“Is it your parents’ anniversary?” I asked.
“What? No, why?”
“The flowers.”
She turned and looked at the flowers and her cheeks flushed.
Fascinating.
I’d never seen Frankie blush before. Why would she be blushing about flowers?
Oh.
Oh, my God.
Did she have a boyfriend she hadn’t told me about? Was that why this was so weird between us?
But why would she agree to be my fake fiancée if she had a boyfriend?
Her dissertation.
Of course. She was doing this for her Ph.D.
“They’re…um…they’re from the king,” she mumbled.
“What?” I asked as she slid my coffee across the counter to me. “I thought I heard you say they’re from the king?”
Frankie rolled her eyes and huffed. “They are,” she said, grabbing a note and pushing it toward me. “See for yourself.”
I scanned the note, recognizing the handwriting even before I got to the signature at the end.
“The king has heard about this?” I asked with disbelief as I slowly raised my eyes to hers.
She nodded slowly. “It appears so.”
I sighed as I picked up my coffee and took a sip, grimacing just a bit. Frankie came around to my side of the counter and slipped onto the stool beside me.
“Tell me what’s going through your head,” she said, her hands cupping her mug of black coffee.
“I didn’t realize this would become such a big…thing,” I replied with a sigh. “I came here to apologize for that stupid video and to give you the opportunity to back out.”
She stared at me for so long I didn’t think she would answer me. My heartbeat ratcheted up and my gut clenched. I didn’t know what it was I wanted her to say. I didn’t know if I wanted her to call the entire thing off or not.
“Is that what you want?” she asked softly, her eyes dropping to her mug.
“Frankie,” I said, reaching out to take one of her hands in mine. They were smaller than mine, another thing I’d never noticed. Frankie was larger than life, always. “I want to go to Kalopsia but not if it means bringing all this drama into your life. I should have told my mother to stay out of it, and I’m sorry for that. I’m sorry this has disrupted your life so much. I will completely understand if you want to call it off.”
She huffed and rolled her eyes. “This is hardly a big drama,” she said with a slight smile. “Besides, you know I’m always up for a bit of excitement.”
“Being tagged in a viral video is hardly a ‘bit of excitement.’”
Frankie shrugged. “The constant notifications are annoying, but it’s really no biggie. I was more concerned about the fact that we will have to lie to the king.” She frowned and bit her lip, drawing my eyes to her mouth.
The kiss we shared really hadn’t been my finest moment. I’d like to do it again just to prove to her I knew how to kiss.
“Could that be considered treason? Could we get in serious trouble? Could we be hanged?” she finished in a whisper.
“Um, what?” I asked, dragging my eyes away from her lips and back to her eyes.
“Can the king have you arrested for lying to him?” she asked, and I smiled.
“No,” I said with relief. “Is that all you’re worried about?”
“Is that all I’m worried about?” she asked with alarm. “I don’t think you fully appreciate my worry over being tried for treason and hanged.”
I chuckled. “We won’t be tried for treason and hanged,” I replied. “Does that make you feel better?”
She bit her lip and nodded.
I squeezed her hand. I liked the way it felt in mine. I didn’t think we’d ever held hands before.
“So you still want to do this? Now that the threat of corporal punishment has been removed, do you still want to play my fake fiancée and come to Kalopsia with me?”
“On one condition,” she said, pulling her hand from mine and crossing her arms. I held my breath, waiting for the crushing blow she was about to give me. “I want to tell my parents the truth.”
I huffed out the breath I was holding. It wasn’t ideal, it also wasn’t the deal-breaker I was expecting. The fewer people who knew the truth the better, but I liked Frankie’s mom and dad and I knew they would understand.
“As long as you know I won’t be telling my parents the truth,” I said.
“Oh, that was a given,” she said with a grin that made her eyes sparkle.
“Let’s shake on it, fake fiancée,” I replied with a grin, holding out my hand.
Instead of taking my hand, Frankie pulled me into a hug and I was ashamed to admit I closed my eyes and dragged in a deep breath of her chocolate chip cookie scent as I relished the feel of her in my arms. I didn’t know what it meant…or rather; I refused to admit what it meant. I was way on down the denial river and just hoped I’d be able to keep afloat.
Francesca
I found Mom and Dad sitting at a table in the little Mexican restaurant where we’d agreed to meet. It was close to the hospital and across the river from Dad’s office. I waved at them and placed my order before joining them at the table with my lunch.
“So…you and Lucas are engaged?” Mom asked as soon as I sat down.
Straight to the point, that was my mom.
“Yeah, sort of,” I replied with a sigh as I stuck a straw in my Coke and took a long drink.
“How can you be ‘sort of’ engaged?” Dad asked, watching me carefully.
I looked between my parents and groaned. “Okay, so you know what Lucas’ parents are like, right?” I asked but didn’t wait for their answers before I plowed on. “So, the king has summoned Lucas to Kalopsia. He wants Lucas’ dad to pass the title to Lucas and for Lucas to join his court.”
“How does that have anything to do with you and Lucas ‘sort of’ being engaged?” Mom asked.
“Lucas’ father wouldn’t hand him the title and let him go unless he was married…or engaged. Lucas didn’t think it would be a problem because he was asking Clarissa to marry him last night.” It was hard not to choke on her name. “She broke up with him instead, and then he asked me.”
“And you said yes?” Mom asked as Dad frowned fiercely.
“He asked me to pretend to be his fiancée so his parents would still let him go.”
Mom rolled her lips together and Dad frowned harder—if that was even possible.
“I get something out of it too,” I rushed on to explain. “I get to do my dissertation on Kalopsia and how they are rebuilding with the reestablishment of the royal family. Lucas said he can get me an interview with the king.”
Mom and Dad shared a look, and I held myself still, waiting for their disappointment. My parents never got angry at me, they just had to tell me I disappointed them and I would do whatever I could to un-disappoint them.
Mom sighed and looked at me, really looked at me. “And you’re okay with that?” she asked. “You’re okay with him asking you to be his fake fiancée after Clarissa broke his heart?”