𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗲 𝘀𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱?
𝗺𝗮𝘆𝗯𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱
== n i n i 's p o v ==
i take a shaky, anxious breath as i walk out of the house, hooking up the company card to one of those public electronic scooters. i'm way too antsy to just sit and ride in a taxi--and besides, if there's one thing i've learned after all these missions, it's safer to not take a random taxi by yourself after dark. as i'm riding towards the castle, i have no choice but to overthink what just happened.
i told myself i wouldn't do this.
what's sad is that i knew this was coming. i knew, that first day, that something like this would happen. because he's ricky bowen. and i'm..myself. what makes me even madder is that ricky knew too. but he just doesn't care--because who cares if something's not going to end well?! the whole middle part is going to be awesome! so with his logic, he just tries to kiss me! without warning! fullproof! luckily, i didn't fall for his whole:
let me turn on the radio!!
i'll come up from behind you and breathe on your neck grab the ladle for our dinner!!
i memorized the memo from corporate!!!
you look great!!
i made you breakfast in bed!!
i'll pull you close and hold your hand like i used to,
and then i'll try and kiss you!!!!!!"
the royal castle in paris, france
i arrive at the castle, parking the electronic scooter and rushing inside. i'm running late, and i promised ashlyn and gina i'd cover for them on the night shift. i may be lying to them about everything, but i've kind of made a connection to them over the past few weeks? i don't know. usually i try not to get too attached--or really even attached at all--but it's different with them. i have my cleaning supplies in a bag clutched against my chest as i speedwalk through the halls, trying to make my way to the maids quarters. out of no where, i'm rammed into a figure in a dark hoodie. i drop my bag, the contents spilling all over the floor. he catches me by the waist, lifting me up without warning and quickly hiding us behind a corner.
"what are you-" i look up to see none other than prince caswell's face, again.
"SHH!" he puts his hand over my mouth, peering around the corner to see if anyone saw what happened.
"this is like, borderline sexual harassment, you know," i joke, my voice muffled through his hand.
"shit," he says, referring to the spilled contents of my work bag.
"i should really go pick those up, good luck with..whatever you're doing," i say, gently prying his hand off of my mouth and leaning off of him.
"no, wait, i'll just get someone to clean that up," the prince grabs my hand as i walk away, turning me around.
"you do realize that i'm the one who has to clean that up, right?" i shake his hand away from mine, tucking my hair behind my ear.
"come on, i won't tell anyone," he gestures for me to come with him, and for some reason i follow the prince over to an open window. the prince climbs out first, and helps me out onto the rooftop ledge after.
"what are we doing out here? shouldn't you be..i don't know, doing prince things?"
"you're the girl i ran into the other day, right?" he chuckles, ignoring my question.
"that's me."
"what's your name? i'm..well you know who i am," the prince laughs, having a seat on the flat ledge.
"jasmine," i reluctantly take a seat next to him, "you still haven't answered my question, prince caswell."
"and that was?"
"why you're always sneaking out. were you not listening, or are you always this dense?"
"wow," he laughs.
"sorry, i forgot i was talking to the prince."
"that's exactly the reason. you don't even know my first name, it's just the prince. it's exhausting," he leans back, laying down and looking at the stars. i do the same, laying down next to him.
"what is your first name?"
"e.j, actually."
"wow, so your name isn't legally "the prince"?! why do i kind of feel lied to??" i giggle, turning my head to look at him. we stare at each other for a second before he unexpectedly leans in to kiss me.
"i-, uh, i shouldn't," i awkwardly pull away before he can actually kiss me, "i mean, i kind of just met you, and there's someone else-"
"yeah, you're right," e.j laughs, "it was worth a try."
"what do you mean, worth a try?! do you just go around trying to kiss every girl you meet?"
"kind of? that's the first time it hasn't worked."
"wow," i laugh, nodding my head and turning to look back at the sky.
"i kind of have someone else too. i mean, there's no way it would ever, realistically happen, but maybe."
"you should try kissing her, instead of me. besides, you're the prince, i'm sure you wouldn't want to get involved with a maid," i joke.
"actually, she's a maid too."
"hold on, what?!"
"it's just..it's hard, you know? there's just all of these expectations, and everyone's just watching my every move. and romanticizing everything. i've never really had any friends, or like, people i can talk to. it's confusing."
"i forgive you for trying to kiss me, if that's what you're saying. i won't tell any other maids."
"and i won't tell your other guy. how's that going, by the way?"
"oh, um, i don't know. let's just say you're not the only guy that's tried to kiss me and failed in the past hour," i laugh.
"what?! okay, now you have to explain."
"i don't know, it's just..complicated. and confusing, like you said. we were together a while ago, and he hurt me. like, really hurt me. and now..i don't know, now i'm having to spend tons of time with him, and every. single. thing. is telling me that he's just this changed, great guy now--and i'm just supposed to believe that? because what if it's true? what if, in the time i went away, he actually got better? that means that he was capable of change the entire time, and i just...wasn't worth changing for? and what makes things even worse is that now every time i look at him i just feel..that feeling. i don't know."
"it seems like you do know, jasmine."
"but i don't! that's the thing!"
"what's your gut telling you?"
"i feel like it's telling me something, i just don't know what it is."
"you know what i think?" he says.
"what?"
"i think that deep down you do know, and you just haven't, like, subconsciously accepted it yet. and then there's the obvious pent up anger, or hurt, or whatever you have."
"hm. yeah, no."
"whatever you say."
"sorry for just spilling this all on you, i haven't really..dealt with it."
"no, it's good. i kind of need a friend right now, anyway. i've never really had one."
"well, i might not be royal or anything, but you have me."
"but, jasmine?"
"yeah?"
"is gina..seeing anybody?"