by Cate Remy
“Actually, I wouldn’t. I have a roommate who’s goo goo gaga over celebrities and their social media posts.”
“Try not to tell her about the gym shorts please.”
Shae laughed again. “I won’t, though chances are, she knows about it already.”
Donovan turned and went up a block. “I’ll have to drown my sorrows in sweet tea.”
A little surprised, she gave him a glance from the side. “How did you learn about sweet tea?”
“I’ve never been to Georgia before, but my father has. He loved sweet tea so much he had it flown to Severn from one of his favorite restaurants. We’ll have to go there, too, but not today.”
He drove into the parking lot of the restaurant Moonlight & Mimosas. The lot was packed with the Saturday morning brunch crowd. Shae saw the line out of the door and became hesitant. “Um, you may want to pick a less crowded restaurant if you don’t want to be seen.”
“No worries. I called ahead.” Donovan kept driving towards the rear of the restaurant where employees parked. Two people stood outside waiting. They directed Donovan towards a space and the car behind them to another.
Giles and Murphy got out first. They spoke to the people and motioned with their hands. The restaurant employees nodded. Giles turned to the car and gave a nod.
“We have permission.” Donovan unbuckled his seat belt and got out.
Shae moved to unfasten her seat belt, but it got caught. She eventually worked it loose as Donovan opened her car door. “Thanks.” She was surprised by the gesture of politeness. Not only was it a little old-fashioned, but she wouldn’t think a prince went around holding doors for people.
The air around the restaurant contained the mingled aromas of bacon, coffee, waffle batter, and fried chicken. The two employees, an older woman and a young man who looked like he could still be in high school, practically danced on their toes while they waited for Donovan. “Your Highness.” The young man gave a bow.
Shae watched Donovan put his hand out in motion to stop. “That’s not necessary. Thanks for fitting me in on short notice.”
“I’m the manager. We have the private booth ready for you.” The woman directed him into the restaurant. She took a look at Shae. “I didn’t know you had a companion. Would you like the private dining room instead?”
Shae’s neck burned beneath the high collar of her hotel uniform. Did the restaurant manager mistake her for Donovan’s date?
The prince glanced at Shae with his boyish, playful smirk. “No, ma’am. The booth will be fine. It’s just brunch.”
Chapter Five
Brunch was delicious. Shae sampled eggs Benedict and chicken and waffles. She’d be amazed if she could make it through the rest of the day without unbuttoning her uniform jacket. “Moonlight & Mimosas never disappoints.”
Donovan sipped his second glass of sweet tea. He kept his baseball cap on the whole time they were in the restaurant. “Do you eat here frequently?”
“Once a semester.” She shifted in the tiny little booth. It was built for couples to canoodle rather than business associates to brainstorm. If she moved her arm a few inches, she’d literally rub elbows with the prince, as well as shoulders. He was a big man with broad shoulders and back. She sensed the warmth of his proximity. “Once a semester. I treat myself after final exams.”
The server came to their booth in the back corner of the restaurant. Giles and Murphy sat at the table in front of them, once again blending in with their surroundings. “Can I get you another glass of sweet tea, sir?”
Donovan looked as though he debated getting a third refill. “No, thank you, but I would like a serving of your peach cobbler.”
“Good choice. It’s our specialty. Would you like ice cream with it?”
“However the locals eat it, that’s how I’ll take it.”
The server ran off to get him his cobbler. Shae looked at the plates surrounding him on the table. “I’m glad I wasn’t the only one hungry.”
He stretched and rested an arm behind her on the back of the booth. “I had to try southern brunch food after hearing my parents go on about it. It didn’t disappoint.” He rubbed his flat stomach. “Though I might have to do a couple more early morning sessions at the gym after this meal.”
Yeah, right. With those muscles and metabolism, he had nothing to worry about. Shae took a drink of ice water. Was it just her, or was the restaurant very warm inside? “The restaurant has a good dinner menu, too.”
He surveyed her. “Are you proposing we return for dinner?”
“No.” She spoke the word fast. Was she too abrupt? “I mean, their dinner menu is so good, you might want to consider having them cater for one of your business meetings. You said you were going to speak with contractors and investors.”
“I need to schedule the first of those meetings very soon.”
Shae got her phone out and opened the memo app. “Do you want to start planning it?”
“Not right now. I still have cobbler to sample.” He thanked the server when she came with a portion of cobbler large enough to feed three people.
Shae set her phone down. Why didn’t he want to plan for the meetings? Wasn’t that why he invited her to come with him in the first place? If he still wanted to brainstorm for the hotel project and gala, they didn’t have much time. They already spent an hour and ten minutes in the restaurant. She told the Kleghorn staff she’d be at the hotel at noon.
The server brought the cobbler to him on a plate with two spoons. He handed one to her. “I could eat this entire thing by myself, but I probably shouldn’t.”
“No, thank you. I’m feeling full.”
He kept the spoon dangled in front of her. “It’s impolite to refuse a royal request, you know.”
She froze. “I didn’t mean to be offensive.”
Donovan’s well-shaped lips stretched into a smile. “It was a joke. You didn’t actually believe me, did you?”
“No comment.” She plucked the spoon from his hand and scooped a small amount of cobbler and ice cream onto it. The combination of warm, sweet crunch, soft peaches and cold vanilla ice cream created a symphony in her mouth. “Mmm. I have to leave this alone.”
He took a bite. “Why? It’s delicious.”
“It’s an expression. The cobbler is so decadent that I should let it be if I know what’s good for me.”
He shook his head. “Americans and their strange sayings.”
“Really? I’d like to hear what they say in Severn.” Her phone rang. “Do you mind if I take this? It’s the florist a couple doors down.”
Donovan gestured for her to go ahead. His mouth was full.
She answered the phone. “Shae Lawson speaking.”
“This is Frilly Flowers calling about the bouquet and gift basket you ordered. Is this going to the Kleghorn Hotel?”
“No, I wanted it delivered to Joseph Hightower at St. Andrew’s Hospital.”
“Oh.”
Shae didn’t like the sound of that “oh”. “Pardon?”
“The driver left on his morning route. He might not be able to make deliveries to the hospital until tonight.”
“Tonight should be-just a moment.” She pressed the mute button as Donovan shook his head at her. “Yes?”
“I overheard. If the florist is a few doors down, I can take you to the hospital to give him the flowers.”
“They said they can deliver them tonight.”
“Why wait? You have about forty minutes until you have to be at the hotel, and I’d like to see more of downtown Atlanta, even if it’s from the car.”
She unmuted the phone. “Hello? On second thought, I’m close to your shop. I can get the flowers. Thanks.”
Donovan set his spoon down and tapped lightly on the table. “I’m done. The cobbler’s excellent, but I can’t finish.”
She noticed he gave it a good try. Over half of the giant portion was gone. “You don’t have to cut your day short because I have to run back to the h
otel. I can get you a tour guide to take you around Atlanta.”
“Maybe later. I’d like to finish the abbreviated tour with you.” He showed off his dimples again.
She averted her gaze, deciding whether to say something to get things on track. He started off telling her they were going to brunch to talk shop. Now she was playing his unofficial tour guide. What did he want to do, handle business or goof around? It wasn’t like they both had tons of free time on their hands. “We should probably go. We don’t have much time left.”
“Say no more.” Donovan set his napkin down and put money on the table.
As soon as he did, Giles and Murphy stood. Donovan let Giles lead the way to the restaurant’s back exit. Shae perused the customers seated and waiting in the buffet line. A few glanced in their direction, but most were so focused on their food and companions, they didn’t give them a second notice.
She and Donovan got into the Mercedes Benz. He turned the key in the ignition. “Are we still good on time?”
“Should be. The hospital’s one point four miles from here. If we take twenty minutes to get the flowers and I take them to Mr. Hightower, we’ll be back at the hotel at exactly twelve noon.”
“You’re a stickler for keeping a schedule. I’m glad I chose you for the job.”
If he didn’t start planning for his hotel project, Shae didn’t think he’d be so glad for long.
Donovan soon learned what Americans meant when they talked about sugar highs. He got a burst of energy as he drove Shae to the florist and to the hospital to deliver the bouquet. He pulled up to the building entrance.
“Are you coming inside?” Shae had her hand on the door.
“It’s probably not a good idea for me to walk in without notifying the hospital first. Besides, the family needs their privacy.”
She nodded. “I’ll be back shortly. About twelve minutes.”
“Take your time. I’m not going anywhere.” He waited for her to go inside before he drove to a free parking space. He smiled to himself. Shae was very punctual, even a little on the obsessive side of it. It was her professionalism and sense of responsibility that made her good at her job.
His phone chirped and beeped at him. He got a personal text from the Office of Protocol, his family’s official organization that handled their diplomatic engagements, public appearances, and communications. Your latest social media appearance was brought to the attention of His Majesty the King. He is not pleased.
Donovan gave a ragged exhale. Must the Office of Protocol report every little picture or incident that occurred with him to his family? He got an incoming call from Severn while he grumbled to himself. He recognized the number and was reluctant to answer it. “Hello, Father.”
He heard an echo of his previous sigh. “I don’t want to know how or why your trip to the gym went viral. Tell me what you’re doing for the hotels in Atlanta and Harper.”
“I haven’t been to Harper, Georgia yet, but I have a three-month renovation plan to update the Atlanta facility and attract younger guests.”
“Younger guests who are professional and upwardly mobile, I hope. Not your usual party-goers.”
“Yes, Father.”
“And whom have you appointed to help you accomplish this feat in ninety days?”
He refrained from reacting to his father’s sarcastic tone. “The current acting manager of the hotel. She has great research skills and knows the workings of the hotel like the back of her hand.”
“She? Is this employee a young lady?”
Donovan knew exactly what his father was hinting at. “She’s set to earn her MBA next year. I selected her for those reasons and those reasons only.”
“You may be on the right track after all. Finally.”
Why couldn’t his father give him a chance to prove himself instead of reminding him of his past failures? “I’ll send you monthly reports of our progress.”
“You’ll send them weekly. If your mother and I see more pictures of you in the media, it had better be for business and charity events.”
“Of course.” He thought the conversation was over. His father continued talking.
“You are the Crown Prince of Severn, our only son. You cannot afford to shirk your responsibilities or behave like a little boy on holiday any longer. Goodness knows we have plenty of distant relatives who would love to persuade the public they can rule Severn better than any Caldwell.”
Donovan braced himself against his father’s stinging words. The worst part of hearing them was knowing they were all true. “I know you and Mother trust me. I won’t disappoint you.”
“See that you don’t.” His father ended the call without saying goodbye. Donovan stared at the screen of his cell phone for a long time.
He startled when Shae gave a soft knock on the passenger door. He unlocked it and let her in.
“What’s wrong?” She settled in her seat. “I knocked twice.”
“Sorry. I must have been focused on a recent phone call.” The car filled with her clean scent of linen and lemon. Donovan inhaled it and felt calmer. “How was your visit with Mr. Hightower?”
“He looks tired and happy at the same time. He enjoyed receiving the flowers.”
“Did you see the baby?”
“No, the NICU only lets family members in. Maybe in a week or two.”
Donovan made his way through light Saturday morning traffic towards the Kleghorn hotel. He saw Giles and Murphy’s car in the rearview mirror. “Shae, it’s going to be intensive work at the hotel from here on out.”
“I understand.”
“Call a mandatory staff meeting first thing next week. I want to address every hotel employee. It’s going to be all hands on deck for a while.”
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her giving him a lingering look. “I’ll send an email today.”
“Good. I appreciate you.”
She broke her gaze from him and stared out the window instead. She had other questions for him. He could tell. Just like his parents thought he wasn’t up to task, Shae likely had her own doubts that he could pull this thing off. Donovan did, too, but failure wasn’t an option. He couldn’t let any of them down.
Chapter Six
Shae had a hunch something was different about Donovan once she got into the car. It could’ve been the mystery phone conversation he mentioned. Whatever the case, he was serious and quiet for the rest of the drive to the hotel. Then he left her to finish her workday while he went to his suite to work on the new employee app he wanted to design.
By the time Shae got home at eleven at night, her feet ached and her head was fuzzy from running around, fulfilling client requests and overseeing the hotel operations. Her roommate was out, possibly on a date or clubbing. She still had a term paper to complete. There was no way she could work on it tonight. Instead, she showered and fixed herself a cup of chamomile tea before going to bed.
The next morning, her roommate pounded on the door. “Shae, are you up?”
She jumped out of bed and opened the door to find Chelsea in baggy pajama pants, an old t-shirt, and remnants of last night’s eyeliner smeared on her face. “Is the apartment on fire?”
“No, silly, but you’re in hot water.”
Shae rubbed her eyes. “Why?”
“You didn’t tell me Prince Donovan was staying at the hotel where you work.”
It seemed Chelsea saw the gym photo of him online. “You know I’m not supposed to tell anyone about the guests.”
“Not even your dear roommate?”
“Especially my dear roommate. You would’ve asked me questions every night about him when I came home.”
“You’re right, I would’ve. But I’m hurt, Shae.” Chelsea put the back of her hand to her brow as though she were about to fall over and faint like an old time southern belle. “You hurt my heart.”
Shae raised an eyebrow at Chelsea’s theatrics. Then they both burst out laughing. “I promise not to hurt your heart again. Besid
es, you know about him now.”
“So how long is he in Atlanta? Right, you won’t tell me.”
Shae covered a yawn. “I need to get coffee on so I can work on my term paper.”
“Come out to Moonlight & Mimosas with me and my girls.”
“No thanks. I was there just the other day.”
Chelsea put her hands on her hips. “And you didn’t say anything? Who’d you go with?”
Shae slipped past her to head into the kitchen. “It was for business.”
“I want to know your business.” Her roommate followed.
“Have fun at brunch. Tell your friends I said hey.”
Chelsea rolled her eyes. “They’re starting to think I live with a ghost.”
“Boo.”
“Whatever.”
“See you later.” Shae filled the coffee carafe with water and got out a bag of coffee grounds. Today she had to play catch up with her class work. The summer semester was over next week and she barely got started on her last assignment. She doubted the professor would let her off the hook because she was busy assisting a prince. Who would believe her?
Shae managed to complete a quarter of her term paper by Monday morning. She’d have to find a way to complete the rest during the evenings when she got home from work. There were hardly any breaks during the day.
On Monday, Donovan called the mandatory hotel staff meeting. Shae sat at the front of the conference room while the prince relayed the objectives they worked on to the Kleghorn staff.
“My family owns this hotel, and we’re very proud of your work ethic and dedication. I need you to do your best over the next several weeks. Be flexible as we begin renovations.”
Shae observed her fellow employees. They sat enthralled, looking at Donovan as he stood tall at the front of the room. She heard a couple of women behind her mention something about the prince’s accent and they started giggling. She looked over her shoulder. They got quiet.
“Next on the agenda is the fundraising gala. It’s set for October Twelfth. Shae will pass out a paper explaining phase one of planning.”
