Billionaire's Playmate

by Chance Carter

  The carved double doors at the side of the room opened and my father entered in a pressed navy suit, regal even without his crown. He didn’t hide his initial inspection of Tamara, but thankfully he appeared to like what he saw.

  “Miss Callahan,” Father boomed, taking her hand.

  Tamara performed a small curtsey, just like we’d practiced. I’d insisted that a full-length bow was strictly unnecessary but she wouldn’t meet a king without at least doing a curtsey.

  “Your Majesty.”

  “Please, call me Henry,” he said.

  He released her hand and turned to me. “Shall we?”

  I nodded.

  Nana arrived in the dining room just as we all took our seats, and her face glowed the minute she set eyes on Tamara.

  “You are even more beautiful in real life!” she crooned.

  I chuckled. “Tamara, this is Violet, who I’ve told you about.”

  “Nobody calls me Violet,” Nana said with a dismissive hand gesture. “Call me Nana.”

  Nana shook Tamara’s hand with gusto and took her seat, and the servers came out with our drinks.

  So far, things were going very well. I figured they would, since I found it unlikely that anyone would find fault in Tamara, but it was a relief all the same. I had no idea what to expect, after all.

  “Tamara,” said Victoria. “This must all seem crazy to you. What was it like growing up in America?”

  Victoria had an insatiable curiosity about life across the pond. She’d visited a couple of times but I had a feeling a move was in her future. Sometimes I worried that she would feel too trapped in royal obligation to pursue her dreams, a situation I only exacerbated by providing the wrong kind of example.

  “I’ve got a pretty varied experience in the States,” Tamara answered. “I grew up in New York and that’s where my family lives, but I live in LA now when I’m not over here shooting.”

  “Do you like it here?” Victoria asked.

  Tamara smiled, eyes flitting to me. “I do. More than I expected to. I became a bit of a sun worshipper after my LA move, but the longer I spend here the more I’ve grown to appreciate the wet.”

  “I would love to visit California,” Victoria said in a dreamy voice. “I hear there are redwoods big enough to drive through.”

  “You would love it.” Tamara nodded. “That’s one thing I do miss a lot from home—big, open forests. There’s nothing quite like it here.”

  “Maybe we can go exploring in California one day!” Victoria said brightly.

  Tamara’s smile flickered and she cleared her throat. “Yeah, maybe.”

  Father watched the exchange without participating, chewing thoughtfully. He studied Tamara as if she were a strange animal I’d brought home with me, and in some ways she was.

  A girlfriend.

  My girlfriend.

  I could tell my refusal of Svetlana made more sense to him now, though I still couldn’t make heads or tails of whether he approved. Not that it mattered. I had no problem defying his wishes over things I didn’t give a shit about. When it came to Tamara, he’d have an easier time trying to make the sun set in the morning than separating us.

  “What do your parents do?” Edward asked.

  I bit the inside of my mouth, but Tamara didn’t seem to mind. She obviously didn’t know he was mining for status, the bastard.

  “My mom’s a teacher,” she said. “Dad does construction.” She chuckled. “They’re no monarchs, but they enjoy the work they do.”

  I should have guessed Tamara would navigate my brother’s needling with grace and dignity. It was how she did everything. I smiled inwardly and slipped another forkful of salad into my mouth.

  “Did you always want to be an actress?” Nana asked.

  Tamara nodded. “Since I was a little girl. I fell in love with Katherine Hepburn and Judy Garland at a young age, and playing a role is the ultimate game of dress-up.” She smiled. “My life so far has been a dream come true.”

  The rest of dinner flew by. If not at ease, Tamara at least appeared in her element. It wasn’t until we got back to my apartment, bottle of wine in hand, that she showed how taxing the evening had been.

  “Jeez,” Tamara said with a breathy sigh, sinking onto the couch. “I feel like I’ve been wrung out.” She looked to me hopefully. “Was I okay?”

  “You were marvelous.” I poured her a glass and passed it down to her before filling my own. “Victoria was eating out of your hand.”

  “It’s not Victoria I worry about.”

  I chuckled and slid next to her, pulling her so her head rested against my chest. “Don’t worry about Edward. The only person in this place he disapproves of is me.” I took a sip. “Besides, I think he quite liked you.”

  “I don’t think he cared much for my lackluster lineage,” she remarked. “Though I suppose it can’t matter that much. It’s not like we’re getting married.”

  At the mention of marriage, an image of Tamara in a floating white gown passed before my eyes and I smiled without thinking. Then reality settled back in and I remembered she was leaving soon. I pushed the thought away.

  “Are you feeling less anxious about the garden party next week?” I asked.

  Tamara sat up and took a hefty gulp of wine.

  I laughed. “I guess not.”

  “Even if it matters more to them than anyone else, your family is bound by honor or whatever to be nice to me.” She wrinkled her nose. “But all those other hoity-toity rich people...who knows what they’re going to be like.”

  What could I do to make her more comfortable? I thought meeting my family and getting that whole business out of the way would help, but there wasn’t much I could do to prepare her for the ups and down of societal company.

  “Why don’t you bring Jo?” I suggested. “That way you needn’t feel so alone. I’ll be with you, of course, but it could help to have one of your own.”

  I didn’t mean for it to come out so patronizing, and for a moment I thought I’d offended her. The moment passed.

  Tamara nodded. “Yeah, that would be good.” She knocked back some more wine. “Between that and giving her the apartment for the night tonight, you’ll be her new favorite person.”

  I laughed. “And here I thought she was jealous she didn’t get to spend the night in the palace.”

  “She gets to spend the night with Tristan,” Tamara said. “That’s more than enough of a consolation prize. They seem to be getting pretty serious.”

  “What do you think is going to happen at the end of the summer?”

  I meant with Tristan and Jo, but I couldn’t ignore the parallels their situation shared with ours.

  Tamara must’ve thought that too, because her eyes glazed over for a moment in thought. Then she gave a short shrug and finished the rest of her wine. “Que sera sera.”

  I kissed the top of her head.

  Que sera sera, indeed, I thought. Whatever will be, will be...

  Chapter 23

  Tamara

  “Wee!” Jo squealed, spinning for the twentieth time that day in front of my full-length mirror.

  “It’s a wonder you haven’t fallen down yet,” I remarked.

  Jo winked at my reflection. “Look at this dress and tell me it’s not a perfect spinning dress.”

  “I looked at it the first ten times.” I rolled my eyes, snorting. “You weirdo.”

  I would admit the dress looked amazing on her. The pastel green complimented her auburn locks and the cut hugged her figure around the bust and flared out into a pleated skirt that, yes, was perfect for spinning.

  “Think of it,” she said in an exaggerated accent. “My first royal garden party. Meeting the royal family. Sipping iced lemonade. Canoodling with Tristan in the hedge maze.”

  “No canoodling,” I said. “Don’t make me look bad. Also, I don’t think there’s a hedge maze.”

  “Bummer.”

  My phone buzzed with a text from Alexander announcing that
he was waiting outside. “Are you ready?”

  Jo nodded, curls bouncing wildly. “I’ve never been readier for anything.”

  I tried to soak up as much of her enthusiasm as possible. The party sounded exciting, but was full of potential landmines. It was my first public event as Alex’s girlfriend and the first time he announced the royal charity renewal, so there was a lot on the line.

  A limo idled at the curb in front of my building. Jo squealed when she saw it.

  “A limo! This is the best day ever!”

  Alex jumped out and held the door open for us, looking dashing in his linen suit, his hair a perfect mess of curls. “Ladies,” he said. “You both look exceptionally beautiful.”

  “Thank you, your royal highness,” said Jo, curtseying.

  Alex laughed. I rolled my eyes.

  We got into the limo and Alex followed, grabbing a bottle of champagne from the ice bucket and popping the cap.

  “A little champers?” he asked.

  We both happily accepted.

  “Who’s all going to be at this shindig?” I asked.

  “Oh, lots of people.” His tone indicated he wished there were a lot less people. “Celebrities, politicians, influential movers and shakers of all classes. And of course, the nobility.” He nodded toward Jo. “Your man’s people, of course. Teddy’s family, on the other hand, always regretfully decline.”

  “My man’s people?” Her face whitened. “You mean, like Tristan’s people? Tristan’s parents?”

  “Like Tristan’s parents exactly.”

  Jo’s eyes grew as wide as plates. “Fuck.” Then, louder, “Fuck!”

  “Jo? What the hell?” I asked.

  She turned to me with a wild expression. “I’ve never met Tristan’s parents! I can’t meet Tristan’s parents! They’re going to hate me and think I’m lowly and classless and horrible! I’m a university dropout who cuts her own bangs and buys all her clothes at the thrift store!”

  “Jo.” Alex placed a calming hand on her shoulder. “I’m not well acquainted with the Nobles but I’m sure they’re lovely people. They won’t mind—“

  “This is a disaster!” she shrieked. “Take me home!”

  I knew she had to be suffering pretty bad to cut off her cherished prince mid-sentence. It was time for a little tough love.

  “Jo! Get it together!” I grabbed her by the cheeks and forced her to look at me. “There are going to be a bazillion people at this party. If you don’t want to see Tristan’s family, just steer clear of them. Okay?”

  She nodded, breathing a little easier. “You’re right. Okay.”

  I released her and downed my glass of champagne. With order restored, the rest of the ride flew by in relative silence. Jo seemed to have forgotten her distress by the time we reached the palace, as she plastered her face to the window with an expression of awe and tossed question after question Alexander’s way.

  How big was the property? Had he explored all of it? Did the palace have any ghosts?

  Finally, we reached the drop off point, and the driver came around and opened the door for us. Alex got out first and gave each of us a hand up in turn.

  Warm sunlight flooded the sprawling lawn, causing the white tents to glow brilliantly. The air smelled of daisies and freshly cut grass, and flowers of every color decorated the tables and chairs dotted all over the lawn. Dozens of people milled in every corner, and the ones closest to us stopped and stared upon our arrival. I had no doubt they were whispering about the prince’s girlfriend, probably wondering who we’d brought with us. I tried not to let it get to me.

  A tanned, dark-haired man about Alex’s age wandered over from the nearest group, smiling. Everyone else wore bright dresses and smart suits, but he’d opted for a pair of mandala-patterned parachute pants and a loosely tucked white tunic.

  “And we meet at last,” he announced, sidling next to Alexander. He gave me a once over. “I see why Al’s been keeping you to himself. I could devour you whole.”

  Alex rolled his eyes. “Ladies, this is my best friend Teddy. Teddy, this is Tamara and her sister Joanne.”

  I could see from the delight in Joanne’s eyes that Teddy had earned himself an admirer.

  “Charmed, mes amies. Charmed.” He bent low with a flourish. “You’re a breath of fresh air from all the other todgers here.”

  “Says the man in the parachute pants,” Alex quipped.

  Teddy grinned. “A garden party requires summer attire, does it not?” He wiggled his hips. “These pants let all my bits breathe.”

  “I regret mentioning it.”

  Jo and I both laughed.

  Teddy extended a hand toward my sister. “Little Callahan, can I get you a drink?”

  She bounced off without so much as a backward glance.

  “Not sure I approve of how well they’re getting along,” Alex said, watching the pair leave.

  “Why not?”

  “Teddy can be a bad influence.”

  I poked Alex in the side. “Don’t tell me you’re getting protective of my little sister. I think my ovaries might explode.”

  He crooked a brow and hit me with a crooked smile. “We wouldn’t want that, would we?” He rested a hand on my waist. “Come on, we’ve got the rounds to do.”

  Despite my earlier misgivings, socializing with the garden party crowd wasn’t as torturous as I’d thought. Most of them were polite and kind, either commenting on my work or making connections with me another way. From Alex’s relaxed smile I surmised that the people he introduced me to first were his favorites. If there were going to be harpies, I suspected they would come later.

  And then a dark cloud fell across my mood. Standing by a tent serving pink lemonade, Michael adjusted his garish yellow bow-tie and sneered at me.

  Hadn’t Alex saying there would be celebrities here been enough warning that I should expect to see him? Apparently not. I inadvertently squeezed Alex’s arm in shock, drawing a look of concern.

  “What’s wrong?” He asked.

  I cleared my throat and looked away from Michael, finding comfort in Alex’s grass-green eyes. “It’s my ex-boyfriend.”

  Alex glanced over my shoulder and frowned. “Michael Redding?”

  “That’s him.”

  “I’ve never met him before but I hear he’s a twat.”

  I laughed. “That’s a good way of putting it.”

  Tristan blocked Michael from my field of view, concern written on his features. “Hey Tamara.” He smiled at Alexander. “Your royal highness.”

  I would never get used to people addressing my boyfriend as royalty. It was surreal.

  “Hey Tristan,” I said, affixing a smile. “How are you?”

  “Good, good. I heard Jo is here but I haven’t seen her.”

  Uh-oh. Should I tell him about her breakdown in the limo? That seemed like something that should stay between them.

  “Sorry, I haven’t seen her since I got here. She went to grab a drink with Teddy.”

  “Teddy?” Tristan asked.

  Alexander stepped in before the boy went too green. “My flamboyantly gay best friend, Theodore Cartwright.”

  Tristan relaxed. “Oh, I’ve heard of him. If you find her before me, can you tell her I’m looking for her?”

  “Will do.” I patted him on the arm and he left.

  “That was awkward,” Alex commented.

  “Yeah.” My thoughts slipped back over to the pink lemonade tent and the walking travesty next to it. “Let’s just hope it doesn’t get any more awkward than that.”

  We continued walking around and making conversation, and I could tell when we reached the people Alex would have preferred to avoid.

  “Finally settling down, eh?” asked an MP with a greasy mustache.

  A woman wearing the entirety of her jewelry collection cocked her lip in what I suppose was a smile and sniffed, “Your family do have a taste for American actresses, don’t they?”

  I didn’t understand what that
meant until Alex explained afterward that there had been a scandal decades ago involving an American actress and a prince, though our relationship was on a whole other level than their affair. I wanted to go sock the woman afterward but Alex led me to the bar with an amused tilt of his lip.

  Despite the few nasties, most people were pleasant to talk to, and I almost felt comfortable around them. There were a few people I knew through work too, so I wasn’t completely outnumbered.

  Alex left me for a few minutes just before the speeches began to finish preparing with his brother. I hadn’t seen Jo since I caught a glimpse of her and Teddy running toward the far copse of trees with a silver tea tray piled with mini sausage rolls, so I decided to look for her and see if she’d spoken to Tristan yet.

  I didn’t even move three steps before Michael stepped into my path. “Got your sights set on becoming a real princess, I see.” His lips formed a grim line. “Now I understand why you rejected me.”

  I didn’t take the bait. As calmly as possible, I turned and headed off in the opposite direction. Someone jogged up to me from the side and I readied myself to turn and berate Michael, but it was Tristan.

  “I still haven’t found her,” he said. “Have you?”

  “I’ve been busy doing the rounds with Alex. Sorry Tristan.”

  He sighed. “Is she upset with me? This isn’t like her.”

  “No, of course not.” I stopped and rested a hand on his arm. “She’s just caught up in the delights of the royal garden party. This is all new for her.”

  He nodded, though he didn’t look like he believed me. Tristan left, and I cursed my sister. Wherever she was.

  I caught a glimpse of Michael loping toward me out of the corner of my eye and made a speedy exit, sequestering myself behind a gigantic hedge in the shape of a bear on its hind legs.

  “Ladies and gentlemen...If you could please make your way to the main stage, the royal family would like to welcome you to the Fourteenth Annual Royal Midsummer Garden Party.”

  Everyone started spilling over the lawn toward the large stage just beyond the last tent, and I joined the current. I spotted Jo and Teddy and made my way over to them.

  “Where the hell have you been,” I hissed, grabbing Jo’s elbow.