new story i just wrote in like an hour. i really like prince harry and thought that some others might be interested in it! it will be a humor type-romance story, but not cliche. i really want some feedback, and then i will continue. i know this opening chapter sucks, but stick with me, it will get better!
Prologue:
Charlie impatiently tapped her high-heeled shoe against the marble flooring of the lobby, hoping that her anxiety and angst would hurry the elevator’s progress to the bottom floor. Glancing down at her watch, she watched in concern as the hand on the clock continued ticking away, yet her elevator seemed to be taking its grand time.
She cursed her luck, realizing that this damn elevator might cost her the job of her dream. This job meant everything to her—more than her own life—and after finally making an impression on her boss; she might lose it because of a goddamn elevator.
Charlie has been working as an assistant at Star Magazine for the past three years. After graduating college with a PHD in journalism and mass communication, her options seemed unlimited and prosperous in their pay. Yet, she set her heart on one magazine company, and one magazine company only. Star Magazine.
It was one of the most prestigious magazine companies in the world, and yet she was willing to do whatever it took to become a writer for the company—whether it is for a column, blog, or editorial page. But when she arrived, she merely had to beg for them to even look at her transcript.
And that is how Charlie ended up in London, England, working for the Wicked Witch as a personal assistant for Star Magazine. Was it absolute hell? Without a doubt. Did Charlie want to quit her job every second of everyday? Absolutely. Did she ever have pleasing daydreams of “accidentally” throwing her boss off the multiple story building? No question about it.
So why did Charlie stick with this job for 1,194 days and two hours?
Because like every person who has ever started at the bottom of their career, they eventually move up to a higher, more prestigious position. That is at least what Charlie is hoping, after serving her boss on hand-and-feet for over three years, delivering coffee, running across town to snap pictures of the latest celebrity lunch-date, or rubbing her wicked feet.
Charlie shuttered at the memory, just as the elevator doors dinged open. Running inside and pressing the thirty-fourth floor, she mentally prayed that she would arrive on time and receive good news about a possible promotion.
After having to stop at three other floors along the way, (in which Charlie nearly pushed the passengers off) she arrived at her office’s lobby. Shooting the receptionist a frantic smile, the kind older lady motioned towards Charlie’s boss’s office with an uptight motion of the hand.
Clenching her briefcase tightly in one hand and her boss’s coffee in the other, Charlie approached the oak-door, knocking with her elbow. A curt reply from her boss allowed her access into the private office, in which she let out a silent breath of relief.
Lauren O’Connor sat behind her desk, typing away at her keyboard as usual, not even glancing at her assistant. Chewing on her bottom lip, Charlie awkwardly sat down in the seat across from her desk, setting her boss’s daily cup of coffee on her desk.
“So I received your email—”
“Shush,” Lauren snapped, still not making eye contact with Charlie as she continued to stare at her computer screen, holding up a perfectly manicured finger in response to her assistant.
Charlie bit down on her lip, feeling the urge to release a nasty comment towards her boss. Had anyone else in the universe spoke with her in that tone, Charlie would have broken a nose. She was always regarded as a tough cookie, one that would stand up for herself against anyone. But she had to come to the conclusion that she would have to suck up towards this woman if she wanted a promotion within the company.
“Okay, what do you want?” Lauren asked boredly, after she finished typing for five or so minutes in silence. Lauren already felt annoyed by the young twenty-four year olds presence in her once quiet office, disturbing her working time. “I have a phone call in ten minutes with Kim Kardashian’s agent, so this better not take long.”
“I received an email from you last night,” Charlie responded, to which her boss continued to stare at her with a blank face, taking a sip of her coffee. “You said something about a possible promotion with a new task at hand?”
The left side of Lauren’s mouth twitched up, almost into a conniving little grin. “That’s right, I nearly forgot, didn’t I? Well foolish me.” Lauren cocked her head to the side to get a better look at her assistant, as if she were scrutinizing her appearance. “Hmm, I guess he was right.”
Charlie brought an insecure hand to her face, feeling beyond awkward. “Who is right? About what?”
“You are going undercover, my friend.” Lauren stated impassively, pushing her bangs to the side of her face. “You were selected personally by Star Magazine for our next big article for next month’s issue.”
Charlie felt like her lungs were about to collapse on her, as she brought a hand to her chest. She also felt tears brim the ridge of her eyes, for she had waited for those words to leave her boss’s lips for over three long, brutal years. But it all paid off in the long run, causing Charlie to nearly break down in Lauren’s office.
“Tears? Really?” Lauren asked dully, handing her a tissue.
“You have no idea how much this means to me!” Charlie exclaimed, “I have wanted this job for so long, and finally I get to write an article for this magazine—”
“Write an article? Where in the Lord’s good name did you think I was letting you write an article for Star Magazine?” Lauren all but shrieked, amusement clear in her tone of voice. “Honey, you are going undercover. You are going in search of the dirty, good gossip that no other magazine has.”
This time, Charlie nearly cried for real, her emotions becoming a psychotic roller coaster within the past few minutes. It was like a hard slap to the face, reality sinking in quickly for the young, aspiring writer.
Her defeated look must have been noticed, for Lauren quickly picked up on it. Quickly making a plan that she had no intentions of keeping in the long run, she sighed. “Listen here, honey. If you do this mission assignment for me, I promise you a promotion.”
Charlie perked up, deciding to listen to this so-called “mission assignment.” If it meant that she could finally get a promotion, in which she were to be separated from Lauren, not have to make multiple coffee runs throughout the day, formulate multiple copies of the latest article of opposing magazine copies, and retyping hundreds of pages of notes, Charlie was more than willing to consider the offer.
“The latest celebrity buzz has been revolving around the Royal Family—with Prince William and Kate expecting their first child together, the Queen’s Golden Jubilee in the next couple of weeks, and the wild, charming Prince Harry—everyone cannot seem to get enough about them. Articles about the family members have been flying off the shelves all over the world recently. And that is exactly what our business company needs.” Lauren stated, leaning back in her chair.
Charlie was ultimately confused, but remained silent as she continued listening of her new and first assignment.
“As I am sure you already know, Queen Elizabeth II’s Jubilee ball is taking place in two weeks—a huge deal that the whole world is interested and excited about.” Lauren explained, in which Charlie found that she had absolutely no interest in whatsoever. “An insider of the Royal Family accidentally revealed some news towards the huge, lavish ballroom dance that is in honor of Queen Elizabeth’s Jubilee Throne. She told us that the Queen was very distressed that her good friend and Netherlands’s prime minister, Mark Rutte, would not be able to make it to her week-long celebration.”
“I have never heard of him before…” Charlie stated, trying to recognize the name of Netherlands’s prime minister.
“My point exactly,” Lauren explained with a devious grin. “Besides the Queen of England and a few upper class officials, no one will know the man very well—especially well enough to recognize his daughter.”
“Daughter?” Charlie repeated, wincing as she tried to put the puzzle pieces together and understand Lauren’s plan.
“Mark has a daughter who is not very well known to the public—especially towards those that would be attending the Jubilee Ball.” Lauren explained with a raised eyebrow, “She goes by the name of Abigail Rutte, and she has actually been in acquaintance with the Queen, noted as a loyal comrade. And this, Charlie, is who you will be for the next two weeks as you attend the royal celebration.”
“What?” Charlie screeched, her hands grasping on to the chair’s arms like they were the only thing that would keep her sane. “You expect me to go to this Jubilee party-thingy and act like I am a royal? There is no way—they would realize I’m not Abigail before I even step foot in the room!”
“I do not expect you to go, I am requiring that you go for at least two weeks—were you not just tearing up when you believed you had received a promotion a few minutes earlier? I would assume that you would want to go, for your jobs sake.”
Charlie sighed, trying to understand what she wanted herself. “What exactly do you have planned for this assignment? I guess I am not completely on board with the whole plan yet.”
Lauren took a deep breath of impatience. “I’ll explain this to you once, and only once. Remember that Kim Kardashian’s agent is going to be calling me at any moment. So I need to know if you are on board with the plan when I am finished explaining, alright?”
“Okay,” Charlie merely whispered, waiting for her to continue on.
“Tomorrow morning you will go to Buckingham Palace. Do not worry about being able to squeeze past security and worry about being an identity thief, I will handle all of that easily.” Charlie squirmed at her wording, but continued listening. “After getting into Buckingham Palace, your only issue is managing to hide your true identity for two weeks. You are to act like a prime minister’s daughter, all proper and whatnot. But secretly, you are going to be getting close and friendly with the royal family. Befriend them, becoming a loyal companion and get the dirt of what they are really like. And every night, be sure to write all of the juicy information in a journal, which you will turn into me at the end of the two weeks—”
Lauren’s office phone started ringing, in which Lauren shot Charlie a sharp look. Charlie realized that the phone call was Kim’s agent and knew that she had to ultimately decide if she should join this undercover story.
Taking a deep breath, Charlie shook all the warnings out of her head. So many signs were directing her into choosing not to do this story, but she really wanted this promotion. And I mean seriously, how bad could this undercover, identity thief, illegal mission go?
“I’ll do it.”
please read, review, rate, favorite and i promise it will get better! only the prologue!! :)