“We wait for it to cool, and once it’s cooled, we’ll add the icing.”
“Do we have to wait for it to cool?”
“What does the box say?”
“To let it fully cool.”
Since we’d already committed various crimes against cake already, the box could kiss my ass. “We can live dangerously this once, but I’m not responsible for any icing that melts and makes a mess.”
She darted to my fridge, grabbed all three tubs of icing, and plunked them onto my counter. “I want to eat so much sugar I don’t leave orbit for a week. That’s what I’m going to need to deal with this week.”
As far as vices went, a desire for sugar and cake to get through the week counted as harmless. “How long do you have until your bodyguards notice you’re gone?”
“They probably noticed a few hours ago, but they’re used to me ditching them. I’ve been giving them the slip for two weeks, heading off so they wouldn’t know my goal was to come here all along. Initially, I only meant to make you the cake, but I was thinking about it while I was heating the oven. While I know you’re everything my father doesn’t want for me, you’re the only man who has seen me for me.”
I understood, much to my dismay. “My parents married because it was easier to survive married than single. That’s not really that much different from an arranged marriage. That happens a lot. Two people who can tolerate each other get married for the tax benefits, then they have a kid or two for the extra benefits. The benefits run out around the same time the kids enter the work force, but by that time, they’re too old to have another child realistically. The cycle begins again, but they don’t have a tax break being together, but they can’t afford to divorce, either. So everyone makes it work out of necessity.”
“Royals don’t divorce, either. Well, we can, but it’s not recommended.” Jessica sighed and bowed her head. “I’d rather make it work with someone of my choice than someone of my father’s choice. But unless I do something, I won’t get a choice. Choose or have someone chosen for me. That’s where I’m at right now. I’ve had a lot of men thrown at me, but you’re the best I’ve found. I’m sure we’ll screech like harpies at each other now and then, but that’s a gamble I’m willing to take.”
“Honestly, I can’t say I’ve ever screeched at someone like a harpy before.”
“You should give it a try. It’s therapeutic sometimes.”
As I’d sacrificed any hope of the cake being anything other than a sweet monstrosity, I grabbed a pair of spoons and knives and offered her one of each.
“What are these for?”
“The spoons are for eating the icing out of the tub, the knives are for applying the icing to the cake. If we’re going to do this, we may as well do this right.”
“Do we wash the spoon after each time we take some?”
“You wanted sugar. This is solidified sugar with some flavoring slapped on top. Why waste time cleaning the spoon?”
She giggled and grabbed the nearest tub, tearing off the top. “We’re going to get sick doing this, aren’t we?”
“I’d bet on it.”
“Let’s do this.”
The cake turned out better than I expected, and Jessica’s face lit up when she realized she’d made something edible on her own. She ate more of it than I did, and as she’d been so proud of her work, I sliced the rest of the cake and stuck it in my freezer so she could come back and have more of it later.
“You can put cake in the freezer?” She bounced from foot to foot, and when she crashed from her sugar high, I expected she’d crash hard. “I didn’t know that.”
“You can. I actually like eating it frozen. It’s a guilty indulgence.”
“Can we try it the next time I come over?”
I enjoyed the idea of her coming to visit me. I had a lot of thinking to do, although I refused to build up too much hope we might have a future together. Somehow, I’d have to fit in reading on the responsibilities of a queen’s husband. Until I answered her, I saw no harm in getting to know her better while eating frozen cake made from a box. “Definitely.”
I’d become so accustomed to her stressed, worried expressions that her smile caught me by surprise. “It’ll probably be another week or two until I can sneak away. Can you give me your schedule so I know when it’s best to visit?”
Between my schedule and her visits, I doubted I’d have much time for sleep. I told her, inviting her to wake me if she came over when I was asleep, told her when I usually ate at home, and when I visited my parents.
Her eyes widened at that. “Do you think, if I dress down, I could go with you to meet them? I’ve never gotten to meet lower-caste families like that before.” She gestured to her clothes. “I could wear something like this.”
I couldn’t bear to tell her no. Would my parents ever forgive me for inviting a princess to their apartment? “I don’t see why not. I usually cook, so I’ll just bring enough for you, too. When is best for you?”
She pulled out her phone and tapped at the display. “Three weeks from now. I’ll make sure I can get away. I’ll meet you there? That’s probably the safest and easiest. What’s their address?”
I gave it to her, wondering what she’d think of my parents. At least I knew exactly what I’d make, as only her favorite would suffice. To make it as close to what she remembered, I’d shop at the same stores as always. I could’ve gotten better chickens, but they wouldn’t be the same.
Maybe one day soon, I’d experiment with the recipe to see if using higher quality chickens altered the flavor and the way the chicken tasted. I’d experiment at work with the better chickens and feed the elites there the results, saving a piece for myself each night until I perfected the recipe for all types of chicken.
I looked forward to the challenge.
“What’s your favorite dessert?” I asked.
The princess pointed at my freezer. “That horrifically sweet cake, apparently.”
“I think I can do a little better than that while maintaining its horrific sweetness.”
“You’re on. I’ll definitely be there, and if I don’t see you before then, know it’s only because I’m ensuring I absolutely will not miss meeting your parents and trying your improved version of that cake.”
“I’ll hold you to that, Jessica. I have no idea what I’m going to tell my parents,” I confessed. “I figure I’ll surprise them? I’ll tell them I’m bringing someone with me. Think that’ll be okay?”
“That’s probably for the best. I expect they’ll freak. A lot of people do when they meet me. I can be pretty scary.”
“I don’t find you scary.”
“That is a pro on every list I have. I don’t want a man who’s afraid of me. Those spineless princes? Completely terrified of me. I wish I could make people less afraid of me, but I can’t help I was born with my talent.”
“Just be yourself. They’ll be startled at first, but as long as you’re just being yourself, they’ll get over it.” I wouldn’t tell her to smile. I’d heard that complaint from my mother enough.
Fake smiles never helped.
“Sometimes, I wonder who I am. I have to always behave a certain way. It’s expected of me.”
“So stop. Just like you are choosing to decide for yourself, stop being the person they want you to be and be the person you want to be. What kind of ruler do you want to be?”
“A better one than Dad, who puts the wishes of the egotistical congress over the needs of everybody else. I’ve been seeing more and more about the realities of our caste system coming to see you. You’re exceptional within your caste, aren’t you? Your parents aren’t. They’re older but still working, aren’t they? In my caste, and even among the lower elites, those of your parents’ age would be retiring. But your parents can’t retire, can they?”
“Not for a long time if they ever can. There are ways for the really elderly to get help with living expenses, but that doesn’t kick in until seventy-five.”
“I know. I was looking over the laws. There are health exemptions for earlier retirement, but it’s difficult to get at best. And no matter how many times I try to calculate the figures, I don’t see how someone in the lower castes could possibly afford to retire. The numbers don’t make sense.”
“You did the numbers right. There’s no way for someone in my caste to typically retire. I could, in theory, but I am saving the money I would have used to retire to care for What’s the Story, Morning Glory in case I lose my job. Most people in my caste don’t stay at the same job for more than three to four years because the employers don’t want to have to pay out the additional benefits.”
“I was wondering about that. The benefits don’t even seem that much extra. I don’t get it.”
“Everyone does it, so there’s always turnover. That means it’s possible to pay low for the work. I’m the exception; as long as I can stay where I work for three years, I’ll be able to care for my filly for a long time. I should be done my classwork by then, too. That’ll help. The money I would’ve spent on classes can go to her.”
Jessica narrowed her eyes. “You’re not going to accept my help, are you?”
“It’s less that, more that she’s my responsibility, so I should be the one working to take care of her. How does this sound? If I really need any help, I’ll come to you.”
I’d do everything in my power to avoid requiring help, but that was a promise I could keep.
She smiled. “I can work with that. Just like I came to you when I really needed your help.”
“Exactly. And you were right to come to me when you were worried about what you were eating. That was very wise of you. Sure, I was a stranger, but you knew I could cook, and you knew I could cook food you could safely eat. You gambled trusting me, but that was a better option than facing potential poisoning.”
“I gambled, and I won. Choosing you was the best decision I’ve made in my life.”
“You’re thinking with your stomach again, aren’t you?”
If looks could kill, I would’ve died within moments. “While my stomach has cast a vote in your favor, I have lists, and there is more involved in my decision than just my stomach’s opinion about your cooking.”
Maybe most people in Texas wisely feared the princess when she was annoyed, but I loved the flash in her eyes and the way her brows furrowed when I stirred her ire. “I’m not sure if I should ask, but I have to admit, I’m very curious what went into the pro column. I have no idea if I’d be a good partner for you, so I feel this is an important part of my research.”
“You have a killer ass in jeans, and I enjoy watching you in the kitchen.”
I blinked, twisted around, and tried to look at my own ass, which didn’t work as well as I’d like. “Well I’ll be damned.”
“You’ve never had a woman compliment you on your ass before, have you?”
“No, I can’t say I have.” I faced her, shoving my hands in my pockets and arching a brow. “Is thank you an appropriate answer? Thank you. I’m glad my ass in my jeans meets your standards. A princess’s standards must be pretty high.”
“You have a sense of humor, which I’ve just added to your pro column. I was wondering. And you’re welcome. Your couch is an exceptional viewing place when you’re bending over to fetch something out of your fridge.”
While inexperienced, I could put two and two together to figure out what she wanted. “I can store the most common things on the bottom shelf if that would make you happy.”
“It would, thank you.”
“I feel it is fair to warn you that I have no real experience with women, as I haven’t wanted to neglect someone while focused on my education.”
Her smile turned sly. “This is not a disadvantage in my opinion. I’m tired of little boys who think below their belts. Will my lack of virginity be an issue? Because really? Us royals and elites tend to get randy, although I haven’t issued any invitations in a few years. As I said, I’m tired of the little boys, and real men are capable of keeping their pants up.”
“That’s good to know. I’ll endeavor to be a proper gentleman for you, especially if you’ve had an unfortunate lack of them in your life.”
“I’m not sure it’s possible for you to act even more gentlemanly. I wanted to ask you if you were sent to some gentleman finishing school, because you’ve been nothing but the perfect example of a gentleman since I met you. Though, I do have to say, you were adorable in the convenience store. You had no idea what to do around me, you looked ready to take flight, and despite all that, you helped me at the cost of your poor stomach.”
“I went to public school.” I didn’t tell her I couldn’t afford anything else, as I suspected she’d already figured it out on her own. “My parents were even more surprised than I was that I was accepted into expanded education. At that point, I went to culinary school. I’ve always liked cooking, and I figured it’d be the most viable option for someone of my caste. And as for my poor stomach, I knew it was a risk. I just figured it was a risk worth taking. It wasn’t that bad.”
“But it was still bad.”
“It worked out.”
“It really did. Take your time thinking about my proposal. It’ll take me months to wrangle the congress and maneuver things to my liking. If you decide you’re interested, we can start making plans. I expect we’ll have to do a somewhat hostile takeover to make it clear my father’s preferences will be ignored, that I will refuse to sign any paperwork that will marry me to some man-child of a prince, and that I, despite my gender, have a brain and a willingness to use it.”
“Question.”
“Yes?”
“How do you plan to sell the idea of you marrying someone like me to Texans?”
She grinned. “See? This is exactly why I thought you’d be a good choice. You have no idea about politics, and you’re already asking good questions. Yes, I will have to sell the idea of marrying you to Texas, and I’ve already won that war.”
That was news to me. “You have?”
“Your horse, Pat. Everyone loves a good story about a handsome man working hard for his horse. I don’t have to sell you to Texans. You’ve already done that work. The congress will be the harder sell, and don’t worry yourself at all about the congress. I have a plan for them.”
I’d wanted to figure out how to catch a wild west Texan wind, and she’d blown right on back in through my door with an offer I didn’t want to refuse, but I had no idea how to live up to her expectations. “Most people would call this crazy, except this is almost exactly how most people in my caste ultimately get married.”
“I hope I can change that. People shouldn’t have to be forced into a marriage they don’t want. Honestly, I was so impressed you’d managed to get by on your own for so long. I looked into the average marrying age of your caste. It’s nineteen. You’re older than that by a few years. You’re roughly my age, aren’t you?”
“I’m twenty-six.”
“You’re my age. Good. That’s even better. You’re independent, you’ve been in the expanded education program a while—longer than most, so you know how to stick with something long term. Actually, I’m impressed you stayed with it for that long. Most drop out after one to two years. How many courses per term?”
“Two.”
“And since the average load is six on a full schedule, you have a few years left before your grant runs out.”
“My employer is paying for my classes now,” I admitted. “And they’re enrolling me in some general online business courses I can do during slow times at work.”
“Good. Even a basic business education will help you down the road. Don’t tell anyone this, but being a royal isn’t nearly as impressive—or difficult—as some may think. Dad mostly lets the congress run all over him because he lost his spine somewhere. I do not plan on being that sort of ruler. I’m not going to allow the Texan congress to run everyone into the ground. It’ll take time for me to make the ethical
changes happen, but they will. You deserve better. So do your parents. Everyone in your caste deserves better. It’ll be a fight—the congress and the elites won’t like losing any of their power, but it’s a fight I’m going to begin from my first day as the queen. If you’re my king, no one will question the why of it.”
“That makes sense,” I conceded.
“Then there’s the last critical matter.”
I worried, as I had no idea what a princess might count as critical. “Which is?”
“I want a girl first to spite my father, and then, I want a few extras because I like children. Do you like children, Pat?”
I definitely liked the idea of exploring the necessary activities required to have children. “What are the rules of engagement regarding royals and children?”
“Early and as often as possible, preferably after wedlock, but being blunt, most royals will sleep with anything that moves until marriage because infidelity is a good way to lose a lot of favor with the conservative factions. In Texas? We sleep around and do a very good job of not letting anyone know we’re doing it. Were you hoping for a virgin? Because if so, I have bad news for you.”
I had bad news for her if she was expecting something other than a virgin. “If you’re hoping for someone experienced, I have bad news for you.”
Jessica grinned and rubbed her hands together. “Oh, no. Pat. Absolutely not. That goes straight to the top of the pro column. I won’t have to unteach any bad habits, and I can take my time showing you exactly what I like. I’ll look forward to it very much. Do you want a few advance lessons, or would you rather be kept a pristine, eager stud for when I officiate you as my choice? I can handle a wait. There’s something to be said for anticipation.”
I dived right out of my comfort zone and right into treacherous but tempting waters. “I pick whatever answer is the correct one.”
She laughed so hard she cried. “See, Pat? This is exactly why I like you. You’re so damned honest and sweet. Take some time to think about it. If I get my way, we’ll have plenty of time to explore all our options. It may take a few months, but I’ll make sure things work out in our favor.”
Storm Called Page 12
