“Perhaps we should talk in private?” I lowered my voice.
“No.” My sister stomped her foot. “I have had enough of the lies and excuses. You need to come home. They are growing suspicious, especially Mother.”
Now everyone in the diner was looking at us.
“If you don’t wish this to be all over social media in a matter of seconds, I suggest you come with me.” I took a step closer and lowered my voice.
The anger-filled fog that clouded my sister’s judgment was clearing. She squeaked out a yes. I led her past the double doors and back into the changing room. Closing the door behind me, I locked it before turning back to her.
“What’s going on?”
“You, dear brother, that’s what’s going on.” She dug her finger into my chest. I winced because Cali was methodical at taking care of her nails.
I grabbed her hand and lowered it from my chest. “It’s only a few more days. That’s all I ask.”
“First, it was one outing in disguise in the big city. Next, it was a few days working at a diner. It’s been two-and-a-half weeks since we arrived in Chicago. I fear you won’t be leaving with us when we move on to Dallas.”
“Don’t be silly, of course, I’ll be leaving with you.” I turned from my sister.
As much as I fantasized about staying, I knew I’d never get away with abandoning the tour of America. Where would I stay? How would I live? I’d gone over it the past week in my head as I imagined living here and getting to know Grace.
She was the only reason I’d stay. Actually, she’d be the other reason. The first one would be the freedom. Now I understood why my parents wanted to abdicate and see the world. This freedom thing was worth fighting for.
I had my taste and was lucky enough to get that small bite. It was time to resume my duties.
There was a knock at the door.
“Nico? Are you all right?” Grace’s voice was filled with concern.
It warmed my heart to hear the care she had for me, for everyone at the diner. The more time I spent here and learned about Grace, the more I wanted to keep working at her side.
But that was a dream I couldn’t afford to indulge.
“Yes. Sorry, I will return to work in a moment. My sister is having an issue I must address.”
“If she needs any, uh . . . feminine products, I’ve got some stashed in my desk drawer.”
“What does she mean by feminine products . . .” I said just as I realized what Grace was talking about.
“I think she’s fine, for now.”
“Okay, I’ll be out on the floor if you need me,” she said, and I heard her sneakers squeak as she walked off.
“It’s her, isn’t it? This isn’t about your freedom and living like regular people. It’s about a woman. I should have figured,” my sister said as she waved at the door.
“No, Grace isn’t the reason I’m here.”
She really was the reason, at least at this point. That strange, spitfire of a woman had some sort of hold over me. Made me want to come to this place every day where I had to clean puke off the floor and scrub toilets.
“Then let’s go. Now.” She grabbed my arm and pulled me toward the door.
I shook myself free from her grip. “I still haven’t finished cleaning up out there. My shift isn’t over until eleven.”
My sister’s blue eyes widened. “Do you hear yourself? Your shift?” Folding her arms, she continued, “You do know you are the future Prince of Cambria, not a clean-up worker at a diner?”
“Janitor. My title is janitor.”
“No, it’s not. It’s Nicolas Aster Rowley Chillingham, Duke of Iornlea and future Prince of Cambria. That’s your title. Janitor is just some fun you seem to be doing on the side.”
Being a janitor wasn’t fun but being with Grace was.
“Give me until the end of our time here in Chicago. Then, in a week, I will travel to Dallas with everyone else. I promise.”
I held up our secret sign which was just the okay sign. Back in Cambria, no one knew what that meant but here in Chicago, I learned that everyone knew it. So much for being secret.
My sister gave me the sign back and said, “Fine. But the Halloween Gala is in four days. Our final designated event here before we leave three days later. Tiber has your costume. Please attend.”
“Perfect. I have off that day.”
My sister groaned but stepped forward and gave me a hug. “I love you, Nico, but I fear when this all ends you will need time to recover.”
I sighed. “I suppose walking away from the average life will take some adjustment.”
She stepped back and gazed up at me with an odd expression on her face. For the moment she appeared older, wiser.
“I’m talking about your heart.”
NINE
Grace
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
“How’s the Caketini?” I asked Morgana, who was currently licking her lips as her eyes rolled back into her head.
“Oh. My. God. This drink was made for me,” she said with a moan.
“It was. I told you the bartender has a crush on you. We’ve been coming to this crappy sports bar for how many years? And he can’t keep his eyes off you,” Aria said while lifting her beer bottle to her lips.
“A bit creepy if you ask me, Drake,” Evaleen said as she narrowed her striking blue eyes at the bartender who was in fact, staring at Morgana.
“My last name is Payne now, Evaleen. Remember, I got married last year to your nemesis, Henrik.”
“I won’t recognize that name. To me, you’ll always be Drake. Just as Aria will always be Dixon, and Tiffany, well, you aren’t married yet, so you’re still Blackburn.”
Tiffany tucked her thick, auburn hair behind her ear and frowned. “I’m just not a big wedding type of person. Jagger and I can’t decide what kind of ceremony we want to have. Maybe we should just head back to Vegas and do it like we did the first time.”
Morgana snorted. “And maybe this time you won’t be blackout drunk.”
“Hey, you were with me and we had been drugged, not drunk.”
“What about Grace?” Aria pointed at me.
As usual, since the ladies had invited me to their weekly Thursday night SWIM Meets, I sat back and quietly observed.
I had learned that SWIM stood for Smart Woman with Idiot Men. These meetings began back when Morgana first started at Mimir and Henrik was only her boss, not her husband.
They had all bonded rather quickly, but it took a while for me to be included. Despite Aria being my sister-in-law, I felt closest to Morgana, who invited me to the weekly bar nights.
“She’s not married,” Evaleen said.
“No, but her real last name is Hawthorne. Do you call her Hawthorne or Jensen?”
I squirmed in the booth. The bar felt warmer all of a sudden. Their attention had turned toward me, and I wasn’t used to it. I liked observing, even helping, not being the center of the discussion.
“Hmm, I hadn’t thought of that. I just kept calling her Jensen. Perhaps I should make an exception for her. Maybe just Grace.”
They all seemed to like that. As usual, I was the odd one out. Evaleen had an odd habit of calling everyone by their last name. I guess I wasn’t included.
There’s something lonely about being the person in a group of friends that’s the least included, the least thought of, and the least loved.
I forced a smile on my face. “Okay.”
What else could I say? Tell her it’s not all right. How could I do that when neither name felt right? Some agency gave me the generic last name of Jensen decades ago, and learning my real last name last year hadn’t felt comfortable, either.
Perhaps I’m only Grace.
“Speaking of names, what about Nico?” Aria leaned forward and wiggled her eyebrows.
I attempted to wiggle my eyebrows in return. Based on the looks everyone was giving me, I suspected I failed at the brow dance.
“What
about him? He’s off tonight, which Alex is thankful for. I was thinking of promoting him to a waiter. Maybe he’d do better serving others. He seems to get along with the customers and does well helping them to their table and chatting with them.”
Something warm shimmied down my spine. The smile on my face surprised me. I kind of liked talking about him.
The way Nico treated others was heartening. After dealing with workers who wouldn’t know how to show concern if it came up behind them and smacked their ass, it was refreshing to work with someone who oozed respect and care.
“Uh oh, Grace . . .” Aria’s lips curved into a devilish grin. “You like the guy. Like really like him.”
I nodded as a prickle ran up my spine. Despite the blush I knew was painted all over my face, I knew I had to play it cool.
“He’s a nice guy but we only work together.”
Morgana tried to wiggle her eyebrows too, but she ended up appearing as if she was about to burp. “Both Aria and I saw him, Grace. Nico is hot with a capital, please-fuck-me, H. This meeting isn’t called Smart Women with Idiot Men for nothing. We’ve all had our fair share of dating disasters. Take advantage of the golden egg that plopped into the middle of your diner. Invite him into your office for a little employee training.” Morgana winked, which was about as bad as when she attempted the eyebrow wiggle.
Perhaps they were right. What harm could come if I flirted a bit with Nico? I caught him checking me out a few times when he thought I wasn’t looking.
It’s not as if he was legally my employee. But would that be taking advantage of him? Nico’s desperate for help to stay hidden from his country’s government. If I tried to kiss him or more, he might see that as something he had to do to stay hidden.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Morgana. And it’s illegal, too. It’s called sexual harassment.”
“Grace is right,” Evaleen added.
Morgana shrugged. “So, fire him. Then jump his bones.”
“Whatever you do, Grace, make sure you are comfortable with it. What’s most important is your happiness. We care about you,” Evaleen said as she placed a warm hand on my shoulder.
“We just want you to be happy. You’ve had a rough couple of years. Everyone deserves their happily ever after,” Morgana added.
“Or, at least, happily ever orgasm,” Aria said with a nod.
“Look, life isn’t easy, Grace. I should know,” Tiffany said as the corner of her lip ticked up. “But that doesn’t mean good things can’t happen. Be thankful for the good in your life but at the same time, reach out and grab the rare moments of greatness.”
We all stared at Tiffany. She was like the sage of the group. I guess being a single mom of a disabled boy made you wise beyond your years. If I could be anyone in this group, it would be her. She’s gorgeous, intelligent, strong, and understood life better than anyone I knew.
“Thank you, everyone. But having a family makes me happy. I never really had that before. Getting to know my brother and you all is all the happiness I need in life. Nico, as attractive and sweet as he is, would most likely complicate things. I need to focus on the diner. I feel Alex is doing too much. It’s my responsibility, not his. That’s where I need to focus my time.”
“Are you kidding?” Aria asked as her voice rose. “Alex loves working at the diner. He’s lived in a gilded cage his whole life and now he has responsibility. He gets to feel like he accomplished something every time he comes home at night. Don’t worry about Alex. He’s never been happier. And I’ve never been happier either . . .”
“Don’t say it.” Evaleen held up her hand to Aria, but it was too late.
“In the bedroom,” Aria said with an exaggerated wink.
“On that note, I’ve got to go home and help Edgar negotiate with our daughter about the trick-or-treat candy. It involves intense negotiations. Something I’m better at than he is.” Evaleen scooted out of the booth.
Morgana sighed. “I should head back to the office. With Mr. Mimir’s new plans for the work-life idea at the company, it’s eating up a lot of my time.”
“What time is it?” Tiffany asked around a yawn.
“A few minutes until nine,” Evaleen said as she shrugged her purse over her shoulder.
“Jeez, I’m getting old. I thought it was closer to midnight. Better be getting home myself. Hopefully, Jagger and David haven’t made too much of a mess.”
I watched all my friends. They all had a loved one waiting at home for them when they finally were done with their evening. Even Aria was getting up and shrugging on her black jacket.
What was I going home to? My semi-dead cactus plant. I didn’t think it was possible to kill a cactus, but I was wrong.
“You want to share a cab, Grace?” Aria looked at me with expectant eyes.
Alex’s penthouse was only a few blocks away from my townhouse, so it’d make sense for us to share a ride. But I felt melancholy, so I shook my head.
“That’s okay. I wanted to grab something at the drug store on the corner before heading home. I’ll grab a taxi after.”
Aria hesitated. Her brow furrowed for a moment before she nodded. “Okay, but call me if you need anything.”
I sat for a moment, taking in my life over the past six months. When this year started, I was working the same job I had for the past five years. Now I was the owner of my own business. When Morgana helped me come up with the idea for the diner, I thought that awkward feeling I had most of my life would disappear. That I’d gain some confidence and strength just by running my own business.
But, if anything, I felt less sure and more tired than ever before. I missed the regimented schedule, no matter how monotonous it became. I helped people in my old job. Now, everyone around me complained and blamed me for anything and everything that went wrong. And, as the boss, I had to take it.
What if I made a mistake opening the diner? I had even less of a life now than I did before. This had been the first night I had off in months. And as wonderful as it was, the diner was still on my mind.
I got up and threw some money on the table to add to what the ladies had left. As I headed to the door, I made a decision. I would take time off. Me time.
There’s nothing wrong with putting myself first every so often. Perhaps that was my problem. I had spent my life trying to be everything to everyone; I hadn’t thought about what made me happy. I hadn’t put my well-being first.
I pushed the door to the bar open and felt the crisp breath of the Chicago October night glide over my cheeks as I stepped onto the sidewalk. Turning, I made my way toward the drug store and noticed a few people in costume. They were on their way to enjoy the Halloween night. And I was the lonely loser heading to a drug store to find batteries for her new vibrator.
As I got to the door of the drug store, a man wearing a lion mask held the door open for me. He was tall and despite his face being covered, I felt a blush warm my neck.
He seemed familiar, especially the spicy scent with a hint of lime. And as I made my way to where the batteries were located, I got the impression that he was following me.
TEN
Nico
Adventures in Babysitting
“What do you mean you’re leaving? It hasn’t even been an hour,” Tiber said as he stared at my sister.
“If Nico can take several weeks off from being royal, then I can take one night off.” She removed the rabbit mask she was wearing and dabbed at a bead of sweat on her forehead.
Tiber removed his fox mask and stepped closer to her. “Duchess, I believe we are expected to mingle for another hour at least.”
“Will you two lovebirds quit bickering.” I had long since removed my mask and took a healthy sip of my champagne. It was the only thing offered at the mayor’s Halloween party. Or should I say, the only drink that was palatable.
There was another beverage on offer which was called The Windy Ghoul. But, by the smell of it, it should have been called The Frightened Wretch.
“Lovebirds? I have no idea what you mean, Your Highness.” Tiber straightened and his blue eyes widened so far I thought he had caught a sniff of the ghoulish drink.
Gazing around the large ballroom obviously decorated by the overly eager lovechild of a witch and a pumpkin, I grew tired. This was my night away from the diner and all I could think of was Grace.
Perhaps I fooled myself into believing that if I resumed my duties it would be easy to let go of the diner. To clear Grace from my mind. But I was wrong.
If anything, I only wanted the party to end so I could take a stroll past the diner. Maybe see if Grace was working tonight.
“Whatever you wish to tell yourself, Tiber.” I shrugged and put down my glass.
“Tiber, don’t lie to my brother. He may enjoy lying to the world, but you’re better than that.”
I couldn’t help but notice my sister’s eyes narrow in my direction. I was getting tired of her judgment and more importantly, this party. Most of the people here only asked questions about what it was like to be royal. They didn’t care that I was here to discuss the program I wish to start back in Cambria to help those in need of education and job training.
I specifically told Tiber to mention I would attend if I could give a speech on the matter.
“At least wait until I’ve given my speech, Cali. You might like what I have to say.”
My sister showed no interest in matters that might help our people. She was spoiled—she only cared about going out with her friends and parties and what to wear.
“I thought you would enjoy a masquerade, Duchess?” Tiber tried once again to persuade my sister.
There was no hope. Once my sister made up her mind, there was no going back.
“A real masquerade, yes. But this is just a bunch of adults wearing plastic masks at what looks like a grade school party. I don’t see one woman here in a ball gown or one man in a black tie.”
My sister was right. We were the only ones properly dressed for a masquerade.
Royal Disgrace (Cake Love Book 5) Page 6