The Prince's Cinderella Love

by Lara Hunter

  Kasper was an enigma. I studied him while we danced, hoping to find something written on his face that would help me understand him. And somehow, I think it worked. Because something clicked into place in my head.

  The letters in Kasper’s study.

  The evening’s mysterious donor.

  The whispers. The secrecy. The masks.

  I didn’t know why he didn’t want praise for funding it, but in that moment I was certain that Kasper was the donor responsible for organizing the ball. I smiled.

  “What is it?” Kasper asked. “You look a little devious. What have you done? Should I tell Eric to bring the car around?”

  “What?” I asked, laughing. “Can’t a girl just smile?”

  He spun me in a lazy circle, holding me even closer when I came back around. “That depends,” Kasper replied. “But I suspect you’ve got a streak of mischief in you.”

  “It’s nothing like that,” I said. “I’ve just had a realization.”

  He raised one eyebrow at me, smirking. “Oh yeah?”

  I leaned in close, sliding up onto my tiptoes to get close to his ear. “Prince Kasper van Dijk, crown prince of the Netherlands: I know which mask you wear.”

  A look of surprise and what I could have sworn was admiration dawned on Kasper’s face. I didn’t get a chance to study it properly though, because at that moment, every light in the ballroom went out, and the world became a sea of black.

  NINE

  Darkness has an equal potential for beauty and horror. Some of the guests went straight to the horror end of the spectrum, punctuating the darkness with the sounds of screams and the clatter of things being knocked over. But Kasper and I felt something different.

  As soon as we were plunged into blackness, Kasper pulled me closer. At first, I thought he was just keeping hold of me so he didn’t lose me in the crowd. But then I felt his lips press against my ear, my cheek, the side of my mouth.

  I turned my face to his, feeling the soft brush of his lips against mine. Then our mouths met, and I sank into him like water crashing against the sand.

  In the dark, it was like we were alone. We were back in his living room, drinking wine as the snow piled down outside. Erased of our identities, we were free to explore our innermost feelings. Or at least that was how I felt.

  But nothing lasts forever; power outages even less so.

  The first bright flash in my face sent me reeling back, eyes wildly searching for its source. Around us, a sea of lights had begun to flare. Cellphones, flashlights, lighters, and even camera flashes were being used to illuminate the ballroom.

  And I hadn’t moved away fast enough.

  “Is that Prince Kasper?” someone called out.

  “Who’s he with?”

  “Who is she?”

  Kasper began pulling me through the crowd, our path lit by a dim electronic glow. I followed along without question, anxious to escape the scene we’d just created. My head was still in a spin from the kiss; I wasn’t even sure where the exit was. Thankfully, Kasper knew the way. Within a few minutes, we were back in his limousine and back on the road.

  “I’m sorry about that,” Kasper said.

  I was seated next to him on the wide backseat of the limo, still panting from our speedy exit.

  “I’m not really sure what just happened,” I replied. “Why did the power go out?”

  “Who can say?” Kasper said, grabbing a bottle of champagne from the cooler and popping it open. “It could have been foul play, but it was more likely just a power grid malfunction.”

  “And…the rest of it?” I prodded.

  Kasper grinned mischievously, handing me a glass of champagne. “I’m not sure I know what you’re referring to.”

  I scowled at him.

  He’s going to make me say it out loud.

  Embarrassment coated my cheeks with heat. I took a bracing gulp of champagne. “You kissed me,” I stated finally. “And everyone saw.”

  “Yes, that happened, also,” Kasper said coolly, brushing back an unruly lock of blond hair that was attempting to migrate onto his forehead.

  I gaped at him, unsure of what to say. Eventually, cringing, I asked, “Why?”

  “Though the lights were off, there were still countless sources of illumination at hand,” he explained. “Hence us being spotted.”

  “Kasper!” I gritted my teeth. “Please don’t mess around with me.”

  He plucked my champagne glass from my hand then placed it down with his by the cooler. He turned, his eyes boring down into mine. I felt glued to the spot by his gaze.

  “I kissed you,” he said, his voice like caramel, “because I wanted to. Just like I want to kiss you right now.” His hands gripped my waist, pulling me up off the seat and into his lap.

  I gasped, but was silenced by his mouth pressing down against mine. I closed my eyes, and I was lost.

  Nobody had ever kissed me like that, with such passion yet such gentleness. His lips moved deftly, but his hands were light on the side of my face. My scalp tingled with bliss, and I sighed against Kasper’s mouth.

  He broke off, but stayed close enough that his lips brushed mine when he spoke. “Would you like to come back with me tonight?”

  I blinked, stunned. “I can’t,” I replied. “I…”

  I struggled to think of an excuse. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to go back with him—God, did I want to go—it’s just that it was all happening so fast. I’d had a crush on Kasper for going on a year now, but I’d only known him for a few hours when it came down to it. And I was scared.

  “You don’t need to give me a reason,” Kasper murmured. “It’s okay.”

  My heart warmed at that. “Thank you.”

  He smiled. “Thank you for being my date.”

  The car dropped me off at my apartment building, and I felt like Cinderella stumbling home from the ball after losing her shoe.

  As the glitter turned back to dust, I wondered again if I’d slipped into some sort of delusion. But I still had both my shoes on and was still wearing a fancy dress, so that meant one thing:

  Prince Kasper of Holland had just kissed me. Twice. And it was the best feeling in the world.

  TEN

  My car crawled up the gravel drive of the mansion for what felt like a million years. I couldn’t wait to see Kasper again. Who knew what the day would bring?

  Friday mornings were always the best at work. Barb was usually in a good mood due to the proximity of the weekend, and there was always lots of work to dive into as soon as I got in.

  I was practically buzzing with excited energy by the time I got through the laundry room door, where Barb was waiting for me with a grin.

  “How was your night?” she asked excitedly. “Tell me everything!”

  “It was magical,” I replied, gushing. “Everyone looked so fabulous, and Kasper was such a gentleman.”

  “Prince Kasper, you mean.”

  “Of course,” I replied, sending her a cheeky smile. “Prince Kasper. Speaking of, is he in his study?”

  Barb shrugged. “I just got in, but I haven’t seen him. Christopher is schlepping around somewhere though, if you need to ask something.”

  I shook the plastic bag I held in my fist. “I wanted to return this dress and thank him.”

  I couldn’t tell Barb about our kiss. Not only would she make a huge deal out of it, but I liked the idea of it staying just between us. Our little secret.

  Until I could figure out what it meant, at any rate.

  “I’ll send it out for dry cleaning with this morning’s items,” Barb said, grabbing the bag from me. “Don’t be thinking just because you went to one ball that you’re above scrubbing toilets now.” She laughed.

  I wrinkled my nose but laughed along with her. She’d taken away my excuse to go talk to Kasper; now I’d just have to track him down and say hello to him without an agenda. Just me. Saying hello.

  “I’ll see you later,” I said to Barb, grabbing my supplie
s. “I’ll get started on the upstairs.”

  She waved me off and I practically ran up the stairs two at a time in my haste to get to Kasper’s study. I knocked, standing at the door with a stupid grin on my face.

  Footsteps approached from the other side of the door. I tried to temper down my grin. I failed.

  The door swung inward. “Yes?”

  My face fell. “Christopher,” I said. “I thought you were the Prince.”

  “Prince van Dijk left this morning,” Christopher said. “He had business to attend to. Whatever it is you need from him, I can assist you.”

  “I, uh, just wanted to let him know that I cleaned the picture frames. Like he asked.”

  The Prince’s PA stared at me like I was the single dumbest person he’d ever stumbled across. “Good,” he said, after a pause. “I’ll make sure to pass along your very important message.” Then he closed the door in my face.

  I felt sick, like my heart was trying to come up through my throat. Kasper had left without telling me. Again.

  It wasn’t like he needed to check in with me or anything. I wasn’t his girlfriend. I wasn’t his secretary, even. I was just his maid. But would it have killed him to make me feel like I was something a little more than that after kissing me the way he had?

  I began cleaning the top floor in a haze. The more I thought about it, the more I realized how foolish I’d been to assume I meant anything to Kasper. What had I been expecting? He’d only invited me to the ball in the first place because he’d had nobody else to go with. I was the back-up plan; a throwaway option.

  It hurt to realize that the media had been right all along in their portrayal of Kasper. I’d so badly wanted to believe there was more to him, but there clearly wasn’t. He probably went around kissing girls and never speaking to them again. He probably made a sport of it.

  I should have known better.

  ELEVEN

  I spent the whole day feeling sorry for myself. I tried to hide it from Barb, not wanting to face the endless questions that would inevitably rise out of it. I had no answers myself, so I certainly couldn’t be answering hers.

  The fact that I worked in Kasper’s home only made matters worse. Everywhere I went, I was reminded of him. Things smelled like him. And, to be completely honest, more than once I was tempted to actually sweep a dust pile under his bed, un-pair his socks, or other related mischief.

  But I made it through the day. And as I lugged my supplies back to the laundry room, I was starting to feel a little better about being cast off by the handsome debonair of a prince.

  Then the doorbell rang.

  Kasper didn’t often receive visitors. When he did, he was almost always there to receive them, or had one of his PAs present to do so on his behalf. But Christopher had gone home, and Barb and I were the only ones still in the mansion, which led me to believe that whomever was at the door must’ve just been lost or trying to sell something.

  I set my mop and bucket down and walked over to the door, wiping sweat from my brow. I opened the door and looked up, then kept looking up.

  A million miles above me stood an elegant blonde woman with perfectly straight white teeth. She smiled down at me, probably resisting the urge to ask how the weather was down there.

  “Hello,” I said. “Can I help you?”

  “I’m Princess Cecilia of Sweden,” she said. Her accent had a melodic cadence that reminded me of Kasper’s. “I’m looking for the Prince.”

  “I’m afraid he’s not here,” I said. “Can I pass along a message for you?”

  Cecilia furrowed her brow. “Were you around yesterday before the ball?” she asked.

  “I was,” I said through a tight-lipped smile.

  “Maybe you can help me, then,” Cecilia said. “I was supposed to go to the ball with Kasper, but I lost my phone at a party back in Europe and wasn’t able to make it.”

  I glanced from her model-like cheekbones to her crystalline blue eyes, to the way her skin seemed to shine from within. She was flawless. And this was the woman I replaced?

  “I can certainly pass along the message,” I said. “He’ll be pleased to hear from you, I’m sure.”

  Cecilia shook her head. “You don’t understand,” she said, pulling out a crumpled magazine page from her purse. She thrust it toward me. “I’m not here to apologize.”

  I took the paper from her hands, un-wrinkling it gently. Cecilia had clearly ripped it from the society pages, and messily, too.

  At the center of the page was a picture of Kasper and me on the red carpet. He was holding me close to him, and I was brandishing what appeared to be a genuine smile. I wanted to tuck the picture into my pocket to take home with me, but didn’t think it would be appropriate.

  I glanced up at Cecilia. She was glowering fiercely.

  “Does he have a harem of women that he plucks a girl from each time he needs a date?” she asked. “He lost contact with me for one day and the next thing I know he’s pictured at the event I was supposed to be at with some doctor on his arm, no less. Can you believe it?”

  At first I thought she was getting mad at me, but then I realized she was simply looking for commiseration; outside of my borrowed ball gown, Cecilia didn’t recognize me. I was just the maid, after all. I felt crushed.

  “I’m very sorry,” I said. “I wish I could be more help, but all I can do is let the Prince know you came by.”

  Cecilia sighed and snatched her page back. “Whatever. Let him know if he wants to make up for it, he’s going to have to do a damn fine job.”

  “I will.”

  “And if he asks, tell him I’m looking fantastic,” she instructed.

  “Certainly.”

  Cecilia narrowed her eyes at me. I turned my gaze down, fearful that she’d put the facts together. I wanted to close the door on her, but I feared that would only make my situation worse.

  “Is there anything else?” I asked.

  Cecilia frowned. “No. Nothing else.”

  “Thanks for dropping by,” I said, shutting the door in a rush.

  As soon as I was alone in the foyer again, I took a deep breath and tried not to sink down to the floor in angst.

  That was the girl he was supposed to go out with? How could I compete with her? She had perfect, toned legs that went on for days and I doubted she’d ever had a pimple in her life. She was perfect.

  No wonder he hadn’t told me he was going back to Holland.

  I finished putting away my cleaning supplies and grabbed my coat from the wall in the laundry room, ready to put this week and Kasper behind me. It was Friday, which meant nothing about the Prince, Cecilia, or the whole situation could get to me until Monday. I was free.

  My brain began whirring. What would happen if I just didn’t tell Kasper about Cecilia? No, I couldn’t do that. I couldn’t lie to my boss. Besides, if I had to resort to lying to earn his affection, then I hadn’t really earned it at all.

  I laughed inwardly at my foolishness as I remembered how the princess had thrust a picture of my face toward me without knowing it was me. That so perfectly highlighted the ridiculousness of the situation. Who was I, thinking I could play dress up and earn the affections of a future head of state?

  I vowed not to think about it. I would go home, make some dinner, and start my weekend off with a good movie or something.

  Not long after pulling onto the main road, a car with blacked-out windows pulled out behind me. I noticed only because I was almost always alone when I drove on this stretch of road. Since only Kasper and that movie star woman lived along here, it wasn’t often I ran into other cars.

  The SUV kept up with me all the way to the highway, but I think I lost it after that. Not that I was particularly trying to lose it. Sure, a car with blacked-out windows was suspicious, but the only reason anyone would follow me was by mistake. What was the worst that could happen?

  TWELVE

  The cold bit into my lungs, sending a burn through my chest as I ran. I push
ed harder, determined to beat my personal best—I always did when I was upset about something. It was like my body worked extra hard, thinking it could run away from whatever it was that was bothering me.

  The frozen ground crunched underfoot. I vaulted over tree roots and rocks, picking my way along the path like a jungle explorer. Even though it was just a park in my neighborhood, I always liked to inject a little adventure into my runs.