by Holt, Layla
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Jaime said.
“Where are you?” Max said.
“In the office,” Jaime said.
“Princess Ariana. Does she ring a bell?” Max continued.
Jaime’s heart dropped to his belly. “Sure she does, why?”
“It’s all over the news. It seems our very own Jaime Cohan is engaged to Princess Ariana of Asencia. Goodness man, didn’t you just come back from Afghanistan?”
Jaime was shell-shocked. He opened a web browser and typed his and Ariana’s names in the search engine. To his shock, an old picture of himself filled the screen as well as more recent pictures of Ariana. News of their engagement screamed from the screen.
“How the heck did this happen?” Jaime asked forgetting that Max was on the phone until he spoke up. “How did they know?”
“So, it’s true then?” Max pressed.
Jaime was at a loss on how to respond. Max, assuming that his silence meant agreement, went on speaking.
“I’ve never been to Asencia or to a royal wedding,” Max said. “Dang Jaime, I knew you’d go out with a bang, but a Princess.” His chuckle came down the phone.
Jaime has stopped listening. He was reading one of the web articles.
Princess Ariana left Asencia in a cloud of humiliation after her fiancé, Duke Kyan, dumped her for her best friend, Evalla, a well-known socialite. Three months later, the couple married in a white wedding which was snubbed by the aristocrat. By then, Princess Ariana had already fled the Kingdom to America, to lick her wounds.
“I have to go,” Jaime said and disconnected the call.
He read a few more of the articles, all of which spoke about Ariana’s humiliation. One article had even dredged up a photograph of Ariana, with her head wrapped in a scarf and rubbing her eyes, looking as if she was crying.
His chest squeezed as he imagined the pain and disgrace she had gone through, her story plastered for everyone to read. And now their engagement was public knowledge. What would happen when he did not show up in Asencia?
She would be humiliated all over again. She wouldn’t survive a second public embarassment. He remembered Ariana and how she had been when he took her on a tour of Candin Inc. How easily she had laughed and quickly made friends with everyone.
How she had been starstruck at meeting Carol from the candy shop, when she was in fact the real celebrity. His chest expanded to painful proportions as the realization hit him that he had it in his power to decide Ariana’s fate.
The press would pounce on her if anything went wrong. No. he wasn’t going to let her suffer more than she had. He picked up his phone to text her.
When do we leave for Asencia? Jaime Cohan.
Jaime couldn’t take his eyes away from the phone. Less than a minute later it vibrated.
Are you serious??
He smiled and typed back a reply.
Dead Serious.
For the next few seconds, they texted back and forth.
What made you change your mind?
It doesn’t matter. I have something that belongs to you. Are you home?
Yes.
I’m on my way.
Jamie stayed in his office long enough to turn off his computer and grab his car keys. He was a different man from the one who had entered hours earlier, as he sprinted out of Candin Inc.
Joy seeped from every pore of his being. But he knew the reason for it. He had a chance to play hero and every man wanted to be a hero. That was all. It wasn’t because he would spend the next few weeks with Ariana. She was a friend and he was helping her out.
He drove like a bull that was being restrained. Jaime realized that he was gripping the steering wheel too hard when his hands started aching. He loosened his hold but by then he was already on the Andersons’ street.
He was pleased to see that there was no press around. He parked his car in the drive behind two other cars, one of which was Ariana’s, and bounded up to the front door.
He raised his hand to knock but before his knuckle connected with the door, it swung open. Ariana stood grinning at him. He realized that he was grinning as well.
“Hi,” he said.
“Hello,” she said and then roused herself. “Come on in. Come and meet George and Lilian.”
Jaime dipped his hand in his pocket and fished out the small jewelry box. He opened it and held out the ring. “Wear this first.”
“Oh Jaime, you didn’t have to,” Ariana cried but he could see that she was pleased.
Jaime took the ring out and slipped it into her finger.
“Ariana, are you okay?” a female voice called from inside the house.
“I’m fine Lillian. It’s Jaime.” She took his hand and pulled him into the house.
His hand buzzed from her touch as they walked through the foyer to a cozy family room. A middle-aged couple stood up as soon as they entered.
The man stepped forward. “It’s a pleasure to meet you Jaime, I’m George Anderson.”
Jaime took the outstretched hand. “It’s pleasure to meet you, sir.”
“And I’m Lillian Anderson. Your mother is a good friend of mine.” She smiled warmly. “Welcome to our home.”
“Thank you.”
“Have a seat,” George Anderson said.
“You didn’t have that,” Lillian said, pointing at Ariana’s sparkling ring.
Ariana gripped it and grinned. “Jaime just gave it to me.” She was blushing and he thought it was sweet, considering the whole thing was not real. She was a better actor than he was.
“We must celebrate,” George said. “I have a bottle of champagne. It was waiting for this very moment.” He stood up and left the room.
“I would be worried about the speed of this engagement if I didn’t know your parents, Jaime,” Lillian said. “They’re good people and I know they’ve done a good job with you kids.”
“Thank you,” Jaime said, shame creeping up on him.
He felt bad about lying to such decent people. Then he told himself that he was doing it for Ariana and she was a good, decent human being who did not deserve to be a laughing stock of the whole world.
Lillian stood up. “I’ll get the glasses.”
They were left alone. Ariana stared at him. Facing her on the couch, Jaime felt lucky to be fake engaged to her. It was an experience he would tell his kids and grandchildren one day and not just because she was a Princess, but because of the kind of person she was.
“It’s a beautiful ring,” she said solemnly. “Thanks Jaime.”
“I should be thanking you,” Jaime said to lighten the mood. “I get free bed and board in Asencia.”
She laughed. That had to be his favorite sound. “Don’t forget fare.”
George returned to the living room carrying a bottle of champagne, followed by his wife close behind. Jaime stood up and pulled Ariana up with him. Lillian handed each of them a flute as George popped open the bottle.
“This feels like a real celebration,” Ariana said.
“This is the only chill celebration you’ll get. Savor it,” Lillian said.
“I know,” Ariana said.
They were not only family friends, they were also confidants, Jaime realized. It was nice for Ariana that she had such a mature couple to seek refuge with, when things at home got tough.
“A toast. To Jaime and Ariana. May you be blessed with a happy marriage,” George said and, as they toasted, his eyes were firmly on his wife.
A pang took hold of Jaime. Would he have something like that one day? A love strong enough to carry him and his wife through decades of a life together. He took a sip of his champagne and turned to Ariana, meeting her gaze. Attraction shimmered between them.
She was a sexy woman and it would be odd if he wasn’t attracted to her. If he didn’t find her attractive, it would mean he had a bigger problem than just PTSD.
“You two should enjoy the time you have here,” Lillian said. At Jaime’s blank look
, she explained. “You’ll get a lot of media attention in Asencia.”
“I was afraid to find paparazzi hanging around here,” Jaime said.
“Ariana’s whereabouts in the States have been kept a top secret,” Lillian explained.
The Andersons were clearly very protective of Ariana and he liked them for that. He sensed an undercurrent of worry about him, especially from George, but that too was understandable.
If anything, Jaime thought they were awesome. If roles were reversed, he would have had a heck of a lot more questions to ask. He stayed on and had dinner with them. When he finally left, it was close to ten at night.
Ariana walked him to his car. She hugged him and kissed his cheek.
“I’ll talk to you tomorrow,” Jaime said. He rubbed his thumb over her lips and then entered into his car.
He waved at her once more, then drove off.
Chapter Seven
Jaime woke up to a pounding on his bedroom door. He sat up with a start, his heart thumping wildly. It took a moment to get his bearings and for his mind to register that the loud noise was a knock.
“Yes?” he called sleepily as he reached for his cell phone to check the time. Six on the dot.
The doorknob turned and his mother walked in, fully dressed. The first thing that came to Jaime’s mind was that something had happened o his father. They’d been warned that a second stroke was a risk, if their father did not take it easy.
“Is it father?” Jaime asked, rubbing the remnants of sleep from his eyes.
“No, your father is fine. He’s trying to have his breakfast in the dining room but the helicopters hovering above our private residence won’t let him.”
Jaime become aware of an unusual buzzing sound. “What’s going on?”
“Paparazzi, everywhere,” his mother said. “Our home has become a circus! It wasn’t anything close to this during Sean’s time.”
“Oh God,” Jaime said, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
His mother folded her hands across her chest. “What are you going to do?” She waited for an answer.
“Mother, they’re not dogs that I can call off.” Wrong thing to say. She glowered. “Okay, I’ll move out until I leave for Asencia.”
That seemed to satisfy her. “Good. We can’t live like this.”
Jaime dropped back on the bed as soon as she left and groaned. He’d hoped that he would have some peace for the few days he had before he left. His phone vibrated and he reached for it.
It was Dean. “Morning.”
“Don’t people in this family sleep? Mom was just in my room.”
Dean chuckled. “I know, she called me. Rumor has it that you need a place to stay. You can come and stay with us.”
“That’s very kind of you but what does Ruby think? We know who holds all the power in that household,” Jaime teased.
It wasn’t nice to play favorites but Ruby was his closest sister-in-law. She was playful and one of the few people whose sense of humor matched his.
“Very funny. She was the one who suggested it,” Dean said.
Jaime sighed. “Thanks guys. Yeah, I might take you up on that offer. I’ll swing by with my things later.”
He disconnected the call, tried to fall back to sleep and failed. He had a feeling that he’d bit off more than he could chew but he was determined to do right by Ariana.
His phone vibrated again. Irritated, he picked it up and glared at the screen. When he saw the name flashed across the screen, Jaime’s irritation melted. He smiled as he swiped the screen.
“Ariana, good morning.”
“Good morning.” Her voice was husky and sexy. A voice he could easily imagine whispering sweet things into his ear. “I have an aerial view of your house right now.”
“It’s everywhere huh?” Jaime said.
“It’s on a few channels,” Ariana said and sighed. “How are your parents taking it?”
“They are not too pleased,” Jamie said, unconcerned. It was only a few days until he left and then the whole thing would be a thing of the past. “I have to move out today.”
“Oh God,” Ariana gasped. “That’s horrible. Where will you go? I can ask George and Lillian if you can stay with us. They would be fine with it and no one knows about their place.”
It was tempting to say yes. But being under the same roof with her... “Thanks, but I’ll be fine. I’ll go to Dean and Ruby’s. It’s nearby and spacious.”
“Okay,” she said softly.
“I should get up,” Jaime said.
“Have a good day,” Ariana said.
“You too,” Jaime said. “Bye.”
“Bye.”
He’d never been as reluctant to disconnect a call as he was then. After Ariana’s call, he felt more energized. He threw back the covers and jumped out of bed.
He went through his morning routine and twenty minutes later, he was on his way downstairs to the breakfast room. His parents were still there having breakfast. As usual, his father was reading a newspaper.
“Morning,” Jaime said and sat down.
His father beamed at him over the top of his paper. “A princess huh?”
“Charles!” Jaime’s mother said. She poured him a mug of coffee and pushed the breakfast dishes towards him. “I still don’t get this. Why would a reasonable girl like Ariana agree to be engaged to you, to a relative stranger?”
Jaime flashed her his winning smile. “Mother, women love me.”
“Don’t joke about something like this. This is someone’s life we’re talking about.”
“Just the other day, you wanted me to get married and enjoy the Christmas holidays. I’m halfway there. I’m engaged,” Jaime said, knowing how twisted his logic was.
His father chuckled. “He has a point Margaret. Besides, people have long engagements. They’ll have enough time to know whether marriage is what they really want.”
He wasn’t used to his father’s support.
“If you say so,” his mother said. “I thought you didn’t like the circus that is going on outside?”
“I don’t but Jaime’s moving out, isn’t he?”
“Yeah,” Jaime said. “I’ll move in with Ruby and Dean.”
“Is that fair to them?” his mother said. “The paparazzi will find you easily enough.”
She was right. It wasn’t fair on Ruby and Dean and their baby. He thought about Ariana’s offer. Maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea. It didn’t matter that he would be so close to her. They were adults and could control themselves.
“I’ll think of something,” Jaime said.
“You could leave earlier than Ariana,” his mother said. By her tone, Jaime knew it was something she had given a lot of thought to.
“I can’t arrive in Asencia before Ariana,” Jaime protested mildly. He knew his mother and it had to be something else. She was a strict follower of protocol and tradition. She would never suggest something that was crazy or different to what was expected.
“You could go to Italy. Check on your sister. She cancelled her and Lucas’ plans to come home for Christmas, and she calls sporadically, sometimes going as long as a month without calling. Something is going on down there, Jaime, and we need to know.”
He hesitated.
“She’s closest to you,” his mother said.
A couple of years ago, he would have agreed with that statement but since Megan got married and left for Italy, she had changed.
“I would appreciate it if you would do as your mother asks and check on Megan. I never trusted that man she married,” his father growled.
“Me too,” Jaime said. “Okay, I’ll go. But I can’t stay in Italy for long.”
The relief in his mother was evident and he realized just how worried his parents were about his sister. “Don’t worry mother, I’ll get to the bottom of it.”
Jaime worked from home for most of the morning before leaving for the office when he was sure the paparazzi had grown tired of waiting. He instructe
d his secretary to book him a flight to Italy and then on to Asencia after two days.
Afterwards, he called Dean and updated him and then he called Ariana.
“Oh, Italy sounds like so much fun,” she said.
He shouldn’t have been that happy to hear her voice. “Do you want to come with me?”
She sighed dramatically. “Believe me I would if I was sure I wouldn’t spoil it for you. My family is too well known in Europe and you don’t want the paparazzi following you around in Italy.”
“No, I definitely don’t,” Jaime said. “I’ll arrive in Asencia, a day after you.”
“Let me know your plans, then I can forward them to my private secretary in Asencia,” Ariana said.
“Do you ever tire of it? Having to always discuss your plans?” Jaime said. Before Ariana, it had sometimes felt as if his family was too well known. As if he couldn’t do anything without someone recognizing him as one of the Cohan brothers.
His family fame was the small league. He and his brothers had regular lives. They went on dates in restaurants, watched movies in theatres, went out to clubs. Ariana couldn’t do any of that and not just in her country, but in Europe as well. It was unfathomable.
“I got used to it,” she said. “Will I see you before you go?”
“I’d like to but I’m afraid a sneaky reporter might follow me to George and Lillian’s and that would be the end of the privacy that you have now.”
“You can’t see this but I’m shuddering,” Ariana said.
Jaime laughed. “Yeah, I know that feeling.”
They chatted a little longer before saying goodbye. When he disconnected the call, Jaime experienced the most ridiculous feeling he had ever felt. He missed Ariana. Insanity. How did you miss a person you had just finished speaking to?
Something was going on with him and he wasn’t sure whether he liked it. He had to rein in his feelings. Ariana was not emotionally available and frankly neither was he.
He’d pored over articles about her past and knew that the kind of heartbreak she had experienced was not something that a person easily healed from. Ariana would take years before she was ready to be in a relationship.
He had to keep reminding himself that, else he would get carried away and spoil the friendship that had sprouted between them.