Alex’s folder had several paper-clipped articles from medicine journals about homeopathic solutions for cancer and dealing with chemo along with information about a new drug that seemed to be helping ease the pain of some cancer patients without affecting their quality of life. The articles were fascinating and I felt hope swelling in my heart. Maybe jumping the pond wouldn’t be so bad. Especially if I was able to help Dad. Or at least make him more comfortable.
In the very back of the folder was a note in slanted text and a sticky note with a website address. Apparently this was a link to a doctor that worked strictly with patients suffering from prostate cancer. Alex wrote that the doctor lived in the UK and might be persuaded to give my father an in-depth examination.
Becca cleared her throat and I looked over to where she was sitting.
“Your class starts in five minutes.”
“What?” I looked at the clock on my desk and frowned. The time had flown by. I grabbed my stuff and put it in my bag before jerking my head toward the door. “Let’s go.”
The lecture hall was on the other side of the building, so we took the back stairs. I hesitated just inside the door when I saw all the people in the room. Almost every seat was taken, which was unusual for such an early class. Duvall looked at me with a blank face from near the stage and I wondered what was running through his mind because I sure as hell didn’t know what to think. My fingers tightened on the strap of my bag and I walked forward purposefully. Fake it ’til you make it would be my motto of the day. The room quieted except for a few whispers.
I set my bag down and turned toward the room. My eyes picked out familiar faces amongst a hundred or more that I had never seen before. “It makes my heart all types of bubbly to see so many people excited about the chapter on ornithology.” A faint ripple of amusement spread through the room. “For those of you that didn’t wake up this morning with a newfound love of birds, open your books to chapter twelve.”
I pulled my notes out and grabbed a dry erase marker. While the true students rifled through their bags, I quickly outlined some key points on the whiteboard. I turned back to the class and swallowed. I’d never spoken to this many people before and it was intimidating.
Hopping onto the small desk on the stage, I decided to focus on what I was supposed to be talking about and forget that most of these people had only come to stare at me. “Who can define a bird?”
A young undergrad’s hand shot into the air. I couldn’t remember her name, but I tended to refer to her as Hermione in my head. I nodded at her.
“An animal whose body is covered in feathers and forelimbs that modified into wings.” She smiled proudly.
“Yes, but that isn’t all that defines a bird. Anyone else?” I looked around the room. Someone I didn’t recognize raised their hand and I waited a beat before nodding for them to speak.
“Are you really a princess?”
“All little girls are princesses, didn’t you know that?” My heart sped up in my chest and I narrowed my eyes. Titters erupted around the classroom and I sat down on the top of the desk. “Now, who can tell me about birds?”
One of the male students raised his hand and I pointed in his direction. “They all have scaly legs, a beak with no teeth, and bear their young in a hard-shelled egg.”
“Good.” I jumped up and scribbled the definition on the board. “Does anyone have any idea how many types of birds there are in the world?”
There were more people with their hands raised when I turned back around. I tried to pick someone I recognized from the class, hoping they would stay on topic.
“Danni?” I looked at a small blonde.
“Five thousand?” I almost couldn’t hear her tiny voice.
“Nope. Who else?” I pointed at a boy with a skullcap on.
“Four thousand, five hundred and seventy two.” He smiled when people turned to look at him.
“Not even close.” I glared around the room. “C’mon, guys. You’re supposed to read the chapter ahead of time.”
Someone in the back raised their hand, but I couldn’t see their face. Reluctantly I pointed that direction.
“Over ten thousand, four hundred.” Alex’s voice easily filled the room and I felt my face flush. My heart sped up and just his voice made me shiver. He was here, watching me? Some of the students turned around to look at him, the sound of his accent drawing their attention. A loud rustle filled the hall as people realized the Prince of Lilaria was among them.
“Correct. I believe the last count was at ten thousand, four hundred and sixty-six.” I wrote the number on the board, plowing forward, trying to calm my nerves. The class settled down and I did my best to keep things on track.
“How many orders of birds are classified by the IOU?” I looked around the room. “Seriously, guys? You’re going to let him come in here and show you up?” Laughter filled the room and I was relieved when Hermione raised her hand and had the correct answer.
By the time class was over I couldn’t have been more ready. I had twenty minutes before the next lecture and I was considering putting a note on the door and hiding. As the students got up and left, a few of them came down to try to ask me questions. I did my best to shoo them away, but a few were much more dedicated to finding an answer. Becca had come to stand just to the side of me, her friendly smile replaced with a glower that made me rethink my original assessment of her personality.
“C’mon, Sam. It’s the school paper. Just an interview. I’ll let you decide which questions you want to answer.” The editor for the student paper was leaning against my desk and I was resolutely trying to ignore him.
“I told you, Toby, I have too much going on right now. I’m sorry.” Truth be told, I would always have too much going on when it came to having time for interviews. Especially with Toby. He was a pervert to the tenth degree. “If you don’t mind, I have to finish grading some papers.”
“Samantha—”
“This way, sir.” Duvall appeared beside Toby, a friendly hand placed on his shoulder. “Lady Rousseau has asked for some space.”
“But—”
“Another time, maybe.” Duvall maneuvered Toby away from my desk and off the stage, to my relief. Who would have thought I’d be grateful to see Duvall after all?
“You’re an excellent teacher. You handled the class quite well.” Alex’s voice in my ear made me jump, bumping my head into his chin.
“Youch!” I rubbed the top of my head while he looked down at me with amusement. He rubbed his chin but smiled. “Good grief. Don’t sneak up on me. And I would have handled the class much better if you hadn’t shown up.”
“I’d like to think I encouraged them to try a little harder.” His blue eyes sparkled as he looked at me. “And I wanted to make sure they weren’t giving you too hard of a time.”
“Thanks, I think.” I frowned up at him, trying to not get pulled into his eyes. “But I would have managed just fine. You don’t have to take care of me.”
“You’ve been thrown into a new world… I just wanted to help you get your feet.” Instead of being annoyed with my reluctance to accept his help, he seemed entertained. “How many more classes do you have today?”
“Two more.” I rubbed my forehead. “Then I go to the sanctuary.”
“I see. Do you have time for lunch somewhere in there?” He leaned casually against my desk, his perfect rump perched on the edge. I tried to not think about it and just focused on the conversation.
“I usually eat in the office after the last class. Catch up my paperwork before I head over.” I bit my bottom lip, confused by his presence in my class, by his interest in me. His eyes focused on my mouth briefly before moving back to my eyes. Some flashes from the right side of the hall drew my attention and I realized some of the students were using their phones to take pictures of us talking. Becca jumped down from the edge of the stage where she was standing and headed in their direction.
“Would you mind if I join you? Or is that not allowed?” He
cocked his head to the side and I found myself studying the way the bright lights of the stage played in his blond hair.
“Um, no, that’s fine.” My eyes traveled over his face, taking in the slight imperfections that only seemed to make him more handsome. “Uh, I usually just grab a sandwich or something. I guess we could order something in, if you’d like.”
“A sandwich is perfect. Why don’t I bring the food? I’ll meet you there, that way you don’t have to waste any of your time.”
“Why?” The question exited my mouth before I could rethink it.
“Why save you time?” His eyebrows drew together.
“Why do you want to have lunch with me? Surely you have more important things to do.”
“Well, I like your company for one thing.” He leaned a little closer. “And you underestimate your importance. I’m starting to think you’re very important.”
I didn’t know what to say. What could I say to that? There was no mistaking it this time. Alex was definitely flirting with me and I felt like a fish out of water. I was a terrible flirt, too blunt and not coy. And I blushed. Like I was doing right now.
“I make you nervous, don’t I?” His gaze turned thoughtful. “And not because of my rank. That doesn’t seem to faze you at all.”
“A title is a title. It doesn’t define the type of person you are.” I closed the notebook with the quizzes and took a deep breath.
“Very true.” Reaching out, he brushed a stray strand of brown hair that had escaped my ponytail back from my face. I froze and our gazes locked before I remembered the cameras. I looked over to where the students had been standing, but no one was there.
“We’re alone. Duvall and Becca saw everyone out and are watching the door.”
We’re alone. His words sent a shiver through my soul. Images of him and me on the desk filled my mind and my blush deepened. His fingers traced my jawline briefly before he stood up and gave me enough space to breathe again.
“Do you have a preference for lunch?”
“No mustard.” I stayed in my seat, feeling safer there.
“No mustard. I can manage that.” He turned and walked down the steps. I couldn’t stop my eyes from following his backside as he went.
“My office, it’s on the second floor.” I cleared my throat. “I share it, so there will be other people there. They might pester you.” In fact I was sure Mary would pester him.
“I’ll find it.” He smiled over his shoulder at me.
Chaos on Campus
—College Daily
“Unless you can tell me the number of toes a bird has, you have accidently wandered into the wrong class.” I put my hands on my hips and glared at the students. “And that means you need to drag your hung-over self out of your seat and go find the correct room. Now.”
I waited while half the room got up and left in an explosion of noise. Some people took pictures of me with their cell phones before they ducked out of the door, others laughed like it was all a big joke. When it finally quieted down, I looked up from my desk and tried to not groan. There were still too many people in the room, but at least a good portion of them had left. Taking a deep breath, I stood up and started the last lecture of the day.
By the time I was finished, I barely had any patience left. I had been asked if I was a princess, if I was really a teaching assistant, if I knew the Queen of England. People had taken my picture and recorded my lecture. Nothing had been accomplished in the lesson. I should have just canceled the class and hidden in a broom closet somewhere.
“Lady Rousseau, let’s wait to move until the room has cleared and there isn’t as much traffic in the hallways.” Becca glanced at me over my desk with a look of pity.
“Can you just kill me? Carry me out in a box?” I looked up at her. “Do you even have a gun?”
“What kind of bodyguard would I be if I needed a gun to kill someone?” Becca smiled at my expression. “Besides, it could’ve been worse.”
“That’s not comforting.” I leaned back in my chair and groaned. “Thank God I don’t have any more classes today.” I grabbed my notes and shoved them into my bag. My stomach was in knots and I wasn’t sure if it was because of the classes or the fact that I was supposed to go eat with Alex.
“Ready?” Becca asked.
“Yeah.” We left the room and headed for the back stairs. There were still people in the halls, but for the most part they moved out of our way. When I got to the office, Alex was leaning against the wall next to the door, a bag of food in one hand and a tray with drinks in the other. His head was against the wall, his eyes closed. I felt guilty that he looked so tired. He must’ve been up late to see to my truck and get me those notes. As we approached, one of the men in his detail said something quietly. He tilted his head to look at us and smiled. His gray suit made his blue eyes look almost silver and I felt my mouth go dry. Just being near him felt like something in my gut was tugging me to him. He was perfect, right down to the light stubble on his chin.
“No mustard.” He held the bag up in victory and I laughed. He looked so proud of himself I couldn’t help it. Some of my nerves melted away and I felt a bit more relaxed.
“C’mon.” I opened the door so he could walk in and almost melted in relief when no one else was inside. I had been dreading the stares and awkward conversation. “That’s my desk.” I pointed at the one near the window and he stood next to the chair Becca had used earlier. I checked the message board, watching him from the corner of my eye before going to find some paper towels.
“Thank you.” He sat down when I handed him the napkins. “I hope you like red meat. I have a weakness for hamburgers. The bigger the better.”
“You’re in luck. The hamburgers from the cafeteria are great.” I spread the fries onto a napkin so we could both get to them. “So tell me. How did you manage to go in the cafeteria and come out alive?”
“Many years of practice.” He took a bite of his burger and groaned. “Ah, now that is good.”
“Why not just send someone else for them?” I took a bite of my food and mentally agreed with him.
“I was hoping it would draw away some of your fake students.”
“You mean you prostituted yourself out to the masses? To draw them away? That was… sweet.” He choked on his drink and coughed roughly. I set down my sandwich and slapped him on the back.
“I hadn’t thought about it that way.” He chuckled. “But it was worth it if it helped you.”
“Well, thank you.” I picked my sandwich back up and smiled at him. “For lunch and for pimping yourself out.”
“I told you I wouldn’t throw you to the wolves.” He winked at me, and I didn’t have the heart to tell him about all the people who had still crashed my classes. “Did you have a chance to look through the notes I sent?”
“A little.” I pushed some of the fries toward him. He seemed to like those just as much as he liked the hamburger. “I have to admit I’m interested in the specialist you listed.”
“There is a great deal of information online, too much to print out.”
“Thanks. I’ll look it over before I talk to Dad.” I pulled my phone out of my pocket and checked for new text messages. Still nothing from my father, so I texted the lady that came to check on him twice a day. Patricia was a neighbor who had been good friends with my mother. She wouldn’t let me pay her, and honestly, I have no idea how I would have anyway. But knowing she went to check on Dad to make sure he didn’t need anything was a huge relief.
Patricia: He’s got one of his migraines today and is sleeping. I’ll let him know you’re coming over later.
I sighed in relief and told her thank you.
“Everything okay?”
“Yeah. Dad hasn’t texted me since yesterday and I was getting worried. He gets terrible headaches sometimes.”
“But he’s fine?”
“Fine as can be.” I chewed on some fries and thought about it. “A family friend checks on him a couple of t
imes a day to help out. She said he was sleeping.”
We didn’t say anything else for a little while, just munched on our food and watched the light snowfall. It was going to be a cold afternoon. At least I wouldn’t be in the truck. The heat took forever to warm up. Which reminded me…
“Thank you for seeing to my truck. Tell me how much the repairs were and I’ll get the money to you.”
“Don’t worry about it. I was happy to see to it.”
“Alex, I appreciate it, but I don’t feel right letting you pay for it. It’s not your fault the starter died.” I set my sandwich down and looked at him. The thought of someone paying for me didn’t sit well. Especially someone I had only met the night before.
“If we hadn’t invited you out, you likely wouldn’t have been stranded. It is my obligation.” Alex leaned back in his chair as if amused by my obvious disapproval.
“In which case it wouldn’t have started this morning and I would have been late for class. Arguing when it happened is silly. It’s my car, my responsibility.”
“Fine. You can pay me back after you’re granted your lands and title.”
I thought it over for a minute before I realized what he had done. He’d given me one more reason to go to Lilaria. I narrowed my eyes but couldn’t help the smile that tugged at my mouth. “You’re sneaky.”
“That’s one way of looking at it.” I liked his laugh. There was something free and honest in it. I shook my head and picked up my food again. I’d let it slide for now until I figured out what I was going to do.
“So, what are you doing after this?” I looked at Alex, curious. I tried to squash the hope that was bubbling in my stomach. Being around him made me feel like I wanted more.
“Well, that depends. I have some phone calls to make and we were invited to dinner at the mayor’s house, but I have a few hours free.” He shook the ice in his cup before taking another sip. “I’d like to see your birds. I have to admit, I miss being around them when I travel.”
“Well, you’re welcome to come with me but it’s going to be pretty cold. And there will definitely be people there.” I looked around the room. “I don’t know how we got lucky for lunch. Normally everyone is here about this time.”
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