by Avery Katz
“Be careful, will you? There’s a live audience out there. I don’t like it one bit. Anyways, I’ll always be only a few feet away, just in case.”
I nodded and checked my reflection in the mirror one last time before leaving. The royal blue suit was a bold choice for a live interview, but it complimented the color of my eyes. Besides, I promised cousin Lizzie to promote her menswear collection during my visit, and I always kept my promises.
The production manager met us in the corridor and escorted us both to the main studio. The cooking segment finally came to an end, so they hooked a microphone to my lapel and told Justin to wait for me behind the cameras.
“One more thing.” He held my gaze while everyone started counting down to the interview. “If things go south during the interview and she makes you uncomfortable, or if you want to say fuck it and leave, just signal me.”
I nodded.
“Thanks. And just for the record, I really am glad to have you as my bodyguard. Your caveman beard has successfully driven away from the paparazzi. No one spares me a second glance in your presence.”
He smiled at that and wished me luck before moving to stand behind the cameraman. The host, whose name was Nicole invited me to the stage while the audience clapped and cheered me on in the background. I leaned in and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before turning around to face the audience. The entire female population of San Francisco was present. I waved back at them before sitting down in my leather chair.
Nicole started by asking me the easy questions first. We discussed Raplen and its wonderful landscape and architecture. She asked about my favorite local hangouts and why I chose San Francisco as my launching pad, so to speak.
“My brother and his husband live here, so it was an easy choice to make. I love California as a whole. You guys have the best weather all year long, and the best tacos money can buy.”
They all started laughing. Nicole asked me about my daily life as a crown prince and what happened behind closed doors at Lockridge Palace.
“You mean aside from plotting to kill each other like everyone does on Game of Thrones? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.”
The crowd erupted in laughter again.
“In all honesty, we behave just like any other family. We gather in the dining hall for meals and keep each other company during blizzards and thunderstorms. Raplen has the best weather in winter. It really does. As for my daily schedule, it usually starts with breakfast, followed by meetings and other royal engagements. Contrary to popular belief, I am not a sloth nor a couch potato. My current project with the European Union is going to help Raplen become more sustainable. A circular economy is our goal.”
We spoke about my passion for the environment and my latest appearance at the ocean charity gala. She asked me about my tailored suits, and I bragged about having a fashion designer for a cousin.
“Lizzie Lockridge needs no introductions. Her collection has been featured in Vogue and other high fashion magazines. Yes, I am shamelessly promoting my cousin. She deserves it.”
“Elizabeth Lockridge is married to an American citizen. Was your family supportive of this union?” Nicole asked. The studio went silent in anticipation of my answer.
“Yes. They were incredibly supportive. Her husband is a gem. She chose well.”
“Is that a diplomatic answer or do you genuinely like him?”
I flashed Nicole, my trademark megawatt smile and told her the truth.
“My brothers are both married to wholesome, loving American men, and so is Lizzie. That is why I love coming here. This is my home away from home, so there is no need for diplomacy. Not really.”
“There you have it, people. Straight from the lips of Prince Rupert.” She said. “Speaking of your brothers and male cousins, we all know about their sexual orientation. How did you manage to remain heterosexual, or are you still in the closet?”
I hated such intrusive questions that aimed to stir the pot. It was my fault for not screening the interview questions beforehand. Nevertheless, I smiled and decided to give her an evasive answer.
“Just because my siblings are gay does not mean that I have to be gay too, and vice versa.”
“Well, I’m sure my question has crossed the minds of millions of viewers watching us now.” Nicole refused to let me have my evasive moment. “So I’m not letting you off the hook. No one has been able to pin you down with anyone. Not a spouse or a boyfriend or even a girlfriend.”
“Maybe people believe I’m asexual because of that, just like Jughead from Archie Comics. We both share a passion for burgers and milkshakes. Does anyone in the audience watch Riverdale? I love that show.”
And just like that, Nicole was silenced. The crowd cheered me on and gave a shout-out to Riverdale. I was relieved and proud of myself for creating a diversion. We moved on to a question and answer segment where the audience was able to interact with me. A group of women collectively asked me to marry them. They were all dressed in matching pink shirts with my face on the front and back.
I spotted Justin rolling his eyes in the background. His expression made me laugh. I apologized to the women and told them polygamy was not allowed in my country. I was asked all sorts of silly questions. Not that I minded. I appreciated the sentiment.
“Prince Rupert, will you go out with me?”
“Prince Rupert, I want to have your babies! Woohoo!”
Most of the audience members were female, with the exception of three or four gentlemen. One of them raised his hand to ask me a question. He looked familiar, but I was unable to place him. Nicole announced the end of the segment and apologized for not being able to take any more questions. She wrapped things up and thanked me for coming. I waved goodbye at the cameras and waited until we were off the air to take off my microphone.
“You did great.” She said while getting up from her chair. She wobbled in her four-inch heels, so I reached out and offered her my hand. “Thanks. You’re a true gentleman. I really enjoyed having you on my show.”
Nicole was attractive and very charming. I could tell by the look in her eyes that she was about to ask me yet another personal question.
“Well, they don’t call me Prince Charming for nothing.”
She blushed, and straight-up asked me out on a date.
“Would you like to have dinner with me tonight? I have reservations at the best restaurant in town. My treat. What do you say?”
I sensed that Nicole was attempting to feel me out. Maybe she really was interested in me, or maybe her journalistic instincts told her I was avoiding her questions for a reason. It could be both.
“Sure. Dinner sounds good.”
We exchanged details to get in touch for dinner. She gave me a kiss on the cheek before returning to her show. I turned around to find Justin standing there with a smirk on his lips.
“What?”
“Nothing. You’re a real natural in front of the cameras. You should host your own TV show.”
“Yeah. I can call it Keeping Up with the Lockridges.”
Chapter 13
JUSTIN
The morning show host wore a disappointed expression along with her little black dress and Louboutin heels. I figured showing up with Ruppy on his dinner date was the reason for the tight smile she gave us. I grinned like a Cheshire cat and watched her greet the prince with a kiss on the cheek.
The paparazzi stationed outside the famous Octavia restaurant were multiplying by the minute. Candid shots of members of the royal family were worth a fuckload of money. I watched them circle the restaurant like sharks, trying to get the best angle of Ruppy and his chiseled jawline.
Nicole gave me a look that screamed, “go away,” but she tried to be subtle about it. She was petite with reddish-blonde hair and terrible taste in makeup. I wanted to sit her down in front of a mirror and show her how to properly use a contour stick.
Ruppy, on the other hand, looked fucking perfect. He wore a burgundy suit and a tie with black horses pri
nted on it. It was a Lizzie Lockridge original creation. I was so fucking impressed by her collection. She used a lot of earth tones mixed with bold prints. Nicole complimented him on his look and reached out to flirt with the silky tie.
“I love your taste in fashion.”
“Thanks. Please allow me to introduce Justin.” Ruppy said. “He’s my bodyguard. I don’t go anywhere without him.”
“Clearly.” She smiled and shook my hand. “So you will be joining us for dinner.” Her grey eyes met mine, and she looked far from thrilled. “We should tell the waitress to change our table.”
The intimate table for two had to be replaced with another table by the window. I was amused by one thing and one thing only. Ruppy was eager to have me here with him unlike yesterday when he ventured off on his own for two hours. I was more of a third wheel and a free-loader too since Nicole was paying for dinner.
I sat down, facing the entrance while keeping an eye on the windows at the same time. Thankfully, there was another celebrity dining at the restaurant, so his bodyguards chased away the paparazzi. They scattered like cockroaches much to my delight. I relaxed in my chair and scanned the award-winning menu. Ruppy ordered red wine, and so did Nicole. She seemed hellbent on impressing him.
“So, what do you recommend?”
“The duck liver mousse is out of this world, and the wagyu beef is sublime.” She suggested.
Ruppy and I ordered the beef, which was served with asparagus and sweet herbs. I had no idea what wagyu meant, so he filled me in on the wonders of Japanese meat.
“Kobe and wagyu are the cream of the crop. I tried them both in Tokyo and New York. This is the very first time I ever heard of Octavia, though. Do you come here often?”
The question was directed at Nicole, who was busy making love to her wine. She took a long sip before answering.
“I come here mostly on weekends. So, tell me more about yourself. Off the record of course.”
Ruppy kept the conversation light and fluffy. He mentioned his grandmother and briefly talked about the bond he shared with his brothers. He apparently had a sacred collection of Archie comics in his bedroom at the palace.
“I have a sentimental bond with the freckled redhead. I used to read his comics during royal ceremonies and weddings. I was a tall and lanky teenager, so I used to stuff those thick double digests inside my jacket. Needless to say, my lankiness proved to be a blessing rather than a curse.”
“There is nothing lanky about you now.” Nicole smiled and openly flirted with him. I rolled my eyes when she leaned in closer and touched his arm. “How does it feel to have the world at your feet? You seem so humble yet confident at the same time.”
He chuckled and told her he was raised by two incredibly human beings.
“My parents were very dedicated to us while we were growing up. We had a governess who took care of things in their absence, but my father made sure he was involved in every aspect of our lives.”
“Aw. That is so sweet.” She gushed.
Our food arrived, bringing their conversation to an end. I was starving, but I waited for Ruppy to start eating before digging into my own plate. The wagyu beef was fucking amazing. It was tender and bursting with flavor.
Throughout our dinner, I found myself staring at him without even realizing it. I reminded myself over and over to keep things professional. Nicole was too busy taking pictures of her plate to notice. She hardly ate any of her seared duck.
“This is the best steak in the entire state of California,” I remarked. “Seriously, what do they feed those Japanese cows? Crack cocaine? This shit is orgasmic.”
“I was just thinking the exact same thing,” Ruppy said with a chuckle. “Wait until you try the kobe. Your taste buds will thank you.”
“My taste buds are already on cloud number nine. This steak has ruined me for other future steaks. Now I know what the fuss is all about.”
“Yeah. We should check out the burger place on Market Street. It has great reviews on Yelp.”
“I should take you to Super Duper Burgers. It serves milkshakes and fries and has this fifties retro theme that you love so much. Their Oreo shake is the reason why I moved to San Francisco.”
“What? I thought you moved to The Golden City to serve and protect the innocent.”
“Nah. I moved here for the sole purpose of drinking milkshakes and walking dramatically in the fog.”
“There is something mysterious yet sexy about San Francisco in the fog. Driving down Golden Gate Bridge almost feels like being in a music video.”
“Yeah. A very sexy music video. I’m thinking Britney Spears during her Oops I Did It Again era.”
Ruppy laughed and almost spilled his wine on the table.
“Wow. You took me back to high school. At least, my version of high school. A friend of mine used to listen to that song on her Walkman all the time. American pop music was the hottest thing on the map back then.”
“I’m sorry, but while you were listening to bubblegum pop, I was listening to Daft Punk and Craig David. How could you not listen to the butter voiced one? His debut album was the shit.”
I lost track of the topics we covered during dinner. We had so much in common even though we were raised in two different continents and by two different families. Nicole ironically became the third-wheel. She sat there, listening to our never ending conversation with a permanent bitch face.
We ordered dessert and delved deep into the world of the X-Files. Ruppy hated the revival but bragged about meeting Mulder and Scully in real life. He said Gillian Anderson was sweet and sophisticated. I loved listening to him talk. His voice was soothing in the otherwise loud and crowded restaurant. It made me feel fuzzy on the inside. I was addicted to that feeling. Hell, I wanted to sit here and listen to him all night, but we had to leave. It was already half-past eleven. Ruppy sometimes behaved like a kid who had school the next day but refused to go to bed.
The prince thanked Nicole for the pleasant company and insisted on walking her to her cherry red Lexus. I followed them both to the parking lot and shielded him from the TMZ reporter who kept on asking him questions about his dinner. We watched her leave before heading back to my SUV.
I spotted a piece of paper stuck to the windshield, and my instincts told me to grab it and read it before Ruppy did. It turned out to be a note from one of his fans. The note rubbed me the wrong way, especially the handwriting. It was childish and borderline creepy. It mentioned how crazy he or she was about Ruppy and how before he left, they would be together. I quickly tore it up and hid it in my pocket.
“What was that?” He asked, having spotted the note. I lied and told him it was just a flyer.
“Oh, okay.” His blue eyes twinkled mischievously. The kid in him rose to the surface again and floated around me like a butterfly. “I don’t want to go back to the hotel. How about we celebrate my successful interview and its high ratings by going to the club?”
Shit. I really hated the way he fluttered those seductive lashes at me. I should have known his playful side would come out to play, especially after that orgasmic dinner and dessert. I groaned and pinched the bridge of my nose in frustration.
“We should go straight to the hotel. The gay club on Eighteenth Street will be flooded with bubbly men who have a weakness for European eye candy. They can probably smell you a mile away.”
“Oh, come on. Don’t rain on my parade.” He pouted. “Either you go with me, or I walk this path alone with no one to protect me.” He shrugged. “You decide.”
Fuck. I was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Ruppy whistled and waited for me to decide. Fast forward ten minutes later, and we were pulling up in front of Oasis. It was a cabaret-style gay club whose owners were two chatty drag queens. The place was crowded as fuck, but I knew the manager who was able to hook us up with a semi-private table. Ruppy ordered a Cosmo while I chose to behave and ordered a Shirley Temple. The festive atmosphere complemented the loud Cher song blasting from
the speakers.
Everything about the club was extravagant and over the top but I liked it. It had a unique vibe that Ruppy was definitely into. The club was dark enough for us to slip by unnoticed. So far, no one had recognized him. I breathed a sigh of relief and tried to live in the moment.
I was just about to let my guard down when Alex showed up out of nowhere. He scared the bejesus out of me.
“There you are! The man of the hour. Fancy meeting you here.”
Shit. I should have known better. Oasis was his favorite club too.
“Hey. What are you doing here on a Monday night? I thought you were in Beverly Hills, sweeping murders and scandals under the rug.”
“Haha. Very funny.” He gave me a quick hug before turning his attention to Ruppy. “Your Highness. How lovely to meet you in person. Christmas came early this year.”
Ruppy smiled his usual charming smile and graciously shook his hand.
“The pleasure is all mine. Please call me Rupert.”
Alex gave me a shit-eating grin before sitting across from the man of my dreams. He ordered a bottle of scotch to celebrate running into Ruppy and gushed about his morning interview.
“You killed it today. You answered every question with ease, and the gals at my office said you sounded extremely relatable. You have that boy-next-door quality that no one else has. I’m talking personality here, not looks. You’re an eleven out of ten in the looks department.”
Ruppy blushed. His high cheekbones turned cotton candy pink. I wanted to reach out and pinch them.
“Thank you, Alex. You’re far too kind. It took years of media training to get it right.”
“See? What did I tell you about media and sensitivity training? You should take a course or two.” My best friend suggested. “Justin is a bit hot-headed, and it gets him into trouble with his clients.”
“Client. As in singular, not plural.” I clarified. “She was the daughter of a famous baseball coach. She wanted to sit on my shoulders at a Coachella concert, but I said no.”
“You called her a spoiled brat to her face.”