by B. B. Hamel
She smiles a little bit. “You always are direct when you want something.”
“That’s right.” I laugh a little and I can tell her tension eases slightly. “No pressure. Your job isn’t on the line here.”
“Okay,” she says, nodding. “Sure, why not? I have nothing else to do.”
“Good. Glad you’re excited.”
She laughs a little bit. “Uh, yeah. Thanks.”
“I’ll pick you up tonight at eight. How’s that?”
“That’s perfect.”
“Okay. Thanks for the messages.”
“Sure.” She lingers for a second and looks like she wants to say something, but turns and leaves instead.
I watch her ass as she goes.
I don’t know what I’m doing, but as the door shuts and she disappears, an idea comes to me. A very, very dangerous and stupid idea, but it might work. And it might be really fucking fun.
I can’t stop grinning for the rest of the day.
2
Mila
I don’t know why I’m so nervous. It’s only dinner, after all, but it’s not just dinner. It’s dinner with my boss.
It’s dinner with freaking Prince Billionaire.
That’s what everyone calls him, at least, though not to his face. Branimir Krizman, Prince of Bellestan, doesn’t like to be reminded of his royal heritage. In fact, he basically acts like it doesn’t exist, and only ever wants to talk about his company.
Which is understandable. The man moved all alone from his country in Europe and came to America for college, and ended up founding a hugely successful tech firm. He built it with his bare hands and created something pretty amazing.
Plus, he’s a really good boss, and I know a thing or two about bosses. I’ve had some pretty bad jobs, from working in the cafeteria at the University of Pennsylvania when I was a student there to putting together tacos at Taco Bell when I was in high school. I’ve always had to work hard, because my parents aren’t wealthy at all and I’ve always needed to pay my own way. But of all my bosses, Bran is by far the best.
It’s still freaking weird to be going out on a date with him. Is this even a date? I can’t help but think it is. For the past six months, I’ve worked as his secretary, and he hasn’t so much as looked at me twice. But back in his office, right before he asked me out, it was like he was seeing me for the first time. It made me incredibly flustered and a little uncomfortable and a little… excited.
Can you blame me? He’s freaking Prince Billionaire. He’s incredibly rich, absurdly handsome, and he’s an actual royal. It’s hard not to be impressed and excited by a man like that, especially when he’s looking at you like he wants to tear your clothes off.
Which is totally not happening tonight. Absolutely not. I’m just going to dinner with him, because it’ll be good for my career. I don’t know what his intentions are, but I’m not going to sleep with him. Even if he wants me, touches me, talks dirty to me, I’m definitely not going to do it. I’m definitely not. No way. I’ll resist.
I sigh, looking at myself in the mirror. He’s going to pick me up in just a couple minutes, and I know I’m lying to myself. Or at least I’m partially lying. If he comes on to me, I might be able to resist, but I definitely can’t be sure of that.
I let out a breath and fix my hair. “Come on,” I say to myself. “Be strong. For your career.”
I live alone in an apartment in an iffy area, but it’s close to work and it’s basically what I can afford. Most of my friends live in the city too, but we’re growing up and we don’t have as much time to go out every night anymore. Usually I’d be in my PJs right now, watching something on TV or chatting on the phone with my friend Melissa, but not tonight.
Tonight, I’m dressed in my best date outfit. It’s a black skirt, a little short, that hugs my hips just the right way, with a white flowing blouse that’s cut just low enough to show off my breasts. It’s sexual without being too revealing, and I think it’s classy enough that I won’t feel out of place in a nice restaurant.
I’m stupidly nervous when the buzzer to my apartment rings. I walk over to it and hit the answer button. “Yes?” I say.
“It’s me. I’m ready when you are.”
I take a deep breath and let it out. “Be down in a second.”
I steady myself near the door. I’ve never been this nervous in my entire life, not even when I interviewed for my current job at Babble. It’s not my dream job, but it is my dream company. Everyone I know wants to work for Babble, it’s like the hottest tech firm out there right now. I don’t want to be a secretary forever, but I’m hoping to turn this job into something in the marketing department, which is what I went to school for.
First though, I have to get Prince Billionaire to notice me. So far, so good, apparently.
I quickly head downstairs, heart beating fast. As soon as I step outside, Bran is standing right there, looking incredibly handsome in a perfectly fitting navy blue suit. He steps up to me and kisses me on the cheek like it’s the most natural thing in the world, and as soon as he’s close to me, I think I might pass out.
“Ready?” he asks.
“Ready.” I follow him into the back of a black town car, and we’re off.
He sits leaning away from me, but is looking at me intently. My heart is still beating fast.
“Tell me about yourself,” he says to me. “We talk every day but I just realized that I barely know you.”
I smile a little bit. “It’s not that interesting.”
He grins at me. “Give me the highlights.”
“Okay.” I take a deep breath. “I grew up in South Bend, Indiana. My Dad worked in a factory there until it shut down. I guess you could say that we were pretty poor. I got a scholarship to UPenn, so I moved to the city to study marketing. After graduation, I worked a couple of jobs in the industry, until finally ending up with you.” I let out a breath and feel like I just talked on forever.
But he sat there patiently listening. “Can I ask you something?”
I shrug a little bit. “Sure. But I don’t have to answer.”
He laughs and leans closer to me. “Of course not. Why did you apply to be my secretary?”
I hesitate for a second before answering. “Truthfully, being a secretary isn’t my dream. But I’ve always wanted to work for Babble and for… you.”
He raises an eyebrow. “For me, specifically?”
I nod. “I guess so. I mean, who doesn’t?”
He laughs and looks around. “I could name a lot of people.”
“I don’t know. You built something amazing on your own. It’s impressive. I want… to learn how to do that.”
“You want to learn from me?” he asks, an eyebrow slightly cocked.
“Yeah, I guess so.” I still feel so nervous but talking like this is giving me some confidence.
“Well, let me teach you something then.” My heart skips a beat as he leans closer to me. “I didn’t build all of this on my own. I come from a… family.”
I laugh a little. “You do? I hadn’t heard.”
He grins at me. “They helped in the early days.”
“I think that’s even more impressive. I mean, so many people in your position might never do anything. Being Prince might be enough for them. Instead, you built something.” I stare at him and feel like a total moron, fawning over him like this, but he’s listening patiently. “Anyway, that’s why I’m your secretary. I wanted to see what kind of man you really were. And maybe end up in a position that I really wanted.”
He goes to say something, but we’re interrupted by the driver pulling over in front of the restaurant. The conversation ends as Prince Billionaire steps from the car and escorts me inside where we’re immediately seated at a private booth in the back corner.
It’s a nice place, though I’ve never heard of it. It’s dim and quiet, and I don’t recognize anything on the menu. It seems like it might be French or maybe German, but I can’t be sure.
“Do you know where we are?”
I shake my head. “Nope. And honestly, I don’t know what any of this is.” I gesture at the menu.
He laughs. “That’s because this is the best Bellestanian restaurant in the whole city.”
It all suddenly makes sense. I look around again and start to notice little details that I missed before, stuff that should have obviously indicated where we were. The lions, the decorative art, the beautifully crafted candles, it’s all classic Bellestan. The candles in particular should have given it away: Bellestan is famous for its beautiful candles that are so gorgeous, but are purposefully made to disappear slowly, some kind of comment on the impermanence of all things.
Bran grins at me and motions for the waiter. “Do you trust me?” he asks.
“I guess so.” I can’t help myself around him.
“Okay then.” When the waiter appears, he orders entirely in Bellestanian, which sounds like a mixture of German, French, Polish, and Russian. It’s a strange and beautiful language.
The waiter disappears and he turns back to me. “I think you’ll enjoy this.”
“I’m sure that I will.” I bite my lip and look deep into his beautiful eyes. “What was it like growing up in a castle?” I blurt out suddenly.
He hesitates and I feel so freaking stupid. I’ve always wanted to ask him that, but it never felt like a good time at work. I don’t know why that just came out so suddenly.
But his expression softens and he smiles at me. “Not as great as you’d think.”
“Why?” I ask him.
“Castles are big and drafty. Besides, we don’t live in the castle.”
I cock my head. “I thought you did. That’s like, well known.”
His grin gets bigger. “Well, we do and we don’t. I’ll leave it at that.”
I laugh and lean toward him. “So mysterious.”
“Anyway, I don’t know how to answer your question. My childhood is all I know, so it’s tough for me to really relate. It was definitely strange and very privileged and very difficult, all at once.”
“Did you always know what you were?” I ask him. “Royal, I mean.”
“Absolutely,” he says, laughing. “Mom and Dad never let me forget it.”
“You call the King and Queen ‘Mom’ and ‘Dad?’”
“Of course,” he says, laughing. “That’s who they are to me.”
“I know,” I say, a little embarrassed. “I thought you’d be more…” I trail off, not sure how to say it.
“Formal?” he asks. “In some royal families, that’s true, but not in ours. We’re pretty close.”
I smile and start to feel more comfortable. He’s being surprisingly open about his royal life in a way that I’ve never seen before. In interviews, he usually glosses over this stuff and gets right back to business, but tonight he’s trusting me, which makes me feel good. I don’t really understand why, exactly, which makes me a little on edge still. I want to understand what’s happening here, since there’s no way Prince Billionaire is just flirting with me for any normal reason.
I’ve had boyfriends in the past, but not many. I consider myself very, very average, but Prince Billionaire doesn’t do average. I’ve seen the girls he’s dated before and they’re all models compared to me. I still need to figure out why he’s suddenly being so open and trusting and, hell, flirtatious. I can’t believe it’s just because of my looks, that’s for sure.
The waiter returns with two glasses of wine and a small meat and cheese board. It’s all incredibly delicious and all from Bellestan, even the wine. We talk more about his life growing up in Bellestan, and I tell him a little more about South Bend, although that’s not nearly as interesting.
Slowly, more plates are brought out. I quickly realize that these aren’t appetizers, but just a different way of serving a meal. Instead of courses, they simply bring out small plates one after the other at regular intervals and they take away the plates we’re not eating anymore. There’s fish, beef, pork, all different styles and sauces, fried and baked, and delicious breads and cheeses.
The meal lasts nearly two hours. We talk the whole time, drinking amazing Bellestanian wine, picking our way through the dishes as they arrive. The food is all foreign, though not weird at all, and really delicious. And I love the format of the meal, it’s so much more casual and I get to try so many different things.
The meal finally ends, and we’re both sitting there, stuffed and happy. I can’t believe how casual this has been and how comfortable I feel. I expected Prince Billionaire to be as mysterious here as he is at work, although he is very well liked. But no, he’s being open and honest and really, really funny. There’s no lull in the conversation, and I feel surprisingly good by the end.
Bran leans back in his seat and watches me for a second. I smile at him and cock my head. “What?” I ask.
“Nothing. Just… thinking about you.”
“What does that mean?” I give him a look.
He sighs and leans toward me again. “Listen, we should talk.”
I frown. “Uh oh. Here it is.”
“Here’s what?” he asks.
“The reason we’re doing this.”
He grins a little. “What, I can’t just take out my secretary?”
“No, you can’t,” I say. “It’s a little weird. And plus, you haven’t shown any interest in me for months, so why now?”
“Why now?” he echoes. “Good question.” He pauses for a second, watching me. “You know, you’re smart and you’re beautiful. And we seem to get along well.”
I feel my stomach flutter slightly. “Stop buttering me up and get to the point.”
He laughs, shaking his head. “And you’re not a pushover. I like it.”
“You’re not so bad yourself. But I’m starting to get a little worried.”
“Well, my request is odd. And please, say no if you can’t imagine actually doing it. This won’t affect your job even in the slightest. I’m very good at compartmentalizing.”
“Okay,” I say, totally believing him. I’ve watched him compartmentalize away his royal heritage and his company for years, so I think he’s not lying.
“Okay then. I have a proposition for you, and it’s a simple one.” His devilish smirk comes back, and I can feel my heart racing. “Be my fiancée for a month, and in exchange, you can have any job in my company that you want.”
I stare at him for a second and then start laughing. It takes me a second to realize that he’s not joking.
“You’re serious?” I ask.
“I’m serious,” he confirms. “Be my fiancée and come to Bellestan with me for one month. There’s some minor political thing back home, and my father thinks that I can help solve it if I have a wife. I’m meeting him in the middle by coming back with a fake fiancée.”
“Wouldn’t that be… lying to your country?” I ask him, totally astounded.
“Yes,” he says. “But it’s for a good reason.”
“What’s that?” I ask, practically a whisper.
“We’re going to save the crown together.” He smiles at me, and I have no clue what to say.
This situation is so insane. I thought it was weird that he asked me out, but now I realize that it was just totally crazy. I can’t possibly go through with this. I’d have to lie to an entire country. My mother would be so disappointed, let alone what my friends would think.
And yet… he’s so tempting. That handsome face, that gorgeous smile, and those beautiful eyes, all make me want to say yes. Even if it’s insane, and I couldn’t really do it, I still want to try. I’d be a Princess, or not exactly, but pretty damn close. I’ve always wanted to be a Princess.
And he’s offering me any job that I want. I could become a Senior Marketer, or hell, the head of marketing entirely. I could achieve my dream because of this, and all I’d
have to do is pretend to be engaged to Prince freaking Billionaire.
“I have to think about it,” I finally manage to say.
“Okay. Think about it. But get back to me soon.” He smiles and stands up. “Ready?”
“Yeah,” I mutter. “Sure.”
The rest of the night is a blur. We chat in the car but I’m not really into it. He senses that, and we’re silent for part of the ride. He walks me to my door and kisses my cheek. Just before he pulls away, he whispers, “You’ll like being my Princess. I promise.”
He smirks as he steps back to head back to the car. He gets inside and the car drives off into the night.
I stand there for a second as chills run down my spine. I’m dripping wet and I can barely control myself. The man drives me absolutely freaking wild, and I can’t believe my luck.
I don’t know what I’m going to do as I head up to my apartment, but I do know one thing.
Prince Billionaire drives me totally insane, and I can’t tell if that’s good or bad.
3
Bran
The Queen looks at me, her eyes slightly narrowed, and I can tell that the Queen is not amused.
“Mom,” I continue saying. “I’m going to help you guys out.”
“But the last time I heard, you weren’t even dating someone. And now you say you might have a… fiancée?” She shakes her head.
“Listen, I know how it sounds. But trust me. I know what I’m doing.”
She purses her lips. “Like the time you tried to sell the royal horse to pay for a new videogame system?” The Queen looks a little disappointed, which is surprisingly effective, despite her small stature. It’s a running joke in Bellestan that Big Bran married Tiny Ana. My mother still is beautiful, with wide green eyes just like mine, and thick dark hair, just like mine. I take after my father in a lot of ways, but my mother likes to say that I got her beauty.
I sigh and smile at her despite myself. “You’ll never let that go.”
“You were ten years old, walking around the streets of the capital trying to find a buyer. You were all alone, holding up a picture of a horse.”