by Diane Darcy
Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Book Description
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Epilogue
Thank You!
Other Books by Diane Darcy
Acknowledgments
Excerpt of She's Just Right by Diane Darcy
Excerpt of Pride and Precipitation by Heather Horrocks
The Princess Problem
By
Diane Darcy
Copyright © 2013 Diane Darcy
www.dianedarcy.com
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author except in the case of brief quotation embodied in critical articles and reviews.
Cover art by iStockphoto/Olena Vizerskaya
Cover Design by Heather Horrocks
For previews of upcoming books by Diane Darcy, and to sign up for the mailing list, please visit www.DianeDarcy.com
To my beautiful niece, Alicia Perry, thanks for letting borrow your name!
And also to Brent, who, with three daughters, has had a few princess problems of his own.
In real life, she’s given up on the fairytale ending...
After having her heart broken twice, Alicia Dayne has sworn off men, decided to concentrate on her career, and is delighted to win a lucrative contract to make a commercial for Highborn Mattresses.
She could make the most awesome fairytale commercial ever—except for Jonas Highborn, who isn’t exactly thrilled with her Princess and the Pea ideas, and really doesn’t want a prince in tights representing his company.
Though he’s trying to keep his grieving mother happy by letting her have charge of the commercial shoot, and though Alicia’s trying to keep in mind that this annoying guy is her boss for the moment, they can’t seem to keep from clashing.
Throw in an overly-handsome prince, a matchmaking mama, and a stunning rose garden, and maybe, just maybe, Alicia can be convinced they have a chance at something real.
Because while she might not be a real princess, sometimes an ordinary girl’s got to take a chance, even when it seems too good to be true.
When did Happily Ever After become so complicated?
Chapter One
“Miss Dayne? This is Willa Highborn, from Highborn Mattresses. I’m calling about the proposal you sent over. I really like it. I’d be interested in hiring you for the commercial and print ads we’d like done. Do you think we could get together soon to discuss the possibilities?”
Alicia Dayne’s heart started to pound in her chest. “That sounds wonderful. I’m free tomorrow morning if that would work for you, Mrs. Highborn.”
“Please, call me Willa. Let’s say nine o’clock? At the store on Main?”
“Nine sounds great, Willa.” Alicia did a little jig by her desk and grinned at Mike Rameriz, her cameraman/assistant, and gave him a thumb’s up. Mike’s brows rose as he waited patiently to find out what was going on, his expression cautious and hopeful at the same time. “And please, won’t you call me Alicia?”
“Alicia. A beautiful name. I’m curious, your ideas were so different from any of the other proposals that I’m wondering what inspired you?”
“Well, I believe Highborn Mattress has a royal ring to it. And people often associate royals with fairytales. The fairytale that comes to mind when thinking about mattresses is, of course, The Princess and the Pea. So I guess this idea came out of having my dad read me one too many fairytales as a child. I love them.”
Willa laughed. “Well, I love fairytales, too, and I think your idea is incredibly clever. If my son had his way, he’d simply have a man stand in front of the camera and tell everyone to come on down and get a good price on a mattress. Fortunately, he put me in charge of this one. I understand this would be your first project of this kind?”
Alicia straightened her shoulders. “Yes, ma’am.” She tried to project confidence across the phone. “Though I’ve helped on many others, and specialized in film in college.”
“Well, I like your ideas.”
Anxious to prove her worth, Alicia rushed into speech. “Thank you. If you want to expand on any of the ideas I definitely have more. With your main factory being here in Portland, we could take some shots using Forest Park, or contact Pittock Mansion to see if they’ll let us use the grounds for some of the filming. It’s such a community landmark and it sort of has that castle feel to it. And since Portland is known as the City of Roses, we might find a way to work some roses into the storyline. What do you think?”
Willa laughed. “Well, the roses we can definitely do. I like that idea. Since it’s September, all the rose gardens are still in full bloom for another month or so.”
“Maybe we could somehow fit Mt. Hood into a shot?”
Willa chuckled. “I like your enthusiasm. Let’s meet tomorrow and go over some ideas. I have to say, I like what you’ve already come up with, but if we get too elaborate, my son might nix the whole project. He runs the company now.”
“Oh?”
“Yes. My husband and I built the mattress factory, but my son Jonas has taken the reins. My unmarried son. He would normally do this himself, but he’s put me in charge. I think he’s been worried about me since my husband, his father, died last year.”
“I’m so sorry for your loss.”
“Thank you. I just wish my son would get married and give me a grandchild. That would keep me as busy as I’d care to be. At thirty he’d better not wait too much longer or all the nice girls will be gone. Are you single, dear?”
Alicia froze, picturing a guy unable to get dates on his own. “Oh. Oh, well, yes I am, but I’m sort of focused on my career right now.”
“Well, I like your picture. You look like a nice girl. I had Tate, my neighbor, help me research you on the Internet and we found your picture on your company website. You are cute as a button.”
“Thank you.” Time to change the subject. Fast. “I’m really excited about this opportunity. I can’t wait to get together tomorrow to discuss my ideas in person and, of course, to get your feedback. It’ll be a ton of fun.
“I’m looking forward to it, as well. Do you have the address of the main store?”
“I do.”
“All right, dear. Until tomorrow.”
Alicia carefully set the phone in its cradle.
“Well?” asked Mike.
She turned and raised both arms into the air. “We’re in!” Alicia gave a couple of jumps. “Pinch me! No, don’t pinch me! We got it! She chose us!”
“Whoo hoo!” Mike leaned forward on his chair and lifted his hand in the air and she high-fived him. “Why’d she call you and not the old man?” Mike asked, referring to the owner of the advertising firm.
“I don’t know. She researched me on the Internet or something.” She blew out a breath. “She sort of mentioned that her desperate, single son needs a wife.” She shuddered.
Mike laughed. “Let’s go tell the boss in person, then come back and take another look at your story-board. We can work on the budget so we’ll be ready tomorrow.”
She grinned at him. “Good idea.”
; As they headed down the hall, Alicia was already thinking of a few models she would inform about the casting call. She pictured the stacked mattresses she’d use, the princess dress, the prince costume; which reminded her--she needed to call a few costume shops to see what they had. This might just be a mattress commercial, but it was going to be awesome!
One thing was for sure. This was a chance to prove herself to her boss, get something impressive on her resume, and make the best commercial ever. She couldn’t help a little squeal as they headed down the hall. When Mike laughed, she winked at him. Tomorrow couldn’t come soon enough.
* * *
“My husband and I started this company over thirty-five years ago.” Alicia and Mike toured the Highborn Mattress store in downtown Portland with Mrs. Highborn, who had turned out to be a stunningly beautiful woman in her sixties, and justifiably proud of her company. “Back then it was just a one-room store on the south side of Main Street. We sold mattresses by other manufacture’s and didn’t have our own factory until ten years later. Since my son Jonas has taken over, he’s moved us to a whole new level, and opened another factory.
She stopped for a moment and turned to Alicia. “Did I mention he’s my only child?”
Alicia shook her head and offered a polite smile. “No. I didn’t realize.”
When Mrs. Highborn started across the tile floor again, Alicia fell back into step, Mike slightly behind. “We had Jonas about ten years into our marriage. We’d been told we couldn’t have children, so he was quite a blessing.”
“I can imagine,” said Alicia, and wondered if this workaholic paragon who couldn’t get a date had perhaps been spoiled rotten. She wisely kept that last thought to herself.
“Where are you from, Alicia?”
“The Spokane area. I haven’t moved too far from my roots.”
“Do you still have family there?”
“Oh, yeah. Mom, Dad, and two younger brothers, twins. I still go home for the big holidays and I talk to everyone all the time. Well, I mostly text the boys.”
“That’s good, dear. It’s important to stay close to family.”
“I agree. I also have a slew of college girlfriends I keep in touch with.”
“That’s very nice, dear. You said you weren’t dating anyone at the moment? You’re such a pretty girl. You have such beautiful dark hair. It’s hard to believe you haven’t married. I hope you haven’t had any off-putting experiences?”
Alicia chuckled, amused by the obvious prying. “No more than the next girl, I suppose. The high school boyfriend and the college boyfriend are married to others now. The online stalker seems to have moved on, too. So I guess I’m at a loose end at the moment.”
When Mrs. Highborn gave a startled laugh, Alicia tried to change the subject. “I’m really excited about my new job, and that’s taking up a ton of my time.” She caught a glimpse of Mike trying to keep a straight face and managed not to glare.
Mrs. Highborn stopped by the children’s mattresses. “This is where I was thinking you could set up the princess bed with all the mattresses. What do you think?”
Alicia looked at the high ceiling, the centered location, and light coming in from the windows. “It’s perfect.”
Mrs. Highborn smiled. “I was thinking we could leave the princess bed in place afterward as a display and a conversation piece. You know, people would come in and say, oh look, I saw that in the commercial, that sort of thing. Perhaps we could set out The Princess and the Pea books for the kids to read and take home. What do you think?”
Alicia tried to hide her excitement behind a professional smile. What Alicia thought was that Mrs. Highborn was going to hire them. “Great idea. When we film, we could focus on the bed, and then pull the camera back and eventually see the entire children’s area. Plus the way it’s centered, it’s the first thing people will see when they walk down the aisle.”
“That’s what I thought,” said Willa. “I considered some of the ideas you talked about on the phone yesterday and I’ve decided I really want to focus on the store, not Portland, though I really liked your idea of including roses. They have a special place in my heart, you see. My husband gave me roses when he proposed, and a rose bush every year for our anniversary. The roses in my garden are in full bloom right now and if we could somehow use some for the commercial, it would mean a lot to me.”
“That is so sweet. And roses go so well with princesses, don’t they?”
Mrs Highborn smiled. “I knew you’d understand.”
A few minutes later she led them into her office and, after they sat across from her, Alicia handed over the contract. “It’s pretty straightforward.”
Mrs. Highborn put on a pair of glasses, retrieved a pen from her desk drawer, and started to read. When she finished, she picked up the pen, but hesitated. Looking at Alicia over the top of her glasses, she tapped the pen against the contract. “Alicia, I wonder if you might like to come to the house for dinner tonight. You could meet Jonas. I’m sure he’ll be impressed with your ideas.”
Alicia glanced at the unsigned contract, then at Mike who bit back another smile. Jerk. This close to what she wanted, Alicia decided to be gracious in defeat. “I’d love to. That sounds wonderful. It’ll give me a chance to see your roses.”
Mrs. Highborn smiled.
Alicia smiled back as her natural optimism reasserted itself. She knew enough about business to know that someone untried like herself probably wouldn’t have this opportunity if it weren’t for the fact that Mrs. Highborn had somehow decided it was imperative to introduce her to her son, the dateless dud. So if that was the only reason she was up for the contract, and she was pretty sure it was, then being nice to the guy over a meal was a small price to pay. It might be a little bit awkward, but nothing she couldn’t handle. Especially since it would do wonders for her career. She glanced at the contract.
“Is eight o’clock too late?” asked Willa. “Jonas, um, that is to say, we sometimes eat late.”
“Sounds good.” Anyway, she wouldn’t have to stay long. As soon as dinner ended, she’d claim to have work early in the morning, which she did.
“Wonderful,” said Mrs. Highborn. She reached into her desk drawer and extracted a card. “Here’s my address.”
Alicia looked at the exclusive Portland location. “Thank you.”
Mrs. Highborn lifted the contract. “My neighbor, Tate, will no doubt want to read through this first. He’s a retired lawyer. I’ll have the contract ready for you after dinner tonight. Is that all right?”
Alicia somehow managed to keep her smile firmly in place. “Of course. Until tonight.” She rose with Mike and they took turns shaking Mrs. Highborn’s hand and saying their goodbyes before heading out.
As soon as they were out of hearing distance, Mike chuckled softly. “My feelings are hurt. I didn’t get an invite to dinner.”
Alicia pushed open the front doors and they headed into the parking lot. “Shut up or I’ll stick you in a dress and send you over.”
Mike barked out a laugh. “I’d do it, too, if it meant getting the contract.”
Alicia sighed. “I’ll get it. She said after dinner, right? How hard can one little dinner be? I mean, I have to eat anyway, right?”
“Sure.” Mike didn’t look convinced. “Just make sure you protect your ovaries, okay?”
Alicia snorted. “Shut up, Mike.”
He laughed all the way to the car.
Chapter Two
“Mom, I’m starving. Why can’t we eat yet? What’s the hold up? Tate is acting like I’m committing a crime by asking for dinner. I have things to do. I know he’s picky about his cooking, but can we hurry him up somehow?” Jonas Highborn came the rest of the way into the opulent sitting room to see his mother staring out the window at the pouring rain. “Come away from there. I don’t want you getting hit by lightning.”
His mother glanced up for a moment, then immediately looked back out the window. “This storm is terrible.”
“I’ve invited a guest to dinner. I’m afraid she won’t make it in this storm.”
Jonas stared down at his mother, his eyes narrowing. “She? An old friend of yours?”
She shot him a quick glance, but didn’t hold his gaze.
“All I can say is that it had better not be an unmarried female.”
“Mmm, hmm.” His mother finally turned away from the window to fuss with some roses she’d cut earlier and placed on a side table.
“Mom?”
She wouldn’t look at him.
“Mother?”
She sighed. Shrugged.
“Mom. You did it again, didn’t you? You invited yet another girl over to dinner. Admit it.”
She finally faced him. “Dear, you need to listen to me. This one is different.”
“That’s what you always say.”
The house went dark, and the house powered down with a moan, leaving them in darkness and silence. Jonas laughed. “Well, there goes your evil plan. The last time this happened, it was out for hours.”
“Oh do be quiet and light a candle. It’s not evil for me to want a grandchild. Or two.” She muttered the last under her breath.
Letting himself smile since she couldn’t see him anyway, Jonas found matches and lit a few candles on the mantle. Then he couldn’t help it. He snickered. “So, can we eat now?”