“Ask for an elegant bouquet of the best they’ve got. No red roses,” I instructed Andrew five minutes later as the car idled outside a retail park florist’s shop. “She likes yellow and orange.” I didn’t trust him to select the flowers on his own. He’d be likely to return with a bouquet of poison ivy or a sad collection of carnations abandoned at a funeral.
He shut the door without responding, leaving me with Matthias in the cool silence of the luxury vehicle.
“Why not red roses, sir?” Matthias looked back at me from the driver’s seat.
“Red is for love, passion, my good man. This is much more important than that.”
“Exactly what sentiment are we aiming for, then?”
I exhaled as I surveyed the vehicles in the car park. I’d never understand the number of SUVs and trucks in this country. Hadn’t any of these people experienced the sheer perfection of a manual sports classic? “Whatever will get her on the plane.”
Matthias’ head dropped back as he barked out a laugh. “It’s nice to know even princes have trouble with women.”
“Glad to be of service, Matthias.”
The door opened and Andrew slid back into his seat, a large bouquet of assorted yellow, orange, and pink flowers in hand. “The woman said this is their ‘New Beginnings’ bouquet. Here.” He thrust the flowers at me.
“Andrew, you sly dog. You shouldn’t have.”
My grin was returned with a frown. “Let’s get this over with.”
“Onward, Matthias! We have a lady to rescue!”
I ignored Andrew’s responding groan and gripped the bouquet as the car pulled forward.
Ten minutes later, I found myself knocking for the fourth time on the door of unit 206 in the last cluster of buildings in the modern complex. What on earth could be keeping her? Maybe she and Reggie were out to dinner. I’d admit, the thought hadn’t occurred to me to account for the fiancé until now. Never mind. I’d appeal to his sense of patriotism.
I pulled my phone from my pocket and squinted at the reflection of the bright sun on its screen before beginning to type.
Me: Where are you?
Me: I’m standing at your door, so you can’t ignore me any longer.
A gasp from behind had me spinning on my heel. And there she was, wearing her familiar uniform of staid sweater set and pencil skirt, glasses sliding down her nose, and not one, but two, pencils in her dark hair. It was styled differently than usual, pulled back into a knot with loose strands falling into her face. But the eyes behind her glasses were the same—two brown orbs measuring, analyzing, studying every detail and committing it to memory. Her hands clutched one of her large handbags along with a pink paper bag from a shop of some kind.
I threw my arms out wide, the flowers swishing in the air at my movement and my phone almost launching into the car park. “Surprise!”
Alice stood frozen, her small mouth maintaining a perfect O while her eyebrows reached for her hairline.
Since she apparently wasn’t moving anytime soon, I approached with the bouquet in my outstretched hand as I tucked my phone back into my pocket. “Did you miss me?”
Her eyes dropped to the bouquet, which she studied in a manner suggesting she’d never seen flowers before and thought they may perhaps leap forward and attack her.
“Go on. They’re for you.”
This had her gaze shifting to me again as she slowly resumed control over her limbs and stepped forward. I’d always had a certain effect on women, it was true, but I hadn’t anticipated my arrival physically incapacitating Alice like this.
Instead of taking the offered flowers, however, she stepped past me to unlock the door to her flat.
“Good idea. Let’s take this conversation inside.” I wouldn’t want Andrew overhearing in the event I might need to resort to blackmail or groveling.
I turned to follow Alice in, but there must have been some kind of freak wind coming through the complex at just that moment because the door slammed shut before I could step through.
“Ha. Alice.” The door remained closed, so I knocked again. “Alice, love, the door seems to have shut itself.”
No response.
I released a chuckle as I glanced around. Perhaps this was a prank. Ha! I’d bet my autographed Rolling Stones Bridges to Babylon album that Trevor and Andrew were in on this one as some sort of payback. I put my hands up in surrender, the cheerful bouquet like a torch in one hand. “All right, all right. Very sodding funny. You can let me in now.”
Still nothing.
A ping from the direction of my pocket caught my attention and I quickly retrieved my phone.
Alice: Please leave.
This was quickly followed by…
Alice: Your Highness.
My amusement was quickly fading, and I was tiring of this little game, so I pounded on the door once more. “Alice, enough! I’ve come to see you. The least you could do is open the door and speak with me.”
Finally, her voice sounded from the other side of the steel door. “Why?”
“Why what?” I’d never in my life had to work this hard just to convince a woman to speak to me.
“Why have you come to see me?”
“Open the door and I’ll tell you.”
“No.” She sounded almost alarmed. “Sir.”
Whatever could be going on in her mind that she’d leave me standing out here by myself? “Oh, come on. I flew over an entire ocean. I even flew commercial.”
The door opened a crack, revealing one brown eye behind the lens of her glasses. “You did?”
Aha! “I did.” I leaned forward, infusing my tone with my customary charm. “Please let me in. We need to talk.”
But the suspicion inexplicably returned. “Did Trevor speak with you?”
This had my eyes narrowing. “No. Why?” What was she up to? If Trevor was involved, it couldn’t be anything I’d like.
Shaking her head, she opened the door a few inches farther. “No reason. Never mind. I can’t let you in until you tell me why you’re here, sir.”
The time was finally upon us to deliver the good news. My lips curved into a wide smile and I extended the flowers once more. “I came to hire you back as my assistant!”
This time, when the door slammed, the sound of a deadbolt clicking into place followed.
“Women,” I grumbled under my breath as the Audi cruised along I-40 to downtown Greensboro the next morning.
“What was that, sir?” Andrew cocked an ear my way, unable to hide his shit-eating grin.
“You know my family pays your paycheck, right?”
“And you know my job is secure as long as I don’t allow any harm to come to you, right? It’s in my contract.”
“What? I didn’t know that. What ever happened to serving at the pleasure of the king?”
“It was one of the conditions put in place after you drugged me in that cabin and stole my car keys,” he responded through tight lips.
“Oh, right. That.” I tried not to smile at the memory. It was how Leo and I had escaped our security detail to embark on our journey of adventure and intrigue with Ruby last time I was here. Ah, what fond memories. “I did apologize.”
“And I renegotiated my contract.” He turned and spoke to the window. “I’ve got a nice little nest egg as a result.”