me a little of apple blossoms actually."
"Apples again, huh? I'm sensing a bit of a theme with you..."
He laughed quietly. "Yeah, well... apples are kind of a thing where I come from..." His eyes focused again on the colorful strings as he began to finish weaving the end of them.
"Where is that...?"
He looked up at her again. "Cordonia."
"Cordonia..."
He loved the way she said it, how easily the name seemed to roll off her tongue as she spoke in her New York accent. He reached toward her hand, offering up the completed bracelet to her. "Something to remember it by."
"For me?" There was that radiant smile again that he could never get enough of. Her eyes lit up as she carefully took it from his hand. "It's so pretty... and you made this? Just now?"
"Learned how to make these things by chance when I was little, and I guess it stuck with me..." He motioned for her to hand him the bracelet, and he helped her tie it onto her wrist. He watched as her fingers trailed over the tiny woven blossoms before the two of them looked at each other.
She smiled at him again, not saying a word, as they gazed at one another for a long moment. Then her eyes moved away from him, looking down towards the table. "Your... your vanilla bean is melting. I should let you get to your dessert while everything is still fresh." She started to back away slowly.
No, don't leave. We were having a good time. His eyes never left hers.
"I have to go on my break anyway and—"
Bingo. "Wait." His heart started to pound as she paused and looked at him intently, waiting for him to continue. "Would you... um..." Panic mode activated. What was going on? He had never had so much trouble asking a lady to join him before. And yet something about her seemed to fluster him up every single time he tried to speak. "I... uh..." His eyes flew around the table. "I forgot to ask for my coffee!" He wasn't sure if it was his imagination, but he could have sworn he heard a groan coming from the kitchen. He couldn't agree more. What the hell was that?
"Of course," she said, offering him a reassuring smile. "I'll bring one back to you right now."
He closed his eyes as she turned toward the bar, and he took a deep breath. "Can you make that two?" He opened his eyes again and watched her turn back to him with a question in her eyes. "Since... you're going on a break... I thought maybe we could keep talking?" He gestured to his dessert. "I seem to have plenty to share tonight, if you'd like to..." He held his breath as she looked at him quietly for a moment.
"I'd love to."
Riley
She was surprised at how nearly flawless that plan went as she brought over two steaming mugs of fresh coffee and made herself comfortable in the booth, sitting across from him. As she glanced around, she noticed Classic Burger giving her a thumbs up from his seat at the bar while Bacon Club was sighing dramatically with her hands over her heart at the two of them, no doubt using this little moment as the next inspiration for her 100-chapter-long fan fiction novel. Was it really this obvious to everyone around her that she was into this guy? Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Daniel doing some kind of odd celebratory dance in the kitchen doorway right before Carl leaned in and closed the door.
She turned her attention back to the man sitting across from her, who raised his mug of coffee to her, his whole face brightened up by his smile. She loved that smile, how easygoing and friendly it was, how effortless he made it seem, like he didn't have a care in the world. And being this close to him for a longer moment, she finally noticed the shade of blue in his eyes, and how they lit up when he smiled, despite the dim lighting of the bar. She raised her mug in kind and sipped slowly at the piping hot contents as her gaze locked onto his. "So, Cordonia... where is that exactly?"
"We're a bit of a small country. Not many hear of us unless they're a neighboring country, but we're located in Europe, close to Italy. I'm sure you've heard of them, yeah?"
"Italy, yes. I've always wanted to travel there!" Oh, I hope that wasn't insulting... "Of course, I'm sure Cordonia is just as beautiful."
"Oh it is." He laughed, seemingly amused by her attempt to correct herself. "Much of Europe is a sight to see actually."
"So you travel often?"
"You could say that..." He picked up a heaping spoonful of the apple crisp and ate it slowly. She smiled behind her coffee mug as she heard his moan of satisfaction. "You know I could keep eating this for days and not get tired of it."
"You should visit us again during our winter season. Our special dessert then is a choco lava cake." She laughed as his eyes widened with excitement.
"You make choco lava cake?"
"My secret recipe actually."
"That is my most favorite cake ever!" He took another bite and grinned. "You just might see me again for that."
"We'll keep your booth on reserve." She took in a bite of the apple crisp herself and savored the sweet, cinnamony flavor, mixed with the mild creamy flavor of the vanilla bean ice cream. "You're right, this was a good idea. I rarely get to do this."
"Really? You should take breaks more often!" His tongue trailed briefly over the top of his lips to retrieve some stray cinnamon-sugar coating before he went for another spoonful.
The action was both adorable and sexy, and she couldn't help pausing to stare before quickly replying to avoid being noticed. "I mean, I do get breaks... it's just I don't normally make it a point to have dessert with my customers..."
"Well, I consider myself a lucky man then... oh hey, look! You dropped something." He leaned over, reaching toward the floor.
"I did?" She thought she had emptied her apron pockets earlier in the kitchen, but perhaps she missed something. She turned to look towards the floor, just as he popped his head back up with a playful grin.
"Yup! Your standards! Hi, I'm Maxwell." He reached his hand out for hers.
"Maxwell..." She laughed, shaking her head as she shook his hand. "Clever."
"Think so? I've got some worse ones." His face scrunched up for a moment as he considered his words, and then an impish smile crossed his face. "If I were a squid, all three of my hearts would beat for you..."
"Now that's one I've never heard!" She sipped at the last of her coffee thoughtfully. "I wonder what it would be like to actually carry three hearts around. I think we as human beings often have enough trouble looking after our one heart."
"Three times the love, three times the fun, and..." He swallowed down another bite of the apple crisp. "Three times the desserts! How can you go wrong?"
"You make a fair point." She winked at him before glancing up at the clock over at the bar. She frowned slightly. "I hate to say it, but my break is over... I should get back."
"Riley, wait..." He set his spoon down next to the nearly finished dessert. "I, uh... I hope this doesn't sound weird, but if you're free after work..."
"Yes," she said without hesitation.
"Wait, really?" His blue eyes were wide with shock before settling back into a look of mischief. "What if I was about to ask you to jump into the freezing cold Hudson?"
"I like living on the edge..." She could feel his smiling eyes following her as she returned to the kitchen to start the remainder of her shift.
Maxwell
It hadn't taken much longer for Riley to finish her shift, but he found each minute seemed to stretch longer than normal. Inside he was a bundle of nerves, filled with both excitement and nervousness. He didn't even have a plan. He just wanted to be around her.
He had never seen her in anything other than her waitress uniform. So when she stepped out of the kitchen in a berry top and a pair of dark jeans that hugged every curve perfectly down her legs, he forgot how to breathe for a moment. Whoa... She was ten, no a hundred, no wait, a thousand times more beautiful than he'd ever seen her. Part of him felt amazed that someone like her even wanted to be around someone like him while the other part was praying he wouldn't screw anything up.
As they walked together around the streets of Times Square, laughing and making small talk, it was slowly hitting him just how much time he had wasted simply hopping from club to club during his time in New York. There was so much to see in just this one area alone. It was filled with multitudes of iconic restaurants, bars and clubs, theaters and museums, and live show production studios. Not to mention an entire block dedicated to Broadway! He'd done some writing himself throughout his lifetime, though nothing significant enough for anyone to pay attention to. What he wouldn't give to write something someday that would end up on one of these billboards... or maybe an actual movie! Right, keep dreaming, Maxwell...
And speaking of movies, all throughout the streets, there were people dressed like all sorts of movie characters and celebrities. He couldn't help posing with a few of them for pictures, namely Davey Jones from Pirates of the Caribbean and Celine Dion's clone. Riley opted for Ursula from the Little Mermaid and X-Men's Phoenix. She definitely shared his affinity for sea villains.
Calories went out the window as soon as she showed him the well-known Hershey's Chocolate and M&M's World buildings. Soooooo much chocolate! He must have tried over a few dozen samples between the two stores combined, and it would seem his personal philosophy of one can never have too much chocolate was not quite working at the moment. In what seemed like an attempt to bring him back down to earth, Riley calmly put a hand over his arm and suggested they move on to somewhere quieter, like Central Park.
"Central Park? You don't think we'll get mugged, right?"
She hid a giggle behind her hand. It was kinda cute. "You must watch a lot of movies."
"All kinds! Name one. I can bet you I've seen it!"
She dropped her hand, revealing her smile as she intertwined her fingers with his. "Maybe you need to see a real live picture..."
Central Park was way bigger than he'd imagined. It had its own beauty and magnificence, even in the late-night hours, with the dark paths lit up by small streetlamps as they made their way through the maze of trees and various tourist spots. After they admired the waters of Bethesda Fountain, they managed to find an open café cart, purchasing some spiced hot chocolate to warm them up as they continued their trek through the park. Eventually, they came upon a large clearing, with the night sky looming over them, blanketed with stars. Ahead of them, the moonlight reflected off the waters of a small lake. And just beyond the lake...
"Belvedere Castle."
He stood next to her, staring at the stone castle in the distance, with its reflection mirrored in the lake below. It was definitely not as massive and extravagant as the palace in Cordonia, or any of the other noble manors he had visited, but it held a timeless splendor of its own.
"I used to come around here often when I was little," he heard her say, as her gaze stayed fixed ahead. "I know it sounds childish now, but I used to dream of being a princess... and that was my palace." She turned to meet his gaze and caught him smiling at her. A light blush crept into her cheeks, which only made him smile more. "I know... it's just silly child dreams."
"Right..." He took her hand in his, and to her surprise, he spun her around and dipped her back, making her laugh in delight. "So let me guess, your royal highness... you'd have all the fanciest ball gowns, the sparkling jewels, riches beyond anyone's imagination..."
"You know... that's all the stuff they show you as a kid in the movies, and admittedly, that's what I thought was all I wanted." She laughed softly to herself, her face still flushed as he pulled her back up. "But I realized as I got older, it wasn't really the glitz and glamour I lived for. I wanted to make a difference. To be real. I realized I'm more of one of those 'dance-like-nobody's-watching' kind of girls than anything else."
"Oh yeah? Prove it."
"Excuse me?"
"Dance. Right now."
"You serious?" She laughed, shaking her head. "There's not even any music!"
"What are you talking about? There's music everywhere! Listen, there's the crickets singing... chirp chirp! And the frogs rapping on their lily pads... ribbit ribbit! And the owls in the trees calling out to the skies... Whooo! Whooo! And the water moving back and forth... whishhh whishhh! And of course, yours truly, adding in an awesome beat! Badoom boom kshh! Boom kshh!" He immediately began beatboxing as he started to move his body around, and to his shock, she started moving right along with him. "Awwww yeahhhhh, now you're getting it! Little Blossom's in the house!"
"Little Blossom, huh?" She beamed as she twirled around in step with him. "I can vibe with that."
He couldn't believe she was actually digging it. Back home, everyone else would have been so annoyed by his particular musical genius! Halfway through his solos, Drake would have thrown his shoe at him, Bertrand would be hollering, and Aidan would be making faces yet trying to find a polite way to get him to stop. And here was Riley, in whom he had clearly met his match, as she danced alongside of him. His beatboxing slowed as he pulled her close to him, and they began to slow dance quietly to the sounds of nature around them. His face was merely inches away from hers as he looked into her eyes, and his hands slowly trailed up her back as hers started their trail up his torso.
A jolt surged through him as her hand inadvertently pressed against a sensitive spot on his side, and he jumped back slightly, regretting it almost as soon as he did it. She glanced down, and a playful grin slowly crossed her face as she looked back up at him. Right away he knew what was coming. A momentary onslaught of tickles instantly had him in a burst of laughter, as he hunched over and grabbed at her hands to protect himself. In the midst of their tussle, he fell backwards, inadvertently pulling her down with him and releasing his hold on her. She immediately took advantage and went for his sides again. "Hey!" He grabbed her hands and rolled on top of her, pinning her arms at her sides as they both melted into a giggling mess.
He couldn't stop staring into her eyes as they laid there on the grass, and she gazed back up at him with the moonlight reflecting inside of them. This feeling had never felt more right, and he had never felt so happy. He reached up and brushed the back of his hand against her cheek. "Maxwell..." His name was a mere breath upon her lips, and his heart pounded even harder. He leaned down and brushed his lips over hers. She responded instantly as her arms wrapped around him, pulling him even closer to deepen the kiss. God she was incredible. This was a kiss unlike any other he had ever experienced. Was this what being in love was like?
They kissed again. And then again. Each time seemingly more magical than the ones before. Until finally, they took a moment to catch their breath. He felt intoxicated as he stared at her. Normally this was the part where he would take things further, but something inside was stopping him. There was no doubt inside him that he could have her at his mercy, repeating his name over and over as he slowly ravaged her, like everyone before her. But there was just something about her. She was different from any other woman he'd ever met. This was not a woman who deserved to be just another number in his black book, to be just another woman on his hookup list, to be just another faceless statistic to be forgotten and merely greeted in passing at a social gathering months down the line. No... this woman deserved the world. She deserved to be worshipped, admired, treated liked the goddess that she was. And if they decided to move things forward after tonight, he fully intended to do just that.
But... one big problem, aside from the fact that they quite literally lived half a world away from each other. He had never been in love before, much less had an actual girlfriend. Would he be able to handle it? What if he screwed this up?
She leaned up to kiss him softly once more. "I had fun tonight, Maxwell... thank you for this."
"Me too..." He noticed her shivering and wrapped his jacket around her. "Want me to walk you home?"
"Not just yet..." She laid her head against his chest, looking out at the castle once more. "I want to enjoy the moment a little longer."
He couldn't agree more with the sentiment as he wrapped his arms tightly around her. They sat in silence for several moments. "Um... maybe we can see Coney Island together sometime..."
"Are you asking me for a second date?"
"What if I was?"
She said nothing as she reached for her purse and pulled out a pen. She handed him a small piece of paper with her phone number with a smile. "I'll be waiting for your call."
Riley
It had been a few days now. He stopped coming to the bar. No call, no text, nothing. She frowned to herself as she focused on wiping the empty tables. I thought we had a good time together...
"Riley! Daniel! Garbage, now!" Rick barked.
"Still haven't heard from him, huh?" Daniel looked at her sympathetically as he helped her lug out the garbage bags toward the alleyway.
"I don't get it, Daniel... did I do something wrong?" She groaned loudly as a small hole ripped on the side of her bag, spilling some of the contents onto the ground. "Ugh, great... another glamorous New York Saturday night of hauling trash to the dumpster!"
"Awww, Riley, it'll be okay. It could be worse. There could be—" Suddenly he let out a yelp, dropping his bag and also spilling out garbage in the process. "Rats! Riley, help!"
"Oh Daniel..." She laughed softly and moved in front of him, bending over to drop some breadcrumbs near the wall. "Don't tell me you're afraid of this adorable little mouse family. They're trying to get by, just like us..."
"I know but... ewwww!"
"Hey! Riley, Daniel, quit slacking off over there!" Rick squawked behind them.
She rolled her eyes, not even turning around to look at him as she picked up her bag and threw it into the dumpster. "You told us to take out the garbage."
Rick marched over to her and stood inches from her face. She almost gagged at the stench of his breath as he snapped at her again. "And now I'm telling you to wait on the bachelor party that just rolled in. Chop chop!" He stormed back inside.
She leaned toward Daniel as they followed. "Seriously... how did he manage to get a date?"
"Waitress, there you are! We need your best table!" called out a very well-dressed gentleman as the two of them made their way out of the kitchen. She couldn't help noticing how ridiculously shiny his shoes were.
The man standing next to Shiny rolled his eyes and took a seat at the bar. "Forget the table. Just bring us whiskey, and lots of it!"
And there was Maxwell, standing with them not saying a word. His eyes met hers briefly before his gaze turned to Whiskey Man.
"Looks like Apple Crisp brought some new friends..." Daniel looked them over for a moment. "My god, Riles, they are all hot. What country is this again? I need to move there!" He gave her a knowing grin, nudging her lightly in the ribs. "I'll let you take this one. I've got a date tonight anyway, and I'll never make it out of here in time if I end up taking them on..." He eyed them one more time, and then turned back toward her, fanning himself with a menu. "I want to hear all about this tomorrow. Don't you dare leave anything out!"
"Oh get out of here." She rolled her eyes and pushed him toward the door. "Just go live happily ever after for the both of us."
"Are you two still talking?" Rick's resting bitch face appeared between the two of them. "I've seated them already. Now get over there before I dock your pay!"
Her eyes met Daniel's in a synchronized eye roll as they parted, and she headed toward the table, catching parts of their conversation as she approached.
"Drake... did that waiter just wink at you?"
"Jealous, Tariq?" Whiskey Man laughed and shoved a menu over at Shiny. "Just find something and order."
"Hello, gentlemen. My name is Riley and I'll be taking care of you this evening..."
Her eyes met with Maxwell's again before Shiny piped up. "How about some filet mignon, medium rare and prepared with a béarnaise sauce?"
His menu was noticeably flipped upside down, and it was quite obvious he had not read a single entry on it. She raised an eyebrow ever-so-slightly. "The closest thing we have to filet mignon is the deluxe burger..."
He didn't even bother to hide his disdain. "Dare I ask for your wine list?"
Creep. "We've got this excellent vintage house red..."
He looked genuinely horrified at her answer. "House red?"
Maybe she should have gone with Whiny instead of Shiny... "It also comes in white..."
Whiskey Man must have had enough, as he snatched the menu from Whiny and politely handed it over to her. "We'll be just fine with a bottle of whiskey... and four deluxe burgers."
She paused, holding her pen over her notepad. "...Four?" He nodded in the direction behind her, and she suddenly felt someone standing very close. She turned around to see another well-dressed man, staring down at her quietly.
"Sorry, I'm late," he finally said after a long moment. "Thank you for your patience, Miss...?"
"Uh... Riley..."
"Riley..." he repeated slowly, smiling. "I'm charmed to make your acquaintance."
"Uh... the pleasure's all mine..." He continued to stand there, staring down at her. Okay, this little staring contest wasn't awkward at all. "Well, it's... nice to meet you. I'll just go put your order in. Be right back!" She turned and headed back to the kitchen as fast as she could.
Maxwell
That was it. His heart immediately sank. This was one of the reasons he never could get close to anyone. While Aidan was a great friend, it was hard to compete with him once a woman had her sights set on him. The man had it all–power, looks, intelligence, charm–much of which he himself lacked, he thought as he looked down at his hands, masking his disappointment.
"Wow..." he could hear Aidan say, as he took his seat at the booth with the rest of them. "She's the waitress here?"
"Aidan, don't..." Drake cautioned. "Social season, remember?"
"Yes, my friend, I remember." Aidan sighed wistfully as he glanced over toward the bar.
Part of him felt bad for feeling jealous of Aidan, as Aidan was really not in the position to have what he wanted. As the prince and first in line for the throne, he had a duty to find a woman who was fit to rule Cordonia at his side. The fantasy of finding true love was something he did not have the luxury to have.
"Maybe Maxwell can get a piece of her, eh?" Tariq jabbed him in the ribs, laughing.
He shoved him off, rolling his eyes in annoyance. "Off with you, Tariq. Leave her alone."
"I couldn't agree more," Aidan said.
"Come on, Maxwell, out with it. How many women have you slept with since you got here?"
"A lot more than you'll ever get, Tariq, I'm sure." Drake grinned as he held his glass of whiskey to his lips.
"Actually, I've... just been enjoying the city..."
"Good for you, Maxwell." Aidan smiled. "This really is a beautiful city. I do wish we had the time to see more of it."
"You've spent two weeks here and have not hooked up once? I don't believe it." Tariq slammed down what must have been his fifth shot of whiskey.
Drake was quietly drinking his whiskey, staring in his direction, before pointing at him slowly with his glass in hand. "You met someone, didn't you?"
He opened his mouth to answer just before getting interrupted by Tariq's drunken cackling. "Maxwell? Cordonia's biggest playboy meeting someone? Right!" He slammed his hand against his back hard. "That's a good one, ain't it, Max?"
"Ha ha, right..." he laughed weakly.
He froze as he heard her voice behind him. "Here's your burgers." He turned slowly to see her holding the tray of burgers. He couldn't tell by the look on her face if she was upset, but he just knew she had heard the tail end of their conversation, and all he wanted to do at that moment was crawl inside of his skin. Coming here was a big mistake. Like everything else in his life. Nothing he ever did was right.
As she finished passing out the plates, Tariq looked up indignantly at her and sarcastically asked, "I don't suppose it's too much to ask if you have any aioli in this place."
God, Tariq, just shut up already!
But Riley wasn't even fazed by Tariq's arrogance. She fought back in her own way, which made him smile and admire her even more. She plopped three plastic bottles in front of Tariq. "Mayo, ketchup, and mustard. Get creative. Enjoy, gentlemen."
"I don't know why you guys decided we had to go to this dive bar," Tariq complained as Riley returned to the kitchen. "It's way too common–"
"Watch it..." Drake interrupted him with warning in his voice.
"My apologies, Drake... Not that common is a bad thing. I do have to say that feisty wit of hers is a bit of a turn on..."
"Tariq, enough!" Aidan glared at him as Drake pulled the bottle of whiskey out of his reach. "Have some respect."
Tariq mumbled something to himself as everyone tucked into their meal.
He stole a glance toward the kitchen where Riley had disappeared. She hadn't returned, and he didn't blame her after what she had probably heard.
Riley
"Riley? You okay?"
She turned from the serving window to find Carl standing next to her, wiping at his hands with a dish towel. "I'm fine..." She looked around the deserted kitchen and noticed the office lights in the back were off. "Where's Rick?"
"I think you know..."
"Ugh... how—no wait... I really don't want to know that."
"Enough stalling now. What are you hiding from me, baby sis?" He folded his arms and shot a wary glance out the window. "Am I going to have to kick these guys out for you?"
"Nothing so serious..." She shook her head and sighed, taking another glimpse out the window again before looking back at him. "It's just he's... well... he seems different tonight. It's like we're strangers now."
"Maybe he's embarrassed to tell his fancy friends that he's friends with a waitress..." He glared in Maxwell's direction. "If that's the case, he doesn't deserve you."
"Hey, he's not like that."
"My mistake. A few hours alone with him was more than enough to learn everything about him."
"Shut up."
"Just trying to protect you." She could feel his eyes analyzing her expression and trying to read her thoughts. One of his more endearing qualities... "What else is going through your head? Out with it."
"Nothing. Just some stupid thoughts. It doesn't matter."
"If it's nothing, you could tell me." He wasn't letting this go. He leaned against the counter, raising an eyebrow, waiting for her answer.
She rolled her eyes and sighed heavily. "Look, I might have heard it wrong, but when I was bringing their food out, I thought I heard one of his friends making fun of him for being a... playbo—wait, what are you doing?"
"The wonders of internet searching!" He was already typing away at his phone. "Should be easy enough to find out. Let's see... Maxwell plus Cordonia plus playboy..."
"Wait, no!" She tried to grab the phone but he held it out of her reach. Why did he have to be so much taller than her? "I don't want to know! I don't want anything to change what happened between us that night."
He stared quietly at the phone in his hand for a long moment before looking down at her with a look that she couldn't tell was concern or derision. "Umm... maybe you're right. It's pointless. Just forget about it."
She felt a knot growing in her stomach at the tone of his voice. "...What did you see?"
"You don't want to see this."
"You're right. I don't want to... but I think I have to." She reached out for his phone again, and this time, he handed it to her. Her mind froze, unable to allow her to understand what it was she was feeling as she scrolled down the page, where image after image of Maxwell popped up, most of them with him wrapped up in a different woman... or two. Sometimes an entire group of them. Links to publications like Trend, Cordonian Weekly, CBC, Cordonia Times, and much more led to articles upon articles featuring his body and risqué social activities.
"Riley..." Carl reached over and gently tried to pull the phone away, but she held tight.
"I don't understand. This is not the guy I spent time with. He was... normal. He was sweet, and funny... very down-to-earth... this– " She looked at the photos again and shook her head as she released her hold on the phone. Her hand wrapped around the woven blossom bracelet that was still around her wrist. "This wasn't him at all."
"Maybe you're right, baby sis, but just be careful. If this is the kind of man you've got caught up with, I don't want to see you get hurt."
"There's something that doesn't fit into all this though... If that's who he is, why did he come here alone for those couple weeks, when he could have been out with a girl every night? He told me himself he was going to clubs before he made his stop over to the bar."
"Maybe he does know your worth." He wrapped his arm around her and hugged her tightly against him. "Look... if you really believe in this guy, then take another shot. Just don't let your guard down. I really don't need a prison record before I turn thirty, got it?"
"Oh you won't have to. I'd probably kill you before you got there."
"It's very hard to take death threats seriously from an elf..." He ducked as she picked up watermelon and hurled it at his head. They both began laughing as it met its demise on the concrete floor in an oozing pink pile of slush. "All right, get back out there and stop messing up my kitchen."
Later that evening, after listening to Whiny's constant complaints and continued demands for fancy items they didn't have all the way until a little after closing time, she was wiping down the bar when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She held her breath in anticipation as she turned around, only to have to force a smile when she saw the person standing behind her wasn't who she was expecting.
Aidan had an apologetic smile on his face. "I... think we're about ready to head out. I just wanted to thank you... and apologize. I know we kept you late, and my friends can be... well... demanding."
"Oh, you don't anything to worry about. It's nothing I couldn't handle."
"I got the feeling that you could take care of yourself..." There was a slight awkward silence as he stood there watching her clean up the counter. "If you don't have any other plans tonight, maybe I can make it up to you by buying you a drink? My friends and I were thinking about going to a club."
"Oh? Which one?"
"I'm open to hear your suggestions on that. We're not from around here, actually."
"Well, as far as clubs go, I would recommend Kismet. It's definitely the hottest spot to go in New York."
"That sounds perfect. I know the guys want to go crazy tonight! So you'll join us then?"
She glanced towards the door where the rest of the group was waiting. This might be her only opportunity to talk to Maxwell and find out what happened. "Sure! Let me finish up here, and I'll meet you out front..."
Maxwell
Relief washed over him as he finally stepped out of the bar. The tense, awkward silence between him and Riley had been unbearable, and he knew it was impossible to get a moment alone with her without the guys taking notice. He'd have to come back later before they left the country for good so he could explain himself. He owed her that much. He looked up as Aidan joined them outside.
"Finally!" Drake said with a touch of annoyance. "Can we get moving now?"
"Not just yet, Drake. Riley will be joining us momentarily."
"You've got to be kidding me."
"Drake..."
Their voices faded away momentarily as he attempted to gather his thoughts. This couldn't be a bad thing, right? At least at the club, he could try to have a moment to speak with her without it looking strange to anyone else. He turned as he heard her footsteps and found himself unable to breathe again as she stepped out of the bar in a short emerald green dress that dropped below her shoulders. It took an unbelievable amount of restraint for him to stay where he was and not pull her into his arms and kiss her right there.
"Wow..." he could hear Drake say behind him. Wow? Quite the turnaround for someone who'd just been grumbling a minute ago about having her join them.
Riley cocked her head in his direction, looking at him strangely. "...Wow?"
"I... almost didn't recognize you..."
Meanwhile, Tariq was already practically undressing her with his eyes. "Mmm... that uniform was not doing you justice..."
Aidan's eyes swept over her form approvingly as he nodded in agreeance with Tariq. "I couldn't agree more. She is... how do you gentlemen say it... hot?"
"Guys..." Maxwell was already annoyed, and as he glanced over at Riley, he could see beyond her smile that she was not sure how to respond. "Her name is Riley. She's not a steak."
"You're absolutely right, Maxwell." Aidan looked at her apologetically. "I'm sorry, Riley. I meant to say, you look very lovely this evening. Please forgive my vulgar behavior just now."
"I..." She looked even more confused by his overly polite manner. "...Sure. No problem."
"Excellent! Now let us get going, shall we?"
"So, she's our tour guide now?"
Nice, Drake. Real nice.
"Now Drake, Riley was kind enough to agree to show us around. She's doing us a favor, so play nice." Aidan gave him a look of warning, to which Drake rolled his eyes and begrudgingly followed behind the group.
The dance floor of Kismet was raging tonight. He must have been back and forth several times over between breakdancing sets and refilling cocktails. He must have met at least eight women who had tried to sway him into joining them back at their hotel rooms for the evening, but as usual for the last few weeks, there was only one woman on his mind. And she had been monopolized by Aidan nearly the entire time they had been here.
Aidan was fascinated with her, not that he blamed him. He had to admit, this was the first time since he'd known him that he had ever seen that look in his friend's eyes. Aidan's version of a love life back home came with conditions, obligations that must be met and approved by everyone else whether it made him happy or not. He didn't envy that part of his life, and though he was happy for him that he was enjoying himself now, why did it have to be Riley?
They talked for a long time, smiling and laughing in the booth together over a few drinks. He couldn't help looking her way from time to time, hoping he could get her alone tonight, if at least for a few moments. When he saw her stand, he started to walk toward her, only to see Aidan stand with her. His heart sank as he watched her lead Aidan out the exit door. They had not returned, and he had a feeling that that was the last he would see of them tonight.
Who was he kidding? This was Prince Aidan. Everyone adored him. Every girl who ever met him wanted him. He was smart, powerful, charming... and him? He was just Maxwell Beaumont. Court Jester. A well-known screw-up who couldn't hold a candle to someone like Aidan. This was why he was better off not getting close to anyone. Life was less complicated being alone. At least he knew he wouldn't get hurt.
He pushed his empty glass towards the bartender. "Another."
As the bartender busied himself mixing another cocktail, Drake sidled up next to him in happy drunk mode. "Hey, don't wait up for me tonight." He nodded his head in the direction of a young woman with long dark hair sitting at the end of the bar, her hand wrapped around a glass of whiskey. "Get this... her family's in the whiskey business."
"Only you, Drake," Maxwell chuckled, shaking his head as the bartender handed him a fresh pina colada. "She say what brand?"
"Port Wells." Drake caught her eye and waved her over.
"Fancy." He raised his glass in her direction as she made her way over to them.
"Maxwell, Victoria. Victoria, Maxwell."
"Very nice to meet you." As she stood next to Drake, whiskey in hand, it was pretty clear the two of them made a good match for each other, at least for tonight. "You know I saw you out there dancing earlier. May I ask if you are an aspiring professional?"
Drake snorted into his whiskey, laughing. "Don't encourage him. He doesn't need a bigger head."
"That's me. Master of the Dance Extraordinaire!" He moonwalked a few feet back before spinning around towards them and shooting off finger guns. He grinned as she laughed while Drake shook his head.
"You know, you really should meet my best friend, Jen! I bet you two would get along great!"
"What do you say, buddy?" Drake gave him a nudge. "Ready to blow this place and go for a double with two beautiful women?"
His eyes flitted over to the booth where Riley and Aidan had sat earlier. It was now occupied by a much larger group of loud patrons, shouting drunkenly and waving their drinks in the air. He sighed quietly, taking a drink of his cocktail before looking back over at Drake. "Nah, man... I'm really not in the mood tonight."
"Hey, suit yourself." He started to follow Victoria back into the crowd when he paused and looked back at him with a curious glance. "Hang on..."
"What now?"
"This isn't like you at all. And now I just remembered earlier at dinner... when Tariq was acting like a buffoon, and I asked if you had met someone. Did I miss something here?" Drake kept his glass poised against his lips with his eyebrow raised, waiting for an answer.
"No, Drake, you were right, but..." He shook his head, stealing a glance at the door where Riley and Aidan disappeared, feeling his heart shatter further into a myriad of splintered fragments. "It doesn't matter now. She was interested in someone else..."
Riley
"There's something different about you, Aidan... You're a perfect gentleman. You're not like any of the other guys I've met in New York... I take it you're also from this Cordonia?"
"Does it matter?" His eyes drifted away from her gaze as he looked out toward the dance floor briefly. "Where I come from has always defined me. But it doesn't with you. I don't want that to end..."
Aside from Maxwell, Aidan was one of the most well-mannered men she had ever met. He was sweet and considerate, although very evasive with the very basic of conversational topics, which made their exchange slightly challenging to work through. Eventually she was able to get him to open up to her.
"The truth is, Riley... I'm the Crown Prince of Cordonia..."
"That doesn't change anything."
And really, it didn't. So he came with a fancy title. What was more significant was how he carried himself, how he treated her. He hadn't been arrogant or even tried to use his title to gain advantage with her. He was simply sitting at the table with her, just being himself, enjoying the company of a fellow human being. That was something to admire in someone who was raised in royalty.
The conversation carried forward as if he hadn't even mentioned it, despite his surprise at first. He seemed to think maybe she would have reacted differently. She had the feeling that he didn't have the easiest time forming real friendships, which was a shame because he really was an easy person to talk to. In their talk, she came to find out that it was his bachelor party they were celebrating, but oddly enough, he didn't have a fiancé. It was a fate to be decided for him soon after he and his friends returned to Cordonia.
"I really wanted to do one thing in particular while I was here..."
"And what's that?"
"It's... well... you're probably going to think it's silly, but I've always wanted to see the Statue of Liberty..."
She hadn't intended to go off with him for the night. One thing just led to another and the next thing she knew, she was calling in a favor to get them both on a ferry to see the Statue of Liberty. She'd been hoping to talk with Maxwell at some point to see where they stood, but Aidan really seemed unhappy and in need of someone to talk to. She was sure he wouldn't mind. In fact, Maxwell seemed to have disappeared soon after they all arrived at the club together.
She still wasn't sure why he had hardly spoken to her, but maybe it was just time to let it go. As much as she badly wanted to prove to herself that he wasn't the flake everyone else was making him out to be, he hadn't been helping himself. At this point, he was as good as gone. They were all headed back to Cordonia tomorrow and all she had to hold onto was one magical night. Maybe that was enough.
The ferry ride to the Statue of Liberty was filled with fog, and she'd worried that it might have been too dark for them to get a good look. But almost like the island had been expecting them, the fog mysteriously cleared, giving them a perfect view. Aidan stood at the railing in pure, unadulterated awe for several seconds, before he turned to her with an unmistakable look in his eyes. As he drew closer to her, it wasn't hard to see what was coming next.
It wasn't that he was a bad kisser. It was quite the romantic moment, actually. The way the fog had parted at just the right moment, revealing the majestic beauty of Lady Liberty herself beneath the stars... She liked him enough. He was certainly a catch, and he was clearly into her, she noticed as she gently guided his eager hands away from her breasts. But that kiss just couldn't match the surge of electricity she had felt when Maxwell kissed her just earlier this week. Still, she allowed him to kiss her once more before they parted for the evening.
"I'm glad to have met you, Riley. I'll never forget this night..."
Maxwell
His plane was going to leave soon. He knew he only had barely a few hours to spare before they departed for their home in Cordonia. Drake was already not too keen on letting him wander off so close to takeoff, but luckily he was distracted by his phone conversation with that Victoria woman. It must have been a good night since Drake said they planned on staying in touch after he went home.
As for him, he knew exactly where he was heading, and he wanted to be there when she got there. He had to set things right with her. She had to know how he really felt before he left for good. He froze and pressed himself against the wall of a nearby building as he watched Carl walk up to the Spicy Apple to unlock it. Definitely not the person he was looking for, nor wanted to run into.
He waited for several minutes, his anxiety growing as each second passed. What if she wasn't working today? How would he find her then? Had he completely blown everything?
He exhaled slowly, relieved as he saw her walking around the corner towards the bar, and immediately started jogging toward her. "Riley!"
"Maxwell?" Shock was written all over her expression as she turned abruptly before reaching the door. She waited in silence for him to catch up to her. "I... I didn't think I'd be seeing you again."
"I know, and I'm sorry about last night, I..." He sighed, rubbing at the back of his neck, steeling himself to get right to the point. "Look... Riley, there's things about my life... about me... that you don't know, and..."
"I don't care."
Now it was his turn to be shocked as his eyes locked onto hers. "...What?"
She took a step closer to him, slowly reaching a hand out. "I don't care about any of that, Maxwell. All I want to know is... are we okay? Are you okay?"
"I... yeah." He took her hand in his for a moment, before gently pulling her toward him into a tight embrace. "I'm really sorry."
"It's okay..." She laid her head against his chest, her arms resting around his waist. "I'm glad you at least came to say goodbye. You're leaving for Cordonia soon?"
"Yeah... part of the reason anyway... Actually, the truth is..." He could already feel the knot welling up in his throat. "The truth is... is..." Before he could stop himself, the next words came tumbling out like an avalanche off Lythikos Peak. "...I'm here to extend an invitation for you to join us in Cordonia and compete for Aidan's hand in marriage." Oh god, Bertrand's going to kill me...
There was a moment of dead silence. And then she pulled away from him. The look of utter confusion on her face said it all. "What?!"
"So the main reason we're all heading back to Cordonia is so Aidan can find someone to marry and all that jazz. I know he really liked you, which is a big thing." This was a runaway train, and he couldn't stop himself. "Now normally you wouldn't usually be allowed to join us... but I can choose to sponsor you. I'm from a noble house, and I don't have any sisters, so we don't have anyone in contention to marry the Prince. This gives us the choice to sponsor any girl we choose. And you're my pick."
"I... don't understand. I mean, I do, but... why would you want me to do this?"
"I saw how Aidan looked at you last night. I've never seen him so happy. Honestly? I don't want him to lose that." He glanced down at his watch. "We're kinda crunched for time, though. I've got a plane leaving within the hour..."
"An hou—hold on a minute here! We're moving a little fast, don't you think?!"
"No time to waste. The opening Masquerade is tonight! It's the start of the... uh, I guess you could say, it's the start of the competition."
"Meaning?"
"There's a whole horde of gorgeous, rich, noble women vying to become Cordonia's next queen. And it's not just about winning the Prince's hand. You've also got to prove to the council that you can rule Cordonia with him. But I think you've got what it takes. You're witty and charming."
"Uh, thanks?" She stared at him intently for a long moment, looking thoughtful. "Okay... so, a fancy Masquerade... and what else am I getting myself into, just so we're clear?"
"Fun stuff, I promise! You'll get to go yachting in the Mediterranean, skiing in the Alps, and dancing in the Royal Palace..." He looked over towards the bar as he watched a very hungover Rick push the door open and stumble inside, without so much as a glance at the two of them. He couldn't help but smile impishly at her. "Or, y'know, you can stay here... and go back to your waitressing gig with your crappy boss. That's probably about as good."
She folded her arms and shook her head, but a smile slowly began to appear across her face. "Fine. I'm in."
"Yeah! Go pack your bags. This is going to be the adventure of a lifetime!" This is fine. Everything's fine. "Who knows? Maybe you really will become the princess you dreamed of being when you were a little girl..."
She laughed softly as she rummaged inside her purse. "You remembered that silly story?"
I remember everything you said... "How could I forget a classic like that?"
"I've gotta say my goodbyes in there..." She paused at the door, her hand resting on the doorframe as she turned her head and flashed that beautiful smile at him. "I'll pack us some apple crisp for the trip while I'm there."
"I'd love that..." As he watched her walk inside, he exhaled quietly to himself. This was not exactly what he had in mind when he came here to find her. What was Drake going to think when he brought her back to the plane? What was Bertrand going to say? What would the court say? Could she survive it all? Of course she could. She was awesome. If anyone could do it, he knew she could. And the most important thing? She would have her true love, like Aidan. As much as he himself loved her, if this was what she wanted, he would move heaven and earth to make sure she was happy. If he couldn't have her for himself, he would at least have found a best friend in her.
She stepped out of the bar, holding a wrapped package. Somewhere behind her, he thought he could hear Rick shouting a horde of obscenities. "Ready to go?"
"Let's get this party started!" As the two of them traveled down the street, he happened to look down. His heart skipped a beat as he noticed she was still wearing the blossom bracelet he made for her a few days ago. Wait... did that mean there was still... a chance? He smiled to himself as their enchanting night together under the stars flew through his mind. Maybe? Just maybe...